In some applications, the oil drain may need to be reduced. Some factors that can reduce an oil drain are fuel type, fuel contamination, operating conditions and environment. In other applications there could be additional life available in the oil. In both cases, the oil drain can be adjusted through the use of S·O·S Services oil analysis.
In an oil drain optimization program, it is strongly suggested that oil drain extensions be limited to 250 hour intervals. For example, if the standard oil drain is 1000 hours, and the oil appears to have additional life, the first extension should not exceed 1250 hours. The 1250 hour oil drain interval should be evaluated for three service periods, before another extension is considered.
Consult with your Caterpillar S·O·S Services laboratory regarding the adjustment or optimization of oil change intervals. Your S·O·S consultant will work with you to develop a plan that provides optimum oil life without compromising engine life of durability.
One of the basic characteristics of an oil evaluation program is consistent oil sampling and frequent oil sampling. For Cat gas engines, oil samples should be taken every 250 hours. This consistent rate of sampling is especially important if an engine is operating on an inconsistent gas supply.
Note: Cooling system problems will also reduce the life of engines. S·O·S Coolant Analysis together with S·O·S Oil Analysis provides a complete and accurate method for monitoring the health of all machine/engine systems. Refer to the S·O·S Coolant Analysis information in this publication. A properly administered S·O·S Services program will reduce repair costs and lessen the impact of downtime.
The maximum increment for increasing the oil change interval is 250 service hours. This is particularly important if a long amount of time is required to obtain results of oil analysis.
Illustration 1 is a graphic representation of adjusting the oil change interval.
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| Illustration 1 | g01933230 |
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Adjustment of oil change intervals (X) Numbers of oil changes (Y) Service hours | |
In Illustration 1, the initial oil change was performed after 1000 service hours. The interval was increased in 250 hour increments. At oil change number 8, the oil had reached the condemning limit after 1750 service hours. Therefore, the interval was reduced to 1500 service hours. The results of the oil analysis were acceptable when the oil was used for 1500 service hours.