Hey everyone,
I have been thinking and doing alot of research lately. First let me say that I live on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. I recently purchased 2005 Dodge Ram, 5.9 cummins, Quad Cab SRW, short box 4x4.
I have been cocerned about the amount of soot going into the engine oil since the new immision changes to the cummins engine. I am not sure if the same changes where introduced to cummins engines sold in the United States. I believe that in 2005 the air pollution regulations became more stringent. I do not beleive that removing the soot and polutants from the exhaust gas, (EGR) and pushing it into the engine oil is a good thing for our cummins engines. I have driven heavy trucks with cummins engine and have never seen the oil turn black as fast as my 2005 Dodge Ram diesel.
Testing has shown that abbrasive particles from 3 - 15 mmicrons account for 80% of the engine wear. A standard OEM filter only removes particle down to 30 microns or 25 microns at best. I feel that the older cummins engine have shown over time that they can and do last a long time. How are the third generation 2005 or newer going to stand up over time with increased contaminants/abbrasives going into the engine oil. I personally do not want to find out that the engine life has been reduced dramatically due engine wear from high soot and contaminants in the engine oil. I would like to get other members opinions or views on this subject. If anyone has any literature or information that I may not be aware of I would difinately be open to discussions or just reading it. I have been researching oil bypass filter systems which, hopefully,will ensure that my cummins engine will last as long as the first and second generation cummins engines.

 

I was hoping that someone might post a response to this the second time around

 

Engine oil manufacturers have reformulated oils to combat this deleterious effects of the EGR environment so they will be able to provide the required protection that current engine designs need. This has led to the latest CI-4 / CJ-4 API engine oil ratings, which are currently under the PC-9 designation.
This is why I see it to be very important to keep away from extended drain intervals personally. Diesel engine oils are now exposed to a higher level of contamination that can degrade the oil and damage engine parts.

 

WOW that's some pretty good and important information to have. I am wondering what intervals guys here are using between oil changes? I am going about 6K to 7K between my changes. Maybe I will go less.

 

lesimon writes that:

" Testing has shown that abbrasive particles from 3 - 15 mmicrons account for 80% of the engine wear."

I don't where you got that info
but it contradicts what I have read and heard
in both gas and diesel engines over the last 35 years.

The engineers at major automakers don't believe that.

Lubricants form a 'boundary layer' on top of surfaces that keeps metal from scraping metal. This boundary layer has a thickness that depends on oil viscosity, load applied and 'film strength' of the lubricant.

If particles in the lubricant are much smaller than the thickness of the boundary layer, they just 'float' there harmlessly and don't cause much wear at all.

If abrasive particles get bigger than the boundary layer and touch and scrape the two metal surfaces at the same time, this does cause both wear and friction.

Tiny Graphite and moly disulfide particles are put in lubricants on purpose.

The problem with increased EGR is the acids it keeps re-introducing into the combustion chamber that get into the oil. This eats away at the TBN (total base number) of the oil and uses up its neutralizing capability quicker, meaning high EGR engines need more frequent oil changes, or perhaps more correctly, more frequent oil analysis checks.

 

If you want better filtering of your engine oil you could always install a bypass filter. Amsoil sells a few different models, and I think they even have an installation kit for Dodge Rams with the CTD. I'm not sure of the exact size in microns, but I know the bypass filter can remove particles much smaller than a regular full-flow filter.

 

When large particles get crushed into smaller particles, they tend to get closer in size to a machine’s working clearances. The closer the particle size is to these working clearances, the more it enters the gap and causes abrasion or surface fatigue to opposing surfaces. A single 40-micron particle can be broken into 512 individually destructive five-micron particles.

 

10K here between oil changes. . .I can drive about 100 miles and the oil is black from the soot. it is just the nature of the beast.

 

IIRC starting in 2005? and newer they went to a 3rd injection event on these engines this is what causes the oil to turn black so fast. I think every CTD needs a by pass filters system on it just like semi truck engines have so as to get the smaller particles out of the oil.


I wish Cummins made a by pass system for our Dodge trucks but they do not as I guess they don't want to take $$ away from Dodge buy making one that fits in out trucks. Note they make them for many of the other trucks, RV's these engiens go in but not one for the Dodge trucks or so I've been told by Cummins parts people when I inquired about buying a by pass system last year directly from Cummins so to not have to worry if it would screw arounsd with the Dodge warranty.

 

I am aware thtat the engine oil manufactures/refineries have modified the engine oils to meet todays demands however they have not been proven over time. Consider the fact that ball joints in these trucks wear out prematurely, that said are they sure that they have addressed the issue of high soot in the oil, simply that will be proven over time.
The information that I quoted was from the research that I have done on the internet, accuracy of course can not be garranteed. I know personally after driving lots of trucks with the Cummins engines that I have never seen the oil go so black and as quick as my 2005 Ram. HankL I would appreciate it if you could provide a link to the information that you quoted. I am aware of the acid formation which is why I have an oil analysis done.
I am going to install a oil bypass filtering system as soon as I can. I feel that filtering the contaminants/soot out of the oil will increase the engine life.
I cant afford to replace an engine in my truck because the manufactures made a mistake from not testing the effects of increased soot in engine oil, someitmes I feel that the manufacturers only concern is that the vehicles components last only as long as the warranty is valid. Example are the ball joints on the ram pick-ups, Dodge is aware that the ball joints are an issue but the have not come up with a replacement part that will last. This is just my opinion just food for thought. Thanks for your input everyone.