Lesson Notes - Lubrication System

LUBRICATION SYSTEM AND LUBRICANTS

LUBRICATION SYSTEM.

It is the system which ensures that all the various engine parts are lubricated to reduce
friction and thus ensure their free movement.

It provides a film of oil between moving parts and their bearing surfaces. It avoids direct
friction by keeping the parts floating upon the oil film. This enables the parts to work for
longer time resulting in longer engine life. Due to decrease in friction, the engine runs
free which results in less power consumption in driving the engine, leading to increase in
power output.

A well-designed lubrication system will have the following components;

1. A sump or tank.
2. A pump or pumps
3. A pressure relief valve or bleed
4. A pressure gauge or warning lamp and switch
5. A system of pipes or ducts to direct oil to the bearings
6. Wire-gauze filters to protect the bearings from dirt.
7. A system of crankcase venting to reduce formation of acids in the oil.

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Lubrication system layout.

Operation of the engine lubrication system

Oil is supplied to the main crankshaft bearing through passages drilled through the crank
case walls. A feed is also taken through an external pipe and a drilled oil way to the
hollow rocker shaft on the cylinder head. Radial holes in the rocker shaft convey oil to
the rocker bearings, and oil seeping through the bearing is splashed about the valve
chamber to lubricate valve stems, push rods e.t.c. this oil eventually drains back to the
sump via the push-rod enclosure.

Holes (10) drilled through the crank shaft convey oil from a groove round the main
bearing to the big-end: the groove is supplied from the main gallery (7) via oil-way so
that there is an uninterrupted supply of oil to each big-end. A small halo drilled in a
suitable position in the big end bearing allows an intermitted jet of oil to spray onto the
cylinder, and in some engines, a hole is drilled through the shank of the connecting rod to
make an intermitted supply to the small end bearing. Oil splashed off the crank shaft
lubricates the remaining parts and eventually drains back to the sump.

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ENGINE LUBRICATION SYSTEMS

1)Splash lubrication system.

In the splash lubrication system, lubricating oil is contained in the oil sump. When the
engine operates, oil is splashed in the crank chamber by means of flywheel, crank webs
and dippers attached to the big-ends of the connecting rods. The splashed oil spreads over
like mist and runs into minute clearances resulting into lubrication.

This system mostly works in collaboration with the force-feed system.

2) Force -feed lubrication system

This system uses a submerged gear-type of pump to feed all moving parts through a
system of ducts and pipes.

The lubricating oil is contained in an oil sump or in a separate tank from where it is
pumped to the engine oil gallery. The oil then flows under pressure to the main bearing of
the camshaft, big-end bearing of the connecting rod and certain case to the small end
bearing of the connecting rods and timing gears or sprockets and chains. In overhead
valve engines, rockers, shafts, valve stems, guides and springs etc are also lubricated
using the pressure feed system.

Filters and wire-gauzes are used to prevent circulation of dirt.

Crankcase is ventilated to reduce formation of surge in oil. A pressure valve and gauge
are usually incorporated in the system.
3) Dry sump system.
In this system, most of the oil is carried in a separate tank. The sump is small and acts
only as a collecting tray for the oil which has passed through the bearings .

The larger pump is known as a scavenge pump. Dry sump systems are used where the
space under the engine is limited e.g in a motor cycle, but some racing cars and very
heavy commercial vehicles use this system because it permits the use of larger quantities
of oil. This oil is passed through coolers before it is returned ans so acts as a much more
efficient coolant.

NB. Note that there are other lubrication systems, ( not quoted in your syllabus). These
include the following;
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 Semi-pressure system
 Petriol system
 Wet sump system.

OIL FILTRATION SYSTEMS

FULL-FLOW FILTERS.

A full- flow filters treats all the oil delivered to the bearings, provided that the filter is
clean and the oil is not excessively viscous. This type of filter is the most commonly used
on recent engines as it cleans all the oil.

In addition to the filter material, it incorporates a by-pass valve that opens when the filter
becomes clogged or when the oil to too cold, to avoid starvation of the bearings.

The replaceeable full-flow filter is made in two forms;

 Element –type
 Cartridge-type.(also known as spin-on filter)

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Element –type filter

Today most filters use paper element but in some cases a felt element, carried on a wire
mesh frame and convoluted to give a large surface area, is occasionally fitted to suit other
conditions. The filter should be changed at recommended service intervals.

Cartridge-type filter
It’s also called spin-on filter. It is a throw-away filter designed for removing and refitting.
The cartridge –type filter houses a paper filter element and a by-pass valve. It is currently
used on modern engines.

BY-PASS FILTERS.

A by-pass filter is fed only a proportion of the oil delivered by the pump. . Although it
filters out finer particles than the full flow filter, it cleans only the oil passing into the
filter, the oil passing to the bearings is uncleaned.

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PUMPS.
1. Gear pump
Construction
The gear pump consists of a pair of gear wheels meshing together in a casing. Only one
of these gears is driven by the camshaft – the other is only an idler gear.

Operation of a gear pump

Drive gear

Inlet Outlet

Pump housing

Driven gear

Operation
When the drive gear rotates, it forces the other idle gear to rotate in opposite direction
and oil is trapped between the teeth thus passes round the casing and not through the
centre. Each tooth carries a small quantity of oil and carries it round the case before
discharging it into the gallery.

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2. Rotor pump.

The rotor pump

Because of its much better sealing, this type is about 25% more efficient than the gear
pump and has a longer life in service. It is often used in engine systems, but is also very
suitable for use in hydraulic, transmission and vacuum systems.

The pump consists of inner and outer rotors which revolve against each other inside a
cylindrical casing. The inner rotor is carried on a shaft eccentric to the drive shaft. The
outer rotor has a set of internal lobes of the same shape as the inner but one more in
number.

During operation, oil is trapped between the lobes of the inner rotor and the outer rotor
and is ferried from the inlet side of the pump to the outlet side.

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3. Vane pump

This is an older type of pump used for pressures of between 30-50psi. It contains a
spindle which carries two or four vanes and which is arranged off-centre, or eccentrically,
in relation to the surrounding case. The vanes may be spring-loaded to maintain contact
with the case, or rely on the centrifugal for. Oil enters at the point where the volume of
the chamber is largest and is swept around the case. As it is swept round, the volume is
reduced slightly and oil is discharged into the gallery. The vane-edge wear makes it have
a short-service life.

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4. Plunger pump

The plunger pump may be used for medium and high pressure systems and two such
pumps may be used together to reduce oil pulsation.

Plunger pumps are currently used on overdrive units usually in conjunction with a
pressure reservoir or accumulator.

The upward movement of the plunger, due to its spring, draws oil from the sump through
the large, inlet, ball valve into the pump chamber. When the eccentric forces the plunger
down, the inlet ball is forced shut and the smaller, outlet ball forced from its seating, oil
passes through this valve and through the holes drilled in the plunger, to be discharged
into the gallery.

OIL PRESSURE RELIEF VALVES

1. Ball –type oil pressure relief valve

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This consists of a ball held by spring pressure over a hole drilled in the main oil channel
leading from the pump to the bearings. The pressure of oil in this channel exerts some
force on the ball tending to lift it off its seat against the load of the spring. The spring
load is adjustable by screwing the cap in and out and locking it in the correct position by
the lock nut. When oil pressure is great enough to lift the ball off its seat, oil is allowed to
escape from the main oil channel to the sump or back to pump.

2. Plunger-type oil pressure relief valve.

In this case the plunger replaces the ball and an alternative method of adjustment is
provided – shims. In this case spring load is adjusted by adding or removing shims above
the spring.
GASKETS AND SEALS
Gaskets:

A gasket is placed in between two objects in order to prevent leakage of any kind of the
pressurized or unpressurized media.
A gasket is used to adapt to flange irregularities and to any dimensional changes of the
flange system caused by temperature changes during operation.
The gasket requires resistance against media and temperature within the range of the
given application.
Requirements for a gasket are:
 Good compressibility and face adaptability
 Good recovery
 Strength
 Limited relaxation
 Chemical resistance
 Temperature resistance
Gaskets can be classified into two main categories:
 Metallic gaskets
 Non-metallic gaskets

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Metallic or semi-metallic gaskets consist of metal or a combination of metal parts and

non metal parts. These gaskets are suitable for medium and high pressure applications.
Metallic gaskets require a much higher quality of the sealing surface than non-metallic
gaskets.
Examples of metallic gaskets include;
 Corrugated metal gaskets
 Cam profile (grooved) gaskets
 Metal jacketed gaskets
 Ring joints
 Spiral wound gaskets

Non-metallic materials are used in low to medium pressure applications usually up to

nominal pressures of 40 or 63 bars on the raised face and up to 200 bars in tongue
grooved flanges.
Examples of non-metallic gaskets are;
 Fibre reinforced gaskets F
 Graphite gaskets G
 PTFE gaskets P
 Rubber gaskets R
Seals
Seals are usually defined as components or assemblies which prevent the passage of
fluids between the moving parts of a machine. Note that "fluid" may refer to liquid,
vapour or gas.
Where the need arises to prevent the leakage of fluid between two stationary parts,
different sealing components, often called GASKETS, are used.

Functions of Seals
Some of the functions seals may be required to perform are to:
1. Seal working fluid into its desired location. E.g. In a car engine the piston rings
seal the compressed gas in the space above the piston

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2. Prevent escape of lubricant. e.g. In a car engine seals prevent loss of lubricating
oil where the ends of the crankshaft protrude from the engine assembly to drive
the flywheel at the rear and the accessory drive belts at the front.
3. Prevent contamination. e.g. Seals in a food processing machine prevent grease
from the working parts from contaminating the food product.
4. Prevent the ingress of dirt. e.g. It is vitally important to "seal out" abrasive dust
from the steering joints and drive shafts on a tractor.
5. Prevent pollution and environmental damage. e.g. Seals on a CFC-based
automotive refrigeration system prevent the refrigerant escaping to the
atmosphere.
Examples of seals

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CRANKCASE VENTILATION – Engine breather systems

Breathing is very important; without being able to breathe, we would die! It is almost as
important for an engine breathing system to work correctly.
There are two main reasons for engine breathers.
( Importance of crankcase ventilation)
● Prevents pressure buildup inside the engine crankcase due to combustion gases
blowing past the pistons. The buildup of pressure will blow gaskets and seals but
also there is a high risk of explosion.
● Prevents toxic emissions from the engine. Emission limits are now very strict, for
good reason – our health!. Crankcase breathing or ventilation of the engine was first
done by what is known as an open system, but this has now been completely
replaced by the closed system. The gases escaping from an engine with open
crankcase ventilation as described above are very toxic. Legislation now demands a
positive closed system of ventilation. This makes the pollution from cylinder blow-
by gases negligible.
Positive crankcase ventilation is the solution to this problem. In early types of closed
system crankcase ventilation, the lower pressure at the carburettor air cleaner was used to
cause an airflow through the inside of the engine. The breather outlet was simply
connected by a pipe to the air cleaner. This caused the crankcase gases to be circulated
and then burned in the engine cylinders. A flame trap was included in the system, to
prevent a crankcase explosion if the engine backfired.
In modern closed systems the much lower pressure within the inlet manifold is used to
extract crankcase gases. This has to be controlled in most cases by a variable regulator
valve or pressure conscious valve (PCV). The valve is fitted between the breather outlet
and the inlet manifold. It consists of a spring-loaded plunger, which opens as the inlet
manifold pressure reduces. When the engine is stationary the valve is closed. Under
normal running conditions the valve opens to allow crankcase gases to enter the inlet
manifold with minimum restriction. At low manifold pressures during idling and overrun
(pressure is less than atmospheric), further travel of the valve plunger against its spring
closes it in the opposite direction. This reduces gas flow to the inlet manifold. This
feature makes sure that the fuel control process is not interfered with under these
conditions. The valve also acts as a safety device in case of a backfire. Any high pressure
created in the inlet manifold will close the valve completely. This will isolate the
crankcase and prevent the risk of explosion.

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OIL COOLER
Engines which operate under severe conditions may use an oil cooler to cool the oil in the
engine.
In diesel engines, the oil cooler and oil filter are often on the same mounting, on the
cylinder block.

The oil cooler is a heat exchanger. It transfers heat from the oil to coolant from the
cooling system. Coolant circulates through tubes in the cooler and oil fed from the
lubrication system surrounds the tubes. As the coolant circulates, heat is removed from
the oil.
In another design, the oil cooler is mounted in the air stream at the front of the vehicle.
This type of oil cooler uses the flow of air passing across its fins to cool the air
circulating through it. It is called an oil-to air heat exchanger.

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LUBRICANTS
These are the materials applied between moving surfaces to reduce friction, heat and
wear e.g. oils and grease

Sources of oils / lubricants

 Animal fat
 Vegetable oils
 Mineral oils

Lubricating oil
The lubricating oil serves the following purposes in an engine;

 To reduce friction
 To clean the parts
 To cool the engine parts
 To absorb shock
 To seal.

In order to fulfill these purposes, lubricating oil should posses the following properties;

 It must possess proper viscosity.

 It must resist oxidation, carbon formation, corrosion, rust, extreme pressure and
foaming.
 It must have good viscosity at extremes of high and low temperatures

Viscosity.
It refers to the tendency of oil to resist flowing. Layers of oil must move or slip with
respect to each other. Viscosity of oil determines the ease with which this slipping can
take place.
Viscosity may be divided into two parts- body and fluidity.
Body relates to the resistance to oil film puncture or penetration due to the application of
heavy loads. This property cushions shock loads, helps in providing a good seal between
the piston rings and the cylinder walls and maintaining a adequate oil film on all bearing
surfaces under load.

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Fluidity refers to the ease with which oil flows through oil lines and spreads over bearing
surfaces.
Temperature affects viscosity. Increasing temperature reduces viscosity. It causes oil to
lose body and gain fluidity. Decreasing temperature increases oil viscosity. The oil gains
body and loses fluidity.
Viscosity rating
Viscosity of oil is determined by means of a device called viscosimeter. The viscosimeter
determines the length of time required to flow a definite amount of oil through an
opening of a definite diameter with relation to diameter. Examples of ratings are denoted
as SAE 5W, SAE 30W, SAE 40W, 15W40 etc.
Viscosity index (V.I)
This is the rate of changes of viscosity of oil with changes in temperature. This is
the number system used by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) to indicate the
viscosity of oil. SAE 10 is an example of a ‘thin’ or ‘light’ oil while SAE 50 would be a
‘thick’ or ‘heavy’ oil. The viscosity number is only an indication of the viscosity, or the
‘resistance to flow’ of the oil, it is not an indication of the quality of the oil. The quality
of the oil is indicated by the API specification.
Viscosity Improvers
These are chemicals that are added or blended in to oil to change its reaction to
temperature change. Special polymers that expand when they are heated are used to
change the composition of the oil.
Remember, multi-grade oils are definitely not a mix of the different standard grade of
oils.

Multi-grade Oil
This is the term used to describe oils that have special ‘additives’ or ‘viscosity improvers’
added. These are ‘multi-viscosity’ oils. These oils e.g. 20-50 have a similar level of
viscosity or they are as ‘light’ as standard 20 grade oil at low temperatures and they are
as ‘viscous’ or as ‘thick’ as standard oil of viscosity figure of 50 would be if it were at the
temperature of 100ºC.
API Specification
The American Petroleum Institute has classified engine lubricating oils for with the letter
‘S’ followed by a second letter. The second letter starts at the letter ‘A’ which pure
mineral oil with no additives, the letter ‘B’ then follows to the present letter ‘J’. Oil that

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meets or exceeds the API specification of SJ oil is currently the best available until the
specification of ‘SH’ is available.
OIL ADDITIVES
Any mineral oil by itself does not possess all the properties which it should. The oil
manufacturing companies therefore add a number of additives into the oil during the
manufacturing process. These additives include;
 Pour point depressants
 Oxidation inhibitors
 Corrosion and rust inhibitors
 Foaming resistance
 Detergents – dispersants
 Extreme pressure resistance
Pour point depressants – These keep the oil at low temperatures for adequate
lubrication during cold weather season.
Oxidation inhibitors – oxidation inhibitors are added to oil to resist oxidation. Oxidation
causes the break down of oil to form harmful substances which results in corrosion and
clogging of oil passages in the engine.
Corrosion and rust inhibitors – they posses an alkaline reaction to neutralize acids
formed as a result of combination in the engine. This additive reduces corrosion and rust
formation.
Foaming resistance – foaming oil is not able to provide normal lubrication. Anti-
foaming additives known as foaming resistance are added to prevent foaming.
Detergents – dispersants – these helps improve the cleaning property of the lubricating
oil.
Extreme pressure resistance – these prevent the oil from squeezing out. They react
chemically with metal surfaces to form very strong and slippery films.

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