Dr. Dmitri Kopeliovich (Research Development （Dmitri Kopeliovich博士(研发）.pdf

Engine bearing failures and how to avoid them Dr. Dmitri Kopeliovich (Research Development Manager, King Engine Bearings) Most engine bearing failures are caused by one of two factors: - Mixed lubrication with direct metal-to-metal contact between the bearing and crankshaft surfaces; - Fatigue of the bearing material. 1. Bearing failures due to metal-to-metal contact Mixed lubrication is one of the main causes of engine bearing failures. Metal-to-metal contact may appear in the following forms of bearing wear: • Accelerated wear: is when the bearing is not overheated and only a shiny appearance of the bearing surface is observed. • Wiping or heavy wear: this appears in the form of overheating and partial melting of the overlay (the left part of the Fig.1). • Severe wear or Hot Short: it results in torn surfaces, severe overheating, melted overlay and lining material (right part of the Fig.1). Fig.1 Metal-to-metal contact Causes of mixed lubrication and the methods of solving the problem are presented in the table below: Bearing failures due to metal-to-metal contact Cause Solution Check oil supply system (e.g. clean clogged oil Insufficient oil supply (oil starvation) passages ,insufficient clearance, etc) Breaking the oil film (due to oil contamination or Change bearing material (tri-metal instead of bi-metal) bearing material fatigue) or solve overloading problem Misalignment (e.g. out-of-shape grinding, distorted Correct deficient machining, fix/replace distorted parts co