In This Issue:

• Today's Tip: Dispersancy is Crucial for Engine Oils

• Book Bits: Greasing Unsealed Applications

• Lube-Trivia: Name That Wear Metal

• Q & A: Converting Gear Boxes to Grease Lubrication

Today's Tip

Dispersancy is Crucial for Engine Oils

• Coolant contamination, overextended oil drain, water contamination, high blowby, long idling, high elevation, and exhaust gas recirculation can all cause loss of dispersancy in motor oils. This loss can cause engine deposits, sludge, impaired lubrication and oil flow.

Each tip published will earn the sender $50. Submit your tip.

Book Bits

Greasing Unsealed Applications

From "The Practical Handbook of Machinery Lubrication"

When greasing an application where there is no seal, such as heavily loaded chassis shackle pins, or pins and bushings on blades or buckets, two or three shots of grease should be applied at the beginning of every shift. In particularly dusty, dirty conditions associated with agriculture, mining or quarrying applications, it is necessary to re-lubricate more frequently to purge these contaminants. The same is true for wet or humid environments, such as marine, pulp and paper and road construction applications.

More information about the book "The Practical Handbook of Machinery Lubrication"

Lube-Trivia

Name That Wear Metal

This new section of Lube-Tips is a fun way to test your knowledge and prepare for ICML certification.

QUESTION: What common wear metal might be generated from rocker arm bushings, wrist pin bushings, and a thrust washer in an engine?

For the answer, visit: http://www.lube-tips.com/trivia/20030813.asp

Q & A

Converting Gear Boxes to Grease Lubrication

"We have been putting grease in our small gearboxes in our production area to help with a leakage problem and found that it works well. How do you determine the quantity of grease to put in the gear box? We are using an EP 0 grease."

Some gear boxes are designed, for a number of reasons, to be lubricated with grease. Many gear boxes designed to use lubricating oils may be lubricated with grease when it is beneficial to do so.

Some conditions that may make this conversion appropriate are leaky seals, aging units with excessive wear, and units that experience intermittent use with large intervals between operation.

In general, when converting a unit from oil to a semifluid grease, the sump level should be the same as that used for oil. It should be confirmed, if possible, that the lubricating grease is effectively distributed to the lubricated points in the system.

If the unit's bearings are designed to be lubricated by a splash lubrication mechanism, it may be necessary to manually lubricate the bearings as the grease will not likely be distributed to these points.

Greases used in these applications generally range in NLGI grade from 000 to 1. The grease should be selected so that the lubricating properties, such as base oil viscosity and EP characteristics, are consistent with those in the lubricating oil specification.

The consistency or NLGI grade should be selected by choosing the lowest grade that will effectively perform lubrication functions and mitigate the seal leakage problem. Switching from oil to grease in a gear box will likely increase the operating temperature. Once the conversion is completed and the unit has begun operation, the temperature should be monitored to ensure that it is within acceptable limits.

Jarrod Potteiger, Technical Consultant, Noria Corporation

Submit your question here.

Please Forward This Issue to a Friend

If you haven't already done so, please forward this issue to one or two of your friends or business associates. Thanks so much!