Fleet Maintenance - 30

SPOTLIGHT ON LUBRICATION & FILTRATION

»»There's more to extending drain
intervals than just adding miles
or hours between changes, which
is why fleets tend to be cautious
about whether it's right for them.

Four keys to
a successful
extended drain
interval program

Photo courtesy of Kenworth Truck Co.

Success in extending oil drain
intervals is dependent on how fleets
use and maintain their trucks.
By Chris Alley & Ismail Bagci, Cummins Filtration

30 Fleet Maintenance | March 2020

xtending drain intervals on a heavy duty diesel
engine can produce real savings in terms of
reduced costs and downtime. In some cases,
engine manufacturers are allowing up to 80,000
miles between drain intervals. For many overthe-road fleets, that would make changing the
oil and filter an annual event - an unheard-of
proposition only a few years ago.
But moving beyond a drain interval of
20,000 or 30,000 miles is a huge step for many
fleets who remain unconvinced or unaware
of the benefits, even if the engine manufacturer recommends it. Everyone wants to save
money on oil, filters, labor, and disposal fees,
but doubling or tripling the mileage or time
between changes may seem risky.
For fleets thinking about extending drain
intervals, there are some important factors
to consider.
How a fleet manages oil drain intervals is
tied to how they use and maintain the truck.
It's one of the first questions we ask when we
talk to fleets about their service schedules. Not
every application or duty cycle conforms to a
conventional drain schedule, especially when
it involves seasonal work, heavy hauling, or a
high percentage of idle time. Fleets will want to
assess how an extended oil drain interval will
align with preventive maintenance for other
components including air filters, gaskets, chassis parts that require grease, and the engine's
cooling and fuel systems.
Fleets would also need to coordinate
service events or truck downtime with regular sampling for an oil analysis program,
which engine manufacturers require in order
to preserve full warranty coverage during
extended drain intervals.
Then there is the oil itself. The latest formulations promise better oxidation stability,
shear stability, resistance to aeration, and
greater overall durability at higher operating
temperatures, which makes them well-suited
to extended use. Anything that helps oil last
longer is going to help the filter last longer too,
as long as it can handle prolonged exposure
to vibration, pressure cycles, and temperature
changes while still capturing the particles that
can wear down pistons, rings, and bearings.
There's more to extending drain intervals
than just adding miles or hours between changes, which is why fleets tend to be cautious about
whether it's right for them. If your fleet is planning an extended oil drain interval program,
here are four things to consider to be sure your
oil, filter, and maintenance practices are ready
for the long haul.

Lubricants

Most shops today are
managing two formulations of heavy duty
engine oils: API FA-4
and API CK-4. The main
difference between the two is that FA-4 oils
were developed for 2017 model year and later
engines only, in order to provide maximum
fuel economy and a lower viscosity for better

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