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Not another Oil thread....really (Camguard)

  • Thread starter cessnadog@gmail.com
  • Start date
C

cessnadog@gmail.com

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So, I am offering up something I found and am sure that some here will tell me I am an idiot... But here goes.

I am a private pilot and am heavily involved with the care and maintenance of my airplane. To understand, generally folks plan on replacing airplane engines every 2000 to 2500 hours. At a cost of about $40,000. So every hour you fly you assume you have "consumed" about $20 worth of your engine. Anything we can go to get more hours out of them is a good thing.

In addition to routine maintenance, flying frequently has a major positive impact on engine life. Worst thing you can do for an aircraft (think air cooled, horizontally opposed, sound familiar?) engine is to park it for the entire winter.

Over the last few years a new product has emerged as helping with this issue of corrosion during times where there are significant delays between running. It was in fact designed exactly for this purpose. As a side benefit it also has wear reduction qualities in addition to anti corrosion.

This product is called Camguard, made by ASL. There are separate Aviation and Automotive (including motorcycle) versions.

Many aviation folks much smarter than me (google Mike Busch and Camguard) have done their own evaluations re Camguard and corrosion prevention. My experience is limited and yet for me pretty compelling. We do oil analysis as a routine part of the maintenance of the plane. The very first time we added Camguard to the oil, the lab noticed the reduction in the "Wear Metals" in the oil I believe the quote was "This engine is flat out wearing less"

I just got my R1200GSA, and almost immediately did an oil change and will be doing oil analysis. The sample I just sent off did not have Camguard in it and in fact I don't even know how many miles were on it, (other than the guy I bought i from said it was time). I will report back after my next change difference or not.

A Pint of Camguard will cost you about $25. You only need about a cup in the oil of an R1200.

I don't sell Camguard, I don't own part of Camguard or the manufacturer. I don't work for, or really even know anyone that falls into either of those categories... just my .02

Discuss.
 
Note that BMW says don't switch to synthetic oil for x thousand miles, ostensibly to assist break in. Maybe delay using your stuff, too.
 
I suppose the first question would be why?
An added $25 every 6K miles for what? These motors already run more miles than most folks will ever keep a bike so even if you doubled that, what's the point? Most will have long since wanted another bike by then..
Maybe if you do 50K a year?
 
I've always wondered about that, too. Look at all the low mile bikes for sale out there. Most people just don't keep bikes long enough for this kind of stuff to matter. Even a lot of people who do keep them don't really put many miles on them.
 
Why?

That is a really an interesting point. I would actually make the opposite argument. If you put 50k on a year you may not need it. If you ride every week you may not see any real benefit. If you park it all winter (I live in Minnesota) and want to minimize potential corrosion from sitting all winter you might see the benefit.

Half a bottle ($12.50) every 6000 miles is a trivial amount compared to what I am spending on the bike.
 
Use a high quality oil like Mobil 1, Valvoline Racing or even the BMW OEM oil and your are fine. Using a high quality oil preferable a Group IV (PAO) base stock keeps the acid and oxidation at bay so there should not be a problem. If you're using a quality oil adding something to it waste money and can actually degrade the overall quality of the oil.

Also remember when doing oil analysis that when an engine is new and going through break in you will see higher "wear Metals" which will slowly be reduced over time. Adding the additive that you speak of may not have truly reduced the wear metals because they may be lower for that change.

We all like another oil thread :bikes
 
That is a really an interesting point. I would actually make the opposite argument. If you put 50k on a year you may not need it. If you ride every week you may not see any real benefit. If you park it all winter (I live in Minnesota) and want to minimize potential corrosion from sitting all winter you might see the benefit.

Half a bottle ($12.50) every 6000 miles is a trivial amount compared to what I am spending on the bike.

So its an anti-corrosive ?
 
What it it?

It has anti wear goodies in it but original and main purpose for use is to prevent corrosion. I would not use it in a car unless that car was sitting long periods of time between starts.

An airplane engine is good for about 2000 operating hours or about 12 years. If you don't put enough hours on it to get to 2000 hours in 12 years we start to worry about what is going on inside the engine, and most pilots will assume that you will never got to those 2000 hours. Airplanes are worse than motorcycles in that they may only fly a few day each month.

Let an engine sit for weeks and it will build moisture inside from changing temperatures and humidity.
 
Seems like a fix for something that ain't broke, at least on motorcycles. I'd worry more about old gas and changing the brake fluid after long term storage.
 
Yes, I mean major overhaul... In my mind it results in a new engine. One of the common means to this is to actually trade the core in for a factory rebuilt engine.

they measure all of the reusable parts to make sure they are within limits. You generally get new pistons, cylinders and bearings. Block, crank and cams gets a trip to the machine shop for an inspection and clean up. In the end, if done right, there really is very little difference vs a brand new factory engine.
 
A&P here with both aircraft and motorcycle experience.

There is a pretty significant difference in use for the average aircraft owner and motorcycle owner. The plane can and often does sit idle, outside or in a shadeport for some time. It is not uncommon for the plane to be idle for weeks after being flown. The engines are also built to much looser standards than even the old airheads were. That's because of the materials used and the expected expansion they get when they get warmed up. They are also built using 1940's through 1950's tech. Open breather tubes into the crankcase are a good example. They will have a simple breather tube that has no valve in it so air can and does move into the engine. If you are in a severe climate area like say Florida and the bird is stored outside, then you might want to insure that you do what you can to prevent corrosion.

On the other hand, aircraft engines rarely have bottom end problems. The rings and valves are more trouble prone. Aircraft oil already has a good percentage of additives, enough so that when breaking in an engine, either new or from overhaul, it is recommended that you use straight mineral oil made without wear additives for the first 25 to 50 hours of active engine operation, to help the rings seat. Once that is done then use regular oil. This helps prevent the cylinders from getting glazed where the rings never fully seal and the engine uses an excessive amount of oil.

In regards to motorcycle engines, even for those who store the bike, the additive may have some benefit. If you use the bike regularly in the riding season there is no need for the stuff. When you put the bike to bed for the winter, warm it up then change the oil and filter. Put the additive in and ride the bike a few miles well into normal temperatures (say 20 or so miles) then put it away. Don't forget the gas treatment unless you drain the tank and fuel system.

Frankly I wouldn't use anything like this stuff for normal motorcycle operation. If you drive it regularly, the insides are not going to lose the coating of oil and have a corrosion problem. "Pickling" the engine for storage it's not a bad idea and spending 12 bucks a year is not that expensive. Then again you could also do like the military did back in the recip days and pull the plugs, squirting a bit of oil into each cylinder then rotate the prop manually a few turns to spread it around then replace the plugs.
 
There is a pretty significant difference in use for the average aircraft owner and motorcycle owner.

Well, for one thing, aircraft engines (reciprocating) are mostly all 1940s designs.

Are detergent motor oils allowed yet?

Are they now affixing decals to the effect the igntion system can kill you?
 
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