Sampling Diesel Mobile Equipment - On Highway & Off Highway
Why Sample?
Look at what oil analysis can do. An effective lubrication program with oil analysis can provide longer equipment life, detect early signs of contamination and degradation, reduce equipment downtime. As a bonus you can also optimize drain intervals. Leading to:
- Decrease waste - Reduce costs of purchasing new lubricants - Lower maintenance costs
Why Use Sampling Valves?
Save Time - Sampling valves sample faster than other sampling methods. Most users get their samples in 3 minutes or less.
Quality Samples - Dedicated sampling valves are installed in locations that will deliver the best, data-rich, sample each time, allowing you to get a clear picture of the health of your equipment.
Where to Sample From?
Here are some common sampling locations for pulling samples from engines, coolant, and transmissions.
Engines
On most major engine makes the recommended install location for a sampling valve is either the: - Oil filter housing - Engine oil block - Oil fill port
Other possible install locations include: - Pressure sending unit - Oil cooler - Oil filter return line
Consider a high-temperature remote access hose if the ideal sampling location is difficult or unsafe to reach. This type of installation uses a hose assembly to extend from the port to a location where the sampling valve can be mounted securely to the frame rail or existing bracket.
Coolant
Coolant analysis provides a check of the overall condition of the cooling system. Identifying concerns early in the cooling system will uncover fixable problems before further damage occurs to the engine, transmission or EGR.
Possible install locations for coolant sampling include: - Inlet to the coolant filter - Coolant ports on the engine block - Inline heater hose connector - Oil cooler
Transmissions
Transmission fluid can become contaminated with metals, solids, and moisture. Analysis of this fluid sample can identify potential problems before they get serious. Typical install locations for tranmission sampling is the main pressure port.
Gear oil should generally be checked every 100 hours or approximately once a month. Simply replace the drain plug with a sampling valve plug to take advantage of quick oil checks. Sampling valves replace the drain plug on the final drive. They are an embedded and compact flush face, high flow valve, equipped with a protective cap that can draw oil without opening up the system to dirt and dust.
Get faster servicing with the Drive Position Indicator. The DPI becomes invaluable when it becomes time to drain the oil as it can line up the valve plug in the exact position for draining, or checking the oil. The DPI is magnetically attached to the hub pointing to the drain port and sends wireless signals to an LED indicator enabling the operator to stop when the drive is in position. The DPI has proven to be invaluable in avoiding repeated trips up and down to and from the cab just to line up the plug(s) in the correct position for servicing.
Real Savings
- A mail hauler decided to make the switch to oil sampling valves from drain sampling to be able to track the health of their new engine purchases. Switching to sampling valves cut their sampling time from 18 minutes to 3 minutes per truck.
- After getting samples that were contaminated with silica (dirt) a freight company realized they needed a cleaner option. The valves allow them to get clean samples while the engine is idling. Since installing the sampling valves there has been no contaminated reports on the trucks
