September 22, 2003

By: Mark Harris
Website: http://www.bearing-n-bearings.com

Shell ROTELLA® T comes through for engine bearings in extreme Australian road tests

Following more than 186,000 miles (300,000 kilometers) and one year of tough, severe road service under extreme conditions in Australia , engine teardowns to assess the mettle of Shell ROTELLA T have been completed. The results?

“Engine component after engine component has shown little or no wear,” said Dan Arcy, transport products marketing manager for Shell Lubricants. “We are very proud of the results, especially when you consider the heat and dust in the operating environment, and the high levels of soot and acid that resulted from the massive amount of fuel burned. Having tackled the severe conditions in the Australian Outback, we’re extremely confident that ROTELLA® T will perform admirably anywhere in the world.” Highlights of the teardown results included:

* The injector rocker arm assembly had minimal sludge buildup, so did the valve deck, front gear cover, gears and oil pan.

* The cylinder liner crosshatch pattern was well preserved, while minimizing ring and liner wear and helping to seal gases in the combustion chamber.

* Wear on the injector rocker arm shaft was minimal, indicating excellent lubrication performance

* The piston pins were absent of scratches, scuffing and abnormal wear patterns.

* Cams, lobes and journals of the camshaft demonstrated normal polishing, with all contact areas free of ridges, scratches or distressed areas.

*The rocker cover, valve deck, and oil pan were was extremely clean, virtually free of deposits.

*The piston crown had minimal bowl and crown deposits, while ring grooves and ring belt areas were practically free of carbon deposits.

These results confirm that ROTELLA® T does an excellent job keeping the engine clean and controlling deposits, oxidation and carbon buildup, while also dispersing soot and controlling overall oil consumption. Wear of bearings, valve train, rings, and liners were minimal as well.” added Arcy. The field test was conducted with three types of tractor and multi-trailer combinations: fuel, cattle and mining trucks called road trains. The road trains measured a maximum of 174 feet in length, vs. 75 ft in the US , and weighed as much as 198 tons, roughly five times the weight in the US .

“One way to access how hard an engine is working is to look at its fuel economy, under the heavily loaded conditions, these engines were getting around 2 miles per gallon,” said Arcy. The road trains often operated in areas where the temperatures were hot enough to necessitate cooling towers for the differentials. Shell ROTELLA® T is America ’s best-selling heavy-duty multigrade motor oil. It meets or exceeds the warranty and service requirements of virtually all diesel and gasoline engine manufacturers, and may be used in gasoline engines as well. for both newer and older engines.

About The Author:

Mark Harris is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.bearing-n-bearings.com.  Keep things running smoothly with ball bearings, roller bearings, ball thrust bearings and tapered bearings.