Identification and Analysis

of Bearing & Accessory

Failure
 Cause
 Complete loss of lubrication
 Insufficient lubrication
 Vibration
 Impact forces
 Failure with normal lubrication and cooling
 Complete Loss of Lubrication

Identifying characteristics/evidences
 Failed bearing display a burned, charred or
melted appearance
 Rolling elements usually flattened from
skidding and may be fused together
 Bearing races severely gouged, charred
and distorted
 Due to extreme temperature and melting of
metal rolling elements and races may be
ash-like appearance, lost their shiny
appearance
 Complete Loss of Lubrication

Cause
 Restriction of oil line or oil jet
 Broken hoses, lines or oil jet
 Component failure
 Failure to service oil before flight
 Failure Due to Insufficient
Lubrication
Not enough oil flow to the bearing or running
in hot oil with insufficient cooling
Identifying Characteristics/evidences
 Metal will begin to smear and possibly
transfer from one area to another
 Bearing components tends to retain their
original gloss and appear to be oil-wetted
 Show overheat by blue discoloration with
dark blue or black indicating higher
temperature
 Failure Due to Insufficient
Lubrication
Cause
 Partial restriction of oil flow to a bearing
 Partial restriction or misalignment of oil jet
 Fuel/oil dilution
 System component failure where bearing
cooling is affected
 Failure from Vibration
Vibration originating from a source other then the
bearing
Identifying Characteristics/evidences
 In severe vibration, the balls, rollers or races can
fracture instantaneously showing little or no
frictional overheating and discoloration
 In mild vibration, bearing rolling elements are
subjected to continuous hammering, as a result
rolling elements changed their shape gradually.
Failure usually accompanied by overheating and
discoloration.
 Failure from Impact Forces
Identifying Characteristics/evidences
 Balls/rollers and bearing races are fractured
or completely shattered
 All areas of failure are seen as clean, new,
instantaneous type of failure
 No sign of progressive failure
 Failure with Normal Lubrication
and Cooling
This includes misalignment, skidding, race rotation,
magnetization, fatigue pitting and corrosion pitting
Misalignment
 Misalignment during installation causes
overloading/improper loading
 Caused metal transfer or cocked ball-path on the
bearing races
 End wear on rollers and roller cage wear
 Failure with Normal Lubrication
and Cooling
Skidding
 Rolling element not rolling properly
 Caused due to foreign object trapped between the
rolling elements and the race or due to improper
use of throttle or design deficiency allowing
bearing to skid upon rapid acceleration
 Effect is galling and flattening of rolling element
 Failure with Normal Lubrication and
Cooling
Race rotation
 Inner race rotation with the shaft, outer race
rotation with the housing
 Caused by improper installation. Some bearing has
key lock build in which prevents the mechanic
from installing it incorrectly
 Inner race rotation can build up heat on the shaft
making it more ductile and also cause shaft failure
 Reduces bearing integrity
Failure with Normal Lubrication and
Cooling
Magnetization
 Caused by normal operation with production of static
electricity
 Becomes a magnet and picks up ferrous metal
 Effect is skidding, galling and flattening of rolling elements
Brinelling
 True brinelling —leaves and imprint of bearing area on the
race and the dent radius corresponds with the roller or ball
radius. Caused by hard shocked, impact with terrain or
improper installation
 False brinelling —result from low cycle vibration, cause
wear of rolling element or races and may result wavy
surfaces of the races
Failure with Normal Lubrication and
Cooling
Fatigue pitting
 Fatigue pit are cavities on the riding surfaces of bearing
rolling element and races
 Caused due to surface and sub-surface defects,
maintenance malpractice, operational loading and metal
impurities
Corrosion pitting
 Highly finished surfaces of bearing metals are susceptible
to corrosive attack.
 Caused due to moisture, acids or other agents, lack of
protective oil, improper handling, prolong improper
storage
 Surface affected will be etched or pitted, may become
radish brown color