De pain de pain.. Generator retires. 4

[itsmoked]

Remember the generator/regulator issue you guys assisted me with a couple of weeks ago? Well, once that generator was shipshape they just parked it on a siding and continued using the Head End Power (H.E.P.) from a 250kW generator mounted transversely in the rear of the F unit (a 'covered wagon' style engine). Well, they did until today anyway. LOL.

With the train waiting for passengers to cue-up for loading the generator was heard to go to full throttle for about 1 second then come off all throttle for about 1 second, repeating this four times before automatically shutting down. Before staff could take five steps in its direction, oil and antifreeze began pouring out of the H.E.P. end of the F unit.

Inspection revealed:

[highlight #FCAF3E]The white stuff is fire department anti-hazmat absorbent.[/highlight]

[highlight #FCAF3E]How about that lump![/highlight]

[highlight #FCAF3E]I'm pretty amazed a quarter of the piston was actually able to claw its way out of the block.[/highlight]

How about some speculation on what caused this. I believe the load was about 90kW at failure.

Why exactly would a piston get so pissed off as to leave the party sideways?

I didn't have time to gander long so I failed to get the engine type. I'm thinking it's a Marathon tail-end? Anyone know what make engine that is?

Luckily the power car we all fixed was ready. They detoured to the yard 5 minutes away and picked it up and were back in business about 15 minutes later.

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[MikeHalloran]

Coolant in the sump is not a good sign, but maybe it could be just from a fractured wet liner.


My friend Leslie used to drive a beat-up '56 Chevy wagon, way back when it was not a terribly old car, but he was not the first owner, or the second, and probably not the third.

One night he limped into a service area on the NY Thruway with the engine running irregularly. It was way back when they actually did service at service areas, and there was a mechanic on duty and not otherwise engaged.

They pulled the head and discovered one of the pistons had gone off to see God, so they dropped the pan, cleaned up the mess, and ordered a replacement piston.
This was way back when you could call an auto parts store in the middle of the night and get a part delivered, in the middle of the night, to a remote location like a service area.

While the head was off, they noticed one of the other pistons had screw heads in it, so while they were waiting for the new piston, they pulled that piston too.

The screws were holding an aluminum top on a piston that was otherwise made completely out of wood. Since it had not failed in any noticeable way, and Leslie was on a budget, they put it back in. It was still in there when he sold the car after graduation.


After Leslie's experience, I am not inclined to write an engine off just because of a few little problems.


Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[itsmoked]

HAHaa; Freaken that beats - all!

Had a mechanic boss at a cement company. He had a 55 Chevy completely tricked-out for road racing. It had every suspension gizmo of the age and by road-racing I mean he had the 327 engine mounted just behind the front seats. He went screaming up the Coast Highway from Santa Cruz to Half Moon Bay. Just as he got there he got a bad rod knock.

He always carried his tools and pulled into an empty lot and dropped his oil pan to see what was going on. He found a rod with a bad bearing and it being Sunday decided to just pull that rod and piston and limp home. As he went to put the pan back on about 6pm he realized he'd spilled most of the oil in the field. So with the engine reassembled but lacking oil he went into the only place that was open, a laundromat. Casting about he decided to use laundry soap which he mixed with water and the remaining oil until it was up to the dipstick mark. He was able to return home keeping it under 25 for the 30 miles on that slurry of gunk.

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[JohnMcNutt]

Find the model of the failed engine and post this over on Heavy Equipment Forums. They will have somebody who knows this engine and has seen this happen before.

 

[itsmoked]

Thanks John.
I'll be visiting that site in the next few days and will try to follow thru on your suggestion.

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com