How to keep older equipment in service for much longer…with better reliability!

Keeping older engines, transmissions and machinery reliable for longer comes down to four straightforward principles. Admittedly, that’s easier said than done — but it’s genuinely not hard once you know what to do. Here’s the practical detail.

Short answer: to keep older equipment in service longer, follow four principles — clean up and keep all systems clean, maintain full lubrication, protect against corrosion, and reduce component stress. Do these and everything runs cooler, smoother and lasts much longer.

1. Clean Keep all systems clean

2. Lubricate Maintain full lubrication

3. Protect Guard against corrosion

4. Reduce stress Less load on every part

1. Clean Up & Keep All Systems Clean

Good housekeeping is always essential. External contaminants — dust, water, paint flakes, whatever — should be kept from entering major components through seals, breathers, air intakes, fuel systems, contaminated oils and other sources. Regular cleaning is also your chance to remove built-up dirt and grime and to spot damaged seals, leaks and other problems before they become costly.

Internal deposits are the bigger issue: they increase stress and wear and shorten component life. They form in oil galleries, sumps, piston ring grooves, fuel systems, cooling systems, combustion chambers, exhaust spaces and turbochargers — and also in transmissions, diffs, final drives, automatics and hydraulics. They build up through fuel and oil degradation, oxidation, heat and oil ageing, and they inhibit efficient operation and full lubrication. With age, most components accumulate enough internal deposits to reduce both operating and lubrication efficiency.

Cleanpower tidies up petrol and diesel fuel-system deposits, while CRD Fuel Enhancer looks after common rail and modern high-tech diesel systems. Clean fuel systems are critical for injector and fuel-pump life, accurate fuel metering and correct spray patterns, and they reduce deposit formation in combustion spaces.

FTC Decarbonizer safely burns off hard carbon from combustion and exhaust spaces (including turbos). Carbon build-up increases stress and wear and restricts the flow of air and exhaust gases, so efficiency suffers — and catastrophic failures (dropped valves, piston seizure, turbocharger failures) often result from excessive carbon. FTC also catalytically enhances combustion for a cleaner burn, with less soot passing the piston rings to cause abrasive wear. The soot that does form is reduced in amount and smaller in size, so wear to all lubricated parts drops too — so much so that engine service life is normally increased by 20–25% by FTC use alone. (See how FTC Decarbonizer works.)

Oil-system deposits are another major contributor to accelerated wear and higher stress — overheating, reduced lubrication, piston ring sticking, turbo bearing failure and excessive blow-by are commonly the result. In transmissions and hydraulics, response and cooling suffer, and lubrication to bearings can be inhibited to the point where a whine becomes audible. Flushing Oil Concentrate contains a specific detergent that targets stubborn, hard-to-remove deposits — softening, dissolving and dispersing them in engines, transmissions and hydraulics so they can be safely removed and full lubrication restored.

Cooling-system failure is reputedly the biggest killer of engines, so maintaining them properly is vital. Water pumps, radiators, thermostats, fan hubs, hoses, electrolysis of cylinder liners and scale build-up are all common problems. RMI-25 Cooling System Treatment cleans up and keeps clean all cooling systems by removing rust, sediment and scale — restoring cooling efficiency while protecting components. Water pump failures normally start with seal failure: abrasive sediment and scale chew out the seal, leading to bearing failure after water entry. RMI-25 is very effective at prolonging water-pump seal life and reducing pump failure. (See how to flush a radiator with RMI-25.)

2. Maintain Full Lubrication

A film of oil (or grease) must be maintained on every part requiring lubrication, so metal-to-metal contact is minimised. Higher loadings in service mean more metal-to-metal contact than at no load — and cold starts after a period of shutdown, when the oil has drained back, are a major contributor to wear. AW10 Antiwear is recommended here: it creates a semi-permanent bond to lubricated parts that stays present and effective during cold start-up, especially in engines and transmissions. Its high load-carrying ability gives far superior protection against abrasive and adhesive wear, and it’s suitable for engines, transmissions (including automatic) and hydraulics — a very effective step in keeping equipment in service much longer. (It’s not recommended for wet clutches.)

For grease applications, always choose high-quality, long-life, water-resistant products that stay put, with enough tackiness to seal out contaminants while keeping the mobility needed for continued lubrication.

3. Protect Against Corrosion

Protect both internally and externally. AW10 Antiwear provides a powerful anti-corrosion barrier for internal components against rust and other corrosion. For panel work, nuts and bolts, and components exposed to corrosive environments, Xtroll Rust Conqueror is recommended — it penetrates, seals and encapsulates rust, is stable against UV, and leaves a dry, tough film that lets mud and dirt come off easily and can be painted over if required.

With ever-increasing electronics, stray current is a bigger concern than ever. Radiators, cylinder liners and thermostat housings are destroyed by stray current, and even radiator hose life is shortened by electrolysis (which first attacks the reinforcing between the rubber layers). RMI-25 eliminates stray current by encapsulating electrolytes, dissolved solids and salts — it can double the life of water pumps and hoses while eliminating corrosion throughout the cooling system.

4. Reduce Component Stress

The less stress and loading placed on each individual part within engines, transmissions and the rest, the longer everything lasts. This is achieved by a combination of the three principles above, and it usually shows up as smoother operation, cooler running, improved performance and efficiency, and less noise and vibration.

At Cost Effective Maintenance, we consistently produce outstanding results thanks to the quality of our products — after all, this is our core business. We’re a one-stop shop for all these needs, and because our range is highly concentrated, we can easily deliver solutions no matter how remote your location. For more on the bigger picture, see our guide on how to make your vehicle last longer.

To keep your equipment in service longer, give the team at Cost Effective Maintenance a call on 07 3376 6188.

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