Automotive

Technology

Cooling & Lubrication System

Purpose of Lubrication System
• Lubricate
Reduces Friction by creating a thin film (Clearance) between
moving parts (Bearings and journals)
• Seals
The oil helps form a gastight seal between piston rings and
cylinder walls
• Cleans
As it circulates through the engine, the oil picks up metal
particles and carbon, and brings them back down to the pan
• Cools
Picks up heat when moving through the engine and then drops
into the cooler oil pan, giving up some of this heat
Purpose of Lubrication System
• Absorbs shock
When heavy loads are imposed on the bearings, the oil helps to
cushion the load
• Absorbs Contaminants
The additives in oil helps in absorbing the contaminants that
enter the lubrication system
• Prevents rust and corrosion
Components

Oil Pan
Stores the oil and
helps in cooling the
oil
Oil Pump
• Forces oil out of the pan, through the
filter and galleries, and to the engine
bearings etc
• Oil pump drives
• crankshaft-driven
• camshaft-driven
• belt-driven
• gear-driven
• The oil pump is made so that it is large enough to provide
pressure at low engine speeds and small enough that it will
not cavitate at high speed. Cavitation occurs when the pump
tries to pull oil faster than it can flow from the pan to the
pickup. When it cannot get enough oil, it will pull air. This puts
air pockets or cavities in the oil stream. A pump is cavitating
when it is pulling air or vapors.
Oil Pump Types
1. External Gear-type oil pump
2. Internal/external oil pump
3. Rotor-type oil pump
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVFEB6jRgWY
Pressure Relief Valve
• Helps to prevent the buildup of high
Pressure
• Under normal pressure conditions, a
spring holds the valve closed
• Under high oil pressure conditions,
the valve opens, allowing some oil to
pour back into the oil pan
• If a pressure relief valve is not used,
the engine oil pressure will continue
to increase as the engine speed
increases. Maximum pressure is
usually limited to the lowest pressure
that will deliver enough lubricating
oil to all engine parts that need to be
lubricated.
Oil Filter
• Removes small metal particles,
carbon, rust and dirt from oil
• The filter is made from either closely
packed cloth fibers or a porous paper
• Many oil filters are equipped with an
antidrainback valve that prevents oil
from draining out of the filter
• when the engine is shut off
• Filter bypass valve
- valve opens if too much pressure
is formed in the filter
- protects the engine from oil
starvation
- allows unfiltered oil to the
bearings
Components

Oil Galleries
Passages through cylinder block and head to deliver the oil to
top end and returning it to the oil pan
Engine Oil Viscosity
• The most important engine oil property is its thickness or
viscosity.
• As oil is cooled, it gets thicker.
• As oil is heated, it gets thinner.
• Therefore, its viscosity changes with temperature. The oil must
not be too thick at low temperatures to allow the engine to start
• The lowest temperature at which oil will pour is called its pour
point.
• An index of the change in viscosity between the cold and hot
extremes is called the viscosity index (VI). All oils with a high
viscosity index thin less with heat than do oils with a low
viscosity index.
• Oils must also be miscible, meaning they are capable of mixing
with other oils (brands and viscosities, for example) without
causing any problems such as sludge.
SAE Rating
• Engine oils are sold with a Society of Automotive Engineers
(SAE) grade number, which indicates the viscosity range into
which the oil fits. Oils tested at 212°F (100°C) have a number
with no letter following.
• For example, SAE 30 indicates that the oil has only been checked
at 212°F (100°C). This oil’s viscosity falls within the SAE 30
grade number range when the oil is hot.
• Oils tested at 0°F (-18°C) are rated with a number and the letter
W, which means winter and indicates that the viscosity was
tested at 0°F, such as SAE 20W
Multigrade Engine Oil
• An SAE 5W-30 multigrade oil meets the SAE 5W viscosity
specification when cooled to 0°F (-18°C), and meets the SAE 30
viscosity specification when tested at 212°F (100°C)
Engine Oil Additives
• ADDITIVES TO IMPROVE THE BASE OIL
1. Viscosity index (VI) improver. Modifies the viscosity of the
base fluid so that it changes less as the temperature rises;
allows the lubricant to operate over a wider temperature
range
2. Pour point depressant. Keeps the lubricant flowing at low
temperatures
3. Antifoam agents. Foam reduces the effectiveness of a
lubricant. The antifoam agents reduce/stop foaming when
the oil is agitated or aerated.
Engine Oil Additives
• ADDITIVES TO PROTECT THE BASE OIL
1. Antioxidants. Slow the breakdown of the base fluid caused
by oxygen (air) and heat (Oxidation is the main cause of
lubricant degradation in service.)
2. Oxidants. Prevent acid formation (corrosion) in the form of
sludges, varnishes
3. Total base number (TBN). The reserve alkalinity used to
neutralize the acids created during the combustion
process. Depends on presence of Sulfur in the fuel (can be
improved by “alkanity improvers”, I think)
(Not part of the course)
We don’t like Chemistry, but for example:
“Engine sludge. It’s a black gelatinous substance that wreaks havoc in
engines. And long before the engine’s demise, engine sludge can foul engine
sensors and interfere with performance. Some mechanics call it the black
death.” …
“Engine sludge is the result of a series of chemical reactions. The lubricant
degrades as it is exposed to oxygen and elevated temperatures. The higher
the temperature, the more rapid the rate of degradation.
In fact, every 18°F (10°C) increase in temperature doubles the rate of
oxidation.
The byproducts of this reaction form highly reactive compounds that further
degrade the lubricant. Their byproducts react with other contaminants,
forming organic acids and high-molecular-weight polymeric products. These
products further react, forming the insoluble product known more commonly
as sludge.
What begins as a thin film of lacquer or varnish builds up on hot or cold metal
surfaces and bakes into an expensive mess.”
https://blog.amsoil.com/how-engine-sludge-forms-and-how-to-prevent-it-2/
(Not at all included in the course)
Used oil is contaminated not only with heavy metals but also with polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons that are insignificant in the unused oil.
Total aliphatic/aromatic hydrocarbons in used engine oil determined (in ppm):
dichlorodifluoromethane (20), trichlorotrifluoroethane (160), (1,1,1)-
trichloroethane (200), trichloroethylene (100), tetrachloroethylene (106),
benzene (20), toluene(380), xylenes (530), benz(a)antracene (12),
benzo(a)pyrene(10), naphthalene (330), and polychlorinated biphenyl orPCB (5)

Rauckyte, Teresa, Douglas J. Hargreaves, and Zenon Pawlak.

"Determination of heavy metals and volatile aromatic compounds in
used engine oils and sludges." Fuel 85, no. 4 (2006): 481-485.
Engine Oil Additives
• ADDITIVES TO PROTECT THE ENGINE
1. Rust inhibitor. Inhibits the action of water on ferrous
metal such as steel
2. Corrosion inhibitor. Protects nonferrous metals such as
copper
3. Antiwear additive. Forms a protective layer on metal
surfaces to reduce friction and prevent wear when no
lubricant film is present
4. Extreme pressure additive. Functions only when heavy
loads and temperatures are occurring
Assignment 1
Summarize in a few lines of text (around 100-150 words) some
useful detail about any three of the additives mentioned in the
text/slides

One random good link:

https://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/31107/oil-
lubricant-additives
Synthetic Oils
• Synthetic Oils are not refined from a naturally occurring
substance, as engine oil (petroleum base) is refined from crude
oil. Synthetic oil is processed from several different base stocks
using several different methods
• More costly
• Better performance at very low and high temperatures: Less
variation in viscosity
• Offers less resistance to moving parts and require less pumping
power for distribution
• Longer life, up to 24000 kms