Oil Change Intervals

Time to talk about extended oil change intervals, or OCIs. If you're running a full synthetic oil, and not extending your OCIs, you are pretty much pouring money down the drain. Synthetics are great for a lot of reasons, a big one is their resistance to wear. 

The key to extended OCIs is UOA (Used Oil Analysis). These are tests that can be done on oil samples to tell you everything you need to know about it. Included in UOAs are measurements of many things, including metals, dirt, fuel water, etc. Some metal in your oil is good. ZINC for example is a common additive to prevent wear and reduce rust. Some metals, however, like aluminum indicate wear of engine parts, and could point you to some internal damage. Iron content is the only component that accurately shows the oil's wear life, the rest are all relative. 

In addition to telling you if you have excess wear, or fuel or coolant cross contamination in your oil, UOA allow you to check oil viscosity

 and TBN (Total Base Number). These two factors allow you to judge how much life is left in your oil, assuming you dont have too much metal or dirt floating around; if that's the case, its time to look at your filter.

Viscosity is key because oil that is too thin will vacate areas where metal parts come together. This "squishing" of the oil is called shearing. This is important and I will touch on that later. Assuming your UOA says viscosity is within range, you are good in that department.

The other life meter is the TBN. Most people agree that a TBN of <1 means it's run its course and it's time for an oil change. For example, Amsoil Premium Diesel Motor Oil 5w-15 has a TBN of 10.4 off the shelf.

The graph to the right shows test results done over 400 operating hours in a fleet, using various oils. The top chart illustrate Amsoil's ability to maintain TBN levels greater than many competitors. Valvoline Premium Blue Extreme also does very well in this test, while the other three decrease at an accelerated rate.

The bottom graph shows the resistance to shearing by maintaining viscosity. Amsoil again proves to be the top dog in this test. Shell Rotella T6 also did well in this test, however eventually well to SAE 30 standards. Valvoline Blue, our previous runner up, didn't fare so well in this test.

If you are interested in having your oil tested, please let me know. I can sell you some oil test kits. It is very easy; just drain some oil into the provided bottle, and mail it off; both prepaid and non-prepaid postage test kits are available. The results will be back soon!

Guide to CA Smog

Guide to California Diesel Smog

This article will help you understand the procedures of smog testing diesel vehicles in order to streamline your smog experience.
DISCLAIMER: This is not a guide on how to break the law. This is a guide to help you understand the requirements for you vehicle to pass smog.

1. WHO IS REQUIRED TO BE COMPLIANT
As of January 2010, some diesel vehicles are required to pass smog checks. All diesel powered vehicles model year 1998 and newer, with a GVWR of 14,000lbs or less.
Examples:
1999 F350 7.3L NON EXEMPT
1997 F250 7.3L EXEMPT
1999 F550 7.3L EXEMPT
There are also two exemption rules for gas powered vehicles; the 4-year rule for transfer applications and a 6-year rule for renewal applications. Under these rules the gas powered vehicles are exempt from smog under their respective time frames. Neither of these rules apply to diesel vehicles.

2. Tests
Testing is very simple and consists of three tests. An OBDII test, a visual inspection, and a smoke test.
OBD II Test
In the OBDII test the technician will take a scanner and check for any "silent" codes. These are codes that do not make the check engine light illuminate. A check engine light will cause an automatic failure, so have that fixed before going to get testes. Note that simply turning off the light by clearing the code may not work because the code may still be stored in the PCM.
Visual Inspection
The visual inspection is very simple too. The technician will look over the vehicle for any obvious non-approved modifications. This is where you are most likely to get hung up. Come prepared to fight this part if you have too.
There are many modifications you can do to your vehicle. Some are exempt by default, and some have been exempted by an Executive Order (EO). Many aftermarket companies spend lots of money to make their products meet CARB requirements and apply for an EO number. This EO number proves that your modification has been approved by CARB.
The most common failure is an aftermarket air intake without a CARB EO number. Quite frankly, that's hog wash. CARB has made it abundantly clear that ALL aftermarket air cleaners and intakes are exempt, and do not require a CARB EO number. Some intakes do have EO numbers assigned. Why? Taxation. CARB has specified that some products, even if they don't need an EO number to pass smog, may need an EO number to be sold.
The second most common failure is for an after market exhaust. The same thing goes for exhaust as for intakes, all after market exhausts are exempt. There is one exception, and that is if your truck originally had a catalyst system such as a catalytic converter or DPF system. Removal of either of these systems are grounds for immediate failure. Other than that, all exhaust systems are exempt.
There are just a few other things to note about the visual inspection. The technicians do not go home and study up on aftermarket part identification. They also do not spend too much time looking. The guidelines set forth to the technicians state to look for obvious violations. I will allow you to make your own deductions and conclusions with this information.
Smog technicians have been advised to pay special attention to vehicles that sport performance shop stickers. If you have a rear window full of stickers from your favorite diesel performance company, expect some extra scrutiny from the technician.

Smoke Test
This is a silly test to fail. If you have modifications to your vehicle such as a tuner, set the tuner to stock and you should have no problem passing this test. The technician is going to observe the crank case and tailpipe for smoke.
The technician is looking for blue, white, or grey smoke. There are some clearly defined fail criteria here; 1) Any visible smoke while at idle, 2) Any visible smoke from the crank case, and 3) a smoke plume observed 5-15 feet from the tail pipe(s) that lingers for more than 3 seconds.
Smoke from any area other than the crank case or tail pipe does not constitute a failure.

3. FAQ's:

"Where can I find an EO number for my aftermarket part?"
Answer: You can find a searchable database of CARB EO numbers here: Database: Aftermarket Parts Database of Executive Orders

"What about extra fuel tanks?"
Answer: Extra fuel tanks without evaporation controls are not cause for a smog check failure.

"What about alternative fuels?"
Answer: There are currently no plans to have fuel samples tested as part of the smog test.

"Can I run a straight-pipe muffler or muffler delete?"
Answer: Yes and no. Mufflers are not an emissions related device and therefor have no bearing on you passing or failing your emissions test. So for the sake of this article, yes you can delete your muffler. However, according to California law all vehicles must be equipped with a muffler. So you will pass your smog check, but you might get a ticket down the road. Some states consider a turbo charge to be an adequate muffler. I have seen no evidence to support this in CA. (VC 27150)

"What other parts do not need a CARB EO number?"
Answer: Air Cleaners, "Air Horn" intakes, auxiliary fuel tanks, fuel pumps, added fuel filters, exhaust brakes, and any exhaust modification after the emission control component are all CARB exempt.

"Can I download a quick-reference guide of what does and does not need a CARB EO number?"
Answer: Yes. Make sure to take a copy to your smog station in case you run into resistance. SMOG Quick Reference Guide

7.3L - Under valve covers

2nd Annual FTE SoCal Off Road Excursion

How to Remove a Stuck Brake Rotor

What is a CCV, and why do the CCV mod?

CCV stands for Crank Case Ventilation. When oil heats up it turns to gas, just like heating up a pot of water on the stove. But just like that pot, if you keep a lid on it, it will boil over. So what the CCV does is it allows the gasses to vent. The gasses contain small oil droplets that get carried away with it. On International trucks the CCV simply is a tube that goes to the back of the motor and is open to the atmosphere, but due to stricter EPA regulations on pickups, Ford had to find a way to make it a closed system, so they introduced it to the intake system.


The reason for the CCV modification is to reroute this gas like the way that International has it. The theory is that the small amounts of oil can accumulate in the intercooler. Also, the oil can seep through factory IC boots and cause boost leaks. There are many CCV kits on the market. Some are as simple as a reroute tube that will dump just like the IH design, some have a catch can, and some even attempt to separate the oil and then route back to the intake.


As for me, I do not have the CCV mod, and am running a stock CCV setup with aftermarket Riffraff IC boots. With this setup I am smog compliant, have no boost leaks, and no oil leaks from the boots.

Super Duty - Gear Indicator Recalibration

Re-calibrating the gear indicator is very easy, and can be done in just a few minutes. This short video will walk you through it. No tools are needed.