Even the slightest chip or dent can cause contaminants to infiltrate your oil seal. If there are any scratches on the shaft, a leak path may develop, allowing the lubricant to drip. To protect the shaft from damage, wrap it in a mesh rubber screen and store it vertically in its compartment. This way, it can be shielded from potential cracking.

Runout must be kept to a minimum. Movement of the center of rotation is usually caused by bearing wobble or shaft whip. When coupled with misalignment, this problem is compounded. Contrary to popular belief and common practice, the installation of flexible couplings cannot correct or compensate for misalignment.

Even though it’s better than other materials in terms of toughness and wear time, it is preferably used in dry-running applications. The salient demerit of this material is its cost.

Pour-point depressants: This additive has nothing to do the actual pouring of your oil. In fact, pour-point depressants help prevent the wax particles in the oil from hardening in cold conditions. As a result, the motor oil flows freely even in low, cold temperatures and the engine doesn’t need to work any harder to pump it.