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Warning: Watch out for foaming oil
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Tiny bubbles spell trouble when they appear in the oil you drain from engines, transmissions and hydraulic systems. Before you recycle that nasty black stuff, take a close look and see if you have a problem.
The trouble with bubbles is that they are full of air. When they get pushed through the tight spaces in pressurized lubricating systems, the bubbles burst, leaving a layer of air where there’s supposed to be oil. That sets up the risk of metal-to-metal contact in those precious and expensive bearings, bushings and gears. And that leads to premature wear, seizure and all those other problems you don’t have time to deal with.
The layer of foam also acts as an insulator, blocking heat from escaping from metal parts. That compounds the injury by causing overheating.
You can’t see foam when the engine’s running. You’re not likely to see bubbles on the dip stick when you check the oil, especially when the engine is cool and the bubbles have all burst.
The best way to see if your oil is bubbling is to closely observe the oil when you’re draining it. It’s best to change the oil immediately after shutting off a hot engine, transmission or hydraulic system. You need to do something while the oil is draining, so shine a strong light on the stream and look for bubbles.
Bubbly foam can be caused by air being sucked into the lubricating system, like past the gasket on an oil filter. Sometimes incorrect clearances among engine components can generate foam. So can having too much oil in the pan, so the crankshaft whips the surface.
If you spot bubbles, don’t panic.
You normally see a few large bubbles when you change old oil, simply because you’ve used up most of the antifoaming chemicals that are part of the additive package in all modern lubricants and hydraulic fluids. Replacing those additives is a major reason you need to change oil at regular intervals. The oil itself can retain its lubricating properties long after the additives are gone. That’s why old lubricating oil can be recycled.
If more than half the surface of the oil in the drain pan is covered with foam, be on the watch. Change to new top-quality oil. After several hours of operation, drain the slightly used oil into a clean pan and see if it’s foam-free. If so, just pour it back into the engine.
And remember to make sure the engine is hot when you change its oil again, and see if the better-grade oil — or more frequent oil changes — will solve the problem.
The Toro Co. has structured a national program to offer both its ASAP and ASAP+ customer service and urgent parts delivery throughout its network of Toro distributors. Through the program, Toro offers ASAP service, whereby customers in the United States receive next-day parts delivery through a local Toro distributor by standard UPS ground rates for parts typically in the distributor’s inventory. For instances when the distributor is out of a particular part, Toro offers ASAP+, which offers next-day delivery of parts for an extra $20 charge directly from the Toro parts warehouse for time-critical shipments, the company says. New NeverGrease pin joints from John Deere eliminate the need to grease, the company says. Available exclusively for the company’s four-wheel-drive loaders, the NeverGrease pin joints are designed for all joints in the boom, linkage and bucket. The joints are lubricated for life, the company adds. The pins are said to eliminate grease fittings and the hassle of locating and preparing grease guns while ensuring the life of the pins is consistent from joint to joint. Because there’s no grease to hold dirt, the machine stays cleaner and is faster to wash, easier to inspect and easier to repair, the company adds. |
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