I use a Filtakleen Bypass Filtration System on my truck. Oil analysis results have been excellent. When mentioning my great results to several associates I frequently get a response back that oil breaks down from heat and that no matter how clean I keep my oil eventually it will simply wear out. Is this true?

I believe it's true. However, with good filtration system, like you have, it will happen later than without it.

A good filtration system will help you oil last longer but not forever. Oxidation ond thermal breakdown may both be accelerated by ther presence of catalysts such as wear metals, varnish and dirt in the oil so it makes sense that if you remove these accelerants you will slow the onset of degredation.

There are technologies out there by various major OEM engine manufacturers that relies on a computerised system to extract a certain volume of oil from the sump and dispense it into the fuel system - hence it is "burned" away during the nomal combustion process. The oil removed from the system is however replenished from a "holding reervoir" in a process referred to as "sweetening".

Your good filtration system coupled with and OEM installed system like the one referred to above will prolong oil drain intervals, save lube costs .....

We had this technology (on the mine where I use to work) on Cummins off-highway V12 & V16 engines and we have been able to run them to 750 hours without dropping the oil - oil analysis results did not show significant oxidation, additive depletion etc. Oil analysis was performed very extensivelly on the units with the Centinel system to evaluate the efficiency (every 100 hours) and the results were very good.

I am just not sure if this technology is available for on-highway engines or by all OEMs.

According to leading oil analysis companies in the U.S., as well as a Technical Bulletin (#863)published by Mobil Oil, Oil itself does not "break down". The base oil will always remain the base oil. However, many factors cause an oil to become less and less efficient at lubricating.

According to the Mobil Oil Technical Bulletin #863, "Oil does not wear-out, break-down, or otherwise deteriorate to the point that it needs to be replaced. It does become contaminated with water, acids, carbon and sludge so that it can no longer provide the protection needed for high precision engine components."

Ultra-fine filtration (less than one micron) can substantially reduce the contaminates to a point where the oil is "better than new". However, there are factors that must be considered.

First, engine oil if formulated with many additives. There are additives to reduce foaming, clean the engine internals, modify the viscosity, and hold particulate. Using a sub-micron filter can remove (strip) any additive that is held "in suspension" (dispersed) from the oil, if it is larger than the micron rating of the filter. Any additive that is "in solution" (dissolved) in the oil will not be removed. According to Mobil, only the viscosity modifier is "in suspension" and able to be removed. But there is an exception. The dirt holding molecules in the oil can be removed after the dirt has begun to cling to these molecules. I will show why this is important in a moment.

Second, the filter must not only remove the particulate contamination, but also the moisture, oxides, acids and sludge to be the most effective. Without removing these contaminants, your engine will start to eat itself away from the inside.

Therefore, if you can continually filter the oil through a filter that is rated to less than one micron, remove the oxides, acid, sludge and moisture, you can effectively keep your oil at better than new specifications.

Used oil that is already dirty (called wasted), has been contaminated to the point that this technique will remove the beneficial additives right along with the contamination. So this whole process would need to be performed on equipment that has had a thorough cleaning and oil and filter change. This should allow you to use the oil indefinitely, only sampling for analysis.

My company offers just such a device, and I would be happy to make a recommendation. Please send me a Private Message or email me @ jprzybylski@meijicorp.com for more details.

Jim Przybylski