The Importance of Clean Engine Oil and Its Impact on Equipment and Business Performance

Think of engine oil as the unsung hero behind your equipment’s smooth performance—a vital force working behind the scenes. But here’s the catch: not all engine oil is created equal, and “clean” oil might not be as clean as you think. The condition of your oil can make or break your machinery, with consequences that ripple across your entire operation.So, what’s the true cost of dirty oil, and how can keeping it clean supercharge your business? Let’s dive in.

The Hidden Costs of Contaminated Engine Oil 

Contaminated engine oil can have devastating effects on machinery. Airborne particles, dirt, wear metal, silicate, paint, water, gunk and common fluid handling procedures all can lead to accelerated wear and tear on equipment. Even fresh fluid lubricants delivered are subject to contamination. Studies reveal that new oil can contain up to 32 times the contaminants allowed for sensitive equipment. Every time a lubricant is handled—when it is shipped from a lubricant manufacturing plant, trucked to a distributor’s storage facility, pumped into the distributor’s delivery tanker truck, transferred into the customer’s storage tanks, or poured into the equipment’s system—there is an opportunity for particles to creep into the oil.

It doesn’t take much to contaminate clean oil and shorten the life of the equipment. Just 1 teaspoon of dirt in 55 gallons of oil could equate to around 1 billion particles size 4 microns and larger and damage component life.

In fact, studies show that up to 82% of equipment wear is caused by particle contamination in oil. As particles build up, they act like sandpaper, increasing friction and causing components to wear out prematurely.

While the number of contamination particles is important, the contaminating particle’s makeup matters, too. For example:

• Dirt particles that generate multiple secondary particles can increase foam in lubricants and alter the oil’s viscosity, causing the machine to run hot. Dirt particles can ambush lubricant additives and suppress the additive’s efficiency. 

• Metal particles cause contact friction and wear, creating more particles from other surfaces. 

• Particle contamination can also affect the lubricant’s ability to manage oxidation, which can result in varnish and sludge as well increase in viscosity reducing efficiencies. 

• Particles of all kinds shorten the service life of lubricants, filters, and finely engineered components including hydraulic systems, transmissions, and gear drives.

Why Clean Oil Matters for Your Business

Dirty oil doesn’t just affect the machinery—it has a ripple effect on your entire operation. Up to seventy-five percent of hydraulic system failures are related to particulate matter contamination of the hydraulic oil.  For example, equipment conditions from particle contamination in construction hydraulic equipment can include:

• Frequent hydraulic leaks and blown hoses. A hydraulic system that includes a lubricant with particle contamination is just like sandblasting the insides of hydraulic systems and hoses. This deteriorates the hoses and seals, leading to leaks and system failures. 

• Uneven movement or loss of swing power on a hydraulic excavator can be attributed to particle contamination. Prior to failure, this erratic motion can result in loss of haulage and production. This could also lead to an increase in fuel consumption in relation to work ratio. 

• If one track on a bulldozer moves slower than the other track, the cause may be particle contamination. Uneven track operation decreases production and creates a possible work hazard.
  
• Particle contamination in cranes and hydraulic man lifts can cause unstable operating movements, which can damage equipment and materials and increase the risk of accidents.

Contaminated oil costs contractors downtime, part repairs and replacements, field service expenses, and their competitive business edge. Fluid particle contamination directly impacts the potential useful life of the machine and the contractor’s capital investment.

Investing in oil cleanliness translates to better equipment reliability, improved productivity, and reduced long-term maintenance expenses—ultimately saving your business both time and money. Research indicates that maintaining the correct ISO cleanliness code can extend equipment life by up to 40%, further reducing the likelihood of unplanned maintenance.

The Risks of Pre-Filtering Oil On-Site 

While it might seem like a smart move to pre-filter oil on-site, this approach can introduce risks. These systems are a big capital expense and often require specialized labor and training. They can be a drain on resources, a drag on efficiency and take workers away from their key tasks. A better approach is to start with an oil that is certified clean to the OEM standards, or to the cleanliness goals that you have set at the point of delivery from your lubricant marketer. Inadequate filtration can damage the oil’s additive package and fail to meet the high standards required for sensitive machinery. Instead, Chevron’s services ensure that oil is pre-filtered to meet stringent cleanliness codes right from the start, eliminating the risk of introducing contaminants.

Chevron’s Best Practices: Quantifying the Benefits 

To help businesses understand the financial benefits of maintaining clean oil, Chevron offers the LubeWatch Oil Analysis and Best-in-Class Assessment . This helps estimate potential savings by improving lubricant cleanliness, allowing you to input specific operational data to see how much you can save by reducing wear, extending equipment life, and minimizing downtime. Once you get a clean start by using this service, we will help you keep contamination in check. From fluid purification and dehydration, varnish removal and mitigation, high-velocity flushing, reservoir and tank cleaning, condition monitoring and system audits and fluid handling consultation, our experts will work with you to develop a program best practice, customized to your operation.

In conclusion, clean engine oil is not merely a maintenance item—it’s a critical factor in ensuring equipment efficiency and protecting your business’s financial health. By prioritizing oil cleanliness, you can prevent costly equipment failures and ensure your machinery performs at its best. Chevron’s solutions provide a comprehensive approach to maintaining clean oil, safeguarding your investment in equipment, and enhancing overall operational efficiency.