MaintenanceandRepairs

OperatingWithorRealigningaSlippedCrankshaft

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Operation

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Asemibuiltcrankshaftismadeupofforgedcrankthrowswiththemainjournalsshrunkintoholesboredinthecrankwebs.
See:Thesemibuiltcrankshaftand2strokeenginecrankshaft

Theshrinkfitisverycarefullycalculatedsothatthestressesarenothighenoughtocrackthecrankwebortoallowslippageduring
normaloperation.Thecrankshaftjournalwhichistobelocatedinthewebisisbetween1/570and1/660largerthanthediameter
ofthecrankwebboredhole.Thiswillgiveacompressiveloadofabout77MN/m2

Afterthemainjournalisfittedinthecrankweb,witnessmarksaremarkedinjournalandweb.Theseshouldbeinspectedduring
crankcaseinspections.

WitnessMarksonMainJournalandCrankweb

Ifhowever,anexceptionalloadisputonthecrankshaft,forinstanceiftheengineissuddenlystalledwhenrunning,byjammingthe
propellerwhenrunningaground,oriftryingtostarttheenginewithacylinderfullofliquidthenitispossibleforthejournaltoslipin
theweb.Slippagecanalsohappenwhenadisasterwithintheengineoccurs.(forexampleifthebottomendfailsandcomesapart
andtheconrodjamsagainstthecrankpin.)

Thenumberofunitsaffectedwilldependonwhichunittheslippageoccurs,andwhethertheslippageoccursononeortwowebs.
Ifforinstancetheslippageoccursononeweb,closesttothetimingchainsituatedattheaftendoftheenginethenallunitswillbe
affected.Inanotherexample,iftheslippageoccursontheafterwebonNo2unitthenonlyNos1&2unitswillbeaffected.If
bothwebsonaunitslipanevenamount,thenonlythatunitwillbeaffected.

When slippage occurs, the exhaust valve and injection timing will be altered on the affected units. Air start timing will also be
alteredandbecausetheairflowintothecylindersisnowaltered,surgingoftheturbochargermayoccur.Thecrankshaftmayalso
besubjecttovibration,wherenonwasapparentbeforetheslippageoccurred.

Whatshouldbeappreciatedisthatifslippagedoesoccur,themetalatthesurfaceofthejournalandholemaytearandsoreduce
thetightnessoftheshrinkfit.

Ifslippagedoesoccurthentwooptionsareavailable.Iftheslippageissmall(uptoabout5),thenthefuelpumpandexhaust
timingcanbealteredontheaffectedunitsbyhydraulicallyexpandingandrotatingthecamsonthecamshaft.Theairstarttimingwill
beslightlyout,butdependingonthenumberofcylindersintheengine(andthusthesizeoftheairstartoverlap)thisshouldnotbea
problem.Asmentionedtheturbochargermaybeliabletosurgeandcaremustbetakennottooperatetheengineatanyspeed
whereexcessivevibrationoccurs.Theslipmustbemonitoredtoensurethatitdoesnotmove.

Iftheslippageisexcessivethentherearetwochoices.Changethecrankshaftortryandjackitbacktotheoriginalposition.
Thefollowingdescribesthesequenceofoperationtojackaslippedcrankshaftbackintothecorrectposition:

Chillthecrankpinusingliquidnitrogen,dryice(VENTILATION!!).
Thiswilltakeseveralhours.
Mountjackonbattenstopreventlocalisedloadonbedplate.
Warmupthewebusingabroadflame.(UsualPrecautions)
Lockjournalagainstrotation(removebearingshims&tightendown
keep).
Jackwebbackintoposition.

Greatcarehastobetakenovertheoperation.Ifthecrankthrowdoesnot
movebackgraduallyasthepressureisapplied,thenasthejackingpressure
is increased the webs may jump back suddenly and go past the witness
mark,thusslippingthecrankshafttheotherway.Normallyifthisoccursthen
theshrinkfitisdeemedtobedestroyedduetothetearingofthemetal,and
thecrankshaftmustbereplaced.

Thepictureoppositeshowsthejackingprocedureinoperation.Thebottom
end bearing has been removed and the con rod palm is sitting on the
crankpin

SeeCrackedPistonCrownSlippedCrankshaft

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