Different sizes of bearings, and bearing pressures, call for oils of different viscosities, and consequently an oil that would be suitable for one engine would not answer for another; heavy bodied oils being used for heavy bearing pressures, and light thin oil for small high speed bearings. The best way to determine the value of an oil for a particular shaft bearing is by experiment, attention being paid to its adaptability for the feeding devices used.
The compression attained in a gas engine cylinder depends to a certain extent upon the body of the cylinder oil, for many engines that leak compression past the rings with thin oil will work satisfactorily with a heavy viscous oil that clings tightly to the surfaces. An engine will often lose compression when an oil of poor quality is used.
Air cooled engine cylinders require an oil of heavier body than water cooled because of the higher temperature of the cylinder walls. Gum and sticky residue are usually formed by animal oils or adulterants added to the numeral oil base. Oils containing free acids should be avoided as they not only corrode and etch the bearing, but also clog the oil pipes or feeds with the products of the corrosion.
Free acid is left from the refining process, and may be determined by means of litmus paper inserted into the oil. If the litmus paper turns red after coming into contact with the oil, acid is present, and the oil should be rejected.
The following are the characteristics of an oil suitable for use on an engine:
(a) The oil must be viscous enough to properly support the bearings or to prevent leakage past the piston rings.
(b) It should be thin enough so that it can be properly handled by the oil pumps, or drip freely in the oil cups.
(c) It should not form heavy deposits of oil in the cylinder and cause the formation of “gum.”
(d) It should contain no free acid.
Ordinarily a good grade of fairly heavy machine oil will be suitable for use on the bearings of the average engine, such as the cam-shaft and crank-shaft bearings.