Preventive Maintenance Through Superior Filtration

Listed below are some of the most asked questions about the GULF COAST FILTER and running on extended oil change intervals. These answers were derived from over 20 years experience and proven through oil analysis and many extensive tests.  These original Q&A's were first published in 1986 and have withstood the "Test of Time."  These were made possible by the knowledge and experience gained (since 1965) by personnel associated with our company.  You'll also find these Q&As, used by permission, on several of our dealers' web sites.

1. Why do I need additional filtration other than factory equipped?
2. Does oil wear out?
3. Does the color of oil have any bearing on its lubricating ability?
4. What about fuel dilution?
5. What about solid contamination?
6. What about acid build up within the engine?
7. What about additive depletion?
8. How will the Gulf Coast Filter affect oil additives and detergents which are contained in the new oil?
9. How often must the GCF Filter be serviced?
10. How many gallons of oil will the GCF By-Pass Oil Filter maintain?
11. Do engine manufacturers require oil changes in order to keep the warranty in force?
12. How does the installation of the GCF Filter affect the engine warranty?
13. Why have the major engine manufacturers not installed the GCF Filters at the point of manufacturing?
14. What happens if a customer installs a GCF Filter and it does not perform as claimed by the manufacturer, GULF COAST FILTERS, INC.?
15. What about hydraulic filters?
16. What about Fuel Filters?

1. Q. Why do I need additional filtration other than factory equipped?

A. The reason for adding the GCF (GULF COAST FILTER) to your existing system is to offer a means of cleaning the lube oil, thereby allowing the engine to run on clean oil 100% of the time. The factory full flow filters on your engines now only perform a protecting job. This job is to protect the engine from large damaging particles. The factory full flow filter has to handle 100% of the oil supplied to the engine for lubrication and therefore has too high of a flow rate to actually clean the oil. By installing the GCF by-pass oil filter, in conjunction with the full flow, the oil passes through the GCF at the rate of only ½ GPM. This allows the oil to pass through a more dense element which offers sub-micron filtration to clean the oil.

2. Q. Does oil wear out?

A. Oil does not wear out, it simply becomes contaminated, due to inadequate filtration, to the point that it needs to be drained away. The actual base stock oil never wears out, only the additives in the oil become depleted due to contamination.

3. Q. Does the color of oil have any bearing on its lubricating ability?

A. None whatsoever. Detergent oil will turn a dark blue-black after it is heated. Non-detergent oil will turn a reddish-brown. Most diesel engines will turn oil black in the first few minutes of running time. The only accurate way to determine an oil’s lubricating value or contamination level is through oil analysis or a portable oil quality analyzer, such as the Lubri-Sensor oil Quality Analyzer.

4. Q. What about fuel dilution?

A. Excessive fuel contamination within an engine can occur with injector leaks and leaking lines. This type of excessive contamination, due to mechanical failures, cannot be prevented by the GCF filter or any filter, therefore, an oil drain must be performed. However, normal fluid contamination due to blow-by can be held in check. Every liquid-fueled engine will have a certain amount of raw fuel in its normal blow-by. The only way that fuel dilution can build up within a healthy engine is if there is a sufficient amount of solid contamination for the fuel molecules to adhere to. If this solid contamination is not present, raw fuel is evaporated by the internal heat of the engine. Also, by reducing the amount of solid contamination within the engine, blow-by is reduced to a minimum.

5. Q. What about solid contamination?

A. In diesel engines solid contamination is primarily fuel soot (carbon) from incompletely burned fuel blowing by rings and valve guides. Some amount of solids is quite normal and is the cause of routine oil blackening as additives hold minutely sized particles in suspension and carry these particles to the factory full flow filters for removal. However, the factory full flow filter is only efficient in the range of 10 microns and up. Most of these 10 microns and up particles combine with themselves (AGGLUTINATE) to form larger particles that the factory filters can remove. The GCF filter effectively removes this contamination before agglutination can occur. This is where the GCF by-pass oil filter reduces wear rates within the engine by removing these wear causing abrasive carbon particles in the 1 – 5 micron range.

6. Q. What about acid build up within the engine?

A. Corrosive acid is formed primarily from sulfur blow-by in the combustion process. When sulfur particles combine with moisture in the crankcase, acid is formed, which in turn reduces the TBN or the amount of alkaline material in the oil. If one of the two products needed to form this acid (sulfur particles and moisture) is removed from the oil, excessive acid formation cannot take place. The GCF by-pass oil filter maintains a high and acceptable TBN level by removing the moisture in the lube oil. To combat the non-sulfuric acids that may form in minute quantities, due to atmospheric oxidation, any small amounts of alkaline reserve that are used is replenished at the time of filter servicing by adding make-up oil for the GCF by-pass oil filter.

7. Q. What about additive depletion?

A. A lubrication oil consists of two major parts: BASE STOCK (or base oil) and ADDITIVE. The base stock is the primary lubricant, and can be petroleum or synthetic. Additives perform three basic jobs, CLEANING the engine by reducing deposits and holding solids in suspension, ANTI-CORROSIVES, which neutralize acids, and ANTI-WEAR additives, which plate or coat metal surfaces to help reduce wear. Additives are designed to combat these three major areas and when levels of contamination rise in these areas additive depletion occurs. The GCF filter effectively keeps contamination far below levels that would warrant additive depletion within a healthy engine, therefore the additive package of the oil maintains a much higher level than the manufacturer's requirements.

8. Q. How will the Gulf Coast Filter affect oil additives and detergents which are contained in the new oil?

A. The GCF oil filter does not affect oil additives or detergents in any way. Since the oil is constantly kept clean, there is little work for most additives to do. Those that are being used, such as anti-scuffing agents, are replaced when normal make-up oil is added to the engine at the time of servicing of the GCF filter. Additives are an intricate part of the lube oil and are blended in by the refiner. The GCF filter will not filter these additives out. These additives can only be used up, primarily due to excessive contamination within the oil.

9. Q. How often must the GCF Filter be serviced?

A. In most cases, the GCF filter will be serviced at the same interval that the oil was being changed. EXAMPLE: 8V71 DT – 250 hours, 398 CAT – 500 hours. On some engines (such as EMD’s) that require large amounts of make up oil, the oil drain interval may be several thousand hours. In these engines we suggest that a portable oil quality analyzer oil analysis be used to determine filter change intervals. On EMD engines, however, the normal interval should be between 500 and 750 hours. (One GCF Model 0-2 for each 500 HP)

10. Q. How many gallons of oil will the GCF By-Pass Oil Filter maintain?

A. The GCF oil filter is not rated with a gallon capacity. Our filters are rated by horsepower. The amount of contamination entering the lube oil is determined by the horsepower of the engine, therefore, horsepower ratings are more accurate. The smallest filter manufactured by GULF COAST FILTERS, INC. will handle up to 250 HP and the largest filter will handle up to 500 HP. Therefore, it may require just one or several filters for your engine.

11. Q. Do engine manufacturers require oil changes in order to keep the warranty in force?

A. No. Engine oil change intervals are only “recommended” and not required by manufacturers for warranty purposes. Only the condition of the oil needs to be kept to a certain minimum specification during the warranty period. By using the Gulf Coast By-Pass Oil Filter and monitoring the oil by oil analysis, one can maintain an oil quality which will far exceed these requirements.

12. Q. How does the installation of the GCF Filter affect the engine warranty?

A. Specific acknowledgment has been received from all the major engine manufacturers that the installation of add-on devices such as the GCF filter will not affect their warranties.

13. Q. Why have the major engine manufacturers not installed the GCF Filters at the point of manufacturing?

A. There are two basic reasons: First, by adding after-market products as factory equipment, such as filters, shutdown systems, etc., they would drive up the price of their products and take away from their competitive pricing. Secondly, the manufacturers have planned obsolescence built into the engines so as to enable them to keep selling replacement parts and engines to you the consumer.

14. Q. What happens if a customer installs a GCF Filter and it does not perform as claimed by the manufacturer, GULF COAST FILTERS, INC.?

A. All of the GCF filters carry a limited lifetime warranty on workmanship and materials for the original owner. Our filters also carry a 100% satisfaction GUARANTEE! Purchase up to six  filters from your dealer on an agreed TIME/MILEAGE basis and the filters must perform as claimed or your investment will be refunded.* See your dealer for details.

15. Q. What about hydraulic filters?

A. GULF COAST FILTERS, INC. also offers hydraulic filters. The GCF Hydraulic filter enjoys the same benefits as the GCF By-Pass Oil Filter. Not only can you eliminate hydraulic fluid drains and reduce the amount of wear within your hydraulic systems, but you can further reduce your filter element inventory by using GCF filter elements for your hydraulics. One major factor when using the GCF Hydraulic Filter is that the GCF Hydraulic filter can remove the moisture within the fluids, a feat which most factory hydraulic filters cannot perform.

16. Q. What about Fuel Filters?

A. GULF COAST FILTERS, INC. also offers a fuel filter/water separator. The GCF fuel filter also has the capability of sub-micron filtration. This allows the GCF fuel filter to remove the asphaltine particles that are in all diesel fuels. The fuel centrifuge, factory fuel filters or other after-market filters cannot remove the vast majority of this contamination. Asphaltine particles are made up of abrasive carbon particles. These particles sandpaper away at the injectors and injector pumps. Also, by using the GCF FUEL FILTER/WATER SEPARATOR, one can extend the factory fuel filter change intervals from 4-5 times longer. While the GCF fuel filter removes these carbon particles it reduces the amount of valve deposits formed on the head and valve area during the combustion process. The GCF fuel filter also uses the same element part number as the GCF Oil Filters which will further reduce your inventory cost.


*Providing the filter is installed on a reasonably healthy engine and maintained in accordance with GCF recommendations.
 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE THRU SUPERIOR FILTRATION TAKE THE COST EFFECTIVE APPROACH AND GIVE YOUR GCF DEALER A CALL TODAY!