For those who does not believe in the industry,  how important is to check
for oil contamination even If we have a brand new oil, I think this article
(sent by D. Walsh from NTS with his comments) that involved one of the
largest producer of oil would most definitely change their minds and bring
back the attention to some of our products. Please take into account that
this has involved a 264,000-gallon recall of Aeroshell aviation engine oil.

Remember, it is important to check "even bran new oil" because
we need to, as D. Walsh mentioned to us :

1) Make sure it is what you think it is
2) Make sure it is not contaminated
3) have a baseline reference to compare in-service fluids to.

The article came in the Lube Report, on online industry magazine
dated 12/27/01. Conclusions:
A bran new oil can get contaminated,
And particles sizes up to 50 microns can definitely can damage engines, If
not why would Equilon would made a 264,000 gallon recall ???????




Equilon Recalls Aeroshell in U.S.
By Tim Sullivan

In the midst of a 264,000-gallon recall of Aeroshell aviation engine oil,
Equilon Lubricants LLC says contaminated fluid poses no risk to air traveler
safety and only slight potential for premature equipment wear.

The company said it has already recovered or accounted for more than 70
percent of the oils covered by its Nov. 26 recall in the United States, most
of which never left its warehouses. Officials said that most of the
unaccounted-for volume is probably not contaminated and that even that which
is would probably not affect aircraft in which it has been used.

"We've always had a reputation for being safety conscious and we want to
take every precaution with this recall," spokeswoman Gail Schutz said
Friday.

Equilon, which includes Shell Oil Co.'s U.S. lubricants business, calls
Aeroshell the world's best-selling aviation piston engine oil. The company
launched the recall after discovering that iron debris from a blend tank at
its Wood River, Ill., plant may have passed to packaging equipment during a
period beginning Sept. 7. The recall covered quarts and gallons of Aeroshell
80, 100, W 65, W 80, W 100, W 100 Plus and W 5W-50, although the company
stated that some of the units were not contaminated.

Units that were contaminated have fluid with iron particles of up to 50
microns. Even in cases where contaminated fluid was put into plane engines,
the company said it most likely would not cause problems.

"First, the vast majority of the particles remain in the bottom of the
bottle," Senior Research Engineer Paul Royko said. "The small number of
particles that actually go into the engine normally remain in the bottom of
the pan. If they are picked up by the oil pump, the filter should stop them.
If after all of this, some of the particles get into the engine, the
worst-case scenario would be an elevation in bearing wear. We do not expect
any catastrophic failures."

Equilon urged customers to exchange unused recalled product and to replace
recalled fluid already put into engines. The company has made technical
experts available to advise customers seeking to determine if they added
recalled product.

The company urged customers who replace recalled fluid to examine their oil
filters. If the filter shows nothing unusual, it said, the customer may
return to normal drain intervals. Customers observing iron particles or
anything else unusual were urged to seek advice by calling (800) 231-6950.

A list of products and case and bottle numbers covered by the recall is
posted at <http://64.4.14.250/cgi-bin/linkrd?_lang=EN&lah=311640015d09d1f5ba3fdea6967b6c0d&lat=1013013677&hm___action=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2eaeroshell%2ecom%2frecall%2ephp>

Equilon said customers in a few parts of the country might encounter
shortages of Aeroshell until production catches up with the recall
 

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