Super thick engine oil problem

Wisconsonian

Member
Trade
Nothing to add to the other suggestions other than to get a new one in place on your time schedule rather than an emergency. Doesn’t sound like you’d want to be without it for too long.

Good idea if they'll go for it. Change the oil and watch it. Send the sample to get tested, if it's glycol, then you need to know. 50% load isn't bad, depending on how much the engine is derated already. 50Hz/1,500RPM? Any chance it's running way too cold from a failed thermostat?
 

JD-Kid

Member
had a DF150 mk 2 years ago oil looked like tar out of it was due to longer idle times when filling seed drill etc
higher S in the fuel here and needed a better oil along with shorter drain times
a oil test could be worth doing
why changed oil grade
know years ago when had cases they were on one brand oil looked like black paint in no time changed to another brand and it was dirty first change then after they stayed good till just before oil change oil tests come back clean
 

kevindb880

Member
Location
Herts
Hope it’s not like this inside!
A9E3F890-4B9D-4D1B-9265-E44D49BC6466.jpeg
C54158D9-A858-4384-822A-4A62E55F49E4.jpeg
042F24A0-B251-4814-9CF8-8B91E6845185.jpeg
 

Wisconsonian

Member
Trade
I don't think my fingers could tell the difference between 150 F oil and 200 F oil. Plus, I'd expect the engine oil to be running 20 F or more hotter than the coolant. If the coolant is running at anything less than the thermostat rating, that's very bad in this situation. 180 F thermostat?

How about you bottle up some of the drain oil and send it off on the next longboat to the homeland, and get them to bring you a non contact thermometer on the return voyage?

I have a Leyland that looked worse than the second and third pictures when I bought it. The vent tube was plugged with sooty scale, and the whole top of the head looked like it was full of oil soaked cornflakes. I took the oil pan off and pressure washed the engine insides, put it back together filled it up and the oil stays clean now. I figure it had been kept around and used for short jobs but never run long, or had the oil changed more than every five or ten years.
 

gorgous

Member
Location
Bucks
I’d double check the grade of oil you have changed too and get it analysed if at all possible try a quick oil flush with some atf added to help thin the residue and check it often for abit
 

Cowabunga

Member
Location
Ceredigion,Wales
Personally I would say that the oil you are using just isn't good enough for extended duty of more than about 600 hours or so. It just might be good enough for 900 hours but you'd be pushing it in my opinion.

What you should be looking for is MB 228.5 not MB228.3. While there are some mineral base oils that will meet MB228.5, I would use a fully synthetic one for above 600 hours duty.
What is the recommended oil change interval for that engine in a gen set? What is the spec that Cummins recommend? Has it a cat and/or Adblue? A soot filter perhaps? If so you will need a lubricant to match. ACEA E9 and MB228.51 in whatever viscosity is recommended.

Have a look at the first three oils in this list which are each Ultra High Performance Diesel [UHPD] oils that meet E9 and MB228.51 in a choice of three different viscosities. No matter what the brand, that is the type of oil you should consider using as it will be highly resistant to sludging, and will retain its viscosity and dispersant and lubrication properties over very extended drain intervals. If you had by-pass deep filtration fitted to the engine, I suspect you could run it for at least six months with the same oil, only changing filters every recommended scheduled hours plus regular checks of course. Almost certainly for between 2000 and 5000 hours and if regularly sampling the oil professionally, as long as the results indicate to be sensible and appropriate.

www.fuchs.com/uk/en/products/service-links/product-finder/#181-engine-oils

The Mobil Delvac oil you should be using is XHP or if the engine has a cat and soot filter, XHP Extra. These are again synthetic oils that meet mb228.5 and 228.51

Does it make a difference whether the oil meets 228.3 or 228.5? You bet it does. Even though 228.3 is a second tier Super High Performance Diesel oil [SHPD], it is generally known as a 30,000km oil. The UHPD oils that meet various 228.5 specs are 100,000 km oils. Not that this generalised description means that you can run any old truck engine to that mileage of course. The engine has to be designed to run for appropriately long drain intervals with suitable design and materials plus an appropriate sump oil volume and filtration. Some can run much longer intervals where the engine has been fitted out for it with these oils.

I've been running SHPD oils ever since the first were introduced back in the mid 1980's, at that time with what we now know as mb228.1 or ACEA E3, but it wasn't the ACEA back then and I can't remember what it was called. However the difference between 228.1 and 228.3, which was a big step up, was particularly noticeable in my air cooled Same which was on the forager flat out for long periods back then. The 228.1 would suddenly fail, losing all its viscosity at around 120 hours of flat out work. Never had an issue with 228.3 up past 150 hours. Note that this generator has been run on 228.3 oil and I changed that at every 150 hours on the Same, but the Same had a far far more extreme duty cycle of course, not downrated for longevity like this Cummins.
 
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JohnD_

New Member
Your oil is full of soot. Are you saying oil change every 40-50 days? So 960-1200 hours if it is running 24/7. That is asking a lot from an CH-I oil. You will have problems soon if you let the oil go that bad. You should do a few short oci to try to clean the engine.
 

Timbo

Member
Location
Gods County
Your oil is full of soot. Are you saying oil change every 40-50 days? So 960-1200 hours if it is running 24/7. That is asking a lot from an CH-I oil. You will have problems soon if you let the oil go that bad. You should do a few short oci to try to clean the engine.


Does the engine have EGR or any exhaust treatment ?
 

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