Lubricants News and Updates

As the leaves change colors and the cold winds blow in, it's time to gear up and prepare your heavy-duty fleet for the fall and winter seasons!

• Think Colder:
  • Preparing for cold weather operation is a combination of several facts.
    • Verifying coolants are in optimal condition.
    • Verifying the correct engine oil and viscosity for cold seasons according to OEM recommendations. Lighter viscosity engine oils allow for easier startups in cold weather.
  • Training equipment operators and drivers of proper cold weather start-up and warm-up procedures. Keep in mind excessive idle time is as detrimental to equipment and lubricates as no warm-up time.
  • Thickening fluid can create resistance to flow through a filter which could result in filter damage or bypass.
• Why Warm-up and Consider Using Lighter Viscosity Engine Oils:
  • Most of the wear in engines, up to 80% of wear, can be attributed to cold start-ups.
  • Using the proper or lighter viscosity grade of oil can significantly reduce wear because the lubricant can flow to moving parts of the engine much quicker.
  • Warm-up cycles for an engine should be long enough to bring the engine up to normal operating temperature which will minimize wear and improves the service life of parts, such as turbochargers, bearings, and piston rings. The need for DPF cleaning can be impacted positively by a warm-up procedure.    
• Things To Test Before The Colder Weather Is Here:
  • Block heaters, which keep the coolant at a warm temperature when the vehicle is parked.
  • Proper sizing of a heating element is very important for ultimate coolant temperature. Also, just because the engine temperature is warm at start-up does not mean all the other parts in the vehicle have been warmed as well. Letting all components warm-up to normal operating temperature before working at 100% is very important.
  • With Diesel engines, the DPF checked and/or cleaned as it can impact the warm-up procedure.  
  • Testing DEF heaters for cold operation should be part of the schedule maintenance as DEF can freeze and could cause engine shut down.

Hopefully these tips will help you prepare your heavy-duty fleet for the colder weather! As always, if you have any questions or would like to go more in depth, feel free to reach out to us.

Grease compatibility is often a consideration for end users and suppliers when switching from one grease to another. Grease compatibility should be based on several factors: Base Oil, Thickener Type and Additives. The reason all three should be considered is due to the fact that grease consists of three main components – Base oil, thickeners and additives. Charts for grease compatibility can be contradictory and misleading because they base compatibility on thickener only. It is also recommended to know the application; seal material and metallurgy should be considered.

Compatibility studies are usually in accordance with ASTM D6185 test procedure. In this procedure grease is mixed in following at 90:10, 50:50 and 10:90 mixtures of the two greases are prepared by the prescribed methodology and tested for primary tests (i.e., drop point, shear stability and storage stability at elevated temperatures). Additional secondary testing may need to be done based on results of the primary testing.

Switching from one grease to another, even if incompatible, can be done with the proper steps and care. Although incompatible grease can be very detrimental to equipment and seals, following proper steps can help to eliminate damage or issues. Either a clean and dry component, new component or increase in greasing intervals, or emptying the system and recharging with new grease are just a few ways to switch from one grease to another. The term “Grease Incompatibility” can be somewhat over-rated and scary to the end user. With proper steps and consideration switching grease brands or types can be done without damage or concern for equipment.

In conclusion, following OEM recommendations should be first consideration. Always assume that greases are incompatible and follow proper steps to ensure equipment life. Using your supplier’s knowledge of their products can help to switch and even consolidate grease.

Calcium Sulphonate Complex (CaS) greases do not function like other greases. In most greases, the thickener releases the base oil to provide elastohydrodynamic lubrication in a bearing load zone. A Calcium Sulphonate (CaS) thickener is more like a gel. The base oil and gelled CaS thickener form a permanent emulsion.

A well formulated CaS grease maintains the emulsified state, and the entire combination of thickener and base oil pass through the bearing load zone. If the emulsion should break and the base oil bleed from the thickener, the CaS thickener left behind would still lubricate.

The use of higher base oil viscosities to enhance wear protection is applicable to other thickeners, not CaS. Increasing base oil viscosity can actually reduce the natural wear protection from a CaS thickener and may create the necessity to add molybdenum di-sulfide (Moly) additives to compensate for the reduction in wear protection. Base oil viscosity does have an impact on the NLGI grade of grease and will affect temperature range.

CaS thickeners are surface active (have a polarity) and provide primary corrosion protection, water washout resistance, and oxidation stability. Water Washout resistance is achieved from the CaS thickener’s ability to hold water in a tight emulsion and thus keep the water away from metal components. In turn, this will help to prevent corrosion due to the presence of water in the grease. CaS greases are often used in long term or for life service applications due to its inherent oxidation stability.

Where the base oils in other grease thickeners do the work, in a Calcium Sulphonate (CaS), it is the thickener that does the work.

Final Drive Train Oil

Final drives play a crucial role within a machine’s drive train by transferring power to the tires or tracks while providing speed reduction and torque increase. Since final drives are closed components and thus hidden from view, it is easy to overlook their maintenance.

Proper Oil Use

The three main functions of oil are to provide: cleaning, cooling and lubrication. Modern drive train systems feature new metals, elastomers and paper disc materials which may have advanced lubrication needs, requiring you to change oil at the correct intervals, properly, and use the right drive train oil to achieve top performance.

Use the Right Drive Train Oil

Final drives, axles and differentials experience high gear and bearing loads and temperatures. In these conditions, it is important gears and bearings are protected.                            

Depending on the configuration of the final drive and the equipment, 1 of 2 very different fluids may be recommended, Tractor Hydraulic fluid or TDTO/CAT TO-4.  

Tractor Hydraulic Fluids – also most commonly known as – THF or UTF – which can carry all of the required additives to meet or exceed OEM specifications.

1. This fluid is typically used to lubricate transmissions, wet brakes, clutches, hydraulic systems, and of course final drive.
2. To meet the specific requirement for this fluid must have: Friction Modifiers – which help to prevent wet brake squeal and offer smoother clutch operation
3. Tractor Fluids meet or exceed API GL-4 spec.

TDTO (Transmission Drive Train Oil)/CAT TO-4 – also known as Powershift Transmissions and Drivetrain Fluid.

1. Primarily used in CAT equipment or other equipment that requires fluids without friction modifiers
2. This type of fluid is used to lubricate transmissions, brakes, clutches, hydraulic systems and of course final drive.
3. To meet the specific OEM requirements for this fluid: TDTO fluids do not contain (Friction Modifiers). TDTO fluids are available in SAE Grades of 10W, 30, 50 and 60 for specific application and temperature requirements.
4. TDTO fluids – only meet API GL-3 spec

Larger and more advanced equipment may require a heavier viscosity, synthetic fluid, which will meet the new CAT FDAO spec for Final Drive Axles. This fluid is commonly used in Differentials, Front Wheels and Final Drives for Off-Highway Trucks.