Mike Ford - AMSOIL Independent Dealer

John Baker | Mar 18, 2016 8:55:01 AM The simple answer: Most oil manufacturers recommend changing their synthetic oils according to the service guidelines given in vehicle owner’s manuals. A few synthetic oils on the market, however, provide recommended service intervals on their back labels that are generally longer than those given in vehicle owner’s manuals. Each is different, so check the label carefully. AMSOIL Signature Series Synthetic Motor Oil , for example, protects so well motorists can use it for up to 25,000 miles/12 months (15,000 miles/12 months in severe service) if they choose. The detailed answer: Most motorists now understand that synthetic motor oil performs better than conventional oil. It delivers improved wear protection, offers better engine clea

John Baker | Mar 2, 2016 9:00:00 AM Nearly 40 percent of engine failures can be attributed to cooling-system issues. Clearly, it pays to take care of your vehicle’s cooling system. Sludge/slime are just one of the common symptoms of larger problems. Left unchecked, it’ll plug the radiator, heater core or fluid passages, resulting in overheating and expensive repairs. What causes it, and what can you do about it? • Additives dropping out – coolant consists of a base (typically ethylene glycol or propylene glycol) mixed with additives and water. The base is primarily responsible for providing freeze and boil-over protection. The additives guard against corrosion, cavitation and scaling. Mixing of incompatible coolants, however, can cause the additives to “drop out” of the

What Is Cetane and Why Does It Matter? Ed Newman | Feb 24, 2016 1:18:21 PM Cetane is a   colorless,   liquid   hydrocarbon   of   the alkane series,   C   16   H   34 ,   used   as   a solvent   and   in   cetane   number   determinations. In the same way that octane number ratings are applied to rate the ignition stability of gasoline, cetane values are assigned to diesel fuel to rate its combustion quality. Cetane numbers are used to indicate the combustion speed of diesel fuel. Diesel fuels with higher cetane ratings have shorter ignition delays, providing more complete combustion and allowing engines to operate more effectively. We asked mechanical engineer Mark Nyholm, AMSOIL Product Manager – Heavy Duty, to elaborate on the importance of understanding cetane and

John Baker | Feb 1, 2016 10:08:10 AM Whether you race motocross, hare scrambles or other events; or hit the trails on weekends with family and friends, you typically have one goal in mind: ride faster and more effectively. In racing, getting out of the gate quickly and grabbing the holeshot is critical to finish on the box. On the trail, you often must modulate the clutch to maneuver around obstacles and tame challenging terrain on your way to the front of the pack. Clutch slippage or inconsistent clutch feel, however, can lead to slow starts out of the gate and ineffective riding on the trail. To solve that problem, we introduced AMSOIL Synthetic Dirt Bike Oil  last year. The lubricant was fine-tuned to deliver confident clutch feel and excellent clutch protection. However, some riders prefer a dedicated dirt bike transmission fluid instead of a multi-purpose motor oil. For them,

Do Fuel Additives Work? John Baker | Nov 25, 2015 9:20:14 AM Store shelves are littered with fuel additives that claim to provide a number of benefits, including... • Increased fuel economy • Smoother engine operation • Reduced emissions • Extended engine life • Maximum horsepower Do they work? A quick Google search reveals multiple articles that claim they don’t. There must be a good reason so many people regard fuel additives with skepticism. One reason is, while most motorists expect to experience the benefits promised by fuel additives immediately , it takes several tanks of treated fuel before most additives provide any noticeable performance improvement. That doesn’t bode well in a society used to getting what it wants, when it wants it. Engine condition plays a vital

Do You Know the Seven Responsibilities of a Motor Oil? Ed Newman | Nov 20, 2015 8:26:43 AM There are so many things we take for granted and give very little thought to. Air is one of them. We seldom feel a need to understand what happens when we breathe, how oxygen in the atmosphere ends up in our bloodstream so as to nourish the cells of our bodies. Gravity is something else we give little thought to, even though it has a daily impact on our lives. (Be careful where your toes are when you drop something heavy.) Something else we usually take for granted is motor oil. If we've been properly trained we know we have to change it once in a while, but beyond that how many people really know why? What does motor oil really do anyway? Here are seven tasks that motor oils