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...

We were recently on a customer’s site to carry out the 2-year service and injector change on an MTU 12V1163 standby generator and found a couple of issues which had put the engine at risk, yet were very simple to prevent. After the engine was isolated, we removed the rocker covers and injector pipework to allow for the injectors to be taken out. Once the injectors were removed, the injector pockets were found to be in good condition and the new...

During a recent job, we realised that the cylinders on the engine had been misidentified. It reminded me of a much more serious problem we’ve seen before, which you can see in the picture below. All this was as a result of the A-bank pistons being fitted in the B-bank and vice versa. Not only is it critical to return the pistons to the correct bank of the engine, but when it comes to communicating, resolving and recording engine information, it...

Last week we got a call from an operator facing some major downtime issues, the situation provided a good example of how well-managed strategies can prevent these emergencies. The engine drives a safety-critical pump, and when a fuel pipe failed, they were looking at shutting down the site. I’m sure you have reviewed critical spares holdings and from my experience, there are usually plenty of discussions between technical, operational and...