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Year: 2016

ECHO String Trimmer Technical Study

October 8, 2016Written by Ches Cain

AMSOIL SABER® Professional Synthetic 2-Stroke Oil resisted performance-robbing deposits and maintained power and performance in ECHO string trimmers.

Published September 2016

Overview Government mandates require modern handheld trimmers and other twostroke equipment to produce less exhaust emissions. To comply, some original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) design their equipment to run on leaner fuel/oil mixtures. Burning more air and less fuel/oil, however, also increases heat. To withstand this intense environment and ensure equipment lasts as designed, modern two-stroke oils must demonstrate improved wear protection and detergency. Objective Demonstrate through lab testing that the latest generation** of AMSOIL SABER® Professional Synthetic 2-Stroke Oil exceeds the increased performance needs of ECHO* string trimmers in particular, and modern two-stroke string trimmers in general. Methodology Testing was conducted on eight ECHO trimmers in the AMSOIL mechanical lab and followed a test plan designed to compare two-stroke oils in simulated real-world conditions. Test duration is designed to simulate an extended length of service. The OEM’s recommended 50:1 mix ratio was followed.

SABER Professional was installed in four trimmers and ECHO Power Blend was installed in another four. Computer-controlled actuators operated the trimmer throttle triggers according to an identical protocol for each unit. Images of trimmers arranged on the test stand are included for reference.

Test administrators monitored engine rpm, spark-plug temperature, exhaust emissions and other parameters to ensure consistent, repeatable operation and gauge overall performance of each trimmer. After 300 hours of operation, the trimmers were disassembled and inspected. Note: Test results published in this Technical Study describe and represent properties of oils that were acquired on the dates listed in Table 1 on the facing page. Results do not apply to any subsequent reformulations of such oils or to new oils introduced after completion of testing. All oils were available to consumers at the time of purchase. Testing was completed in July 2016. The differences in effects between AMSOIL SABER Professional and ECHO* Power Blend* are statistically valid at the 95% confidence interval for exhaust port blockage and spark arrestor screen plugging. The carbon buildup on pistons was not numerically quantified as part of the study.

The test was run using two engines for each treatment. The study was then replicated using the same n=2 design. Exhaust- port blockage and spark-arrestor screen plugging were compared using a paired t-test. Equipment was run at factory-set conditions and there was no effort to intervene on any problems developed by the equipment outside of recommended maintenance in the owner’s manual. String trimmers arranged

Piston Rings/Piston Skirts

Deposits in the ring grooves can cause the rings to stick and lose effectiveness. Engine rpm can decrease and the engine cab lose compression. Significant compression loss leads to engine failure. Heavy deposits on the piston skirt increase friction and reduce performance.

Deposits appear heavier on the pistons lubricated with ECHO Power Blend. The pistons lubricated with SABER Professional appear cleaner. SABER Professional provided improved detergency and extreme-heat resistance. Both oils guarded against piston ring sticking well.

Piston Crowns/Undercrowns Heavy piston crown deposits can cause preignition and poor performance. While undercrown deposits are unlikely to impede performance, they are an indicator of the oil’s detergency properties. With modern two-stroke equipment running hotter, oils must demonstrate strong detergency and heat resistance to maintain piston cleanliness and peak performance.

Pistons lubricated with ECHO Power Blend appear to contain heavier crown and undercrown deposits. In contrast, the piston crowns lubricated with SABER Professional look clean, with low levels of deposits. SABER Professional provided improved detergency and extreme-heat resistance.

Wrist Pins & Bearings The wrist pin and bearing are exposed to extreme heat due to their proximity to the combustion event. Ineffective lubrication can result in deposits, polishing and flat spots on the wrist pin restricting rotation. As the engine works to overcome this restriction, the piston can bear increased pressure, leading to scuffing and eventually failure.

All eight wrist pin bearings demonstrated no issues throughout the test, indicating the oils provided good protection. None of the wrist pins contain flat spots. Both of the oils performed well in this area.

Exhaust Ports

For the engine to run properly and produce maximum power, exhaust gasses must flow freely out the exhaust port during operation. Restricted exhaust causes RPM and power loss, starting difficulties and eventually, failure to operate.

SABER Professional demonstrated low exhaust-port deposits. In contrast, all four exhaust ports on the engines using the ECHO product suffered blockage, with two more than half blocked with deposits.

Note: Airflow loss was calculated using a flow bench to measure restriction which was converted to a percentage of flow compared to an unblocked exhaust post.

Spark Arrestor Screens

Exhaust gasses continually flow through the spark arrestor screen located on the muffler which is prone to plugging. Like the exhaust ports excessive deposits on the spark arrestor screen restrict airflow and reduced power.

SABER Professional demonstrated low spark-arrestor screen deposits. In contrast, screens on the trimmers lubricated with the ECHO product contained higher levels of deposits. The screen from engine 5 was nearly completely blocked with deposits after 239 hours of the 300-hour test and required replacement. On average screens from engines using ECHO Power Blend suffering 4X more airflow loss than screens on engines using SABER Professional 2-cycle oil.

Note: Airflow loss was calculated using a flow bench to measure restriction which was converted to a percentage of flow compared to an unblocked spark arrestor screen.

Main Bearings

The main bearings receive little lubrication given their location in the lower end of the engine. Deposits are an indicator of poor oil detergency. Heavy deposits can restrict bearing rotation and eventually lead to failure.

The bearings lubricated with SABER Professional appear to contain fewer deposits.

Crankcases

Oils with ineffective detergency properties can allow deposits to accumulate in the crankcase. During operation, deposits can circulate throughout the engine and reduce performance.

Crankcase deposits look heavier in the engines using ECHO Power Blend. The engines using SABER Professional appear clean and free of harmful deposits.

RPM & Spark-Plug Temperature

Reduced rpm and spark-plug temperatures are indicators the engine is producing sub-optimal power. This can be caused by heavy exhaust port and spark arrestor screen deposits which restrict air flow through the engine and result in reduced power. The following graphs depict the average rpm and spark-plug temperature of engines at wide-open throttle using SABER Professional and ECHO Power Blend.

Engines using SABER Professional maintained consistent power throughout the study, while the average spark-plug temperature declined slightly. In contrast, the engines using ECHO Power Blend slowly lost power as the study progressed. Similarly, the average spark-plug temperature suffered a drop.

Conclusion

As demonstrated in lab testing designed to simulate a full season of real-world use, AMSOIL SABER Professional Synthetic 2-Stroke Oil provides excellent protection for ECHO* brand string trimmers. SABER Professional outperformed ECHO Power Blend* XTended Life* Universal 2-Stroke Oil by providing improved resistance to piston deposits, crankcase deposits and exhaust port blocking. Due to its ability to limit exhaust-port and spark-arrestor-screen deposits, SABER Professional protected against rpm loss 21 percent better, resulting in reliable operation. The latest generation of SABER Professional meets or exceeds the increased performance requirements of ECHO SRM 225 trimmers.

AMSOIL fully supports the use of SABER Professional as a replacement for ECHO Power Blend XTended Life Universal 2-Stroke Oil, and warrants its use according to the AMSOIL Limited Liability Warranty (G1363).

Engine Tests, Sioux Falls Motor Oil and Lube News 2-stroke, amsoil, crankcase, echo, exhaust port, piston, rings, spark arrestor, string trimmer

Fall is already here – It´s time for an oil change

October 6, 2016Written by Fiona

Hey Sioux Falls, It’s Fall Oil Change Time

For those of us who love taking care of our vehicles, falling leaves and dropping temperatures signal the time for an oil change. Prepare your vehicle for winter with AMSOIL Signature Series Synthetic Motor Oil. Its superior performance helps you take engine protection to the next level. While you’re at it, become an AMSOIL Preferred Customer today and save. Outstanding protection for your vehicle and perks for you. What’s not to love about fall?

Are you preferring the Amsoil oils? You can buy them all in the Sioux Falls store at 12th &G.

Or use this Online link to the Amsoil sales page if you are outside of the area.

Maintenance, Sioux Falls Motor Oil and Lube News amsoil, fall, oil change, omaha

Deposit protection is critical for turbocharged engines

October 6, 2016Written by Fiona

Deposit protection is critical for turbocharged engines

Motor oil quality must stay ahead of the curve.

Matt Erickson | TECHNICAL PRODUCT MANAGER, PASSENGER CAR

It may be a good time to invest your retirement funds in a company that builds automotive turbochargers; they’re predicted to be in most new passenger cars/light trucks by 2020.

As such, we’ve focused quite a bit of time and energy on turbos and the challenges they present to motor oil. Today, I want to dive a little deeper into turbo tech and explain how they work and why AMSOIL will be synonymous with the subject of turbos in the coming years.

An engine is essentially an air pump, and the more air it ingests, the more fuel it can burn – and the more power it can produce. There are a few ways to increase the amount of air the engine takes in, but turbocharging has emerged as the favored choice of automakers.

As shown in the diagram, exhaust gases commonly exceeding 1,000ºF spin a turbine, often at more than 150,000 rpm, which drives the compressor that draws ambient air used to pressurize the combustion chamber. The added oxygen combined with direct injection and advanced engine-tuning helps the engine burn fuel more efficiently, boosting fuel economy. It also allows the engine to burn more fuel for increased power. As a result, a turbocharged four-cylinder engine can make as much power as a non-turbo six-cylinder engine. This advancement allows automakers to build vehicles with smaller, lighter engines that don’t sacrifice power or torque. Motorists enjoy the performance and fuel economy they demand, while automakers meet increasingly strict CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) requirements. A win-win situation.

As they say, there’s no such thing as a free lunch, and in this case, it’s the motor oil that ends up footing the bill. The turbo’s center section contains an oil-lubricated bearing. The tremendous heat and stress turbos create can cause some oils to break down and form harmful bearing deposits, known as turbo coking. Over time, turbos can suffer reduced performance, or fail altogether.

For this reason, auto manufacturers and oil companies – including AMSOIL – automatically include turbocharged vehicles in their severe-service category when prescribing oil-change intervals. The TEOST 33C Test (ASTM D6335), an industry-standard bench test that simulates turbocharger operating conditions, has taken on added importance in today’s automotive landscape. With the predicted rise in turbo use, it’s more important than ever for motor oils to protect against harmful high-temperature deposits to keep vehicles running properly. To meet the API SN Resource Conserving and ILSAC GF-5 motor oil specifications that are often recommended by vehicle manufacturers, a 5W-30 motor oil must limit total deposit formation to 30 mg or less in the TEOST Test.

In our recent published tests (deposits caused by lower quality base stocks in turbo equipped engines), AMSOIL Signature Series 5W-30 Synthetic Motor Oil held the total weight of deposits to 7 mg, well under the 30 mg limit required by the API and ILSAC, while Royal Purple® API 5W-30 and Mobil 1® Extended Performance 5W-30 came in just under the limit at 25.4 mg and 28.2 mg respectively. Signature Series 5W-30 Synthetic Motor Oil protects against harmful deposits on turbochargers 4X better than Mobil 1® Extended Performance and 3.6X better than Royal Purple® in industry-standard testing*.

We want our customers to understand the importance of protecting their turbocharged vehicles, and to know AMSOIL is devoted to offering protection beyond what is required by the industry. We are the only name for true automotive enthusiasts here in Sioux Falls!

*Based on independent, third-party testing of AMSOIL® Signature Series 5W-30, Mobil 1® Extended Performance 5W-30 and Royal Purple® API 5W-30 in the ASTM D6335 bench test required by the API SN Resource Conserving specification. For full test details visit www.amsoil.com/depositprotection.

Turbochargers amsoil, CAFE, engines, fuel economy, royal purple, turbocharged

Buying at wholesale cost in the Sioux Falls store

October 3, 2016Written by Ches Cain

Ways to save on AMSOIL in Sioux Falls

Although we have our in house frequent customer discount which occurs after you spend an accumulated $200 over time, this saves you anywhere from 15% to 18% on all the AMSOIL products in the store. We leave a little amount of mark-up to cover our operating costs as expected but that amount is small.

AMSOIL Preferred Customer

But you can save even more and instantly if you wish by becoming one of AMSOIL’s Preferred Customers via our AMSOIL Dealership. This allows you to pick up any AMSOIL product for the membership period which is 6-months or 1-year (like a Sams club membership) at our cost any time (plus 1%) here in the store as your account is tied to us. You can also order online and have product shipped anywhere in the US and Canada at cost too. We have 12 warehouses coast to coast to keep shipping rates VERY low and speedy.
AMSOIL has recently added perks to the program too which include added discounts for referrals, free shipping offers, discounts based on past orders, extended membership time, AMSOIL swag and more.

Additional Perks

And starting in 2016!! – AMSOIL adds more benefits to enhance the money savings when you join as a Preferred Customer. So in addition to the original “dealer cost” pricing and wholesale (commercial) shipping rates.

Exclusive promotions for reduced freight costs
Exclusive product-specific promotions
Randomly selected P.C.s receive free gear when they place an order
P.C.s earn points on all purchases. Every 50 points is redeemable for $1 off a future order
P.C.s earn 500 bonus points for referring new P.C.s or Dealers to AMSOIL

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Special Note on Preferred Customers who joined under other AMSOIL Dealers:

Active PC’s who signed up through another dealer do not get these deals in our store as AMSOIL requires us to forward commission to the sponsoring dealer thus we lose our commissions and then have to raise the price to cover that. The same goes for dealers to. We are a private AMSOIL dealer and not an AMSOIL INC. location. (sign posted on window at store)
Please call 605-274-2580 if you have additional questions or to join today!

Preferred Customer, Sioux Falls Motor Oil and Lube News amsoil, cost, discount oil, Preferred Customer, wholesale

Engine Deposits can be Prevented using Superior AMSOIL Lubricants

September 2, 2016Written by Fiona

Help Preserve Your Engine’s Horsepower

Although you may equate engine wear and deposits with sudden, catastrophic engine failure, they are more likely to erode engine power and efficiency over time. Here’s how it works and what you can do about it.

Several factors cause an engine to slowly lose power, but one of the primary reasons includes compression loss due to wear and deposits.

Engine compression = power

For your engine to produce maximum power, the combustion chamber must seal completely during the compression and combustion strokes. Wear and deposits can prevent the valves or piston rings from sealing, allowing pressurized gases to escape the combustion chamber and take potential engine power with them.

To illustrate, imagine using a hydraulic floor jack. Pumping the handle will raise the vehicle as long as the release valve is tightly seated and doesn’t leak. A poorly sealed release valve, however, allows pressure to escape, causing the vehicle to sink to the ground no matter how much you pump the jack handle.

The same principle applies inside your engine. If some of the pressure created during the compression and combustion strokes is lost due to valves and piston rings that don’t seal completely, the engine will create less power.

Wear & deposits reduce compression

Over time, deposits or valve wear can prevent the valves from closing completely, interfering with a good seal. Wear can also interfere with proper valve operation, disrupting optimum fuel/air flow.

Worn or stuck piston rings produce the same effect. The rings are designed to move freely in their grooves and press tightly against the cylinder wall, forming a seal that prevents fuel/air from escaping. Ring wear can interfere with formation of a tight seal, while deposit buildup can cause the rings to stick in their grooves, also preventing a good seal. As a result, some fuel/air escapes the combustion chamber during compression, reducing power. On the combustion stroke, pressurized gases can blow by the rings and travel down the cylinder wall and into the oil sump, taking potential power with them. This is what’s meant when someone says an engine has lost compression.

AMSOIL Signature Series helps prevent the problem

A lot is working against you including the quality of the gasoline available here in Sioux Falls. Everything you can do to prevent deposits goes a long way saving you money in the long term no t to mention engine life. AMSOIL Signature Series Synthetic Motor Oil provides 75 percent more engine protection against horsepower loss and wear than required by a leading industry standard*, extending the life of vital components like pistons and cams. In addition, it prevents piston deposits 93 percent better than required to meet the latest API standard.* Its outstanding performance helps prevent deposits and wear that rob engines of horsepower, helping preserve that like-new feeling you crave when driving. The secrete is in the low volatility of the oil. That can only happen when quality is the main driver of the firm.

*Based on independent testing of AMSOIL Signature Series 5W-30, in ASTM D7320 as required by API SN specification

Ches Cain – AMSOIL Direct Jobber

Your Sioux Falls Power Gain by Oil company. Most AMSOIL customers discovered AMSOIL via word of mouth due to performance only!! Not because our products save fuel or last 3X longer. It’s the real benefit of performance you can feel!! So compare that to other brands and more research will unveil the BIG lie they “don’t” offer to the consumer as advertised. AMSOIL is a family owned and operated business. No greedy stockholders to effect the choosing of additive packages.

Sioux Falls Motor Oil and Lube News, Turbochargers compression, engine, horsepower, omaha, power