NASHVILLE – Valvoline Co. has added a new product to its Zerex line of heavy-duty diesel engine coolants, one designed to last longer under punishing operational conditions.
At the annual Technology and Maintenance Council (TMC) meeting, Valvoline said its new Zerex Extreme line of engine coolants carry a warranty for 300,000 miles/3 years, or 6,000 hours of operation.
Valvoline conducted extensive field tests of the Zerex Extreme products with Bonneville Transloaders Inc. (BTI), a Wyoming-based fleet that hauls soda ash. BTI’s Kenworth W-900 trucks operate with Caterpillar 3406E engines rated at 540 hp. at 1,850 lb.-ft. of torque. The trucks run seven days a week, 18 hours a day, at 46.5-ton average load – translating into an excess of 151,000 lb. GVW. The trucks run over 60 mph almost 51% of the time, idle about 6% of their time, and climb over 7,500 ft. mountain passes with a 17% grade on a regular basis.
Valvoline tested its coolant in a few of BTI’s trucks over a two-year period. At the end of two years, when the vehicles reached 300,000 miles, Valvoline conducted a teardown inspection to see how the radiator and other coolant components of the engine held up. The company said there were no signs of corrosion or mineral deposits in the radiator, and the cylinder heads showed no signs of pitting.
Based on its results with BTI, Valvoline believes it has a 300,000-mile capable engine coolant. It also plans to see if it can reach 600,000 miles with the coolant by adding an extender package of chemicals to the mix.