GROUP III

Engine Friction and

Lubrication

Terminologies
Friction - is created when there is relative motion

between two surfaces

Resistance to motion is defined as friction
Lubrication is use of a material between surfaces to

reduce friction
Any material used is called a lubricant

Friction
1. Crankshaft friction
Components

1. Main bearings, front and rear bearing oil seals

2. Reciprocating friction
2. Connecting rod bearings, piston assembly

3. Valve train
3. Camshafts, cam followers, valve actuation mechanisms

4. Auxiliary components
4. Oil, water and fuel pumps, alternator

5. Pumping loss
5. Gas exchange system (air filter, intake, throttle, valves,
exhaust pipes, after-treatment device, muffler)
6. Engine fluid flow (coolant, oil)

Purpose of Lubricating System

The lubricating system supplies lubricating oil to
all moving parts in the engine. Figure 24-1 shows
the lubricating system for a four-cylinder OHS speakignition engine. The oil pump picks up oil from the
oil pan. The pump sends the oil through the oil filter
and then galleries (passages) to the main bearings
and support the crankshaft. Some oil flows from the
main bearings through oil holes drilled in the
crankshaft to the rod bearings. The oil flows through
the bearing oil clearance and then is thrown off the
moving parts.
At the same time, oil flows through an oil gallery
to the cylinder head. There the oil flows through an
oil gallery to lubricate the camshaft bearings and
valve-train parts. After the oil circulates to all engine

Oil flows up through the hollow pushrods to lubricate

the rocker arm and valve stems. Some of the oil thrown
off the connecting rod bearings lands on the cylinder
walls. In a V-type engine, the oil splashes on the
cylinder wall of the opposing cylinder in the other
cylinder bank. This lubricates the pistons, piston rings,
and piston pins
.
Many engines have small matching grooves or and oilspur hole in each connecting rod. The opening provides
additional piston and cylinder-wall lubrication. A spurt
of oil sprays out when the hole in the rod aligns with
the crankshaft journal oil hole once each revolution.

ENGINE O IL

1.

PURPOSE OF
LUBRICATING
OIL parts to reduce wear.
The oil lubricates moving
Clearances between moving parts are filled
with oil. The parts move on the layers of oil.
This reduces power loss in the engine.

2. As the oil moves through the engine, the oil

picks up heat. The hot oil drops back down into
the cooler oil pan where the oil gives up heat.
Therefore, the oil serves as a cooling agent.
Some engines have oil nozzles that spray oil
into the underside of the pistons. This removes
some heat from the piston heads so the pistons
run cooler.

3. Oil fills the clearances between bearings and rotating

journals. When heavy loads are suddenly imposed on the
bearings, the oil helps cushion the shock. This reduces
bearing wear.

4. The oil helps form a gas-tight seal between piston

rings and cylinder walls. The oil reduces blowby in
addition to lubricating the piston and rings.

5. The oil acts as a cleaning agent. The circulating oil

picks up particles of dirt and carries them to the oil
pan. Larger particles fall to the bottom of the pan.
Smaller particles are filtered out by the oil filter.

Properties of Lubricating Oil

1. Proper Viscosity.
Viscosity is the measure of an oils resistance to flow. A lowviscosity oil is thin and flows easily. A high-viscosity oil is thicker. It
flows more slowly.
Engine oil should have the proper viscosity so it flows easily to all
moving engine parts. The oil must not be too thin. Low viscosity
reduces the ability of the oil to stay in place between moving parts.
If the oil is too thin (low viscosity), it is forced out from between
the moving parts. Rapid wear results.
An oil that is too thick (high viscosity) flows too slowly to engine
parts, especially when the engine and oil are cold. This also causes
rapid engine wear. The engine runs with insufficient oil when first
starting. Also, in cold weather, a high-viscosity oil may be so thick
that it prevents normal cranking and starting. A single-viscosity oil
(defined below) gets thick when cold and thin when hot.

2. Viscosity index.
This is a measure of how much the viscosity of an oil changes
with temperature. A single-viscosity oil could be too thick at
low temperatures and very thin at high engine temperatures.
Viscosity-index (VI) improvers are added to engine oil so its
viscosity stays nearly the same, hot or cold.
3. Viscosity Numbers.
There are several grades of single-viscosity of an oil changes
with temperature. They are rated for winter of for other than
winter. Winter-grade oils are SAE 0W, SAE 5W, SAE 10W, SAE
15W, SAE 20W, and SAE 25W. The SAE stands for Society of
Automotive Engineers, which developed the grading system.
The W stands for winter. For other than winter use, singleviscosity oil grades are SAE 20, SAE 30, SAE 40, and SAE 50.
The higher the number, the
thicker the oil.

4. Multiple-Viscosity Oil.
Many engine oils have a viscosity-index
improver added. It allows the oil viscosity to
remain relatively unchanged, hot or cold. A
multiple-viscosity (multi-viscosity) oil graded
SAE 5W-30 has the viscosity of an SAE 5W oil
when cold and an SAE 30n oil when hot.
Automotive manufacturers recommend multiviscosity oil for most driving conditions.
5. Resistance to carbon formation and oil oxidation.
When oil is refined, chemicals are added to fight carbon formation
and oxidation. These can occur at the high temperatures the engine.
6. Corrosion and rust inhibitors.
Additives are put in the oil to help fight corrosion and rust in the
engine. These additives displace water from metal surfaces so oil
coats them. The additives also neutralize acids.

7. Foaming Resistance.
The churning action of the crankshaft causes the oil to foam or
aerate. This reduces the lubricating effectiveness of the oil.
Foaming can cause the oil to overflow and pass through the
crankcase-ventilating system into the intake manifold and air
cleaner. The additives help prevent foaming. A baffle in the oil
pan and a windage tray between the pan and cylinder block also
reduce foaming.
8. Detergent-Dispersants.
These additives are similar in action to soap. They loosen and
detach particles of carbon and grit from engine parts. The
circulating oil carries the particles to the oil pan.
9. Extreme-Pressure Resistance.
Additives put into the oil improve the resistance of the oil film to
penetration. Engines subject the oil to very high pressures in the
bearings and valve train. The extreme-pressure (EP) additives
react chemically with the metal surfaces. The result is a strong,
slippery film that resists penetration and being squeezed out.

10. Energy-Conserving Oils.

Some oils are improved or energy-conserving oils. These have
special additives (friction modifiers) which changed some
characteristics of the oil. There are two types of modifiers. One is a
chemical that dissolves completely in the oil. The other uses
powdered graphite or molybdenum moly held in suspension in the
oil. Energy-conserving oils reduce fuel consumption when compared
to engine operation with a specified test oil. There are two categories
of energy-conserving (EC) engine oils: EC I and EC II. An oil labeled
EC II provides a better fuel economy improvement than an EC I oil.
11. Synthetic oil.
These oils are made by chemical processes and do not necessarily
come from petroleum. There are several types. The most common is
made from coal and crude oil. Synthetic oil tolerates heat better than
other oils while producing less sludge and carbon deposits. The oil
companies claim an engine using synthetic oil can safely run longer
between oil changes.

Service Ratings of Oil

Oil is rated by viscosity number and by its
servicing rating. This designation by the American
Petroleum Institute (API) indicates the service for
which the oil is best suited. There are seven service
ratings for spark-ignition lubricating oil:. SA, SB, SC,
SD, SE, SF, and SG. There are six service ratings for
diesel-engine lubricating oils: CA, CB, CC, CD, CE, and
CF. The ratings SA through SF are no longer
recommended for use in new automotive engines.
Figure 24-5 shows the manufacturers
recommendations for using the various spark-ignition
(S-Series) engine oils. Most vehicles on the road
today require SF or SG oil.

1. SF OIL.

This oil was introduced in 1981. It provides more protection

against sludge, varnish, wear, oil-screen plugging, and
engine deposits than earlier oils. The introduction of SG oil
made SF oil outdated. SF oil is phasing out and may not be
widely available.

2. SG OIL.
This oil was introduced in 1989. It provides better control of
engine deposits, oil oxidation, engine wear, and rust and
corrosion than SF oil. Any older spark-ignition engine can safely
use SG oil.
Note that the service rating is an open-end series. When there
is need for oil with additional properties, SH and SI oils can be
produced.
Lubricating oil for diesel engines (C Series) must have different
properties than oil for spark-ignition engines. The CA, CB, and
CC rating are obsolete. The CD, CE, and CF ratings indicate oils
for severe operating conditions. Use the oil recommended in the
owners manual. The recommended oil may have a combined
rating, such as SG/CE or SG/CF. an oil that does not have the
recommended combined designation may cause engine
damage.

Oil-Container Labeling
The viscosity grade and service rating of an oil are different. A
high-viscosity oil is not necessarily a heavy- duty oil. Viscosity
rating refers to the thickness of the oil. This is not a measure of
heavy-duty quality. An oil with a viscosity rating of SAE 5W-30
will have a service rating of SF or SG, or a combined rating such
as SG/CF. Likewise, an oil of any other viscosity grade can have
any of the service ratings that are in use.
All oil cans and containers are marked with the API symbol (fig
24-6). It tells the type of oil and is viscosity and service ratings.
For use in a vehicle, the markings should agree with the
recommendations in the owners manual.

Lubricating System
Components

O IL
PU M P

Figures 24-7 and 24-8

shows two types of oil
pumps used in
automotive engines. The
gear-type pump has a
pair of meshing gears.
As the gears unmeshed,
the spaces between the
teeth fill with oil from the
pump inlet. The gears
mesh and force the oil
out through the pump
outlet.

The rotor-type oil pump uses an inner rotor and an outer

rotor. The inner rotor is driven and drives the outer rotor. As
the rotors turn, the spaces between lobes fill with oil. When
the lobes of the inner rotor moves into the spaces in the
outer rotor, oil is forced out through the pump outlet.
Various arrangements are used to drive the oil pump. In
camshaft-in-block engines, the camshaft spiral gear drives
the ignition distributor usually drives the oil pump. Some
engines drives the distributor directly from the head of an
overhead camshaft. The oil pump on these engines may be
driven by a separate drive shaft or jackshaft. An engine
with distributor less ignition may have a crankshaft-driven
oil pump.

PRESSU RE RELIEF
VALVE

To prevent excessive oil pressure, the lubricating system has a

pressure regulator valve or relief valve. It is a spring loaded ball or
plunger (Figs 24-1 and 24-8). When the pressure reaches the preset
value, the ball or plunger compresses the spring. This opens a port
through which oil flows back into the oil pan. Enough oil flows past the
relief valve to prevent excessive pressure. The oil pump can normally
deliver much more oil than the engine requires.

O IL CO O LER

Some engines use an oil cooler. It prevents the oil from

getting too hot. In the oil cooler, engine coolant flows past
tubes carrying the hot oil. The coolant picks up the excess
heat and carries it back to the engine radiator. Outside air
passing through the radiator carries away the heat.
Figure 24-9 shows another
arrangement that transfers
.
heat to the engine coolant. A
hose form the oil filter carries
engine oil to an oil-cooler
tube in the side tank of the
radiator. As the oil flows down
the tube, the oil loses heat to
the coolant. The cooled oil
then flows back to the oil
filter and to the engine. A
similar arrangement cools the
fluid in automatic

Engines in severe service such as those in taxis and police

cars use a radiator-like oil cooler that mounts in front of the
engine radiator. The excess heat transfers from the oil to the
outside air passing through the oil cooler. A similar system
cools automatic-transmission fluid.

O IL FILTERS

All automotive engine lubricating systems have an oil filter. The

oil from the pump flows through the filter before reaching the
engine bearings. The filter has a pleated-paper filtering element.
It allows the oil to pass through while trapping particles of dirt
and carbon.
The filter has a spring-loaded bypass valve (fig 24-10). It opens
to protect the engine from oil starvation if the filter becomes
clogged. The unfiltered oil bypasses the filter and goes directly
to the engine. However, the filter should be changed before this
happens.
Some oil filters have an anti-drainback valve. It helps prevent oil
from draining out of the filter while the engine is off. A full filter
supplies oil quickly on starting. This reduces wear and possible
damage.

Figures 24-2 and 24-10 show external oil filters. They attach to
the outside of the engine.

Some engines have an internal oil filter (figure 2411). It mounts inside the pan and attaches directly
to the oil pump. Removing a large drain plug allows
the filter to be changed.