You’ll be fully aware of the advice from the World Health Organisation in the fight against COVID-19: The key message is to keep your hands and environment clean and keep your distance from others where possible. We would never profess to be health experts and offer health advice (engines and mechanical equipment is our thing in case you hadn’t realised!), but when our engineers recently attended a tugboat they saw a classic example of...

First and foremost, I just want to say that I wish you and your family all the best, and I hope you’re able to stay safe and healthy during this crazy period. In my position, my first priority is the health of the whole Bartech team, their families and anyone we may come in contact with, which I am sure will be the same for you.  We also know we have responsibilities to help those in the critical sectors of energy, marine and stand-by...

No doubt your inbox and social media feed are full of information about COVID-19, but as we all try to react to such an unprecedented position, it’s important we update you on what we have put in place to support you. Firstly, like every responsible business, we are putting our team’s health and welfare at the forefront. To deliver this we are stopping all non-essential visitors to our office and workshop (including upcoming interviews),...

Recently, we attended a vessel whilst in dock to carry out services on their Cat C18 and Cat C9 generator sets. Upon arrival we carried out the standard checks including the following work: • Cylinders – Visual Inspection for leaks • Turbocharger – Visual Inspection & Backlash check • Engine Oil Filters – Replace – New (Client-supplied) • Engine Speed/Timing Sensor -Clean/Inspect • Engine Valve Lash –...

We’ve been overhauling a couple of #Caterpillar #3408 engines for a marine operator recently, and during the initial inspections, we came across something which could easily lead to engine failure if missed. The engines arrived at Bartech already dismantled, on various pallets, and after visually inspecting the crankcases, we found machining swarf in both units. Although we had been informed all components were within tolerance, as always, we...

Following on from last week’s post about the damage caused by incorrect tooling, I thought it would be good to share one way of overcoming this type of problem. We’re currently in the process of overhauling some large conrods, but when we came to replace the small end bushes, the tool wasn’t available from the vessel or even the OEM. Thanks to our experience in major overhauls, our Senior Machinist was able to design and manufacture this tool...