Engine Lubrication

Chapter 12

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 Objectives
• Describe engine lubrication under different
service conditions
• Select the correct engine oil to use
• Describe the operation of different types of oil
filters

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 Introduction
• All moving parts
are separated by a
thin oil layer
– Oil pump supplies
oil to the engine
– Little wear should
occur if oil is
maintained
properly

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© 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning
 Engine Oil
• More than basic crude
– Contains a complicated additive package
• First additives were developed in the 1930s
• Does more than lubricate
– Cools, cleans, and prevents rust
– Fills hydraulic valve lifters or cam followers
– Helps seal piston rings against cylinders

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 Engine Oil (cont'd.)
• Oil level
– Correct level is designed to keep the oil pickup
screen below the level of the oil
– When checking oil level:
• Vehicle should be on a level surface
• Engine should be warm but off for five minutes
• Push dipstick all the way down
• If level is unclear: look at back of dipstick or re-dip
• If level is low: check if the vehicle is due for
service

© 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning

© 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning
© 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning
 Engine Oil (cont'd.)
• Oil viscosity
– Oil thickness or body
• Multiple viscosity oils
– Most new engine oils
are multiple viscosity
• Viscosity index
– Ability to resist
change in viscosity
under increased heat

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 Engine Oil (cont'd.)
• Oil pressure
– Develops when there is a resistance to flow
– As engine wears, clearance between crankshaft
and bearings increases
• Oil pump cannot fill extra clearance
• Oil pressure is low when engine idles
– SAE 20W-50 provides higher oil pressure in
older, idling engines
• Flows more slowly to bearings of new engine
when first started on a cold morning

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 Engine Oil Licensing and
Certification
• SAE decides when new oil specifications are
needed
– American Society for Testing and Materials
• Sets performance specifications
– American Petroleum Institute
• Administers the licensing and certification
• Starburst symbol
– API licenses engine oil marketers to display its
starburst certification mark

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© 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning
 Engine Oil Licensing and
Certification (cont'd.)
• Oil service ratings
– Set by API
– SA through SN
• SA: mineral oil with
no additives and is
not recommended
for automotive use
• S: used for engines
with a spark
– Diesel engine oils:
rated CA through CJ
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 Engine Oil Licensing and
Certification (cont'd.)
• European ACEA oils
– ACEA standards developed by European auto
manufacturers
• Manufacturer-specific oil standards
– Becoming more common
• Energy-efficient oils
– Oil is energy conserving if it passes certain tests
• Energy conservation ratings began in 1994
• HTHS viscosity rating
– Measures viscosity under difficult conditions
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 Oil Additives
• Additives make up as much as one-third of the
volume of the oil
• Additives found in engine oil
– Pour-point depressants
– Corrosion and rust inhibitors
– Antifoam additives
– Friction modifiers
– Oxidation inhibitors
– Antiwear additives

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 Oil Additives (cont'd.)
• Boundary lubrication
– Film becomes too thin or breaks down under load
• Detergents and dispersants
– Keep small particles suspended
• As oil decomposes at high temperatures it reacts
with oxygen to form a gummy mixture
• Detergents make deposits oil soluble
• Sludge
– Mixture of moisture, oil, and contaminants
• Clogs oil screen and oil lines if it accumulates

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© 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning
 Oil Additives (cont'd.)
• Nondetergent oil
– Oil without additives is called
• Oil oxidizes at temperatures higher than 250°F
– Becomes thicker and forms varnish deposits
– Oxidation rate doubles every 20°F above
140°F
– Antioxidants combat the effects of heat on the oil
– Detergents make varnish oil soluble

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 Synthetic Oils
• Molecules are nearly the same size
– Reduces friction
• Contain no wax or impurities
– Suited to lower temperatures
• Can also withstand higher temperatures
• Advantages
– Lower oil consumption
– Can be changed less frequently
• Disadvantage
– Price
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 Changing Engine Oil
• Benefits of changing the oil
– Oil additives are depleted over time
– Cleans smaller contaminants from the oil
– Unburned contaminants are removed with the oil
– Sludge is removed
• Oil change intervals
– Vehicles driven primarily on the highway can
change oil every 7,500 miles
– Newer engines with VTT require regular oil
changes with high-quality, low-viscosity oil
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 Changing Engine oil (cont'd.)
• Changing brands of oil
– Avoid mixing brands between oil changes
– Best done when the oil is being changed
– Use any brand of high-grade oil when there is no
choice of brand available
• Changing oil
– Best to change oil when it is still hot
• Mileage service record: usually a sticker
• Oil monitor system reset
– Included in many late-model vehicles
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© 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning
 Oil Filter
• Prevents harmful abrasive particles in the oil
from damaging internal parts
– Today's cars use the full-flow oil filter
• Must have a by-pass valve
– Horizontal mounted filters
• Have an anti-drainback valve
– By-pass oil filters
• Supplemental add-on filters used on heavy trucks
• Variations in filters
– Identified by a number printed on the metal shell
© 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning
© 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning
 Changing the Oil Filter
• Considerations
– Sheet metal shell on filter is very thin
– Rubber O-ring seals filter against engine block
• Make sure there is not an old seal stuck to the
engine block
• Lubricate the O-ring with oil prior to installation
– Most filters have instructions printed on the
outside
– Overtightening will make future removal difficult

© 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning