Figure 1. Main Journal

Figure 2. Rod Journal

Spectrographic Analysis provides early warning of a Diesel Engine failure. These are pictures of a failed diesel engine from a mobile Link Belt 240LX excavator that is used in mining operations. This equipment has been monitored by Trico’s Used Oil Analysis program for 5 months.

Figure 3. Main Bearing

Figure 4. Cylinder Liner

Figure 5. Piston

Figure 6. Rod Bearing

During the month of November, elemental analysis revealed a drastic increase in the wear metal concentrations.

Inspection of this engine  identified severe damage applied to several of the components in this unit. The wear is depicted in these photos. Elevated contaminant levels indicated a problem (illustrated in red). Inspection revealed one filter loaded and the other collapsed due to excessive amounts of dirt contamination. The timely identification of this failure mode minimized the repair cost to $15,000.00. If not identified, the entire engine would have failed, increasing the cost to an estimated $50,000.

Equipment

Contaminants