Notes from the lab - Page 4 of 6

Viscosity, wading through the numbers

Simply put, viscosity is the measure of resistance to flow — the higher the number, the greater the resistance. Seems easy enough, until one discovers there are several ways to describe the same viscosity, meaning we’ll be wading through the numbers to make sense of it all. Stationary or mobile? An easy way to look at it is to consider the application: is the application stationary or mobile? A general rule of thumb would be if the application is stationary then the [...]

31 May 2018

By Frank Kleijn Notes from the lab 0 Comments

Renewable Fuels part 2 Green Gasoline

Renewable Fuels part 2 Green Gasoline The Renewable Fuels or “Green Gasoline” comes from the Clean Air Act in an effort to reduce Green House Gases (GHG) from our air. These Green House Gases are mostly carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide from the engine combustion process, burning of fuels, and breathing. When more carbon dioxide is generated than the plant life on planet earth can utilize, the excess traps heat like a green house and raises the average temperature, commonly [...]

17 February 2018

By Frank Kleijn Notes from the lab 0 Comments

Renewable Fuels part 1 Biodiesel

Renewable Fuels part 1 Biodiesel There has been a lot of hype about renewable fuels over the last few years. These advances in fuel sources have been driven by The Clean Air Act to reduce smog producing exhaust, Green House Gases such as Carbon Dioxide, and the desire to reduce dependence upon foreign oil. Biodiesel: Biodiesel has been around for many years now and after a rough start, it is now widely available. Early ventures were based on corn and had several [...]

3 February 2018

By Frank Kleijn Notes from the lab 0 Comments

Scored cylinder due to silicon from an unfiltered landfill gas

Extreme Pressure Additives and Function

You will find the word Extreme Pressure (EP) on labels for a variety of lubricants, especially on gear oils and greases. The function of these additives is to prevent metal to metal contact during times of high load, shock load, high temperature, and slow speeds during start up or shut down. There are several ways this can be accomplished. When equipment is running normally, the lubricant should provide a fluid film between the metal surfaces to prevent contact. If the [...]

27 January 2018

By Frank Kleijn Notes from the lab 0 Comments

Trouble shooting a Noisy Gearbox

Trouble shooting a Noisy Gearbox This is we think another Notes from the Lab with some very interesting info, Trouble shooting a Noisy Gearbox has cost a lot of people a lot of time and …. Whether it is a stationary gearbox, a differential or a transmission, a gearbox making an abnormal noise usually is a warning sign of a problem. There is a certain amount of noise to be expected in a manufacturing environment and less in an automotive system. The noise can [...]

5 January 2018

By Frank Kleijn Notes from the lab 0 Comments

Gears help to move the world

Gears help to move the world regardless of the power source or application, gears and gearboxes are everywhere. From transportation to manufacturing and general industrial use gears are part of everyday life and using the correct lubricant is critical for long equipment life. Most applications fall under automotive or industrial use, open gears will be discussed later. Automotive gear oils Automotive gear oils face many challenges and have several levels of performance defined for use. The first level of specifications come from the [...]

14 December 2017

By Frank Kleijn Notes from the lab 0 Comments

Keeping up with ATF (Automatic Transmission Fluids)

Keeping up with ATF (Automatic Transmission Fluids) Prior to 2000 about 80% of the ATF market was covered by General Motors Dexron III, Ford’s Mercon or Chrysler’s ATF +4 standards and specifications. It was easy for an installer, mechanic, or do-it-yourself person to figure out which fluid to use for make-up or replacement fluid. Lubricant marketers only had to carry a couple of aftermarket fluids to meet a majority of the demands. Today Dexron III/Mercon fluids account for less than [...]

10 July 2017

By Frank Kleijn Notes from the lab 0 Comments

Changing Lubricant Brands, Murphy’s law applicable?

Changing Lubricant Brands, Murphy’s law applicable? One of the most frequently asked questions we receive concern the changeover from brand X to SWEPCO products. All new and many current customers must weigh the risks that may occur when switching Brands due to possible incompatibilities and others potential issues. Contrary to popular belief not all lubricants are the same and Murphy’s law “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong” still shows up at the most inopportune times. There are a variety of [...]

4 July 2017

By Frank Kleijn Notes from the lab 0 Comments

Engine Oils in the News

Engine Oils in the News Every day we face common objections and resistance to switching over to SWEPCO products. One of the most common objections is that they can’t use SWEPCO products because the manual doesn’t specifically list SWEPCO. While SWEPCO products are not listed in many OEM manuals by name, we are in practically ALL OEM manuals by virtue of meeting the industry specification required. We are also face with warrantees that claim no coverage unless certain products are [...]

3 July 2017

By Frank Kleijn Notes from the lab 0 Comments

Engine Oils specifications

Engine Oil Specifications: There has been a great deal of comment lately concerning engine oils. The State of California is looking to remove all of the oils that only meet obsolete specifications’ from the store shelves. API (American Petroleum Institute) has released new Heavy Duty Diesel Engine Oils Specifications CK-4 and FA-4. New Diesel Engines from Ford exhibit excess valve train wear with these new oil specification oils, and other news items. Engine oils have been divided into two (2) main [...]

3 July 2017

By Frank Kleijn Notes from the lab 0 Comments