Unfortunately, not. Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) each have their own requirements and stipulations as to the oils used to give the desired protection of the machinery and engines they have designed. Using the incorrect oil can cause lots of issues such as piston damage, deposits, and blocking of Diesel Particulate Filters. GB Lubricants has carefully formulated each of our oils to meet the exact standards of different industry bodies and OEMs.

If at all possible, mixing different types of oil should be avoided. But if you need to do this, you must make sure that the oil you are topping up with meets the correct specification for the engine. Adding mineral oil to an engine filled with synthetic oil will lower the performance of the synthetic engine oil.

Hydraulic oils classed as ‘HVI’ or ‘HVLP’ have an additive in them called a Viscosity Index Improver. This means that the properties of the oil will be less susceptible to temperature fluctuations – it will maintain its viscosity during changes of temperature. This can be useful for machinery operating in cold stores or hot environments.

Lithium greases are a great multipurpose option for a lot of industries. However, lithium complex greases provide a higher ‘dropping point’ (the temperature at which a grease becomes liquid) due to the complexing agent they contain. It can also provide greater water resistance, mechanical stability and resistance to oil separation.

Usually, antifreeze/coolants based on ethylene glycol are miscible with each other. However, it is best practice not to mix due to the fine balance of different inhibitor chemistries that may be employed in the formulations. Mixing a Long Life or Heavy-Duty antifreeze with another, lower performance type, will mean you won’t get the full benefit of the premium product.

Sometimes you will see engine oils described as ‘low SAPS’ or ‘low ash’. This means they have low levels of sulphated ash, phosphorus and sulphur. Engines that have emissions control devices like Diesel Particulate Filters (DPF) need to use low SAPS oils to prevent these systems getting blocked or ‘poisoned’. It’s very important to check your manual to see if your engine needs this type of oil.

‘DPF’ stands for Diesel Particulate Filter, which is an exhaust aftertreatment device you will find on some diesel engines. It is designed to filter out soot and deposits from the engine to stop them getting into the atmosphere. It is important to use Low SAPS oils in vehicles that have a DPF, otherwise it can become blocked.

ISO stands for International Standards Organisation, and this is how they categorise the viscosity of oils. If you see an oil that is labelled as ISO VG 46 for example, this means the viscosity of the oil is 46cSt (centistokes) at 40degrees Celsius. It does not tell you which type of oil you need, however, only the viscosity. You will usually see hydraulic oils; compressor oils and other industrial oils classified this way.

SAE stands for Society of Automotive Engineers, a US based industry body in the mobility industry. They categorise the viscosity of gear oils and engine oils using their own specific system. You will see automotive gearbox oils labelled ‘SAE 75W-80″ (multigrade) or engine oils labelled “SAE 30” (monograde). This is not to be confused with ISO VG viscosity grades. It’s very important to check that you are using the correct SAE grade of oil for your gearbox, as well as ensuring it meets the correct performance level.

This is a method, designed by the National Lubricating Grease Institute, of categorising the ‘stiffness’ of lubricating greases based on a specific test called a cone penetration test. NLGI 6 is very firm, like a solid block. NLGI 000 is the softest, classified as ‘semi-fluid’ or ‘slumping’ grease. NLGI 2 is the most common one you will see. GB Unigrease range contains greases from NLGI 000 to NLGI 3, but please get in touch with us if you need help with your requirements.

EP stands for Extreme Pressure. You will see this term used to describe greases and industrial gear oils. Gear oils have ‘EP’ additives in them which are sulphur and phosphorous based, that form a film on the gear components, which helps to protect them from heavy loading and high temperatures.

Traditionally, the letter ‘W’ that you see in engine oil viscosity classifications stands for ‘Winter Grade’. This is a way of showing the cold start fluidity of an oil, or how readily the oil flows from being completely cold. As an example, a 5W-30 fluid will flow down to -30 degrees Celsius, and a 10W-40 would flow as low as -25 degrees Celsius. The second part of the classification shows the oil’s thickness at running temperature. The lower the numbers, the thinner the oil.