Written by Jim Smart on November 27, 2017
Do you every wonder how much life you have left in your engine and driveline?
Your ride doesn’t have to be a lost cause at 150,000 miles. We’re going to show you how to get 250,000-300,000 miles by doing nothing more than using the right lubricants and changing them out on a regular basis. One thing street rods do a lot is sit. Sitting for extended periods of time takes a toll on moving parts, seals, and gaskets. You want a lubricant that will stay in place during those times when your street rod or classic muscle car is going to sit. You also want staying power for the next time you start it up.
What Lubrication Does
We’re going to focus on the two most important aspects of engine oil. It keeps moving parts from touching each other and it carries heat and corrosive contaminants away from moving parts. Engine oil has the most intimate contact with an engine’s moving parts, including the hottest parts like exhaust valvestems and piston rings. It has to have qualities that allow it to stand up to the toughest conditions imaginable.
When lubricating oil breaks down under high heat conditions it stops protecting moving parts, which is what leads to engine failure. Not only does engine oil keep moving parts from touching, it also coats these parts, preventing destructive corrosion. Additives in the oil help fight corrosion and resulting deterioration of the oil. Detergents and dispersants contribute even further to prevent sludge and carbon buildup.
Engines are lubricated via pressure, splash, and fog. Oil contacts moving parts under pressure at the crankshaft and camshaft journals and bearings. It is also supplied under pressure at the lifters and rocker arm shafts. The layer of oil between moving parts is known as an oil film. The oil film under pressure acts as a liquid bearing on which moving parts ride without touching each other. Moving parts contact each other whenever the oil film is compromised. The oil film is compromised when the engine is shut down and it has time to sit. Oil drains off moving parts, which will have the opportunity to contact. When you hit the starter, moving parts have direct contact briefly until oil under pressure reaches critical parts.
Splash and fog lubrication takes time to get slung around before it coats cylinder walls, pistons, and pins. And forget lubrication at piston rings. Piston rings have direction contact with cylinder walls, which have some lubrication, but not enough. Because both cylinder wall and rings are typically made of iron, wear tends to be uniform in both. And as rings and walls wear, they shed microscopic amounts of metal into the oil.
Why Change Oil?
Clean oil greatly enhances engine life by protecting moving parts. We have seen proof of this again and again in more than four decades of tinkering with automobiles. Changing oil, regardless of the type of oil you use, rids your engine of contaminants that can cause harm to an engine if left unattended. When engines sit, rust develops on castings and moving parts inside. This is why you want a lubricant that stays on all parts. Always change the oil filter any time you change oil.
Contaminants can have a corrosive effect on moving parts. Microscopic metal particles from normal wear and tear can take a toll on moving parts when they sit in the oil wedge and contact moving parts. Iron particles will score soft bearing surfaces. In fact, did you know aluminum bearing surfaces are made that way to absorb metal particles and other contaminants? Hard iron particles sink into the soft bearing surfaces, which protects the crank and cam journals from scoring.
Synthetic vs. Conventional
We spoke with Dan Peterson, senior vice president, dealer sales and marketing at AMSOIL INC. about oil choice. “It depends on application and what you want from your motor oil. There are a lot of areas where it makes sense to use synthetic. And there are applications where you’re better off with conventional,” Dan comments. “For anyone interested in greater performance, protection, and longevity, synthetics are going to do a better job.”
Dan goes on to say, “Breaking that down further, when engines or vehicles encounter temperature extremes—extreme heat or intense cold—AMSOIL INC. synthetics are going to provide much better performance in these extreme environments. From the high-temperature side of it, the synthetic base oils and advanced additives work together to provide better protection against wear, oxidation, and deposits.
“From the low temperature side of it,” Dan adds, “you just don’t get the flow of lubricant when you need it. The really bad wear comes when you start your engine and lubricants don’t get there quickly enough to prevent contact. Synthetic lubricants flow better at low temperatures and they tend to stay, which means you have lubrication on moving parts upon startup.” Another option to consider is AMSOIL INC. synthetic lubricants in your driveline, be it an automatic transmission or manual shift. Ditto for your differential, which can live happily on AMSOIL INC. synthetics.
I hope this excellent article in Hot Rod Magazine gives you more insight into properly maintaining your vehicles and realizing long life using the BEST Lubricants money can buy, AMSOIL. For more information about AMSOIL products go to http://www.amsoil.com or http://www.The1sSyntheticoil.com. Should you desire to purchase products you can call 1-800-777-7094 and tell the operator you are working with ZO 9792.
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