[southernstar]

Thanks Kirk for sharing that with us - especially in the face of suggestions by some in this thread that anyone prepared to support DOF technology is beating a dead horse. In fairness, I suppose that one of the other reasons that purchasers of the LN Engineering ceramic bearings were not aware that they are considered maintenance items (replace every 50,000 miles or 3 years) is that in the past, LNE did not say that; indeed, as I recall it has only been in the last year or so that they have specified this on their site. Of course this begs a question: while we have to rely upon their own figures with respect to reported failures of retrofit bearings, one wonders why the change if they were confident in the reliability of these splash-lubricated ceramic bearings.

I gather from your post that you have an engineering background - do you, or any of the other engineers that were present, have any concerns about aeration of the oil with DOF? Perhaps you can also chime on in the criticism that the oil in the DOF is unfiltered. That criticism seems to suggest that the oil is in a closed loop and will never pass through the filter. Although the oil does not exit directly from the filter, does it not pass through the filter as it cycles through the engine, just like the rest of the engine oil that is used to lubricate other components? Just interested in the bona fides of some of the criticisms that have been levelled at DOF.

Brad

PS And yes Mike, we all know that DOF is a new product and that, by definition, no customer will be able to say that they have had the product installed in their car for three years and 30,000 miles. However, when LN Engineering introduced their retrofit bearings, that was also the case. Many people purchased them based upon what seemed like sound engineering principles - that ceramic bearings are stronger than steel and that by removing one of the seals, one will get better lubrication than rancid grease that has been contaminated with oil. Is the lack of real-world experience a relevant consideration? Of course. But especially for owners of large single bearing engines (that need tear-downs for a bearing upgrade), or even early single bearing engines (where the LN IMS bearing needs to be replaced every 3 years or less), this technology may be worth serious consideration.

Brad