March
2011
"STORIES"

By Steve Pollock

Fleet owner Kevin Rutherford started using oil bypass filtration systems back in 1995. To Kevin the benefits to using an oil by-pass system just made sense.  Kevin logged over a million miles himself and as he began building his own fleet, he installed oil bypass systems on every truck.  Then in 2001 at a seminar at The Great American Truck Show in Dallas, Kevin was introduced to Oil Purification Systems (OPS) and he has been using the OPS System ever since.

There are several benefits to using an oil bypass system.  The first is obvious, by eliminating scheduled oil changes; truck owners can effectively save between $1,500 and $2,000 per year, per vehicle.  Often a return on investment can be realized in as little as 6 months and after that, it is money saved.  Second is the fact that your engine gets a continuous supply of clean, contaminate free oil, which will extend engine life. 

An oil bypass filtration system is also conducive to the use of synthetic oils.  As we all know, synthetic oils can provide superior lubricity and at the same time boost fuel economy.  The downside is that they are expensive.  By extending oil change intervals with bypass filtration, the investment in synthetic engine oil becomes much more cost-effective.

All oil bypass filtration systems are not created equal.  While all systems remove suspended contaminates in the oil, most do not remove liquid contaminants.  With the use of its patented evaporation process, the OPS removes liquid contaminants, this is why Kevin chose OPS.  Initially Kevin used the OPS' OPS-1 System but he has since converted to the redesigned Eco-Pur System.  The Eco-Pur utilizes a spin-on filter and has an improved, electronically controlled evaporator system.  It's compact design provided easier installation for a wider variety of on-road applications.  Artie and the OPS team also designed a retrofit kit so OPS-1 owners can convert to the spin on filter utilized in new Eco-Pur System. The spin on filter makes maintenance easier, faster, and cleaner.

For optimal results, the OPS Eco-Pur System must be used properly.  This involves sending an oil sample to OPS' accredited third-party lab for a Tru-Test Oil Analysis and changing the spin-on filter.  The recommended interval is based on engine OEM specifications and costs around $60.00.  Obviously any type of filter, whether for fuel, air or oil must be cleaned or changed periodically.  Pulling an oil sample and having it analyzed at regular intervals, the oil and the truck's "health" can be documented – sort of like having a regular physical by a doctor.  A computer analyzes the data and OPS provides the information to the truck owner and also stores the information in a data base for reference.  Kevin has on several occasions, on his XM Radio Show, pulled a driver's OPS oil sample data and reviewed it with them while on-air.  This information helps the user to identify component wear problems and sometimes a trend or pattern can be recognized that is leading to component failure.  This is an extremely important tool for scheduled maintenance vs. breakdowns and costly downtime.  Another important part of the oil analysis is to monitor the integrity of the oil itself.  Oil does not break down but the additive package can erode due to chemical reaction from contaminates.  While the Eco-Pur System continually removes liquid and solid contaminates, if a component such as an injector is wearing out, the contaminant level can be so high, the system can't remove it effectively.  By monitoring oil samples the owner can replace the component before it fails completely.

So what results can a truck owner expect while using an Eco-Pur System?  On an average, most drivers can go about 150,000 miles before having to change their oil, effectively cutting oil maintenance cost by 80% or more annually.  Some drivers have reported as many as 300,000 miles plus while still having a clean oil sample.  Again, the OPS Tru-Test Oil Analysis will tell you when to change the oil.  The variables are the age of the engine, type of engine, as well as application, i.e. over-the-road or severe duty off-road.  The analysis also measures the additive package contained in the oil. 

Kevin Rutherford also provided some valuable insight regarding oil consumption. Most trucks in an OTR application will use about a gallon every 12,000 miles.  An older engine will use a gallon about every 6,000 miles and if you're adding a gallon every 2,000 miles, then it's getting near time to rebuild your engine.  Also, when switching to synthetic oil, especially with an older engine, it is normal to experience additional oil consumption.  Kevin explained that after about 30-40,000 miles the piston rings will re-seat, reducing oil consumption to more normal levels.

Using an oil bypass filtration systems just makes good business sense for a truck owner.  That is why Kevin not only endorses but also uses the OPS Eco-Pur System on his own trucks.  He chooses OPS because of the additional benefits of removing liquid contaminates, the Tru-Test Oil Analysis offered by OPS and a superior design in the system itself.  An added benefit of reducing the number of oil changes; you not only save money you reduce your trucks carbon footprint, which is a good thing for everyone.

Kevin is not alone, to date OPS has over 15,000 units installed on a multitude of applications, including owner operators, small to large truck fleets, government, sanitation, buses, construction and mining equipment just to name a few. 

To learn more about the Eco-Pur System or any of the OPS products contact Artie at Oil Purification Systems at 866-OIL-PURE option 7 (866-645-7873) or log onto www.ops-1.com. You can also see them at the Mid-America Trucking Show Booth #68212. 

 Kevin Rutherford has been a fleet owner for 24 years and has logged over 1 million miles on the road himself.  Kevin has become one of the industry’s foremost experts for owner/operators on business and operating efficiency.  Kevin is co-owner of Truck City Services in Crossville, Tennessee that specializes in aftermarket modifications that reduce maintenance and service costs, while improving performance and fuel economy and host of his own radio show on XM's Road Dog Trucking Channel 171 and Sirius Channel 147, featured nightly at midnight E.S.T.  Kevin can also be found at www.letstruck.com