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Which Small-Engine Oil Would You Choose?

Written by Charleen

Which Small-Engine Oil Would You Choose?

Spring marks the time to store your snowblower and prepare your lawnmower, pressure washer, generator and other equipment for another season.

Make sure to change oil before storing equipment. Used oil contains acidic byproducts that can damage the engine if allowed to sit for months.

If you neglected to change oil in your lawnmower or other equipment prior to fall storage, now is a great time to do that.

Use a high-quality small-engine oil, not simply an inexpensive automotive oil

While easy to assume small equals simple when it comes to engines, the opposite is often true.

Compared to liquid-cooled automotive engines, air-cooled small engines run hotter; operate under constant load; generate more contaminants (with many not using a filter); and are exposed to mud, dirt and rain. Plus, they’re often overlooked when it comes to maintenance.

Most small-engine oils, however, are just re-labeled automotive oils, which are formulated with fuel economy in mind, not engine durability.

AMSOIL Synthetic Small-Engine Oil, in contrast, isn’t merely a re-labeled automotive oil – it’s designed specifically for the unique demands of small engines. It contains a heavy dose of zinc anti-wear additives to protect against wear for maximum power and engine life. It also contains potent detergency additives to fight harmful deposits.

Look at the bottom image of the valve-guide area in a Honda* 5-hp engine tested in the AMSOIL mechanical lab. A competitor’s oil resulted in heavy deposits that caused the valve to stick. In fact, the technician who tore down the engine couldn’t remove the valve due to excessive deposits. Had this engine been in the field, it would have been a matter of time before it failed, leading to a costly repair or replacement. AMSOIL 10W-30 Synthetic Small-Engine Oil, in contrast, minimized deposits and kept the engine running strong.

Small Engine 10W-40 is another product.

This season, make sure your fleet of small-engine-powered equipment is protected – choose AMSOIL.

“Easier starts in cold weather and the ultimate in protection at any temperature. Zero wear on my small engines and most are over 10 yrs old.”

Bobby
Savannah, Ga.

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*All trademarked names and images are the property of their respective owners and may be registered marks in some countries. No affiliation or endorsement claim, express or implied, is made by their use. All products advertised here are developed by AMSOIL for use in the applications shown.

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Signature Series Motor Oil Protects Engines From Low-Speed Pre-Ignition

Written by Charleen

SIGNATURE SERIES Protects Engines from Future Industry Problem

LSPI can destroy pistons and connecting rods, bringing an engine to a standstill in seconds. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) like General Motors (GM)* have addressed the issue by designing tests to gauge a motor oil’s ability to prevent these destructive events. Signature Series achieved 100 percent protection against LSPI1 in the industry-standard test.

OEMs have been aggressively downsizing engines to meet strict fuel economy and emissions standards while improving power and torque. Most new engines today use some combination of turbochargers, direct-fuel injection and variable valve timing to make more power than their larger counterparts while delivering improved fuel economy.

This scenario seems like all upside for drivers. But today’s smaller, hotter-running engines pose significant challenges to lubricants. The latest is a phenomenon called low-speed pre-ignition (LSPI), also known as “super knock,” which can destroy pistons and connecting rods.

What Is LSPI?

LSPI is another version of engine knock, which has been around since engines were invented. In this case, it occurs under low-speed, high-torque conditions in turbocharged gasoline direct-injected engines – like when you’re taking off from a stoplight. LSPI is the spontaneous ignition of the fuel/air mixture prior to spark-triggered ignition. This form of pre-ignition is more destructive than typical engine knock.

No Magic Bullet

Just as your engine relies on a balanced network of components to function, the motor oil needed to protect it requires additives with the right qualities at the right quantities. While adding more of one ingredient or reducing another seems simple enough, small composition changes can have big impacts. We were determined to find a solution to the LSPI problem without sacrificing the performance of Signature Series in any way.

GM LSPI Test

OEMs like GM have addressed the issue by designing tests to determine a motor oil’s ability to prevent LSPI. The GM LSPI Test records the number of peak pressure events during high-load operation in a turbocharged engine over a five-hour period. Passing the test is required to meet the GM dexos1® Gen 2 specification.

Perfect Score

We armed Signature Series with an advanced detergent system that protects against harmful deposits and LSPI. Signature Series Motor Oil achieved 100 percent protection against LSPI in the engine test required by the GM dexos1 Gen 2 specifications – zero occurrences were recorded throughout five consecutive tests.

API SN PLUS Specifications

API SN PLUS is a recently released specification that was requested by the automobile industry to protect passenger vehicles from LSPI. AMSOIL anticipated this change, and the current formulations of Signature Series, XL and OE synthetic motor oil all meet or exceed the specification. Look for updated product labels featuring the new API “donut” in the near future.

Your customers can be confident that AMSOIL synthetic motor oils protect their modern engines against LSPI, helping their vehicles deliver years of reliable service. For more information on the dangers of LSPI, visit www.amsoil.com/lspi.

 

Example of piston damage due to an LSPI event observed during the testing of a competitor’s motor oil. The red arrows indicate sections of the ring land that have broken away from the piston.

Achieved 100% Protection Against LSPI1

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