Diesel Engine Maintenance Strategies
Technical News
Maintenance strategies and programs is one of the easiest ways to minimize costly diesel repairs.
Diesel engines are one of the most expensive pieces of equipment for a maintenance manger to replace.
Introducing a maintenance strategy to an operator will diminish two of the four major problems a diesel engine faces and save thousands of dollars a year in unnecessary maintenance and replacement costs.
First Problem-Fuel Dilution:
Fuel dilution is the amount of raw, unburned fuel circulating within the engine.
Not all of the diesel fuel injected to the cylinder is expanded during the combustion process.
Inevitably, some works its way past the piston rings and into the crankcase where it “dilute” or mixes with the engine’s lubricating oil-the result is fuel dilution.
More than 14% of the 383,789 engine samples tested this year during various fluid analysis companies had fuel dilution levels high enough to flag.
Not only does fuel dilution decrease an engine oil’s viscosity and lubricity, it can alter the performance of anti-wear additives which are designed to form a protective layer on metallic surfaces that guard against wear.
Biodiesel blends also attract these additives leaving less available to protect engine metals.
The resulting friction-related wear causes immediate engine component damage and can lead to premature engine failure if not detected quickly.
Taking action at initial severity can greatly reduce unnecessary repairs and replacement costs.
Second Problem-Soot:
Fuel in a diesel engine is injected during the compression stroke.
The high pressure ignites the fuel immediately allowing it no time to properly mix with air.
Combustion is incomplete and soot is created.
Engine designs of the past expelled most of the soot created, but inefficient fuel combustion through the exhaust, but EGR engines re-circulate exhaust gases back into the cylinder at a lower temperature to reduce NOx emission.
Retarding ignition timing and reducing the amount of oxygen in the cylinder produces less NOx but inhibits combustion and creates excess soot.
If not adequately dispersed within the oil, soot particles begin to agglomerate, or gather into clusters increasing viscosity and allowing deposits to form on metal surfaces.
Shellbourne Diesel Fuel Enhancer
The introduction of our fuel enhancers solves issues of fuel dilution and soot accumulation.
Combustion is ultimately as complete as possible by enhancing the caloric value of the base fuels it is added to minimizing failure and valuable money.
Additional info (click here) Diesel Enhancer Technical Bulletin