Last week I sent out some information about the pain we experienced when our internet provider’s generator failed. (It’s here if you missed it).
Well, one of our MTU trained engineers has just come back from attending another back-up generator issue!
This time the operator reported water coming out of one of the fuel injectors on their MTU 12V4000 engine.
On arrival, our engineer walked around the set and the engine room; it’s amazing how much information can be gathered by this simple process (as long as you know what you’re looking for) and this time was no exception!
The engine is a standby set, so it’s rarely used, in fact, it had been standing unused for 6 months and there was rust running down the side of the otherwise clean engine.
Our engineer removed the rocker cover, high-pressure fuel line and an injector so he could insert the borescope.
As soon as he saw the injector it was clear what had happened.
The engine had previously been drained of coolant and a clean water flush carried out. The water had then been left in the engine to prevent rust and the sealing rings deforming.
The seals on the injector tube had let by and the water had entered the tell-tale hole on the injector causing water to escape the nozzle.
Luckily the set operator had the good sense not to run the engine.
Although this gen-set doesn’t have that many hours and is rarely used, it highlights the importance of a regular maintenance schedule and engine running regime.
