I am installing a remote oil filter to my Kubota based gensetI Many small diesels come with short spin on filters, but a longer version is usually available. Going to the longer size cuts the flow rate almost in half and catches more debris.
I run clean oil. I centrifuge the oil every 25-50 hours. Before the centrifuge I used add on bypass filters. I've been experimenting with running clean oil since the 1960s and my experience shows much longer engine life. Maybe more than double if you're not running high exhaust gas temperatures.
With filtering, the slower oil passes thru a filter, the more dirt it traps. That why many Detroit Diesels have transparent oil longer. Older DDs had a bypass filter and no full flow filter. Later they had dual full flow filters that slowed the flow. Many small diesels come with short spin on filters, but a longer version is usually available. Going to the longer size cuts the flow rate almost in half and catches more debris.
Fine soot eventually clumps into larger particles along with other debris and gets to a size where it causes engine wear before a full flow filter can capture the dirt.
I haven't actually changed oil for more than 5 years, just add make up oil and test 1-2 times a year. The centrifuge also removes water.
Doesn't oil also accumulate acidic combustion byproduct (other than soot) that makes it damageable beyond a certain concentration?
L
Cummins 6bt's.....The oil is pretty black after 10 hours of running them easy. Ironically, I've had 2-cycle Detroits that didn't turn black until 50 hours or so.
A long time between changes but if the test says its good I guess it is.I use a Gulf coast bypass filter on my Cummins 6bt .
Filter element is nothing more than a large size bounty paper towel roll.
Change the filter every 100 hrs & add about a gallon of make up oil
I do a full oil change at 7-800 hrs.
Oil is tested every year.
The oil color stays almost clear which I understand is lack of soot
I
Depends on the engine and the loading. Some 3208TA in high output apps you can change the oil three times in a row and it is black after a couple hours run. Run same engine at 1200 and it will stay clean for 20hrs.
Nothing wrong with black oil, it's just soot.
On my 450C, it is pretty black at 50-100hrs, I change it at about 300hrs.
If it bothers you, take a sample and see what the soot/insolubles are.
Hi Simi,
No, I don’t think my C7 engines have a bypass filter?
Hi, by the way. Have seen you out around at Peel and Sandhills. We Bert at RQYS. Pls come and say hello if you see us.
Hamish.
Has anyone worked out their oil change interval by using the chart method, which I assume all makes would have in their manual?
If I have worked ours out correctly, with the low rpm therefore low fuel burn we experience, red line, we don't even register on the scale so could extend ours from 250 hours to 600+ hours.