SEAL 3423574 - Caterpillar

Engine Lubricant Viscosity Recommendations
The proper SAE viscosity grade oil is determined by the minimum outside temperature at cold engine start-up, and the maximum outside temperature during engine operation. Use the minimum temperature column in the lubricant viscosities chart determine the oil viscosity required for starting a "cold soaked" engine. Use the maximum temperature column in the lubricant viscosities chart to select the viscosity for operation at the highest temperature anticipated. In general, use the highest viscosity oil available that still meets the start-up temperature requirements. Synthetic Base Stock Oils
Synthetic base stock oils are acceptable for use in Caterpillar engines and machines if these oils meet the performance requirements specified by Caterpillar for a particular compartment.Synthetic base stock oils generally outperform non-synthetics in two areas:* Improved low temperature viscosity characteristics, especially in Arctic conditions* Improved oxidation stability, especially at high operating temperaturesSome synthetic base stock oils have performance characteristics that enhance the service life of the oil. However, Caterpillar does NOT recommend the automatic extension of oil drain intervals for any oil, including synthetic base stock oils. For Caterpillar diesel engines, oil drain intervals can only be adjusted through an oil analysis program that contains the following elements: oil condition and wear metals (Caterpillar S O S Oil Analysis preferred), trend analysis, fuel consumption, and oil consumption.Re-Refined Base Stock Oils
Re-refined base stock oils are acceptable for use in Caterpillar engines and machines if these oils meet the performance requirements specified by Caterpillar for a particular compartment. Re-refined oils can be used exclusively in a finished oil or in combination with new base stocks. The US Military and other heavy equipment manufacturers have also accepted the use of re-refined base stock oils with the same criteria.The re-refining process should be adequate to remove all wear metals and oil additives that were present in the used oil. This type of re-refining is generally accomplished by vacuum distillation and hydrotreating the used oil. Filtering alone is inadequate for producing a high quality re-refined base stock from used oil.After-Market Oil Additives
Caterpillar does NOT recommend the use of after-market oil additives. After-market oil additives are not necessary to achieve life predictions or to achieve rated performance. Fully formulated finished oils are made up of base stocks and commercial additive packages. These additive packages are blended into the base stocks at precise percentages to provide finished oils with performance characteristics that meet lubricant industry standards.Lubricant industry standard tests do not exist to evaluate the performance of after-market oil additives. There are also no lubricant industry standard tests to evaluate the compatibility of these after-market additives in a finished oil. After-market additives could be incompatible with the finished oil additive package, and lower the performance of the finished oil. The after-market additive could fail to mix with the finished oil, and produce a sludge in the crankcase. Caterpillar discourages the use of after-market additives in finished oils.To achieve all the performance that was built into a Caterpillar engine, follow these guidelines:* Select the proper Caterpillar oil