Superior Filtration Plays Important Role in Engine Protection

A great deal of emphasis is placed on the importance of using of the most advanced high-quality lubricants, but superior filtration is often taken for granted. The general attitude displayed by many consumers is to use whatever is cheapest, even when they’ve invested in superior lubrication. While AMSOIL synthetic motor oils provide unbeatable protection, performance and economy, they require the assistance of filtration. Without filtration, by-products from the combustion process and abrasive materials ingested from the air will ultimately destroy an engine.

Some Contaminants Cause More Damage
The level of damage particles cause to an engine is directly related to the size of the particles. The oil stream within the engine flows between wear-sensitive surfaces that usually have clearances between 2 and 22 microns. It is contaminants in this size range that pose the greatest threat as they can slip between moving components, causing a great deal of wear.

To appreciate how small these particles are, one must first understand the measurements involved in their classification. A micron, or micrometer (µ), is a very small unit of linear measurement. One micron is equal to one millionth of a meter, and 25 microns is equal to 0.001 inch. To better put this in perspective, consider that the diameter of a human hair is 50 – 70 microns.

SAE Testing
In a 1988 technical paper published by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), the relationship between filtration levels and abrasive engine wear was established. Testing determined that wear was reduced by as much as 70 percent by switching from a 40µ filter to a 15µ filter.

The SAE conducted tests on a heavy-duty diesel engine and an automotive gasoline engine, and both provided consistent results. These tests set a new benchmark for filtration performance.

New Technology Provides New Options
The SAE paper on filtration discusses the introduction of synthetic fibers into the oil filter market, which offer “the capability of achieving high levels of filtration without the traditional sacrifice of dirt holding capacity and increased flow restriction.” Today, the original synthetic technology is dated and a new pinnacle has been reached with synthetic nanofiber technology and AMSOIL Ea Filters. While today’s filters offer even greater performance, the message then was the same as it is now; removal of particles measuring 2 to 25µ is the key to controlling engine wear, and there is a direct correlation between oil filter efficiency and engine wear.

1988 Conclusions
The SAE paper summarizes the test results with the following conclusions:

“Abrasive engine wear can be substantially reduced with an increase in filter single pass efficiency. Compared to a 40µ filter, engine wear was reduced by 50% with 30µ filtration. Likewise, wear was reduced by 70% with 15µ filtration.

“Controlling the abrasive contaminants in the range of 2 to 22µ in the lube oil is necessary for controlling engine wear. “The micron rating of a filter, as established in a single pass efficiency type test, does an excellent job in indicating the filter’s ability to remove abrasive particles in the engine lube oil system.”

Today’s Most Advanced Filtration Product
Ea Oil Filters have been evaluated using today’s benchmark test, the ISO 4548-12 multi-pass test. AMSOIL Ea Oil Filters provide 98.7 percent efficiency at 15µ, and up to 70 percent efficiency at 7µ. Competitive filters range from as low as approximately 85 to 92 percent efficiency at 15µ. When it comes to removing contaminants in the most critical size range (2 to 22µ), AMSOIL Ea Filters greatly outperform competitive filters.

2007 Conclusions
Even with all of the advances in lubrication and engine technology in the past 19 years, filtration is no less important today than it was in 1988. The combustion process still produces byproducts that slip into the oil stream, and external contaminants are still introduced into the engine in a variety of ways. The challenge for filter manufacturers has always been balancing flow, efficiency and filter life. In order to stop particles in the 2 to 22µ range, the pores in the cellulose media used in many filters are too small to allow adequate oil flow.

Only AMSOIL Ea Oil Filters feature full-synthetic nanofiber technology. It is the nanofibers that allow Ea Filters to provide greater efficiency than any other filter available. Ea Filters stop more particles, stop smaller particles and last longer than any other oil filter available for auto/light truck applications.

Amsoil Action News March 2003

Amsoil President A.J. Amatuzio

This message is for those Dealers and Directs who have not yet registered to attend our 30th Anniversary Convention in July. Summer is just around the corner, and time is getting short. Many of your fellow Dealers and Direct Jobbers have already registered, and we’re looking forward to hosting a fun-filled, interesting, and educational convention for them. But we want to have you here with us, as well.

This is your convention! I would like to see every active AMSOIL Dealer, Direct Dealer and Direct Jobber here at this event, not only to help us celebrate our 30 years in business, but to celebrate the fact that our American free enterprise system makes it possible for us to be in this business in the first place. That is my wish.

If you have downline Dealers, it’s important that you set an example for them by being here for your convention and encouraging them to do the same. Our registrations to date are excellent, but I sincerely want this to be the best attended convention ever. It may be a long time before we have one of this magnitude again.

We all have a great deal in common, and occasionally networking with fellow businesspeople who share so many of the same concerns, problems, and successes is very important. We never fail to gain perspective about our own business by learning from the experiences of others in the business. And we often don’t realize how important this networking is until we experience it. Sometimes the answer to a problem we have been struggling with can be found in sharing it with someone who has been there before. There will be many opportunities to make those connections at the convention!

We have also enlisted the talents of a very, very good sales trainer and keynote speaker for you. His name is Jim Cathcart and I promise you, his presentation alone will be worth the price of admission. Everyone will leave the convention with at least one or two good ideas about how to build their AMSOIL business.

Having him here to help train and enlighten you is just another example of the importance we place on this event. Our staff has gone all-out to make this convention a valuable and enjoyable experience for everyone who attends. I hope that includes you!

Also featured at our convention will be the Arctic Trek Team of Chris Marts and Otto Bakenmeier. If you read the March issue of Action News, you know these hardy adventurers are on the last leg of an 8,000 mile snowmobile adventure traveling from Canada to the North Pole. They are firm believers in AMSOIL products, saying they could not have run their machines in the sixtybelow temperatures without AMSOIL lubricants. They will be here to share their inspirational message and daring experiences with our Dealers. Frankly, I can’t wait to hear their story and to visit with them about their adventure and their experiences with our products. They will be a marvelous addition to our convention!

You will also have the opportunity to meet and visit with the AMSOIL-sponsored racers at our convention and look over the high-performance machines they race. You can learn first hand why they swear by our products to help them compete and win in competition. There will be new products and new packaging concepts introduced at the convention that are sure to get your attention. And you’ll be able to purchase these products with a 10% convention rebate. You can pick them up when you leave here or at your distribution center, or we’ll ship them to you from the distribution center nearest you. The choice is yours. The rebate applies only to convention attendees.

And while you are here, you can tour our newly remodeled facilities. If you were here for our 25th, you will be amazed at the changes and modernization that have taken place since then. Most Dealers find it fascinating to actually see where the products they sell every day are formulated, blended and packaged. I’m certain you will too. The AMSOIL personnel will be here to greet and visit with you. That is a part of our jobs we like the best. Actually putting faces on the people we talk to every day.

So there are many reasons why it is in your best interests as an AMSOIL Dealer to join us here in July. Add to those reasons the fact that our location is a major vacation and tourism site. We’re located on the shores of the largest freshwater lake in the world and there are plenty of local attractions. Your visit is sure to be a wonderful experience. However, being a tourist attraction means you need to reserve lodging now, so don’t delay any longer.

Your 30th Anniversary Convention will be second to none. I know you’ll regret not being here. Don’t wait until your friends and fellow Dealers get back and tell you all the things you missed. Join the fun. Register today and experience it yourself.

Download Amsoil Action News April 2003 Issue

Synthetics Infiltrating Quick Lube Market

While many quick lube owners have embraced synthetic motor oils and drain intervals beyond 3,000 miles, many more still shudder at the thought of telling their customers to come back less often. In reality, customers appreciate honesty and quality. Consumers are realizing that synthetic motor oils offer superior protection and extended drain intervals. In fact, most vehicle original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) recommend drain intervals well beyond the 3,000-mile interval consumers were used to. In Europe, extended oil drain intervals and specialized motor oils have been the norm for years, leaving many to wonder why Americans and American automakers haven’t followed suit. According to an article in the August 2006 National Oil and Lube News (NOLN), the American oil market should be mimicking the European market sooner rather than later.

“Marketing niche and specialty products today can be a dress rehearsal for what’s coming tomorrow,” said Matthew Ansari, global technology manager for Passenger Car Motor Oils with Chevron. “Having a diversified line of products will be a necessity in three to five years.”

Ansari thinks diesel engine technology will drive the need for a more diversified, and more European-like, motor oil offering. “OEMs have every intention of increasing diesel engines’ population,” said Ansari.

Diversification among diesel oils has begun already with the introduction of CJ-4. AMSOIL now offers Synthetic 5W-40 Premium Diesel Oil for 2007 and newer diesels, but still offers its classic stable of synthetic diesel oils for consumers who are looking for premium protection and extended drain intervals in vehicles made before model year 2007. Potential further need for specialty motor oils could result from the increasing popularity of hybrids and engines run on E85 and biodiesel. This means lube operators will need to offer a wider array of products.

“These types of engines will proliferate, and you will see more of them in all classes of cars,” Ansari said. “If a consumer goes to an installer who doesn’t have the right oil, it’s not a good scenario, automakers will insist that installers use the right oil.” According to NOLN, future motor oils will not only be highly specialized, installers can also expect these new oils, which can be synthetic, to cost more, meaning customers need to be educated about the expense. Ansari said one thing lube operators will have to accept are factoryrecommended oil change intervals that are longer than traditional ones.

“A lot of installers like to see customers every 3,000 miles, but it’s counterproductive to sell synthetics and have customers come back every 3,000 miles,” said Ansari. “Synthetics last longer and do offer extended drain intervals.”

Ansari said that synthetic motor oils are what give European customers and automakers the peace of mind to go for extended drain intervals. “Synthetics offer a higher degree of assurance,” he said. Lube operators will be able to move synthetic lubricants more into the mainstream once they accept that customers don’t necessarily have to come in every 3,000 miles.

“Synthetics are a niche product because they’re currently not offered for the value they can deliver,” said Ansari. “Frequent customer visits are predicated on quality service.” AMSOIL offers a full line of synthetic lubricants that offer extended drain capabilities. AMSOIL Synthetic Motor Oils provide superior protection and peace of mind over extended drain intervals from the world’s first synthetic oil to meet API requirements.

Tire Pressure and Fuel Economy

According to a recent article in Light & Medium Truck, proper inflation is more important for extending the life of a tire in a metro fleet than it is for fuel economy. Fuel economy is always a high priority in preventative maintenance plans, and part of that includes ensuring optimal tire inflation based on a vehicle’s load. But determining exactly how tire inflation affects fuel economy is not easy, particularly for metropolitan fleets. “Tires that are inflated for the load they are carrying will operate as they have been designed to operate,” said Guy Walenga, engineering manager at Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire LLC, Nashville, Tenn. “Properly inflated tires will give you the best performance throughout the tire’s entire economic use, including mileage, handling and noise.”

According to Walenga, making a difference in fuel economy comes down to roll resistance, which measures the force necessary to get the tires rolling. The harder and more inflexible a tire is, the lower the roll resistance, which results in better fuel economy because it’s easier to get the vehicle in motion. As tire inflation decreases, roll resistance increases, and fuel economy suffers.

In the article, Walenga said that looking at tire inflation as a percentage can help medium-duty fleet managers determine the best rate. However, the rate at which an underinflated tire affects fuel mileage is up for debate. Walenga said a 10 psi variance for Class 8 tires, or 10 percent, translates into a .5 percent change in fuel economy, and a 20 percent change in psi would result in a two percent change. Curtis Decker, national manager of field engineering, commercial division for Continental Tire North America said, “Using SAE standards, it has been found that one flat tractor-trailer tire will cause a 14 percent loss in fuel economy. Add an additional tire at 10 psi under recommended levels and the loss rises to 20 percent.” According to the article in Light & Medium Truck, SAE standards define a flat tire as one that is underinflated by more than 20 percent of optimum.

AMSOIL Products Improve Fuel Economy

AMSOIL products improve fuel economy for all types of vehicles. For optimum fuel efficiency, install AMSOIL ATF and AMSOIL Gear Lubes along with AMSOIL Synthetic Motor Oil.

AMSOIL Synthetic Lubricants provide increased lubricity, allowing moving parts to move more easily and creating less friction. Additionally, the imperfect, randomly-shaped molecules in petroleum oils create additional friction as they try to pass eachother in the oil stream. Synthetic oils are naturally more lubrous. Their uniform molecules glide easily against one another, further reducing friction and increasing fuel efficiency.

Add AMSOIL diesel additives and AMSOIL Ea or Donaldson Endurance filters and improve operational efficiency even further. Not only do AMSOIL products provide the ultimate in protection and performance, they do so while improving business owners’ bottom line by improving fuel economy and reducing downtime.

Amsoil President A.J. Amatuzio

Amsoil goes Head to Head with Mobil 1

There’s excitement in the air among AMSOIL Dealers and here at the AMSOIL home office. Why? If you read your October ACTION NEWS, you know about the phenomenal results our 10W-30 (ATM) achieved when run through the API Sequence IIIF test.

This is a very stringent test, normally lasting 80 hours, and is designed to measure oil thickening, oil consumption, wear, and piston deposits in high temperature service. It was performed by an independent testing facility, and our 10W-30 soon became the talk of the lab. That’s because instead of stopping the test at 80 hours, we requested it be run three times longer, for an unheard of 240 hours!

How significant is this? We know of no other oil that has been subjected to this test for that long, and the lab technicians had never heard of it being done before, either. It’s difficult enough for an oil to pass the test at 80 hours, and very few oils, only good synthetics, could pass at double that, or 160 hours. But to run an oil for 240 hours under those stringent test conditions was totally unheard of. My son, Alan, who oversaw the testing, said it was generally agreed, based on the extended test data, that our oil could have continued to run another 80 hours and still have achieved similar outstanding results.

The oil performed that well!

When you read the test results in the October ACTION NEWS, pay particular attention to the green graph showing viscosity increases. The competitive oil selected by the lab was one they knew was a good performer in this test, and it did well for the 80 hours the test is normally run, but at 120 hours you see it sharply increase in viscosity. Meanwhile, the AMSOIL 10-30 remains almost unchanged through the 240 hours of testing. This is why our oils perform so well during extended drain intervals. They stay in grade, even under the most severe service. This extended service test is proof positive of that!

Alan indicated that even after this severe extended test, the engine was in excellent condition. He said even the machining marks on the cylinders were still prominent. There was absolutely minimum wear and virtually no deposit formation. The parts will be on display at our Convention here in Duluth/Superior next July.

Now for more exciting news, look on page 6 of this ACTION NEWS. As most of you are aware, Mobil 1 was introduced after AMSOIL had paved the way for synthetic motor oils back in the ’70s. When it was introduced, it caused great concern among many of our Dealers. But in my President’s Message at the time, I assured everyone that having Mobil 1 on the market would only help us sell more oil. Mobil confirmed everything we had been saying about our synthetic oils, and our products and claims instantly became more credible.

Since then, we have always been compared to Mobil 1. When people think of synthetic motor oil, they think of AMSOIL and Mobil 1, not the other Johnny-comelately’s that have come on the market more recently. I have always said that Mobil 1 is a good motor oil, because compared to the run-of-the-mill motor oils on the market, it is. I have also always said that AMSOIL motor oil is better, again, because it is. Mobil makes their oils to run at normal drain intervals while we make ours for extended drain intervals, and therein lies the difference. Their oils don’t have to be as good as ours, so they are not.

To prove that point, we ran a number of comparative tests on our 5W-30 (ASL) and Mobil 1 Super Syn 5W-30. The test results are published in this ACTION NEWS, and they confirm what I have said all along. AMSOIL makes a better motor oil.

These test results show significant differences between our oils. Look at the results of the NOACK Volatility Test. Which oil is going to last longer in service? Look at the difference in total base numbers. Again, which oil is going to provide the longest lasting protection? Look at the Four Ball Wear Test. Which oil will protect against engine wear better? In every category we tested, AMSOIL proved superior. Lower pour point, higher flash and fire points, AMSOIL tested best.

So when I hear the claims that nothing outperforms Mobil l, I have to say, “wrong!” They may have good slogans and marketing hype, but when it comes to superior performance, I say nothing beats AMSOIL!

Once again, you always get more value when you buy AMSOIL lubricants. These and many other tests prove it. And you’ll get even more value if you buy before January 1, 2003, because that’s when you will see a slight increase in the price of AMSOIL products. It has been two years since our last price adjustment, and we’ve done all we can to hold the line on increasing our prices since then, but we can wait no longer. So now is the time to stock up at our current lower prices. Like I said, the value is there. And until January 1, you will get that value for less!

Amsoil Action News December 2001

Amsoil President A.J. Amatuzio

Today, in these highly competitive times, businesses are looking harder than ever for ways to cut operating costs. You can help them do that by introducing them to AMSOIL products. Any business or governmental agency that operates a fleet of cars or trucks, any farmer who operates farm equipment, any excavating business that operates heavy equipment and dump trucks, any manufacturing business that operates compressors or special purpose machines that require lubrication – you can help them all cut costs with AMSOIL products.

In addition, retailers today are looking for products that will both expand their present markets and increase their profits on every sale. AMSOIL products fit the bill on both counts. Consumers are now actually looking for AMSOIL products on the shelf and they will buy them where they find them. A retailer will make more profit on a quart of AMSOIL Motor Oil than on any other brand on his shelf. In addition, AMSOIL users are loyal customers who return time after time to where they find AMSOIL products. The store will see increased traffic, making it very likely that its overall sales will increase. In conjunction with our Dealers, we have conducted a number of demonstrations in recent years that point out the savings that can be achieved using AMSOIL Synthetic Lubricants and By-Pass Filters. In one demonstration, a 1995 Freightliner FD-120 powered by a Detroit 60 Series diesel engine went 212,326 miles on one AMSOIL oil change with no signs that it should be changed (based on oil analysis). Using petroleum oil, the truck would have required 42 oil changes and 42 full flow filters. In addition, wear metals decreased after switching to AMSOIL, indicating reduced engine wear and longer engine life.

In another such demonstration, five 1996 Kenworth class 8 tractors equipped with Cummins N-14 ESP3 engines were run over 250,000 miles on two oil changes using AMSOIL Synthetic Motor Oil. The results for all five trucks were excellent, and included less wear, less downtime, and increased fuel economy. The oil performed flawlessly.

Demonstrations on three 1997 International 3800 school buses with 6-cylinder Detroit Diesel engines showed a sharp reduction of wear metals using AMSOIL lubricants. This means less wear was occurring even though our oil was being used three to four times longer between drains than buses using conventional petroleum oils. Also, fuel economy increased 3-5% in the buses using AMSOIL.

In each of these demonstrations, drain intervals were increased, engine wear was reduced, and fuel economy was improved. The equipment experienced much less downtime and bottom line . . . the customer saved money! And environmentally, the use of our synthetic lubricants resulted in much, much less used oil to dispose of.

On the surface, a purchasing agent simply looking at our prices would expect that using AMSOIL lubricants would be more expensive than using conventional petroleum lubricants. That’s where you come in, because when you explain our longer drain intervals, reduced downtime, and longer equipment life, they’ll realize that AMSOIL lubricants always wind up costing less and performing better. That’s music to most buyers ears! The time is definitely right for our Dealers to focus on commercial and retail sales. You have a lot to offer. Our name recognition and excellent reputation precede us wherever we go. That fact was illustrated quite emphatically to Direct Jobber Roger Silcox from Edmonton, Alberta Canada, at a snowmobile show last month. Roger told my son, Alan, that AMSOIL was “huge” at the show. He couldn’t emphasize enough how excited showgoers were about AMSOIL products, saying customers were thrusting there credit cards at his booth to buy oil. They sold $1,000 worth in the first three hours and took orders from then on. Roger said they could have easily sold $5,000 worth and next year they are coming prepared!

That’s exciting news, but it’s not untypical of what’s going on out there. I’m sure AMSOIL’s popularity at this show did not go unnoticed by those in the retail snowmobile supply business. They, like so many other retailers out there, are going to be looking for a source of supply for these hot AMSOIL synthetic products. Who’s going to be the Dealer to sign them up?

As I write this, it is nearly Thanksgiving and still over a month until Christmas. But by the time you receive your ACTION NEWS, it will be getting very close. With that in mind, I want to be sure to wish you and your families all the best for the Holidays and for an outstanding New Year. I am very thankful for all of you. Together we’ve built a marvelous company. Your support and friendship have always been very important to me personally. Happy Holidays!