Warning to 6.0 PSD Owners with Amsoil System

[BroncoHauler]

Way off topic, but let's not talk about sheared bolts. That was one of my Bronco projects on Thursday, replacing a sheared off bolt head on my front diff cover. Luckily it was one of the upper ones, so I was able to get away with not making it a priority (read: ignoring) it for quite some time.

A bit of drilling, using an extractor, and was able to easily extract the bolt. There's a great driveline shop nearby, so it was easy to find the corrct replacement bolt.


Herb

[daveb]

John did you get the new designed take-off head? I looked at the SMB designed head and the original AMSOIL head and found the SMB design to be superior but have been told the new AMSOIL head will allow better flow. I was told that the 7.3L engines are left to left and right to right. The 6.0 is reversed.

Anyway the lines were swapped and I could tell no difference in sound or preformance. An oil sample is on the way.
Dave

[twolost]

John:

"The hoses should be hooked up as follows on the 6.0 PSD. The hose on the left port of the filter head should be connected to the right port on the adapter block. The right port of the filter head should be connected to the left port on the adapter block."

It would also appear that I have an AMSOIL system that was installed incorrectly (based on the information presented here as well as a little investigation of my own).


SPECS:

• 2007 EB350 SMB
  6.0L Turbo Diesel
  AMSOIL dual remote filter installed from day 1.
  Conversion: Fresno
  Delivered: Sept, 17 2007
  Total miles on SMB today: 18,500
  Besides the oil that originally came in the van, I have changed the oil three additional times (complete oil changes, including both filters) @ 4,500 miles, again @ 8,400 miles, and lastly @ 18,400 miles.

I have never owned a diesel auto before (or had an auto with a dual remote filter system) and have just been a little leery about pushing an oil change much past 5K. However, I extended the miles between one oil change this past summer due to our lengthy 9K mile Alaska trip. I just recently changed my oil at the 10K mile interval and this was perhaps the nastiest looking stuff I have ever pulled out of an engine. The oil was pure black (the blackest of black). My magnetic drain plug was also working overtime (good for it, bad for whatever is shearing off inside). Maybe this is all just a coincidence?





Perhaps unrelated, oil now weeps/seeps out of the bottom/rear of the engine.





I found a 'filter head' at my AMSOIL dealer and noticed that there were clear markings that indicated the direction of flow. This was not visible on my SMB as this face of the filter block was mounted flush up against the floor of the van. The orientation here is that the front of the van would be to right side of the photo. The top of the photo would be the outboard side (drivers side) of the van.





I also confirmed the flow of the oil through the filter block by taking off both of my filters and following the oil travel from the outer section of each oil filter, to the inner section of the filter. Orientation - bottom of this photo would be the outboard side of the van.





Now confirming which direction the oil was supposed to flow through the filter block, I compared that with Sportsmobile's Q.C. chalked arrow (presumably indicating the direction of flow) on the adapter block. Here I found a clear contradiction. Two arrows on the same line pointing in opposite directions (one on the filter block and one marked by a yellow arrow - pointing up - on the adapter block).




Baed on what I have seen come out of my engine... I am betting that reverse flow is not just bad, it is really bad - specifically, with regards to filtration. Each of my AMSOIL filters has an inner rubber membrane/spring that opens as oil gets forced in under pressure. Oil is meant to travel in a direction that forces this gap open. Rerversing the flow, may not 'flow' at all. It may 'leak' by at a slow rate when the engine is up to operating temp, but I doubt it would flow. During my oil change, I found equally dirty oil throughout the entire system, so I am confident that oil was moving around... just dont know how fast. By the looks of the crud that came out of here, surely not fast enough.


Thanks John, Jage, and the rest... I still cant find any references to this anywhere else.

Dave:
"My local parts store tried to sell me an Ea026 full flow filter. The Donaldson P553411 is the correct filter as well as the EaBP100 bypass filter."

For the record... right, wrong, or otherwise... I did end up with an Ea026 filter and have had them installed with each of my oil changes - including this one.





Cheers,
---TWOLOST---

[BroncoHauler]

From my somewhat limited experience with diesels, diesel + oil = very black oil.


Herb

[CJ]

TWOLOST, Thank you for the analysis.

I am still waiting and expecting a FMEA/FMECA on this blunder from SMB west.

Good thing OUR magnets did their job reducing the effects.

Thanks again for taking the time to post this.

[Railvan]

"Total miles on SMB today: 18,500
Besides the oil that originally came in the van, I have changed the oil three additional times (complete oil changes, including both filters) @ 4,500 miles, again @ 8,400 miles, and lastly @ 18,400 miles."

Are you using dino or syn oil? I have changed my Amsoil syn oil a couple of times and it was not that black. I have about 33,000 on the 6.0 diesel now.

Brian

[daveb]

TWOLOST I was told by AMSOIL not to use that filter because of oil restrictions. Why are you using that filter?

These are the things that bother me about after market devices. You should call Jim at AMSOIL.
The front oil block is just an adaptor to connect to the engine lines...where they screwed up was the lines on a 6.0 going to the block are backwards compared to a 7.3 and that’s where SMB dropped the ball; they didn’t check apparently. Now according to Jim at AMSOIL (and I hope he is being honest) the oil will filter the same backwards through the Donaldson filter but flow is restricted through the larger bypass filter which is the part of the system that makes it able to go for more miles between changes. He still claims that the oil is filtered better than the stock Ford filter. HIS WORDS NOT MINE but all the diesel mechanics I've talked with agree with his statement about backwards flow. If anybody can find facts to refute this statement I would definitely like to know. What scare me is that the mechanics are speaking of stock OME filters and systems not AMSOIL products.
I’m also curious to know if restricted flow would change the oil pressure gauge indication or at what level if any would restrictions cause a check engine light to indicate a problem.
As I have already posted, my shop at work suggests having the oil sent to a lab for testing every 5K miles (what if something happens during extended life oil changes?) but after whats been told to me I'm sorry I didn't sample every 3K. So far I have not had anything on my plug like you do and that don't look good. My oil is off to the lab SMB is using and a lab my company uses. The samples better be similar and for my sake "GOOD". If you find anymore useful information please post. Too bad someone couldn't set up a test to actually see the amount of flow restriction. That's the only true way to test it.
Dave.

[CJ]

I would assume its being checked as well.

I would expect that SMB West is checking backwards flow pressures and any resultant damage it could cause as part of their FMECA.

The length of time its taking SMB with their analysis is a good indication they are being thorough.

[Jeffrey]

What the heck is FMEA/FMECA ??

[CJ]

Failure analysis. (Failure Modes and Effects Analysis).

a procedure for analysis of potential failure modes within a system for classification by severity or determination of the effect of failures on the system.

It is widely used in manufacturing industries in various phases of the product life cycle and is now increasingly finding use in the service industry.

Failure causes are any errors or defects in process, design, or item, especially those that affect the customer, and can be potential or actual.

Effects analysis refers to studying the consequences of those failures.

Our VANS.