CORRELATION of LABORATORY OIL BENCH TESTS with FULL - SCALE ENGINE TESTS

TWENTY laboratories, cooperating in the Bench Test Subcommittee's program, ran tests on six reference oils in Underwood apparatus, Lauson single-cylinder engines, and in a number of other types of laboratory oil test devices. The six reference oils had an extensive test background in full-scale engines.

Agreement among laboratories testing the same oils in the same type of apparatus was surprisingly good considering that standardized test conditions were not used and that the test procedures used by the cooperating laboratories varied considerably. Correlation of the laboratory tests with full-scale engine tests was also very good in the majority of instances.

The test data compiled from the cooperative work emphasize the importance of oxidation catalysts and test temperatures on oil deterioration and the degree of correlation between laboratory bench tests and full-scale engine tests. The cooperative test data also indicate suitable test conditions in the various types of bench apparatus which tend to produce the most consistent results indicative of full-scale engine performance as well as indicating inadequate or extreme test conditions which may tend to give misleading results.