SUCCESSFULLY CONVERTING AN ENGINE TO AMSOIL Thanks to the guys on the internet for much of this information One of the greatest differences between your experience with AMSOIL and other synthetic engine oil will be your education in the proper use to avoid problems. Always flush engines (if they have over 10,000 miles on them) with AMSOIL Engine Flush when converting from petroleum oil to AMSOIL. Petroleum oils create sludge and varnish on the inside of engines. If you put AMSOIL (or most other synthetics) directly into an engine without flushing you risk clogged lifter ports and at worst, destruction of the engine. Most synthetics are very high in detergent action. They will break loose the sludge and varnish the petroleum oil made in large particles. These large particles will circulate throughout your engine, potentially clogging oil galleries and ports. No matter how good an oil is, it does you no good if it can't get to all the places it should in an engine. If a component becomes starved for oil it dies! Amsoil has solved this problem with AMSOIL Engine Flush. Just get a can for each engine and follow the directions. You'll need an extra AMSOIL Engine Filter to remove what the flush cleans out. You'll need an extra AMSOIL Oil Filter to use the flush. Paper oil filters don't filter down to a small enough particle sizes to remove all the dirt the flush will clean out. Once you've converted to AMSOIL you have to keep the dirt out of the oil. Eighty percent of the dirt that gets into your oil comes in through the air. Conventional paper air filters will not filter out dirt small enough and will restrict the flow of air. AMSOIL Long Life Air FIlters filter down to one microns without restricting air flow. When AMSOIL Air Filters get dirty you don't throw them away. You wash them out with dish soap and water, throw them in the dryer at low heat or hang them up to dry. Then you re-oil them with AMSOIL foam filter oil. This special oil is very sticky to attract and hold dirt. It is also designed to break down in dish detergent for easy washing. Following washing, drying and re-oiling, you re-install the air filter for another 25,000 miles or so. AMSOIL Engine oil holds what dirt still gets in it from byproducts of combustion in suspension for removal by the oil filter. Conventional oil filters don't have enough filtering capacity for long drain intervals. They also don't filter down to small enough particles to remove all of the dirt that causes wear in your engine. AMSOIL Engine Oil filters are of a depth type design to hold more dirt, and filter down to about 4 microns to remove the dirt that would have caused wear in your engine. As you can see the secret to successful use of synthetics involves more than just the oil. Flushing and proper filtration is the key to the conversion. I know of no other oil company selling synthetic oil who has it all together. AMSOIL, with over 25 years of experience in the area provides you with the products and information you need to enjoy the greatest performance and engine longevity you can attain.                                    Again, From Steve on the Internet From "SYNTHETIC OIL: Rx FOR LONG ENGINE LIFE" by Curt Scott, an article from, "The Complete Guide To Specialty Cars".  "The remarkable ability of synthetic oils to *reduce internal operating temperatures* is far too important to ignore, since high operating temperatures contribute directly to premature failure of mechanical components and gaskets and seals. Coolant, (i.e. water/antifreeze), cools only the upper regions of an engine. The task of cooling the crankshaft, main and connecting rod bearings, the timing gear and chain, the camshaft and its bearings must be borne entirely by the oil. There are three identifiable reasons why synthetics do a better job of cooling an engine: (1) Because of both the oil's lubricity, (slipperiness), and its stable viscosity, less friction - and thus less heat - is generated in the first place; (2) The molecular structure of the oil itself is designed to more efficiently transfer heat, even compared against the thermal conductivity properties, (ability to absorb and dissipate heat), of an identical viscosity petroleum oil; and, (3) As mentioned in the proceeding paragraph, the more rapid oil flow of these lower-viscosity synthetics contributes significantly to the efficient transfer and dissipation of heat. *Because of all these factors, oil temperature decreases of from 20 deg. F to 50 deg. F are quite common with the use of synthetic oil. One might even say that the heat-reduction properties of synthetics are synergistic...by helping to reduce its own temperature, the synthetic oil is simultaneously enhancing the lubricant's overall performance characteristics." Effect of Heat in Engines From the AMSOIL Direct Line, 6/92 Heat Transfer Convection is the most efficient agent of heat transfer between hot engine or transmission surfaces and their liquid lubricants. Convection occurs as currents move in the fluid. The more a fluid's chemistry aids the mechanisms of convection, the more heat that fluid can transfer.                Heat transfer is the measure of the rate at which the temperature of a fluid changes. In an engine or transmission, good heat transfer agents *reduce* the temperature faster than inferior heat transfer agents. Synthetic lubricants reduce heat faster than petroleum lubricants because of their superior flow patterns.                All lubricants exhibit two types of flow patterns. Laminar flow has straight, layered currents.. The layers near the metal surfaces move slower than the layers in the center of the fluid, due to differences in the frictional characteristics between fluid and metal compared to those of internal layers of fluid. Heat concentrates close to the metal surfaces in laminar flow. The concentration of heat sometimes oxidizes this layer, turning it to sludge. The sludge insulates the metal, so even less heat transfer occurs.                Turbulent flow has circular, unlayered currents. Imagine each circular current as a person scooping a, "bucketful, of heat from the metal surface, swinging it overhead and dumping it into the middle of the lubricant stream. Heat is thus more evenly distributed throughout the stream, not concentrated near the surface. Heat transfers faster as more heat is evenly spread throughout the lubricant stream and lubricants are less likely to oxidize. AMSOIL synthetic lubricants exhibit more turbulent flow than petroleum lubricants, making AMSOIL synthetic lubricants better heat transfer agents. Letter regarding heat and AMSOIL This is a copy of a letter from, "Balcones European Motors", attesting to the engine operating temperature reduction that AMSOIL can provide. (Re-printed with permission from the Head Manager, Mr. Patrick Jacks). Balcones European Motors Mercedes*BMW*Porsche*Ferrari*Jaguar*Volvo*Saab Sales, Service, Restoration, and Performance Mods. 12108-D Roxie Drive, Austin, Texas 78729 (512)335-6911 May 1, 1992   Dear David:  As you know our business is dedicated to servicing, repairing and performance modifications of most European automobiles. But most of all, we pay special attention to Porsche 911's. Texas is very hard on the 911, (oil/air cooled), engine because of the extreme summer temperatures reached here. Many of these cars must have system modifications to bring temperatures down from damaging temperatures with normal petroleum oils.  I began using AMSOIL 3 years ago in my own 911 while working with racing Ferrari's. I was having problems keeping the oil temperatures down when competing in S.C.C.A. events even with two extra remote oil coolers, and was told to try AMSOIL 20W-50 Synthetic Racing Oil. Immediate improvements were discovered. Overall oil temperature dropped around twenty degrees with AMSOIL 20W-50 Synthetic Racing Oil, *even over Mobil 1 synthetic*. Recently one of our 911 customers encountered the most dramatic temperature reductions we have seen to date. He was experiencing temperatures over 280 degrees during spirited runs on the street. While race prepping his '73 last month for a Porsche Club event held at Texas World Speedway, we converted his engine oil to AMSOIL to help keep the oil temp down. We were expecting a 20 degree drop in temperature, but were amazed when the oil temp never rose above 245 degrees after 75 laps on the 1.9 mile road course! Needless to say 35 degrees made a believer out of our customer. We know what cooler operating temperatures do for the life of expensive high revving, high performance engines and AMSOIL works better than anything we have seen to date. We recommend AMSOIL products to all of our performance customers. We really like what AMSOIL does for us and our customers. After all, keeping our customers satisfied is what it's all about. Sincerely, Balcones European Motors David B. Moore TEXAS TURBO Dragster Sets Records With AMSOIL Gene Deputy, President of TEXAS TURBO ENGINEERING, Inc., designs and builds racing engines. He is also an excellent drag racer. For the extra edge he needs to win, Gene uses AMSOIL Lubricants in all his race cars.                "I have a 1989 Mustang GT with a TEXAS TURBO prepared turbocharged 5 liter engine. The car has set records all over the United States at various drag strips, and it runs a quarter mile time consistently around 10.43 seconds at 130 mph through the mufflers", Gene said.                Gene added, "I use AMSOIL in both the rear end and the engine due to its lubricating properties that reduce friction, which translates into horsepower. The other reason I use AMSOIL Synthetic Lubricants is because of its higher resistance to 'coking'. I have to make hard runs, where the turbine wheel approaches around 1,700 deg. F. at 15 psi of boost. I don't have to leave the car running as long to circulate oil to cool the shaft since the coking point is higher. This means the engine has a longer cool down period for the next run."                The Mustang GT is also used for street driving, as the power seats, door locks, electric windows and stereo system are still intact. A real crowd pleaser, Gene's car has been in several magazines, including "Hot Rod". However, to keep the Mustang GT running at its competitive peak, Gene relies on AMSOIL Lubricants. Michigan Driver First-Time AMSOIL User Grand Haven, Michigan's Scott Presley drives a stock car (No. 34) late model class at Berlin Raceway in Marne, Michigan. Even though he's a veteran driver, Scott decided to try something new for the 1991 season by using AMSOIL Lubricants for the first time. "The car was able to go the entire race season without an oil change, something I wasn't able to say before", Scott said. Scott used AMSOIL 20W-50 Racing Oil in his engine, AMSOIL Automatic Transmission Fluid for his transmission, AMSOIL Synthetic Gear Lube for his rear end and AMSOIL Synthetic Grease for his suspension. During a 100-lap race, Scott tested his car - the hard way. The oil temperature rose to 300 deg. F., but trusting the AMSOIL 20W-50, Scott continued racing and finished third. If he had used his old lubricants, Scott would have dropped out if the temperature exceeded 240 deg. F. After the race, the oil was analyzed and found to be in good condition. A top American Speed Association (ASA) driver drove Scott's car and was impressed with its power. Scott concluded, "I plan to continue with AMSOIL products next season with total confidence." AMSOIL Keeps Floridian in Winner's Circle Swamp Buggy Racing started in the Southeastern United States in the 1950's. The track is approximately one mile in length and filled with water. The track, appropriately called "Mile-O-Mud", has various turns and two deep holes, including the dreaded six-foot deep "Sippy Hole". Many competitors have a difficult time just finishing the course, so winning isn't as important. One racer who has been competing and winning for over twenty years is Lonnie Chesser of Florida. He and his brother Bill, Lonnie's mechanic, switched from Valvoline Racing Oil, to AMSOIL Synthetic 20W-50 Racing Oil. After an engine tear down, the brothers were convinced they had made the right choice. Bill said, "We tore the engine down after five hard runs and couldn't believe what we saw. The bearings looked like they had been polished. There was virtually no wear in the engine. Even the magnetic drain plug didn't have a speck of metal on it!" Lonnie added, "This type of racing is more sever on an engine than quarter-mile drag racing. When I cross the "Sippy Hole" at 100 mph, the rear wheels just paddle and the engine spins up to 9,000 rpm's. It's like throwing the stick into neutral and holding the pedal to the floor!"   Will Lonnie and Bill consider a switch back to Valvoline? "From now on, we won't put anything else in the engine but AMSOIL", said Lonnie. SCCA Spec Racer Wins Pacific Coast Championship With AMSOIL On-Board It almost didn't happen because few people believed that one person could dominate a track so convincingly. But Mike Benzon, sponsored by California AMSOIL Dealers Charles and Peri Sutherland, dominated a race where all the cars are equal - except in motor oil. A case may be made for being too good. Other racers were considering a protest, where Mike would be forced to tear down his engine. But after consulting an expert, the other racers were convinced no foul play was involved. (They would have had to pay for the cost of the tear-down had no tampering been found). Mike's car was on the front cover of the October 1990 "Wheel's" magazine and broke an SCCA track record. If he finishes 9th or better in his next race, he is the 1990 Gran Champion. Mike donates his winnings to the American Leukemia Society . AMSOIL Flyer Takes First Place At Reno National Championship The recent National Championship Air Races in Reno, Nevada were exactly what veteran pilot Dan Mortenson expected. With the help of AMSOIL 20W-50 Racing Oil, Mortenson, a veteran racer, took home the gold in the Sport Biplane Class.                Early in the week, Mortenson was racing his Mong "AMSOIL Pacific Flyer" in a qualifying heat. The object of this qualifying race was to fly "all out" in order to reach the highest possible speed, thus assuring good positioning in the final race.                Mortenson's Pacific Flyer's 192.78 MPH was the fastest qualifying time. This alone was a great accomplishment, *but considering that he flew two laps while losing eight quarts of oil*, the accomplishment was amazing.                "While I was up there, the oil line broke and I lost all eight quarts of oil. I ran two laps like that and didn't even know it. When I landed, I finally noticed the drop in oil pressure; we checked the engine - it was still cool and there was no damage at all to the engine because of the AMSOIL Synthetic Oil. We just put in eight new quarts of 20W-50 and went on to win the gold later in the week." Mortensen also noticed other benefits of AMSOIL Synthetics. His oil ran about 20 deg. F. cooler. Mortenson adds, "My engine temps never went over the redline!"                After winning the National Championship Sport Biplane Class in 1990, will Dan Mortenson try to repeat in '91? "No, I'm looking for new mountains to climb. Cafe racing is next on my list of things to try. It's sort of like a road rally for planes. It's an efficiency race judged on a point system. AMSOIL Products are ideal for this - they offer at least 10% decrease in fuel consumption. In a race where high speeds at the greatest efficiency are key, AMSOIL will make the difference." Dicus-Drennen Race Team Dominates The Field With AMSOIL! Danny Dicus, his father and Clint Drennen dominated the Southern Alabama Stock Car racing scene last year, ('90). This highly successful racing team uses AMSOIL SAE 40 Racing Oil, 75W-90 Gear Lube and Multi-Purpose Synthetic Grease.                Clint Drennen won several feature "pure stock" races and set the South Alabama Motor Speedway Qualification Speed Record with a run of 20.12 seconds. This track is over 17 years old. He took first place in the "1990 Rattlesnake 150" and attributes the win to the outstanding acceleration of his AMSOIL-equipped car. Dicus, a first-time driver racing the Monter Carlo, continually placed in the top six in a competitive field.                In 1989, Clint Drennen raced the Monte Carlo for an estimated 3,000 laps, ***with the engine oil being changed only once in the entire season.*** When the engine was torn down after a broken push rod, only minor wear was noted on the bearings. The machine shop ***returned the engine block with the comment that the cylinder wear was negligible and that a cylinder bore was unnecessary.*** Clint placed second in Southern Alabama in 1989. North Carolina Racer Finds Success With AMSOIL James B. Hill of Asheboro, North Carolina runs a stock car that uses AMSOIL 20W-50 Racing Oil, 75W-90 Gear Lube, and AMSOIL Multi-Purpose Grease. "We had fantastic results with AMSOIL!" writes James. "We never had a blown motor the entire season. Although we missed the first five races, we won four races and were placed third in overall points. We have built another car this winter, a 1990 Grand Prix, and we will be racing the two cars, each in a different division. We will run AMSOIL in both!" SCCA Racer Finishes With No Oil Pressure! Bob Gregory of Granger, Indiana drives in the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Spec Racer Class. AMSOIL 10W-30 protects the car's 1.7-litre Renault transverse mounted rear engine, and AMSOIL 75W-90 protects the four speed manual transmission. During the 1992 season, Bob was forced to drive a 20-lap race with a reading of zero on the oil pressure gauge. "I ran the entire race with no oil pressure and probably no oil being supplied to the engine parts", recalled Bob. After finishing the race, Bob feared he had destroyed the engine. Instead, upon further inspection, Bob discovered that his bearings looked like new. He reassembled the engine, and now it is used in an introductory racing program. AMSOIL Gives Sprint Car Faster Times Chuck Gardner of Honolulu, Hawaii first used AMSOIL in the 1970's while winning four American Power Boat Association (APBA) national championships in outboard tunnel boat racing. Since 1982, he has been a winning sprint car racer. Chuck feels AMSOIL gives him an edge over the competition. "AMSOIL provides me with slightly faster times on the race track", he explained. "Also, one of my biggest advantages in boat racing was the long lasting dependability AMSOIL had given my racing equipment." The Ford engine in Chuck's sprint car uses AMSOIL 20W-50, and the rear end and transmission use AMSOIL 75W-90. When he was in boat racing, chuck used AMSOIL 100:1 2-Cycle Oil. "AMSOIL gives my engines and other equipment increased longevity", he said. Top Engine Builder Says AMSOIL Is the Best! Richie Zul is the "mad scientist" behind Zul Racing Engines in New Babylon, N.Y. Richie and his staff build and modify high-output racing engines for some of the world's fastest boats, including the APBA Hall-of-Famer "Fever" and several of the Eastcoast Marine boats regularly featured in AMSOIL literature. Over the past ten years, they have become famous for their expertise and, today, about 50 racing boats carry "Richie Zul Engines". Last year, Zul gained the coveted APBA (American Powerboat Assoc.) Offshore Inboard Engine Builder of the Year Award.                Zul is a devoted user and installer of AMSOIL Products, particularly AMSOIL 20W-50 Racing Oil. "The number-one reason we use AMSOIL is for its instant-lubrication ability. The Racing Oil gets to problem areas very quickly and is very light on start-up. With other oils, you get dry starts and it takes longer for the oil to reach the upper cylinders and pistons. And that's when a good deal of wear occurs. AMSOIL gets up into the cylinders and pistons faster than anything we've seen. AMSOIL stays fluid even at cold temperatures, and with a boat engine that can be important. It also gives us quick start-ups, less drag and better acceleration."                Zul builds his engines and does his own dynamometer testing with them, fine-tuning the "monsters" to perfection. These engines can propel boats to speeds of around 140 mph. He is fully aware that a superior quality lubricant makes a big difference. "These engines are run extremely hard. With AMSOIL, we can expect a 20 - 30 deg. F. temperature drop, and that means more power being used for output. I think AMSOIL is an outstanding oil, and we wouldn't use anything else."                The next time you watch a boat race, watch for the words, "Richie Zul Engines" on the boats at the finish line. Why are they consistently up front? They have a double advantage: the best engines with the best oil! SYNTHETIC GREASE by Dr Mark DeSantis Every night before taps, I heard Navy jet aircraft with it's turbine engines redlined-winding up to 35,000 rpm's on approach to Sherman Field. While attending flight school at Pensacola Naval Air Station, I discovered a small secret. All of our expensive military jet engines are lubricated with synthetic oils. Not only the engines, but almost every lubricant dependent component. When those 50,000 pound aircraft land at 150 knots on an aircraft carrier, synthetic grease is in the wheel bearings protecting our multi million dollar investment.                Grease is a semi-fluid lubricant made of a base oil and a thickening agent. In functional greases, a petroleum or synthetic base oil is combined with a thickener, like lithium or aluminum. Added to this are other ingredients (additives) which give the grease a number of properties. Base oils typically make up 70%-90% of the grease and provide much of its oxidative stability and viscosity characteristic.                Greases are usually applied to vehicles and machinery with grease guns. The grease is forced into grease fittings which transfer it to the lubricated component. Grease can also be spooned into a grease cup. This is a container sealed by something that can be tightened down, thus pushing grease into the machinery. The viscosity of the grease is extremely important for pump ability and for lubricating moving surfaces in low temperature. If a grease is too thick for its application, metal surfaces can go unprotected. Oxidative stability determines how the lubricant will stand up to high temperatures and long service life. When petroleum base oils oxidize, they clump together, losing much of their viscosity and protective capabilities.                Synthetic base oils differ from conventional base petroleum base oils because they are built from the ground up, using very specific, purified chemicals, rather then the aggregate of chemicals (thousands of different size hydrocarbons) found in petroleum oil. Synthetic base oils are uniform in their molecular composition and are much more predictable in their behavior. Synthetic base oils are chosen to do a specific job, such as motor oil, gear lubes, and transmission fluids. Synthetic base oils resist oxidation, flow in cold temperature, and provide long service life.                Thickeners as their name implies are added to a liquid base oil to transform its consistency to grease. Thickeners control many important performance characteristics and properties. When someone says they are using a lithium grease (G.M. Spec.) that means that some form of lithium was used as the thickener. Thickeners come in a wide variety of forms, such as calcium, sodium, aluminum, barium and polyurea. They also range in chemical composition from simple metal soaps to complex metals or synthetic organic thickeners. Greases used in food preparation equipment use calcium hydroxystearate.                Thickeners don't dissolve in base oils like sugar dissolves in water. Instead, the thickener and base oil are loosely held together, like macaroni in a soup stock. Thickeners and base oils are held together through molecular bonding. If you use less thickener, it and the oil will be held together loosely. When this happens, bleeding can occur, where the oil separates or bleeds from the grease. All greases bleed to some extent, but excessive bleeding can become a problem particularly at high temperatures. Synthetic greases exhibit excellent resistance to oil separation or bleeding (below 4%). Compare that to petroleum figures!                Additives are used in greases to provide such features as water resistance, rust protection, oxidation stability, anti-wear, extreme pressure (for high load applications), oil separation, low temperature flow and high temperature performance. Like the formula of a high quality motor oil, additives make the difference between a good grease and a great grease. A good example of an additive is molybdenum disulfide or moly, which is used in AMSOIL and Red Line synthetic greases. Moly is added to strengthen the mechanical and structural stability of the grease. Under an electron microscope, moly looks like thin stacks of plate like structures. As machine components are forced together, these plates act as sliding shields which keep the metal surfaces from coming into contact. Additionally, the chemical and physical properties of moly protect against corrosion, oxidation and water washout. The Timken OK load Test is a measure of the American Society for testing and Materials (ASTM) for load capabilities of a grease. Synthetic moly grease have an exceptionally heavy OK rating of 70 pounds. Most non-moly-synthetic greases are below 45 pounds.                Although moly additives work excellent in synthetic greases (and maybe rear end lubes), adding moly to engine oil is somewhat luxuriant since the extreme shear pressures required to activate moly are not found in your engine. Zinc-dithiophospate is the common anti-wear additive found in engine oils.                Compatibility comes into play when different greases are mixed. Their performance together may be unacceptable in areas such as shear stability, constancy, and heat resistance. This is usually the result of one thickener being incompatible with the other thickener. Mixing a lithium thickener and a aluminum thickener grease is a no-no. How many times we just take our car (not ME!) to be greased by a local garage, not knowing what type of base additive grease he uses! The result is shortened component life.  Mixing synthetic grease with petroleum grease can be accomplished if the greases both use a common thickener such as lithium. Synthetic bases will enhance the performance of the petroleum grease.                Greases fail more frequently as operating temperatures increase. The biggest reason for this is the  greases high temperature stability characteristics. Most petroleum greases can be used only where temperatures are less than 250 degrees F. Above this temperature, synthetic greases are required. Petroleum greases used in disc brake wheel bearings require special additives to handle the increased  temperature. Petroleum base stocks cannot safely lubricate at high temperatures without these additives. Synthetic base oils used in synthetic grease can operate up to 500 degrees F, 250 degrees higher than petroleum!                Wheel bearing life performance (ASTM) measures the performance of wheel bearing grease in high temperature and load conditions. This test is done at a temperature of 302 degrees F. The higher the number of hours of a specific grease the longer it will last. Synthetics are rated at 440 hours! The dropping point of a grease determines the temperature at which the component (base oil, additives and thickeners) soften and start to separate. Synthetics are rated above 550 degrees F. Most petroleum grease products do not print their performance specifications with their products, however synthetic oil companies are more than happy to tell you about their grease specifications.                Synthetic greases reduce friction and wear, and can cut energy costs by optimizing equipment operation. The unmatched formulations and premium quality of these greases ensure much longer service life and easy operations in all types of applications. Synthetic grease is highly recommended for the antique car owner who has a hard time locating obsolete, expensive bearings and universal joints.   THE ULTIMATE OIL FILTER by Mark DeSantis Automotive experts agree that dirt is the number one cause of engine wear. At first glance, it does not seem possible. Engine dirt particles are so small - mere dust specks - and an engine is a highly sophisticated piece of machinery, crafted from the most durable metal alloys. How can these minute particles bring down such a high-tech giant? The answer lies in the fact that dirt particles are extremely abrasive. They consist of razor-like flakes of road dust and airborne grit drawn into the engine through the air intake, as well as manufacturing scarf and wear metal particles generated inside the engine. These particles are carried by the oil into the precision clearances between bearings and other moving parts. Once they work in between these parts, they grind and gouge surfaces, altering clearances, and generating more abrasive debris. As this wear cycle continues, precision components become progressively sloppy and fatigued, until they fail altogether. In addition to physically assaulting engine components, dirt and other contaminants work to degrade the oil that provides vital engine lubrication. Sooty carbon particles generated during combustion can be forced past piston rings and into the oil. These particles by their very nature act like tiny sponges, absorbing critical additives, thus shortening oil life. Soot also wreaks havoc with viscosity by causing oil to thicken. And in the presence of moisture, common by-products of combustion will react chemically to produce corrosive and rust-producing acids. Because the typical spin on full-flow oil filter is designed directly in the line of oil circulation, it must filter oil quickly in order to keep from starving the engine of oil. This means that only the larger particles of dirt can be filtered out of the oil since finer, slower filtration would cause a "bottleneck" in circulation at the filter. In cold weather, unfiltered oil is shunted pass the relief valve to keep up with engine demand.                Unfortunately, the smallest particles of dirt between 5 to 20- micron in size are also some of the most damaging inside an engine. Experiments show that over 60% of all engine wear is caused by particles too small to be filtered by commonplace oil filters. Standard spin on oil filters remove particles around 20 microns. A-C type filters are 17% efficient at 15 micron particle size. This means that particles below 20 microns still remain in circulation. These particles are small enough to enter the spaces between bearings, rings, etc., but are too large to "float" harmlessly between the metal surfaces in the film of oil. Instead, like a sharp pebble inside a shoe, the particles gouge and dig into the surfaces, leaving them slashed and battered. So what can be done? The answer is the simple addition of a spin on by-pass filter. Unlike a full-flow filter, a by-pass filter is situated outside the main line of oil circulation. The by-pass filter taps off the area where the main line is fitted with the oil pressure switch, bleeding off and cleaning only a portion of the oil at one time. This means the by-pass filter can retain the oil longer and do a thorough job of removing contaminants without the worry of obstructing oil circulation. Certain by-pass filters, such as those from AMSOIL Inc., can remove particles smaller than " 1 micron" and will even remove destructive water from the oil, helping to prevent rust and corrosion inside your engine. It will filter all the oil in a six quart system in about 5 minutes at an engine speed equivalent to 45mph.                By cleaning the oil so completely, by-pass oil filters increase not only engine life, but also the life of the oil itself. With by-pass oil filtration, the service life of the oil can be extended well beyond "normal depending upon the quality of oil and the conditions and severity of use. When using a synthetic motor oil, 25,000 mile drain intervals are common place. I know this will alarm most of you but remember that the additive package in the oil is not depleted as fast, keeping the anti-oxidative and anti-wear additives intact. The 100% synthetic oil in my 375hp SS-396 is well over 2 years old, and well above 25,000 miles. Sounds a little crazy, but I guarantee you my oil is cleaner than someone who just changed their petroleum oil yesterday.                The AMSOIL spin-on by pass filter taps into the oil pressure sending unit by a T-fitting and oil is then returned to a valve cover or the oil pan. The oil circulates to a larger than standard size filter can loaded with a non paper type of filtration material. The by-pass filter also adds an extra quart of oil to the present capacity. While using by-pass oil filters, the best way to determine the serviceability of your  motor oil is by having the oil analyzed. An oil analysis allows you to monitor the condition of your motor oil, determine its protective capabilities, and decide from this information whether an oil change is necessary. Most companies that offer oil analysis keep records of the metals used in manufacturing the engine block, pistons, valves and camshaft etc. By examining a spectrum of the metals in your oil, an oil analysis will tell you what parts are wearing away first. This technique is quite popular in the heavy trucking industries. Title: Don't Bypass... Bypass Filters Author: Gelinas, Tom Journal: Fleet Equipment Vol: 14 Iss: 7 Date: Jul 1988 pp. 39-41 Abstract: According to some estimates, 60% of the potential causes of engine wear and failure can be eliminated by a well-designed and properly applied filtration system. Cummins Engine Co. recommends that both a bypass filter and a full-flow filter be used. A bypass filter shunts 10% of the total oil pump output through a filter and then back to the sump, bypassing the engine. Because this filter has high-pressure differential and low flow rate, it can filter out fine particles in the 5-micron range. In contrast, a full- flow filter has a low-pressure differential and filters out only large particles in the 40 micron to 60 micron range. However, the full-flow filter is located so that all of the oil must flow through it before reaching the bearings. The combination of these 2 filter types gives double protection against wear. Studies at the Cummins Technical Center indicate that wear can be reduced up to 91% by using a bypass filter in combination with a full-flow filter.GO TOTHE ULTIMATE OIL FILTER  'NO CORRECTIVE ACTION REQUIRED Cleveland Technical Center, an independent oil and fuel analysis lab. reported that a 1994 250 Dodge pickup truck powered by a Cummins diesel engine equipped with an AMSOIL By-Pass Oil filter has logged 97,284 miles (one year, nine months) without an oil change. What kind of oil stands up to that kind of abuse? AMSOIL Synthetic Heavy-Duty Diesel and Marine Oil. The trendline analysis report speaks volumes for the oil; wear metals remain low; additive package chemistry remains high; viscosity remains steady; soot (solids) is kept to a minimum; and TBN keeps TAN in constant check... even after 97,284 miles! You may never subject your oil to 97,284 mile drain intervals - but isn't it nice to know that your oil can take that kind of punishment and still keep your truck on the road? AMSOIL 0W-30: 'FABULOUS' The Independent laboratory at which AMSOIL Series 2000 Synthetic 0W30 Motor Oil was engine tested for fuel efficiency reported that the oil delivered 38% better fuel efficiency than required for the Energy-Conserving II (EC-II) rating. For the EC-II rating, and oil must deliver 2.7% greater fuel efficiency than the test reference oil delivers in the Sequence VI test. AMSOIL Series 2000 Synthetic 0W-30 Motor Oil delivered 3.72% greater efficiency. The test facility called the performance of AMSOIL Series 2000 Synthetic 0W-30 Motor Oil on the Sequence VI Test 'fabulous' and 'outstanding'