900 hour OCI?!

[antonmnster]

My work's snowcat currently has about 630 hours on it's current fill. I was thinking it was pretty overdue.

But then I was leafing through the manual for the Mercedes engine, and it calls for 3 different schedules: light, medium, and heavy service with 1400, 900, and 600 hour respective OCIs. it specifically lists snowcats under the medium duty spec, assuming the assuming Mercedes spec'd oil.

Is it just me, or that crazy long?

 

[tomcat27]

for a car, that is crazy long. but with a diesel with a large sump....

 

[jetmech1]

500 hours in vehicle miles figures 30,000 miles at 60 MPH. That's beyond Amsoil's best grade specifications. What's the size of the sump/crankcase? Doubt that it's big enough to push it that far. Sounds to me that it's time for a UOA to be sent to Blackstone. It's the only way to know for sure.

 

[m37charlie]

Mercedes recommends 1200 hr oil changes for my Unimog with OM906LA engine. Assuming one uses MB228.5 oil, which I have a stash of but is very hard to get in N. America:
http://bevo.mercedes-benz.com/bevolisten/228.5_en.html

Also, that's for non-EGR engine, which mine has become. But it kept the oil centrifuge which only came on EGR units, so maybe I should try a 1600 hr OCI??
But 60 mph is incorrect. I've put on 59500 mi in ~1525 hrs, which is about 38mph average. That times 1200 is about 45000 miles.
That's not at all absurd with a 29L sump on a 6.4L engine, with the soot causing system deleted. After all Daimler/Detroit Diesel recommend 50000 mi OCI on DD13/15/16 engines, with 39-47L sumps but double the power and displacement of my motor. And that is with an EGR system, using 228.31 oils which are higher end 15W40s with lower TBNs than 228.5 oils (but more dispersants to counteract the soot of the EGR).
What engine does the snowcat use, how big is the sump, and what oil is being used?

Charlie

 

[m37charlie]

The maximum interval for oil change of 1200 operating hours is only achieved with engine oils of a particularly high quality grade. To achieve this, only use engine oils, e.g. that comply with Sheet no. 228.5 of the Mercedes-Benz Specifications for Service Products

A quote from the Unimog owner's manual on-line (OM906LA motor).

Charlie

 

[antonmnster]

I think I was looking at the 228.3 oils which most closely resemble the common HD diesel oils we see around here.

By the way we're talking about a 2005 Pisten Bully 100 with a (I'm pretty sure) 4.2L 4-cyl Mercedes industrial engine. It has a 16 qt sump, no EGR, and makes wonderful music.

I'm not sure what oil is in there. We have it maintained at the dealer so I'm sure it meets specs. They've told me it's 15-40, but that's all I know.

 

[m37charlie]

The engine is probably an OM904LA. MB recommended 700 hrs for my OM906LA with EGR and and their approved 15W40 (228.3); so I think 900 hrs without EGR but with the 15W40 (if it is a good one, preferably says MB228.3 on the container) would be OK. I'd do a UOA when draining to be sure for the future.
My engine burns about 1L every 67 hrs, which isn't bad (only 0.09% fuel consumption) and tends to freshen the oil regarding depletable additives over a long OCI.

Charlie

 

[antonmnster]

Yep, it is an OM904LA.

It has odd consumption habits. It will burn 1 qt per 100 hours, then maybe ramp up or go down. On the current OC, I added 2 qts at maybe 200 hours, another qt at 350, and nothing since then, and we're up to about 650.

I popped the valve cover/intake manifold off earlier this season when we used the unit to pull a building 1/2 mile down the trail. The yanking put so much torsion on the frame that it broke the intake manifold pipe that extends way out in front of the engine to the intercooler. Anyway, under the cover looked great.

I used the unit today to push about about a 700' x 300' x 20' pile of snow into a creek to expose the golf fairway underneath. It really is a fantastic engine.

 

[callbay]

Why in the would would anyone want to run very expensive engines out to super long OCI's like being talked about here. Are we trying to be green here? I think it is crazy. Companies now a days have different motives for their oil recomendations and their OCI recomendations. Political motives. The health and long life of your engines are not the manufactures major concerns anymore. Looking green and pleaseing the government are their concerns now.

 

[yucca]

Originally Posted By: callbay
Why in the would would anyone want to run very expensive engines out to super long OCI's like being talked about here.


I don't think the OCI's being discussed in this thread are really all that long. What would your suggested OCI be?

 

[Doug Hillary]

Hi,
callboy - I ran my fleet of OTR vehicles at around 1000hr OCIs for many years

I never had an excessive wear issue or and engine failure - let alone anything to do with the OCIs

A tear down inspection of one engine at 1.2m kms showed very little wear and most major items were reinstalled!

 

[m37charlie]

callbay,
Would you suggest changing 30.6 qt of $8/qt oil (with TBN of 16!) every 3-5000mi or every 80 to 130 hrs? On an engine with a factory oil centrifuge and no EGR?

Charlie

 

[Gene K]

14.0L Engine with EGR
44 Qt Capacity w/ Bypass Filter
Group III 5W40 10.6 TBN
4000 hour drains (200,000 miles)
He is at 800,000 miles with no signs of undue wear.

Many new truck engines with no bypass, EGR and conventional oil spec 50,000 mile (1000 hour) drains as the standard interval and thats with a 500,000 mile factory warranty.

 

[antonmnster]

Usually seems to me like the first people to start talking about political motives are the actual ones who have political motives. I'm persuaded by the evidence not the ideology. Sorry, just get annoyed when I see that...

 

[callbay]

Originally Posted By: Doug Hillary
Hi,
callboy - I ran my fleet of OTR vehicles at around 1000hr OCIs for many years

I never had an excessive wear issue or and engine failure - let alone anything to do with the OCIs

A tear down inspection of one engine at 1.2m kms showed very little wear and most major items were reinstalled!


I was not aware that Snowcats were used as OTR vehicles. Sorry. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowcat

 

[Loobed]

Originally Posted By: tomcat27
for a car, that is crazy long. but with a diesel with a large sump....


+1

630 hours at an average of 30 miles an hour would be close to 19,000 miles.

 

[antonmnster]

So I was down at the dealership last week and noticed the barrel of oil in the corner. Turns out the oil used is Total Rubia TIR 7900, TBN 10.

 

[Doug Hillary]

Hi,
antonmnster - The Total lubricant you mentioned is of very high quality. It will do the job well at the recommended OCI

 

[skyship]

Originally Posted By: m37charlie
The maximum interval for oil change of 1200 operating hours is only achieved with engine oils of a particularly high quality grade. To achieve this, only use engine oils, e.g. that comply with Sheet no. 228.5 of the Mercedes-Benz Specifications for Service Products

A quote from the Unimog owner's manual on-line (OM906LA motor).
it
Charlie


For your information,
I think you are perfectly correct, as this is a case of, "If in doubt read the instructions". Oddly enough for a Merc truck with bypass filtration it's a conservative OCI, even for severe duty.

 

[antonmnster]

What I'm trying to process is that I'm totally comfortable running this piece of equipment out to its OCI, but I can't bring myself to run my BMW to even one third of its OCI.