Originally Posted by
Tank
In 2003 I bought (new) a Ford BA GT, this engine came from the factory with Castrol edge(?) 0W-40, I was using almost a litre of oil/5K.
At 15K with no improvement in oil consumption, Ford swapped out my engine for a brand new engine (same engine #, old engine crushed)and used Penrite 20w-40 for 5K and I drove it like I stole it, after 5K and not using oil like before went back to Castrol edge, no more oil problems.
Perkins also states under NO circumstances to use Synthetic engine oil in their 6354T line of engines.
Oil is to lubricate, to keep a film of oil between bearing surface and crank (whatever) and suspend soot particles that bypass piston rings and and deposits on cylinder walls.
Diesels when Idling or at low revs (pressures) do not expand the compression ring effectively, allowing soot to by-pass.
If this soot is not washed off the cylinder walls and suspended in the oil till it reaches the oil filter then the engine will fail early, now oil filters only take out the rocks and boulders, very fine particulate matter stays suspended in the oil making it turn black.
So if a diesel engine oil comes out clean there is a problem.
Modern oils are strong enough to be changed at 10K no worries, back in the 80's I was doing 10K oil changes on my Mack, I changed over to Marina M (Shell) to try to extend oil changes to 15K. As my Mack had a 60L sump, 3 oil Filters, 2 fuel Filters, 1 water filter and I was clocking over 5K/week it got to be an expensive exercise.
This New oil leaked out of every orifice and then some, the engine rattled and I used 20L of oil from syd. to adel. and back, this oil also came out clean.
I complained to Shell and they sent me a 44 of Rimula X to shut me up.
So alarm bells ring if I see clean oil esp. in a diesel engine, IME., Regards Frank.