What if water gets into our engine? 1

[SilvFer]

Hi dear friends, I hope you can help me in this situation.

My company has a fire pump where his driver is a diesel engine, the problem is that the rain water gets into our engine for the muffler. We don´t start the engine because we don't know what consecuences could happen.

 

[BrianPetersen]

Rain water is getting into the engine through the muffler?

Really bad things could happen if enough water gets into the engine. It can cause something called "hydrolock" or "hydraulic lock". It's worse if it happens on the intake side, but it can be bad enough on the exhaust side.

Presumably you are looking for options. There are plenty.

Orient the exhaust outlet downward and below the level of the exhaust manifold.
If the exhaust outlet has to go up through the ceiling, put a rain cap on top of it. Or, have the pipe go straight up for whatever appropriate distance, then install a 180 degree bend and have the outlet face down.
Design an intentional low spot in the exhaust system between the engine and the exhaust outlet, and put a tiny drain hole at the bottom of that low spot. Yes, a tiny bit of exhaust will leak out when the engine is running.

 

[dicksewerrat]

You should take the engine in for a major overhaul. the build an open sided bldg. over it to protect it.
It won't do any good as a broken machine.

Richard A. Cornelius, P.E.

http://WWW.amlinereast.com

 

[catserveng]

So you THINK you may have water in the engine? The usual step is to remove the injectors, bar the engine over at least two complete turns by hand, if no water present, bump it over with the starter, if water vapor comes out you will need to do a further inspection, something like a borescope inspection or a cylinder leakdown test, the engine manufacturer or dealer probably has guidelines to help.

As for your exhaust system installation, most major manufacturers have specific installation guidelines for engines, there are plenty of acceptable solutions to deal with preventing water entry.

Depending on where you are, you may have air pollution regulations to deal with, in some areas I work all diesel engine exhaust stacks must discharge vertically, even standby generators and fire pumps.

Hope that helps, MikeL.

 

[Parchie]

On the first place, your fire pump location should be chosen properly. You don't want to be in a situation where you have a fire growing in your building and you don't have a fire pump because it's waterlogged.

 

[crshears]

Following up on what catserveng said, all of my employer's Diesel generator stacks are equipped with counterweighted hinged cover with a "lid" just heavy enough to fall closed under its own weight; the positive exhaust manifold pressure easily pushes it open as soon as the engine fires.

I can't imagine such a cover would be all that expensive, plus it would prevent expensive damage to such a degree that its cost could be considered trivial.

CR

"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." [Proverbs 27:17, NIV]

 

[btrueblood]

Most of the older caterpillar tractors in my area growing up (Seattle, where it rains a lot) had empty 5-lb cofee cans up-ended and placed on the engine stacks. They were heavy enough not to blow off, and light enough to stay put at full rpm's. When they eventually rusted through, they would be replaced.

 

[dicksewerrat]

But where can you get metal coffee cans? You must be as old as I am.

Richard A. Cornelius, P.E.

http://WWW.amlinereast.com

 

[catserveng]

Here is a good example from a reputable company I have used in the past,

http://www.gtexhaust.com/accraincaps.shtml

MikeL.

 

[waross]

The Cats that I remember had the cans on the exhaust removed before starting and replaced before leaving for the night. Anyone forgeting to remove the can before starting would be out looking for it.

Bill
--------------------
"Why not the best?"
Jimmy Carter

 

[catserveng]

Well Bill,

CAT actually sells raincaps now, I guess the steel coffee can going extinct provided a new business opportunity!

I did go to a site in Hawaii last year that tried to use a 5 gallon plastic bucket, worked great until the engine started, funny, instead of blowing off it jumped around on the top of the exhaust pipe until it got hot then melted, then what was left made a nice smokey stinky fire. The local fire captain was less than pleased, especially since the owner had in hand a proposal for a nice new shiny stainless steel raincap, I guess the callout for the fire department was more than the $250 for the raincap.

Ah, for the old days!

MikeL.

 

[waross]

My preference for rain protection is a 45 degree exit angle with about a 55 degree undercut. You have no worries about a pivot seizing up due to corrosion.

Bill
--------------------
"Why not the best?"
Jimmy Carter