oil changes

[techwrtr2]

Wix filter list for 855

Part No. Engine Comments
Air Filter 46453 855 w / Yanmar 3TN75 Engine (Inner)
Air Filter 46452 855 w / Yanmar 3TN75 Engine (Outer)
Air Filter 42123 855 w / Yanmar 3TN75 Engine (Single)
Fuel Filter 33263 855 w / Yanmar 3TN75 Engine M801101
Hydraulic 51586 855 w / Yanmar 3TN75 Engine AM102723
Oil Filter 5133453 855 w / Yanmar 3TN75 Engine M801002
Transmission Filter 51586 855 w / Yanmar 3TN75 Engine AM102723

 

[fieldman12]

I use to change every year many years ago. I finally quit doing that. We just have so much equipment and some of it don't get enough hours to change every year. I just check it every time I use the machine that it looks good and clean and when It gets close to hours I change it. I also watch oil when I drain it and could never tell any difference between oil changed every year versus every two to three years. I know allot of big farming operations that practice this same routine and never have any issues. I know guys that have had it tested also with no issues. Oil is allot better these days than years ago.

 

[Henri88]

To me ,it is not as much the quality but how contaminated the oil could be. Unless you have your oil analyses on a regular basis, there is no other way to know how contaminated it is. Ask yourself this question, if you had to choose between 2 tractors with the same amount of hours but one of them had and oil change every year, the other well who knows maybe at every 2 or 3 years, wouldn't you go for the one that had the regular maintenance? It's a no brainer for me. jmo.

 

[techwrtr2]

I'd be interested in how the individual operators used the equipment.

If the guy who changed it every year frequently ran it for under 5 min at a time, I'd be more concerned than if the guy who changed it every couple of years always took it up to operating temperature.

I plan to get my oil analyzed since in the almost 7 years I've owned it, I've never had it checked out.

 

[fieldman12]

To me ,it is not as much the quality but how contaminated the oil could be. Unless you have your oil analyses on a regular basis, there is no other way to know how contaminated it is. Ask yourself this question, if you had to choose between 2 tractors with the same amount of hours but one of them had and oil change every year, the other well who knows maybe at every 2 or 3 years, wouldn't you go for the one that had the regular maintenance? It's a no brainer for me. jmo.

I know what your getting at but really if you watch all your lubricants and nothing is changing how likely is it you have any contamination? In my opinion there are two main contaminations that are destructive to your engine and that is water and coolant. Both are easily visible. Yes everyonce and a great while there can be very tiny small amounts of coolant that may not be visible but usually you will see coolant level drop over time. Now motor internal problems that are mechanical issues opens another can of worms. I wonder how much water contamination happens to a jug of oil setting around a barn on the floor or a shelf? I dont have a problem buying a piece of equipment if the oil is not changed every year. I would be worried more about if it never gets changed, gets changes way past due as far as engine hours, or uses cheap fluids in stead of a good quality brand.

 

[greg_g]

Don't minimize the seriousness of contaminants that are not "easily visible". That might be a reasonable rule of thumb for gear boxes and hydraulics, but not so for diesel engines. How "visible" do you think contaminants are going to be in oil that turns black within the first few hours of use? That black is actually soot, which is a by-product of diesel detonation. I don't know the chemical composition of this soot, but I do know that it can interact with oil additives and condensation to produce harmful acids - not to mention degrading the actual lubrication effectiveness of the oil.

Oil analysis is a good and accurate method, but typically runs $25 or more per sample. For example, you're a trucking company. You buy a dozen new trucks that all haul in similar driving conditions. After xx number of miles, you take and test a sample from one truck. If it generates a negative report, you change the oil in all the trucks. If it comes back positive, you keep on truckin'. If you have large diesels, as in the case of locomotives/ships/generator plants, do the test so you don't unnecessarily have to change out hundreds or thousands of gallons of oil. But in many cases - particularly in the case of most of the members here - it's cheaper to forego the test - and actually follow the manufacturer-recommended oil/filter change interval.

//greg//

 

[Mechanos]

Oil analysis is also used as a diagnostic tool. The analysis can pick up all sorts of trace metals, etc. that can let you know well in advance that a rod bearings or main bearings, or piston rings, etc. are wearing excessively. This can continue to be monitored and the engine taken out of service for repairs before serious or catasprophic failure occurs.

 

[fieldman12]

Like I said if you have internal problems because of a bearing or so on that is a totally different animal. Most of todays new Diesel engines do not get the black color they once did years ago because of soot. I am very familiar with oil analisys. We have had semis tested at 10,000, 20,000 and even 30,000 miles with the same engine oil and the test still come back negative believe it or not. We finally decided to change it just because we though it was allot of miles with a normal conventional oil. We have used it with the Alcohol and Super Stock Diesel pulling tractors also but I feel the computer is the best indicator of internal issues on them.

 

[Henri88]

In the 60's till the mid 90's we had a fleet compose of school and motorcoach buses. In the 80's we started having are oil analyses on are motorcoachs at every oil change for preventive maintenance as mention by Mechanos. Having an engine grenaded on you 4000 miles away from your garage with 40 some peoples on board can be very costly. But this is the first time I ever heard about oil analyses that will tell you if you are due for an oil change. Not saying it doesn't exist, just never heard of it.

 

[techwrtr2]

When I send in the sample, I'll note that I either changed the oil or just drew a sample. They'll then tell me if it is suitable for continued use. Or not