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How Engine Sludge Forms. And How To Prevent It.

Written by Charleen

Engine Sludge Is Easily Avoidable

John Baker & Associates |

Engine sludge.

It’s a back gelatinous substance that wreaks havoc in engines. And long before the engine’s demise, engine sludge can foul engine sensors and interfere with performance. Some mechanics call it the “black death.”

How does motor oil, which is fluid, become a semi-solid paste or gel inside an engine?

Here’s what we’ll cover:

  • How engine sludge forms
  • The effects of engine sludge
  • Synthetic oil helps prevent engine sludge
  • High-quality additives fight engine sludge
  • Severe service invites engine sludge

How engine sludge forms

Engine sludge is the result of a series of chemical reactions.

The lubricant degrades as it is exposed to oxygen and elevated temperatures. The higher the temperature, the more rapid the rate of degradation. In fact, every 18°F (10°C) increase in temperature doubles the rate of oxidation.
Many people still believe any oil is fine as long as you change it often but 95% of the brands out there do not address that inch of protection when you really need it!! We’ve all had issues where the engine is overheating or some situation where adequate lubrication isn’t available. AMSOIL offers 75% more protection when you need it and our diesel oils offer 6X more protection than required by industry testing.

The by-products of this reaction form highly reactive compounds that further degrade the lubricant. Their by-products react with other contaminants, forming organic acids and high-molecular-weight polymeric products. These products further react, forming the insoluble product known more commonly as sludge.

What begins as a thin film of lacquer or varnish deposits on hot or cold metal surfaces and bakes into an expensive mess.

The effects of engine sludge

Sludge can block the oil passages and oil-pump pick-up screen, resulting in oil starvation. Often, the negative effects are cumulative rather than sudden.

Many engines with variable valve timing (VVT) use oil-pressure-operated mechanical devices to change valve timing, duration and lift. Sludge can plug the solenoid screen or oil gallies and impact the operation of VVT mechanisms, eventually leading to a costly repair bill. Sludge reduces efficiency and increases time and money spent on maintenance.

Who doesn’t want a cooler engine? Sludge, even the early stages prevents the engine from dispersing heat efficiently. Why would you risk a Group III “synthetic” which does leave deposits adding to or resulting into an engine which struggles to exhaust heat.

Synthetic oil helps prevent engine sludge

Fortunately, sludge and varnish deposits are something oil manufacturers can control. Using thermally stable synthetic base oils reduces the rate of degradation (oxidation). (Yes – and that is “Real 100%” Synthetics – not the ones they currently call “Fully”..

Anti-oxidant additives help reduce the rate of degradation as well. One of the most widely used is zinc dithiophosphate. Not only is it an excellent oxidation inhibitor, it is an outstanding anti-wear additive as well.

High-quality additives fight engine sludge

We can further address many of the issues occurring after the initial oxidation stage.

Additives, such as detergents and dispersants, are commonly part of motor oil formulation. They help promote the suspension of contaminants within the oil and keep them from agglomerating.

Detergents, which are also alkaline in nature, assist in neutralizing acids generated in the sludge-building process. Anti-oxidant, dispersant and detergent additives are consumed during use.

To achieve maximum life expectancy, use an oil with high concentrations of anti-oxidant, dispersant and detergent additives.

AMSOIL Signature Series Synthetic Motor Oil, for example, has 50 percent more detergents* to help keep oil passages clean and promote oil circulation. It provides 90 percent better protection against sludge**.

Signature Series Synthetic Motor Oil was subjected to the Sequence VG test to measure its ability to prevent sludge. Signature Series produced an oil pick-up tube screen virtually free from sludge. Our unique combination of detergents and high-quality base oils control oxidation and sludge to keep engines clean and efficient.

PDF of the test where AMSOIL has this done (Southwest Research)

AMSOIL Signature Series virtually prevented engine sludge on this oil pick-up screen.

Buy Signature Series

Severe service invites engine sludge

Equipment operating conditions also influence the likelihood of sludge or varnish issues.

Stop-and-go driving, frequent/long-term idling and operation in excessively hot or cold weather can increase the likelihood of sludge and varnish, especially if using more volatile conventional oils. If sludge has already formed, you can use an engine flush to clean sludge from your engine.

Interestingly, most auto manufacturers note in their owner’s manual that operation under any of the above conditions is considered severe service and requires more frequent oil changes.

From a mechanical standpoint, things like adding too much oil to the oil sump, antifreeze contamination, excessive soot loading, excessive oil foaming, poor engine-combustion efficiency, excessive blow-by and emission-control-system issues can all lead to the formation of sludge and varnish.

By practicing good maintenance and using properly formulated, premium synthetic lubricants, like AMSOIL synthetic motor oil, your vehicle won’t succumb to the “black death.”

Taking it a step further which many of our customers do – to make sure your vehicle is always running in peak condition one thing is to have your oil analyzed. I do it not so much to see how the oil is doing but to measure what may be going on in the engine to deplete detergents or to test for any out of typical wear levels, fuel in the crankcase, and to see if the viscosity is still on par.  Oil analysis kits are easy to use especially when you have the dipstick extraction pump.

*vs. AMSOIL OE Motor Oil
**Based on independent testing of AMSOIL Signature Series 5W-30 in the ASTM D6593 engine test for oil screen plugging as required by the API SN PLUS specification.

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Help! How Many Quarts of Oil Does My Car Use?

Written by Charleen

How Much Oil Does My Car Need?

John Baker|

The answer seems simple: probably about five quarts.

But, if you drive a small car with a four cylinder engine, it’s likely closer to four quarts. However, the V-8 engine in your truck could require about seven quarts. My in-laws’ RAM diesel pickup takes 12 quarts of motor oil.

You can see how the answer isn’t so simple after all.

To find out precisely how much motor oil your car needs, do one of the following:

  1. Check the owner’s manual

Dig the owner’s manual out of your glovebox and look up the information in the index. Eventually you’ll find it.

  1. Check the AMSOIL Product Guide

You can skip the hassle and use our Product Guide instead. Just input your vehicle information and, below the motor oil recommendations, you’ll find motor oil capacity (circled below in red).

What if the oil level is too low?

It could be due to a couple issues, including insufficient oil added during the last oil change or oil consumption. There are several reasons for oil consumption (in fact, you can read about 40 of them here). But here are a couple of the more common.

Leaking seals or gaskets – your engine uses seals in various places to ensure oil stays inside the engine while contaminants stay out. A prime example is around the crankshaft where it sticks out of the engine and connects to the transmission. Gaskets seal the uneven metal surfaces between parts to ensure, in part, that oil stays inside the engine. The cylinder head gasket is a notable example.

If the seals and gaskets become worn, brittle or deformed over time, they can result in oil leaks. The engine oil level will drop, depending on the severity of the leak. If your engine leaks oil, visit a mechanic and have it fixed.

Volatility – engine oil can evaporate when exposed to heat. The less stable the oil, the more readily it evaporates. As the engine is running, a thin film of oil coats the cylinder wall and piston skirt. Given its proximity to the fiery cauldron inside the combustion chamber, the oil in this area of the engine can easily volatilize, or evaporate. The by-products can exit the tailpipe as emissions. But they can also form harmful carbon deposits inside the engine that reduce efficiency and eventually lead to engine failure.

Synthetic motor oil is more resistant to volatility than conventional oil, so use a good synthetic to reduce oil consumption due to volatility and help keep your engine clean.

What if the oil level is too high?

It’s likely due to operator error; someone simply added too much last time the oil was changed or topped-off.

Too much oil is a bad thing. The spinning crankshaft and churning engine parts whip air into the oil, which can cause foam. The tiny bubbles travel between moving parts, where they rupture. When they do, nothing is left to protect metal surfaces from wear. Foam also increases heat, which causes the oil to chemically breakdown sooner.

If the crankcase is overfull, drain the excess oil until reaching the correct level.

Increased oil level can also be due to fuel dilution. This is when fuel enters the crankcase and contaminates the oil. In severe cases, enough fuel can enter the crankcase to noticeably increase the oil level. This is bad. Very bad. Fuel dilution leads to sludge, varnish and engine wear.

Check out this post for more on fuel dilution.

The presence of coolant in the oil can also increase oil level. Again, this is bad. Anytime something that shouldn’t be in your motor oil is present, wear protection suffers. Coolant in the oil is likely due to a bad head gasket, which is a costly repair.

One last word of advice: check your oil at least monthly to ensure the proper level. Make sure the vehicle is parked on a level surface to get an accurate reading. Finding out the oil is too low or too high before something goes wrong can save you a ton of grief in the long run.

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Severe Gear®: The Right Tool For The Job

Written by Charleen

Worlds Best Differential Oil – SEVERE GEAR®:

Here in Sioux Falls we have to stock more and more all the time. makes me wish I bought a several pallets back way back when.  But it makes a HUGE difference. Temperature alone!

Your vehicle’s differential is likely not top of mind while hauling snowmobiles or ATVs for a fun weekend on the trails. Unfortunately, towing is in the severe service category and places extreme stress on your drivetrain. Today’s vehicles produce substantially more horsepower, torque and towing capacity than their predecessors, yet the design of differential gears and bearings remains largely unchanged. Many differentials even use less gear lube and lower viscosities than before in an effort to reduce drag and increase fuel economy. In essence, less gear lube is responsible for providing more protection.

Fighting the Grind

Differential designs have inherent weaknesses. In a traditional automotive differential, the pinion gear concentrates intense pressure on the ring gear. As the gear teeth mesh, they slide against one another, separated only by a thin layer of lubricant. The repeated stress the lubricant film bears can shear gear lubes, causing permanent viscosity loss. Once sheared, the fluid film weakens, ruptures and allows metal-to-metal contact, eventually leading to gear and bearing failure. The situation is amplified by severe-service applications like towing.

Thermal Runaway

The extreme pressures and temperatures placed on gear lubricants can lead to a serious issue called thermal runaway. As temperatures in the differential climb, some gear lubes lose viscosity and load-carrying capacity. When extreme loads break the lubricant film, metal-to-metal contact occurs, increasing friction and heat. This increased friction and heat, in turn, results in further viscosity loss, which further increases friction and heat. As heat continues to spiral upward, viscosity continues to spiral downward. Thermal runaway is a vicious cycle that leads to irreparable equipment damage from extreme wear, and ultimately catastrophic gear and bearing failure.

AMSOIL SEVERE GEAR Synthetic Gear Lube

SEVERE GEAR 75W-90, 75W-110 and 75W-140 excels in protecting gears and bearings from the rigors of severe-service operation. By design, it resists breakdown from high heat, preventing acids and carbon/varnish formation. Its wax-free construction also improves cold-flow properties, improving fuel economy and cold-weather performance.

Also available are 190 and 250 weight versions!

• Superior film strength

• Controls thermal runaway

• Protects against rust and corrosion

• Helps reduce operating temperatures

• Maximum efficiency

• Long oil, seal and equipment life

• Flexible easy-pack for clean, fast installation

Stop in here at 47073 98th St just off of the Tea Exit behind Marlins.

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How Do I Switch from Conventional to Synthetic Oil?

Written by Charleen
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How Do I Switch from Conventional to Synthetic Oil?

John Baker|

To borrow a famous slogan, just do it.

There is still some confusion about changing to a different type of oil in vehicles, particularly older models that have accumulated many miles. A small group of ill-informed individuals in garages and on blogs still cling to old beliefs that synthetic motor oils cause roller followers to “slip or skid,” or that switching to synthetic motor oil causes issues in older engines, particularly oil leaks.

Facts have since replaced these outdated ideas about synthetics causing engine problems.

The use of synthetic lubricants is growing rapidly because properly formulated synthetics offer benefits well beyond what conventional and synthetic-blend products provide. Many new passenger car and light truck vehicles come factory filled with synthetic lubricants – not just high-performance sports cars.

There are a couple ways to switch to synthetic motor oil for the first time.

• Jump right in and simply change the oil. Take your vehicle to your mechanic or the nearest quick lube and ask for synthetic motor oil. Or, dust off your drain pan and do it yourself. You don’t have to do anything special to your engine first, and the synthetic oil isn’t going to cause problems in your vehicle that weren’t already there.

• Flush the engine first. Though not required, an engine flush more immediately removes sludge and debris accumulated over time. AND neutralizes acids so the new oil’s detergents can be more aggressive to keeping your engine deposit free.

The main difference between flushing your engine and a normal oil change to synthetics is the rate at which the built-up debris is removed from older engines. If you change to AMSOIL synthetic motor oil without flushing, for example, the detergents in the motor oil will clean accumulated deposits from the engine over subsequent oil changes. When you useAMSOIL Engine and Transmission Flush, the cleanup is more immediate and helps ensure the engine is clean and free of any accumulated contaminants.

Wondering if an engine flush is right for your vehicle? Find out here.

However, we recommend using AMSOIL Engine and Transmission Flush if you want to give your engine a fresh start before switching to synthetic motor oil.

Ready to make the switch to synthetic motor oil? Check out our Product Guide for the right oil for your vehicle.

FIND AMSOIL PRODUCTS FOR MY VEHICLE

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Are all Synthetic Oil Groups the Same? Group III vs IV vs V

Written by Charleen
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Are all Synthetic Oil Groups the Same? Group III vs IV vs V

John Baker|

The simple answer

No. In fact, there are wide performance differences between base oil categories. Generally speaking, Group IV base oils offer the best performance, Group III second best, and so on in reverse order. But be forewarned – there are exceptions. And, you can’t judge motor oil performance solely on base oil type. You must take into account its entire formulation, including the additives.

The detailed answer

Ever find yourself in an awkward conversation from which you want to escape? Start talking about base oils and the relative merits of each category. Your adversary will immediately excuse himself.

To ease your study of the topic, it’s broken down into the following common questions:

What are the different base oil categories?

The American Petroleum Institute (API) developed a classification system for base oils that focuses on the paraffin and sulfur content and degree of saturation of the oil. The saturate level indicates the level of molecules completely saturated with hydrogen bonds, leaving them inherently un-reactive.

Translation: they’re more resilient to chemical degradation, meaning they last longer and perform better.

There are five groups in the classification system, ranging from Group I – Group V:

• Group I Characteristics

Group I base oils are the least refined of all the groups. They are usually a mix of different hydrocarbon chains with little uniformity. While some automotive oils use these oils, they are generally used in less-demanding applications.

• Group II Characteristics

Group II base oils are common in mineral-based motor oils. They have fair-to-good performance in the areas of volatility, oxidation stability, wear prevention and flash/fire point. They have only fair performance in areas such as pour point and cold-crank viscosity.

• Group III Characteristics

Group III base oils consist of reconstructed molecules that offer improved performance in a wide range of areas, as well as good molecular uniformity and stability. These synthesized materials can be used in the production of synthetic and semi-synthetic lubricants.

• Group IV Characteristics

Group IV base oils are made from polyalphaolefins (PAO), which are chemically engineered synthesized base oils. PAOs offer excellent stability, molecular uniformity and improved performance.

• Group V Characteristics

Group V base oils are also chemically engineered oils that do not fall into any of the categories previously mentioned. Typical examples of Group V oils are esters, polyglycols and silicone. As with Group IV oils, Group V oils tend to offer performance advantages over Groups I – III. An example of a mineral-based Group V exception is a white oil, a very pure lubricant used in industries ranging from cosmetics to food processing.

Are the API group classifications progressively better?

In other words, is a motor oil made from Group III base oils better than one made from Group II base oils, and so on?

In general, yes. Unlike your food, which generally gets less healthy the more it’s processed, base oils offer improved performance as the level of refinement/processing increases.

But there are side cases that smash that rule of thumb.

Some motor oils made from Group III oils can outperform some Group IV motor oils. That’s because the final formulation is a function of the base oils and additives working in tandem. Like base oils, additives come in a range of qualities. So you could have a Group III oil with top-shelf anti-wear, anti-oxidant and other additives that outperforms a Group IV motor oil, even though Group IV base oils provide more pronounced benefits than Group III base oils. The point is, a motor oil can’t be judged solely by its base oils – you need to take the entire formulation into account.

Then we have the Group V category, which is a sort of catch-all for anything that doesn’t fit into the other four groups. In fact, some Group V oils are completely unsuitable for automotive use.

Are Group III base oils “synthetic?”

Yes, in most countries anyway.

A true definition for the term “synthetic oil” has been difficult to reach, although it has generally been accepted that the term represents those lubricants that have been specifically manufactured for a high level of performance. Group III base oils with very high viscosity indices can be called synthetic oils in most countries.

Historically, it was widely accepted that only Group IV base oils made from PAOs were true “synthetics.”

A famous lawsuit between Mobil and Castrol changed that. Mobil charged that Castrol was falsely marketing its Syntec motor oil as a synthetic oil although it wasn’t made from PAO base oils. Mobil’s claim was based on results of independent lab testing that showed samples of Syntec it obtained as early as December 1997 contained 100 percent mineral oil.

The two sides battled it out, but in a landmark 1999 ruling, the National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus ruled that Castrol Syntec, as then formulated, was a “synthetic” motor oil.

Debate raged then, and still rages today. You can find all kinds of purists populating Internet forums who refuse to recognize Group III oils as “synthetics.” For them, it’s PAO or nothing.

Try not to get caught up in the “my-base-oil-versus-your-base-oil” cage match. The base oils that go into the oil aren’t as important to your engine as the performance that comes out of the oil. Look for motor oils that offer performance claims backed by industry-standard testing or real-world results. That’s what’s really important.

If you really need to know which base oils a formulation uses, you’ll have to do some investigative work since oil companies protect that information as proprietary.

For details, check out this post: How Much “Synthetic” Is In My Oil?

Are synthetic base oils magic?

Ok, that’s not what people really ask. But many falsely think synthetic base oils are not refined from crude oil and that switching to only synthetic lubricants could drastically reduce our dependence on foreign oil and non-renewable sources. If synthetic base oils aren’t made from crude oil, from what raw material are they made? Unicorn horns and rainbow dust?

Synthetic base oils are made from crude. But they’re much more highly refined than conventional base oils. The chemical reaction process used to make synthetic base oils removes the impurities inherent to conventional base oils, such as sulfur and waxes. This results in a higher-performing product that’s much better for your engine.

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