18458Q 4 Mercury FILTER KIT

These recommendations are subject to change without notice. Contact your local Caterpillar dealer for the most up to date recommendations.
Note: Instructions for the installation of the filter are printed on the side of each Caterpillar spin-on filter. For non-Caterpillar filters, refer to the installation instructions that are provided by the supplier of the filter.For more information, refer to Special Publication, SEBU6251, "Caterpillar Commercial Engine Fluids Recommendations".Diesel Engine Oil
Faulty engine coolant temperature regulators, or operating with light loads, short operation cycles, excessive idling, or operating in applications were normal operating temperature is seldom reached can contribute to excessive water in the crankcase oil. Corrosive damage, piston deposits and increased oil consumption can result. If a complete oil analysis program is not followed or if the results are ignored, the potential for corrosive damage and piston deposits increases.
Caterpillar Oils
Cat oils have been developed and tested in order to provide the full performance and service life that has been designed and built into Cat engines. Cat oils are currently used to fill diesel engines at the factory. These oils are offered by Cat dealers for continued use when the engine oil is changed. Consult your Cat dealer for more information on these oils.Due to significant variations in the quality and in the performance of commercially available oils, Caterpillar makes the following recommendations:
Cat DEO (Diesel Engine Oil) (10W-30)
Cat DEO (Diesel Engine Oil) (15W-40)
Cat DEO-ULS (Diesel Engine Oil - Ultralow Sulfur) (10W-30)
Cat DEO-ULS (Diesel Engine Oil - Ultralow Sulfur) (15W-40)Note: Cat DEO-ULS multigrade is the preferred oil for use in all Cat diesel engines for which SAE 15W-40 is the preferred viscosity grade.Commercial Oils
Note: Non-Caterpillar commercial oils are not the best oils for your engine.
Caterpillar does not warrant the quality or performance of non-Caterpillar fluids.
There are three current Cat ECF specifications: Cat ECF-1-a, Cat ECF-2 and Cat ECF-3. Each higher Cat ECF specification provides increased performance over lower Cat ECF specifications.Note: The Cat ECF-1-a and Cat ECF-2 specifications replaced the Cat ECF-1 specification on 1 March 2007.Note: If Cat DEO multigrade or DEO-ULS multigrade oils are not used, use only commercial oils that meet the following categories/specifications:
Commercial oils that meet the requirements of the Cat ECF-1-a, Cat ECF-2, and/or the Cat ECF-3 specification are acceptable. API category of oils that have not met the requirements of at least one Cat ECF specification may cause reduced engine life.
The preferred commercial oils meet at least one of the following requirements: Cat ECF-3 specification and API CJ-4.Oils that meet the requirements of the API CJ-4 category are compliant with the Cat ECF-3 specification.The following categories of oils are not approved for use in your Caterpillar Engine:API CF, API CF-4 and API CG-4.In selecting oil for any engine application, both of the following must be satisfied: the oil viscosity and the oil performance category or the oil performance specification. Using only one of these parameters will not sufficiently define oil for an engine application.The proper SAE viscosity grade of oil is determined by the minimum ambient temperature during cold engine start-up, and the maximum ambient temperature during engine operation. Refer to Table 1 (minimum temperature) in order to determine the required oil viscosity for starting a cold engine.Refer to Table 1 (maximum temperature) in order to select the oil viscosity for engine operation at the highest ambient temperature that is anticipated.Note: Generally, use the highest oil viscosity that is available to meet the requirement for the temperature at start-up.If ambient temperature conditions at engine start-up require the use of multigrade SAE 0W oil, SAE 0W-40 viscosity grade is generally preferred over SAE 0W-30.
Table 1
Lubricant Viscosities for Ambient Temperatures for DI Diesel Engines
Ambient Temperature
Viscosity Grade Minimum Maximum
SAE 0W-30 −40 °C (−40 °F) 30 °C (86 °F)
SAE 0W-40 −40 °C (−40 °F) 40 °C (104 °F)
SAE 5W-30 −30 °C (−22 °F) 30 °C (86 °F)
SAE 5W-40 −30 °C (−22 °F) 50 °C (122 °F)
SAE 10W-30 −18 °C (0 °F) 40 °C (104 °F)
SAE 10W-40 −18 °C (0 °F) 50 °C (122 °F)
SAE 15W-40 −9.5 °C (15 °F) 50 °C (122 °F) Note: Supplemental heat is recommended for cold soaked starts below the minimum ambient temperature. Supplemental heat may be necessary for cold soaked starts that are above the minimum temperature that is stated, depending on the parasitic load and other factors. Cold soaked starts occur when the engine has not been operated for a period of time. This allows the oil to become more viscous due to cooler ambient temperatures.S O S Services Oil Analysis
Caterpillar has developed a maintenance tool that evaluates oil degradation. the maintenance management also detects the early signs of wear on internal components. The Caterpillar tool for oil analysis is called S O S oil analysis and the tool is part of the S O S Services program. S O S oil analysis divides oil analysis into four categories:
Component wear rate
Oil condition
Oil contamination
Identification of oilThese four types of analysis are used to monitor the condition of your equipment. The four types of analysis will also help you identify potential problems. A properly administered S O S oil analysis program will reduce repair costs and the program will lessen the impact of downtime.The S O S oil analysis program uses a wide range of tests to determine the condition of the oil and the condition of the lubricated compartment. Guidelines that are based on experi