DIESEL ENGINE PARTS FAILURE, FAULTS, DEFECTS

❖ Sudden bearing failure occurs with a turbocharger which has been operating normally until that point. Explain the
possible causes if the turbocharger has: (i) Ball or roller bearings. S (ll) Sleeve bearings. (b) State with reasons the
measures to be adopted to ensure that future failure is minimized.
❖ State the possible reasons for an engine failing to turn over on air despite the fact that there is a full charge of air in the
starting air receiver and explain how the problem would be traced
(b) Explain how the engine could be started and reversed S manually in the event of failure of the control system.
(c) Outline planned maintenance instructions which could be issued to minimise the risk of failure indicated in (a) and (b).
❖ Describe briefly the operation of an electrical or hydraulic main engine governor.
(b) For the type described indicate how failure can occur and the action to be taken if immediate correction cannot be achieved
and the engine must be operated
❖ State why bottom end bolts of 4-stroke engines are susceptible to failure.
(b) Sketch a bottom end bolt of suitable design.
(c) Explain how good design reduces possibility of failure.
(d) State how the possibility of failure is reduced by good maintenance.
❖ State two reasons why large crankshafts are of semi-built construction.
(b) State SIX important details of crankshaft construction that will reduce the possibility of fatigue failure. S
(c) List FOUR operational faults that may induce failure in a crankshaft.
❖ Describe with the aid of sketches: (i) A pulse turbocharger system. (ii) A constant pressure turbocharger system.
(b) State the advantages and disadvantages of each system in S Q.l.(a). for use with marine propulsion engines.
(c) In the event of turbocharger failure with one of the systems in Q.l.(a). state how the engine could be arranged to operate safely.
❖ Give reasons why. when compared to the other bearings of large slow speed engines. top end bearings:
(a) Are more prone to failure.
(b) Have a greater diameter in proportion to pin length.
❖ State two reasons why large crankshafts are of semi-built or fully built construction.
(b) State SIX important details of crankshaft construction that S will reduce the possibility of fatigue failure,
(e) State FOUR operational faults that may induce fatigue failure.
❖ List the advantages of multi-stage air compression with intercooling compared with single stage compression. (b) Explain
the faults which may be encountered during S overhaul of the H.P. stage and indicate how they may be rectified.
❖ With reference to fatigue of engineering components explain the influence of stress level and cyclical frequency on
expected operating life. (b) Explain the influence of material defects on the safe operating life of an engineering
component S (c) State the factors which influence the possibility of fatigue cracking of a bedplate transverse girder and
explain how the risk of such cracking can.be minimised
❖ Give an example of each of the four types of 2-stroke engine indicator diagrams, explain how each is taken and the use
to which it is put.
(b) illustrate two defects which can show up on a compression S card. (c) How is cylinder power balance checked on a higher speed
engine?.
❖ Sketch a main engine fuel pump of the scroll type.
(b) Explain how the fuel quantity and timing are adjusted. S (c) To what defects is this type of pump subject and how is the pump
adjusted to counter their effects?
❖ Explain why air coolers and water separators are fitted to large turbocharged engines. S
(b) Sketch a water separator, explain how it operates and indicate its positioning in the engine. (c) What are the defects to which
coolers and separators are susceptible?
❖ Describe, using sketches if necessary, the procedure for complete inspection of a propulsion engine main bearing and
journal.
(b) State the possible bearing and pin defects which might be encountered. S (c) State what precautions should be taken before
returning an engine to service following such bearing inspection and adjustment
❖ describe how a complete inspection of a main engine turbocharger may be carried out indicating, with reasons, the areas
requiring close attention. S
(b) Describe defects which may be found during inspection and their possible cause.
5. With reference to fuel pumps operating on residual fuel:
❖ (i) State, with reasons, the defects to which they are
prone.
(ii) Explain the effects of such defects on engine S
performance.
(b) State, with reasons corrective action necessary to restore a
defective fuel pump to normal operation.
(c) Suggest ways in which the incidence of these defects might
minimised.
❖ Sketch a fuel injector.
(b) Explain how it operates and what determines the point at which injection occurs. S (c) Describe the defects to which injectors
are prone. (d) How can injection be improved when a low speed engine is to operate at prolonged low load?
 ❖ With reference to large fabricated bedplates give reasons to explain: (a) Why defects are likely to occur in service and
where they occur. S
(b) How these defects have been avoided in subsequent designs

List the THREE possible defects which may be detected during a piston inspection stating a possible cause for each
Three possible defects of piston are:
i. Deformation or burning of the crown top surface.
Cause: 1) Direct impingement of firing gas.
2) Poor injection.
3) Bad quality of fuel.
ii. Worn rings grooves.
Cause: 1) Poor lubrication.
2) Poor combustion.
3) Overload or incorrect operation.
4) Worn liner or piston rings.
iii. Scuffing.
Cause: 1) Overheating.
2) Poor lubrication.
iv. Cracks on the internal or external surfaces
Cause: 1) Thermal or mechanical stresses.
2) Poor injection.
3) Poor cooling due to insufficient coolant of fouled cooling spaces.
4) Corrode materials.
5) Poor lubrication.
v. Cooling spaces deterioration.
Cause: 1) Corrosion.
2) Coking or scale build up caused by poor cooling water treatment
3) Low oil coolant flow.
4) Overheating.
vi. Fretting.
Cause: 1) Incorrect tensioning and assembly of studs.
45
2) Damaged studs.
3) Overheating
Describe crankshaft defects and their causes: ARUP 182 page
a) Describe why solid crankshafts are sensitive to misalignment & require special attention. b) Describe the causes & result of
slippage with respect to shrink fit crankshafts. c) How above defect is corrected.
Ans: a) ARUP 181 b) ARUP 185 c) If slippage is small e.g. up to 15°, then re-timing of the affected cylinder may be considered. If
re-timing may affect the balance of the engine then the original position of Journal & web must be restored. Defect ix corrected
by heating the affected web while cooling the journal with liquid Nitrogen and using hydraulic jack return to its original position
also need strong back.

1. Piston Ring Failures

(1) Collapse
✓ It is the ‘collapse’ i.e. inward push of the ring against the piston body due to gas pressure build up against the ‘running
face’ of the ring.
✓ It is caused by :
❖ the pressure build up against ring running face and liner wall due to reduced axial clearance;
❖ poor ring and groove sealing;
❖ rings not free to move in the groove;
❖ or poor lubrication on sealing surfaces.
FIG:D38
(2) Flutter
✓ Flutter is the oscillation movement of the piston ring along its own plane.
✓ It is caused by
❖ a radially worn ring leading to a reduction in radial areas,
❖ or pounding of piston rings in the grooves when the piston changes its direction. FIG D39
(3) Excess wear
This is due to poor clearances, corrosion, abrasion, scuffing or improper lubrication.
(4) Jammed or sticking piston rings
This is due, to the buildup of carbon deposits or poor clearances
(5) Scuffing
It is the overall damage on the sliding contact surfaces, caused by the formation of local welds. These welds occur due to high
local temperature (800 deg. C+), which hardens the base metal, forming hardened particles at that point.
Scuffing depends on :
❖ Oil film quantity, oil retention and countered rings to promote oil film generation.
❖ Rotating pistons moving around any of the dry hot spots which are prone to welds.
❖ High temperatures due to poor sealing or poor heat transfer by bore cooling.
❖ Running-in of new piston rings or liner.
❖ Correct scuff resistant materials used i.e. soft copper or molybdenum for running in, and hard chromium or nitriding
alloys for normal use.
Piston Defects
✓ Deformation or burning of the crown top surface due to direct impingement of firing gas, poor injection or bad fuel.
✓ Cracks on the internal or external surfaces due to built up thermal or mechanical stresses. The reasons for these stresses
are poor injection, bad fuel quality, poor cooling due to insufficient coolant or fouled cooling spaces, corroded material,
poor lubrication, and bad operations like an overloaded engine.
✓ Scuffing due to overheating or poor lubrication.
✓ Worn ring grooves due to poor lubrication, overloaded or incorrect operation, poor combustion, worn liner or piston
rings, etc.
✓ Cooling spaces deterioration due to corrosion; coking or scale build up caused by poor cooling water treatment; or low
oil coolant flow or overheating.
✓ Fretting due to incorrect tensioning and assembly of studs; damaged studs; or overheating
Failure of pistons due to Thermal Loads
When a piston crown is subjected to high thermal load. the material at the gas side attempts to expand but is partly prevented
from doing so by the cooler metal under and around it. This leads to compressive stresses in addition to the stresses imposed
mechanically due to the variation in cylinder pressures. At very high temperatures the metal can creep to relieve this compressive
stress and when the piston cools a residual tensile stress is set up hence residual thermal stress. If this stress is sufficiently great
cracking of the piston crown may result
2.Liner Failure Areas FIG D49
❖ Area 1 Excessive, incorrect or uneven tightening of cylinder head studs causes cracks.
❖ Area2 Poor liner support shows hoop stress cracks.
❖ Area3 Upper ring area is prone to wear ridge circumferential cracks.
❖ Area4 Flame impingement region in the combustion space leads to star shaped cracks.
❖ Area5 Jacket water leaks at the lube oil quill piping causes star shaped cracks.
❖ Area6 Scavenge port areas due to scavenge fires or overloaded engine operation.
❖ Area7 Clover leafing wear near fuel injection points.
Cylinder Head Defects
✓ Cracks due to thermal changes in the cooling water temperature; sudden overloading or heating of the engine;
or uneven incorrect tightening of studs.
✓ Distortion due to temperature variations.
✓ Cooling space fouling due to poor water treatment; and scale or sludge deposits.
✓ Corrosion on the lower side being exposed to the combustion chamber.
✓ Gas erosion and acidic corrosion due to leaking exhaust valve cage seats.
3. Exhaust Valve Failures:
❖ High temperature corrosion by molten salts (sodium and calcium sulphate); and compounds from the fuel due
to sulphur, vanadium, sodium, and catalyst fines (sulphur oxides, vanadium oxides, sodium oxides, etc.).
❖ Erosion at the seat area and sealing faces.
❖ Dents and scratches caused by harder particles.
❖ Solid deposits of molten salts causing leakage and cracks.
❖ Overheated spots due to after burning, poor cooling, improper combustion or overload.
❖ Reseating failures due to incorrect tappet clearances, incorrect expansion clearance, overheating, jamming in
the guide, distortion of valve or spindle, and creep failures.
❖ Mechanical impact loading due to banging, heavy seating, uneven surfaces or hard deposits.
❖ Abrasive action by products from fuel combustion or cylinder lube oil.
❖ Fouling of valve or valve passages which limit the air or exhaust gas flow rates.
❖ Valve mechanism failures of springs or rotating mechanisms.
❖ Valve lift reduction.
4. Crankshaft Failures
Fatigue and cyclic stress failures are mostly due to high frequency low loads or low frequency high loads.
The areas of crankshaft failures are:
❖ Shrink fit stress raisers at dowel pins or keys.
 ❖ Any sharp changes in section where stresses get concentrated.
❖ Severe operating conditions and overload.
❖ Lube oil passages, holes and drilling sections. The radii of the lube oil hole should be ample to reduce the stress
concentration.
❖ Pin to web fillet section should have ample radii.
❖ Surface defects and sharp edges.
❖ Incorrect manufacture like slag inclusion and poor heat treatment.
❖ Torsional stresses giving a helical-shaped crack at 45 degrees to the axis of the pin.
❖ Misalignment of main bearings
❖ Corrosion fatigue due to lube oil turning acidic caused by lube oil contaminated by combustion products.
❖ Lubrication failures.
❖ Poor support from bedplate foundation and tie rods.
❖ failure has been caused by: slag inclusions, heat treatment and machining defects, for example badly radiused
oil holes and fillets. Careless use of tools resulting in impact marks on crankpins and journals can also lead to
failure.
5.Connecting Rod
❖ due to slight buckling,
❖ when starting the engine if oil or water has leaked into the cylinder space.
❖ fatigue cracks or fractures can occur in high stress concentration areas.
❖ Thin walled steel back shell bearings
❖ Transverse buckling is usually caused by crank pin bearing seizures
6. Bottom End Failures
❖ Constantly fluctuating inertia loads from reciprocating parts.
❖ Tensile load caused by the centrifugal forces of the mass of connecting rod and crankpin.
❖ Shear force tending to separate the two halves of the bearing housing.
7. Crosshead Failures
❖ Crosshead bearing failures are due to poor lubrication; misalignment with running gear (piston and liner);
❖ white metal cracking; fatigue failure;
❖ squeezing of white metal causing partial blocking of oil holes;
❖ overheating; corrosion; white metal quality; and
❖ reduced strength due to improper thickness or type.
❖ Insufficient or contaminated oil results in poor lubrication of the bearing.
❖ the crosshead pin surface finish.
8.Bearing Faults and Defects
❖ Abrasive wear due to fine scoring by hard particles and impurities in the lube oil.
❖ Corrosive wear due to acidic lube oil. The lube oil becomes acidic due to oxidation, contamination from
combustion products, ‘or water ingress.
❖ Erosive wear due to cavitation.
❖ Adhesive wear due to galling, scoring or scuffing. In galling, the softer metal tears due to the adhesive force
which is a reaction of the rubbing metal surfaces.
❖ Fatigue failure cracks at areas of stress concentration.
❖ Overheating due to poor lubrication supply or contaminated oil, misalignment, incorrect clearances, uneven
load distribution, poor surface finish and overloading.
❖ Misalignment of the bearing due to distorted bedplate, adjacent bearing failure, or imbalanced cylinder
pressures.
❖ Incorrect clearances or incorrect tensioning of bolts.
❖ Poor design, manufacture or low strength.
❖ Housing dimensions not perfectly suitable for bearing shells, especially during replacement.
9.Turbocharger Faults/Problems
Fouling :
❖ The intake filter gets fouled due to oil carryover or poor combustion at low loads which further leads to fouling
of turbine nozzle and blades.
❖ Fouled exhaust gas passages cause a higher back pressure.
❖ Metal erosion is caused by particles in the exhaust gas.
❖ Defective blower bearing oil seals cause carryover of oil to air side, thereby dirtying it.
❖ The air cooler sea water and air side also get fouled and require constant cleaning.
❖ Damping wires and blade roots get fouled during running.
 ❖ The sealing air pipe to the compressor labyrinth may be blocked. Hence, oil or vapour is sucked in through the
labyrinth.
Bearing faults :
❖ These are due to overheating; vibration; poor lubrication feed or quality; misalignment; fouling imbalance;
and poor sealing and erosion of bearing material, balls, or rollers due to contaminated particles in the lube oil.
Resilient mounting failures :
❖ These are due to poor support or improper fitting.
Vibration:
It is caused due to loose foundation bolts; excitation from external sources; water ingress due to casing leaks; and
poor combustion operations.
Corrosion :
❖ The air side gets corroded due to corrosive pollutants in the air intake area.
❖ The gas side gets corroded due to sodium and vanadium sulphate from the exhaust gas turning acidic at low
temperatures and also due to poor combustion.
❖ The cooling water side gets corroded due to poor jacket water treatment Or poor sealing or cracks, which lead
to exhaust gas leaking into water spaces.
10.Fuel Injector Faults
Improper Cooling
❖ Too much cooling causes sulphur corrosion of the tip due to the injector tip temperature falling below the
condensation temperature. This is not seen on modem engines and was only experienced on older engines.
❖ A corroded atomizing nozzle tip will alter the spray penetration, atomisation and pattern.
❖ Water condensation takes place at temperatures below 110 deg.C, allowing sulphur oxides from the fuel to
turn into acids.
✓ Too less cooling causes softening of the valve and seat, and allows expansion of trapped fuel in the ‘sac’ area.
✓ This causes carbon trumpets on the tip, poor combustion and smoky exhausts.
✓ A t temperatures above 180 deg.C, the fuel starts cracking into particles which clog the nozzle.
Dribbling Nozzle
✓ A dribbling nozzle will result in fuel-burning at the nozzle tip which is seen as carbon trumpets.
✓ Dribbling nozzles are a result of poor seating of the fuel valve, which in turn, is caused by :
➢ the impurities in the fuel causing abrasive wear to the seat surfaces;
➢ poor cooling;
➢ increased banging of the valve needle;
➢ poor maintenance and overhaul; and
➢ wrong spring pressures.
Carbon trumpets
adversely affect combustion since they influence the spray pattern of the fuel. This leads to
➢ smoky exhaust,
➢ higher exhaust temperatures,
➢ poor combustion and
➢ loss of power.
Wrong Spring Pressure
✓ The spring pressure directly influences the size of the fuel particles.
✓ Lower spring pressure leads to the valve opening and closing at a lower pressure.
✓ When the injector opens at a lower pressure, larger fuel particles are formed and these larger fuel particles
bum ineffectively, resulting in a reduced cylinder pressure and smoky exhaust.
✓ The causes of a wrong spring pressure are :
➢ incorrect overhauling;
➢ fatigued material; or
➢ extended life of the spring.
Nozzle hole diameter, depth and number
➢ This will influence the penetration, atomization and overall combustion.
➢ Nozzle holes may be choked due to:
✓ fuel impurities,
✓ carbon trumpet formation,
✓ burning of ‘sac’ area,
✓ trapped fuel and prolonged running of engine at low loads.
The length of the nozzle hole is usually thrice the size of the diameter of the hole