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enginemanagement(http://www.knowyourparts.com/technicalarticles/system/engine/)>TypesofEngineBearingDamage

TypesofEngineBearingDamage
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Figure1:Overplatedcopperalloy
bearinggougedbycastirondebris.
Insetphotoshowsthemicroscopic
detailofthegouges.
Enginebearingsbothreducefriction
betweentherotatingpartofthe
engineandthestationarypartand
supportthecrank.Thebearing
materialmustbeextremelystrongbecauseofthestressescausedbythe
explosionsinsidetheinternalcombustionengine.Reducingfrictionis
accomplishedinpartbythefactthatdissimilarmetalsslideagainsteachother
withlessfrictionandwearthansimilarmaterialswill.

Figure2:Babbittbearingembedded
withmachiningdebris.Theinset
photoshowsmicroscopicdetailof
thedebris.
Soanalloybearingmaterialdoesa
muchbetterjobofkeepingasteel
crankshaftmovingthanasteelor
castironbearingdoes.
Althoughthematerialitselfmaygivetheenginebearingsomefriction
reducingproperties,itsperformanceisenhancedbyalubricantbetweenthe
movingandstationarysurfaces.Anotherofthebearingsdutiesistoestablish
andmaintainafilmofoil.
Thebearingsusuallydoaverygoodjobatkeepingthemovingpartsmoving
however,whenabearingfails,theresultscanbecatastrophic.

Figure3:Thisaluminumbearing
wasdamagedbyembedmentof
glassbeads.Thisphotoshowsthe
extentofthedamage.
Evenwhentheyfail,itsusuallynot
thebearingsfault.Withabitof
investigation,anenginespecialistortechniciancandiscoverandeliminate
oneofliterallydozensofreasonsforprematurewearorfailure.

DirtorDebris
Debris,suchasdirtordust,cancausesignificantdamagetoabearing
surface.
Ifitsinthelubricationsystem,dirtwillusuallyleavecircumferentialscratches
andwilloftenremainlodgedinthebearingssurface.

Figure4:Foreignparticlesinthebearingliningmaybetheresultofimproper
cleaningorafailuretoreplacethefilterandmayincluderoaddirtandsand.
Besuretoalwaysflushthelubrication
systemthoroughlybefore
reassemblinganenginetoavoid
enginebearingdamage.
Anotherwaydirtcanplayhavocisif
theenginecomponentsarent
completelyclean.Aforeignparticle
trappedbetweenthebearingbackand
thehousingwillcausearaisedareain
thebearing.
Thislittlehumpcanleadtocontactbetweenthebearingandthecrank
journal.Youshouldalwaysensurethebearingsareinstalledinclean
surfaces.

InsufficientLubrication
Acompletelackoflubricationinthecrankcaseusuallyleadstoseizureofthe
bearingandtotalfailureoftheengine.But,expertssayamorefrequentissue
regardinglubricationissimplyinadequateoiling.Theabsenceofaproperoil
filmwillresultinmetaltometalcontact,occasionallytojustonebearingor
oftentoanumberofthem.

Figure5:Lubricationisvital.This
showstheresultofadrystart.The
bearingsontheleft,furthestfrom
theoilpumphavethemostwear.
Whenthebearingisdamagedbyoil
starvation,youllfindaveryshiny
surfaceandevidenceofwiping.
Remember,thefailureoftheoilfilm
canbeseeninavarietyofwaysonthebearings.Checkonsuchthingsas
blockedoilpassages,amalfunctioningoilpump,improperbearingselection
orinstallation,oilsealfailures,fueldilution(oftencausedbyblowbyoffuel
andairpastthepistonrings)orfoamingoraeration,caused,ironically,byan
overfilledcrankshaft.

Misassembly
Sometimes,failuresaretheresultofsimpleinstallationerrors.Forexample,if
abearinghalfwithoutanoilholeisimproperlyputintoapositionwherethe
holeisneeded,thatjournalwillreceivenolubrication.

Figure6:Lowoilsupplyoroil
starvationdoesntjustsoundbad,it
doesbadthingsinsidetheengine.
Othertypesofassemblyerrorsmay
alsobeseen.Ifaconnectingrodor
mainbearingcapisinstalledinthe
wrongposition,orabearingisntset
intoplacesecurely,lubricationwill
beinsufficientandcausefailure.
Carefulinstallationproceduresare,ofcourse,criticalineveryaspectof
enginebuildingcarelesserrorsarealwaysexpensive.

BearingCrush
Thetermcrushreferstotheoutwardforcecreatedbytheportionofthe
bearingthatextendsabovethehousingborewhenthebearinghalvesareset
intoplace.Thisextramaterialholdstheoutsidediameterofthebearings
firmlyagainstthehousingborewhentheassemblyistorquedtospecification.
Byincreasingthesurfacecontactbetweenthebearingandconnectingrod
housingbore,crushminimizesbearingmovement,helpstocompensatefor
boredistortionandaidsinheattransfer.

Figure7:Toorichamixtureorblowby
pastthepistonringcanleadtodilution
oftheoil.Thisdamagecanbeseen
here.
Insimpleterms,bearingcrushiswhat
holdsthebearinginplace.Thinkofit
asputting10poundsofsomethinginto
afivepoundbag.Thetangorlocator
tabontheshellthatfitsthesaddleis
onlyforlocatingthebearingduring
assembly.
Whencrushiscorrect,slightlyellipticalbearingshellsconformtoaperfect
circlewhentheyretorquedintoplace.Inthisway,thecrankshaftrotates
properly.
However,whenthereisexcessivecrush,theadditionalcompressiveforce
causesthebearingtobulgeinwardatthepartinglinescausingsidepinch.
Excessivecrushmaybetheresultofanattempttoreduceoilconsumptionby
filingdownthebearingcap,assemblingthebearingcapstootightlybyover
torquingthefastenersor,insomecases,usingtoofewshims.
Insufficientcrush,ontheotherhand,willresultinbearingsthatarenotheld
securelyinthebore,andremainfreetomovebackandforthwithinthe
housing.

Figure8:Excessivewearseennear
thepartinglinesofupperandlower
shellswascausedbybearingcap
shift.Thisresultsinmetaltometal
contactandexcessivepressure
causingdeterioration.
Becausecontactbetweenthebearingbackandhousingboreisnecessaryfor
cooling,thisconditionmeansheattransferawayfromthebearingisimpeded,
resultinginoverheatinganddeteriorationofthebearingsurface.
Insufficientcrushmaybecausedbytheimproperattempttoachieveabetter
fitbyfilingthepartingfaces,bydirtorburrsholdingthebearingcapsopen,
improperlytorquingthefastenersduringinstallation,improperlysizingthe
housingboreor(ifneeded)usingtoomanyshimsintheassemblyprocess.

Figure9:Filletrideoccursiftheradiusofthefillet
inthecornerofeachcrankjournalislargerthan
needed.Theedgesofthebearingcanthenride
onthosefilletsratherthanfittingneatlybetween
them.

OtherCluestoBearingFailure
Shinyareaswillbeseenonthebackofthebearing
duetoitsrubbingbackandforth.Insomecases,
discolorationmaybeseenwhereoilhasworkedits
waybetweenthetwosurfacesandburned.

Overloadingmaybecausedbyvehicleoperatorerror.Excessiveidlingcanresultin
anoilfilmthatcantsupporttheloadneeded.

Engineluggingcandistortthecrankcaseand/orcrankshaft,affectingthe
connectingrodand/ormainbearings.

Hotrodding,orforcingexcessiveloads,cansimilarlyaffectthebearings.Engine
tuningandoperatingconditionsshouldalwaysbefollowedandappropriatebearing
materialschosenfortheapplication.

Avehiclethatleaksoilhasitsshareofissues.But,somevehicleownerswho
havecarsortrucksthatdonotleakoilareinanevenmorepotentiallyserious
situation.Atleasttheleakerletsyouknowitneedsoiladdednowandthen,
withfreshoilmaintainingitslevels.
Theenginethatseemstobeleakfreecanbeoverlooked,yetafteracertain
amountoftime,theoilbeginstodegrade.Theacidsintheoilthenattackthe
bearingsurface.
 Properselectionofbearingswillgoalongwaytowardasuccessfulengine
build.Andcheckingassembledbearingclearancestomakesurethebearings
arenottootightortoolooseshouldalwaysbedoneasafinalchecktomake
sureoilclearancesarewithinthedesiredrangefortheengine.

Figure10:Whenthereisexcessivecrush,
theadditionalcompressiveforcecauses
thebearingtobulgeinwardattheparting
linescausingsidepinch.
Attentiontothemachiningandmaterial
selectionprocessesatthefrontend
shouldhelpreducethechanceofbearing
failuredowntheroad.Butshouldthose
mysteriousbearingfailuresoccur,you
shouldeasilybeabletofindthecause.

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