Champion Oil's 5-Minute Engine Flush for Diesel Applications

It's interesting how many things one can do in five minutes. If you ask Google "What are some things that take five minutes to do?" you will come up with all kinds of websites. Here are a few: 8 Tasks That Take 5 Minutes or Less. 50 Tasks You Can Easily Tackle in 5 Minutes. 21 Things You Can Do In 5 Minutes or Less. 27 Productive Things You Can Do In 5 Minutes. 

The lists go on and on, and if you read through them all you would still not have seen this task listed, a 5 Minute Engine Flush. 

This announcement from early summer garnered a lot of attention so we thought it worth a reminder: Champion Brands' 5 Minute Engine Flush.

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Champion Oil, a global leader in specialty lubricants, has announced the launch of a 5-Minute Engine Flush (Part #4133) with robust solvent characteristics that cleans valves, stubborn engine deposits, sludge, varnish, plus restores lost performance. The product protects, frees sticking valves and removes harmful buildups.

Sludge buildup can be caused by prolonged oil change intervals, stop-and-go driving, or vehicle inactivity for months at a time.

Engine oil is intended to cycle through the engine, lubricating components to help keep them in good working order. Sometimes, however, the manner in which a person drives can interfere with the oil being able to do the job it was meant to do.  

For example, short trips and lots of stop-and-go driving can cause particles in the oil to become deposits in a diesel engine, which builds up over time. If this particulate matter becomes excessive, clean oil is virtually useless in removing it. 

The procedure for this 5-Minute Engine Flush is as follows. Remove a small amount of oil from the engine and add Champion 5-Minute Engine Flush, which is designed to break up carbon, varnish and sludge deposits in the engine. Take the vehicle for a test drive, or idle for 10 minutes while occasionally increasing the RPM to work the chemical throughout the engine. As the deposits are loosened they will become suspended in the oil and trapped in the filter. The vehicle is then ready for a new oil change with a new filter, thereby removing the dirt, gunk and used oil.

There are other benefits to consider. For example, if your diesel vehicle has experienced a head gasket leak where coolant has seeped into the crankcase and mixed with the oil, it is important that this is cleaned out thoroughly. 

A pre-owned vehicle with no maintenance records or recent internal engine repairs would benefit from a flush. And when there have been long intervals between oil changes, a flush would address the matter of oil getting dirtier over time with the likelihood that carbons and other particles have built up in the engine.

Champion 5-Minute Engine Flush is a highly effective cleaning product that gives engines a fresh start. The treat rate is 24 oz. for diesel applications. 

About Champion Brands, LLC
Champion, a PLZ Aeroscience Company, is a globally recognized industry leader in specialty lubricants for over 65 years. Champion also produces and blends over 300 products including fuel, oil, engine additives, and lubricants for the racing, automotive, heavy truck, agricultural, industrial, and specialty markets. For more information call Champion at 660-890-6231 Champion Brands, LLC; 1001 Golden Drive, Clinton, MO visit championbrands.com

About PLZ Aeroscience
PLZ Aeroscience is a leader in specialty aerosol and liquid product technologies. PLZ specializes in the development, manufacturing, packaging, and distribution of a comprehensive line of contract fill, branded and private label products. PLZ has a robust and proprietary portfolio of products in household cleaning, personal care, food service, maintenance, specialty and industrial, and automotive. For more information, visit PLZAeroscience.com

About Pritzker Private Capital
Pritzker Private Capital partners with middle-market companies based in North America with leading positions in the manufactured products, services, and healthcare sectors. The firm’s differentiated, long-duration capital base allows for efficient decision-making, broad flexibility with transaction structure and investment horizon, and alignment with all stakeholders. Pritzker Private Capital builds businesses for the long term and is an ideal partner for entrepreneur- and family-owned companies. Pritzker Private Capital is a signatory to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). For more information, visit PPCPartners.com.

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The Four Key Lubrication Tactics to Extend Diesel Engine Life

Model diesel engine. Luc Viatour, Wikimedia Commons

One of the benefits diesel engines offer over gasoline engines is longer service life. That being said, it's useful to know that there are steps you can take to get the maximum life from your engine before it needs its first overhaul. Here are some things you can do drawn from an article in Machinery Lubrication titled "Lubrication Tactics to Address Diesel Engine Life."

The article is essentially a practical outline of matters to address in answer to the question, “Are there any specific lubrication tactics that can help extend the service life (overhaul interval) of a diesel engine?”

The answer is yes, and the author proceeds to outline the four "rights" of lubricant application: 
The Right Lubricant
The Right Amount
The Right Component/Machine
The Right Change Interval.

It's a clever way to think about lubrication and it applies to all things that need lubrication, whether in the form of oil or grease. In this case we're talking about oils for diesel engines.

The first action suggested is to select a high-performance oil, rather than the one with the lowest price. This can be synthetic or mineral de[ending on the engine's requirements. 

Engines are designed to hold a specified oil level, so using the right amount of oil is important. This oil should not be mixed with other products, the author states. The specified oil is designed for a purpose. Its effectiveness can be altered through mixing with assembly lube or other products.

Because lubes age over time and during service life, they need to be replaced from time to time. This article notes that the "when" for changing oil should be not based on a time period or mileage limit. Rather, oil should be changed when it is ready to be changed.

To know the "when" you can perform oil analysis or utilize online sensors. This kind of monitoring will help you optimize the oil's use which still protecting the engine.

After explaining the four "rights" we are reminded of the need for proper filtration so that the oil is free of contamination, whether solid of liquid. The author suggests that the oil should be filtered before being put in the engine, and maintained in this condition using high-quality filters.

Many people use by-pass filters which take a portion of the oil out of circulation to continuously filter more slowly and more effectively before reintroducing to the oil stream. Premium air filters are also recommended because a majority of debris that gets into the oil is sucked in through the air.

Periodic oil analysis is the most effective way to monitor contaminants in the oil, whether fuel, glycol or soot, as well as other particulate matter. By this means you'll know when corrective actions need to be taken.

Because water contamination can be an issue in many machines the author recommends keeping your lubricants dry. They should also be kept cool, because the higher the operating temperature the shorter the lubricant life. For maximum service life, pay attention to operating temps.

If you're really looking for the most out of your engine life and lubricant performance, the article notes the importance of several additional variables: good training for your maintenance personnel, good procedures, the right tools, communication and team alignment. You may  even consider a pre-lube system. And last, but not least, use a high quality fuel and a periodic engine flush.

If it seems like a lot to consider, it's good to know what is possible.  This is the "white glove" treatment, if you know what I mean.  Read the original story here.

Related Link

Why Does Engine Oil Break Down

Insights for Diesel Owners: the Pros and Cons of Turbochargers

Turbo cutaway

Last week we looked at a triple turbo diesel setup that was quite intriguing and incredibly powerful. In that article we looked at how turbochargers can improve horsepower and torque. But we never examined the downside of turbos. Are turbochargers always beneficial? Is there a downside to turbos that people can neglect to consider? 

Turbos have generally been add-ons that improve engine efficiency and performance. In recent years more and more vehicles have been fitted with turbochargers from the getgo.

The way a turbo works is like this: hot exhaust gasses spin the turbine that is connected to another turbine which sucks air in and compresses it into the engine. It is this compression that provides the engine with extra power. The more air you can get into the engine, the more fuel can be added for more power.

We're fairly well acquainted with the benefits of turbochargers. Extra power is primary. Unlike superchargers, there is no engine drain because the power comes from hot, expanding gases coming out of the engine already. In addition, turbos aren't affected by the thinner atmosphere of higher altitudes. Furthermore, turbos provide better fuel economy, so they are a win-win on several fronts.

What's the downside then?

The first is heat. Turbos are powered by hot exhaust gases and they get hot, hot hot. How hot? Hotter than molten lava! When pushed to its limits for a continuous amount of time the turbo can start glowing red. For this reason racers have vents to get air circulation flowing through the engine bay. 

The second is friction and heat in the turbine itself. Think about this for a second. Your engine revs at 2,000 rpm when cruising. Your turbo's turbine can reach speeds of more than 280,000 rpm. When I wrote, "Think about this for a second," it was to make you think about this: in one second that turbine will spin as many as 4,666 times. Try wrapping your head around that... more than 4500 times a second. That's a lot of friction there if the lubrication is insufficient.

This turbocharger bearing system is lubricated by the oil from the engine which is fed under pressure into the bearing housing. The oil is both lubricant and coolant. This is one more reason that the engine oil you select meets specifications.

Another disadvantage with turbochargers that doesn't get talked about much is "turbo lag." At times, when conditions are right (or wrong), there will be a delay between the moment you stomp on the pedal and the moment you actually feel power. This is turbo lag. 

At low speeds there aren't a lot of exhaust gases passing through the turbo, "so when you demand power from the engine, the turbocharger turbine needs time to start spinning at an optimal speed. The effects of this can be reduced by downshifting to a lower gear." Astute drivers will still notice the split delay at times.

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Because of their benefits, turbochargers have almost universally become stock equipment on diesel pickups and will be around for years to come. It's useful, however, to be aware of their shortcomings.

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Sources 

What Is a Turbocharger and How Does It Work

Eight Things About Turbochargers You (Probably) Never Knew