DEFECTS READING FROM INDICATOR DIAGRAM

Explain the following defects on the indicator diagrams and the engine itself. Use diagrammatic sketches as
necessary.
(a) Early Fuel Injection (b) Late Fuel Injection (c) Choked Exhaust Port
(d) Choked Inlet Port
(e) Choke Fuel Valve
( f) Leaky fuel valve
(g) After Burning
(h) Leaky Piston Ring
(i) Incorrect tappet clearance
(k) Carbon encrusted Nozzle
Early injection ( or ) Early Ignition

Detection:

It can be detected by taking power card and draw card.

Power card shows peak pressure is higher than normal.
Draw card shows more clearly start of injection and ignition occur before TDC.
Low expansion line indicate in diagram

Symptoms:

Exhaust temperature lower than normal

Engine running with knocking sound and vibration ,
due to heavy shock load to bearings being ignition occurs before TDC

Causes:

Incorrect fuel pump timing or wrong VIT setting

Incorrect fuel valve setting or spring broken
Poor fuel condition ( High Cetane No. )
Incorrect fuel temperature and viscosity control.

Effect to

Overheating parts within cylinder

Scavenge fire
Running gears and bearings may damage due to shock load transmission and vibration.
Engine power increase according to increasing of thermal efficiency

Remedy

Correct fuel pump timing

Inspect fuel valve and pressure test
Correct fuel temperature and viscosity control.
Correct cooling temperature of working parts.

Cho Myint
First Engineer
M.F.S.L

DEFECTS READING FROM INDICATOR DIAGRAM

Late Injection ( or ) Late Ignition

Detection:

It can be detected by taking power card and draw card.

Power card shows decrease in high of peak pressure than normal.
Draw card shows more clearly low peak pressure than normal,
slight dip in compression line before fuel injection begins and ignition start well after TDC.

Symptoms:

High exhaust temperature with black smoke emission

Pulsation in exhaust manifold due to high exhaust pressure.

Causes by

In correct fuel pump timing , worn or defective fuel pumps internal parts
Faulty fuel valve ( High setting pressure )
Incorrect fuel viscosity and temperature control ( Too Low )
Bad fuel condition ( Low Cetane No. )
Poor compression
Lack of scavenge air
Excess chain slackness
Under cooling of engine parts.

Effect to

Reduce engine power out put

Reduce Turbocharger efficiency and cause surging
Fouling of exhaust system which may lead to uptake fire
After burning effect which may lead to exhaust valve burning
High temperature in liner which may lead to defect cylinder lubrication.
Engine power decrease due to decreasing of thermal efficiency

Remedy

Correct fuel pump timing and overhaul fuel pump.

Inspect fuel valve and pressure test
Correct fuel temperature and viscosity control
Maintain correct cooling temperature
Inspect chain slackness & readjust as necessary.
Keep correct maintenance & cleaning to charge air cooler , scavenge space and exhaust
system

Cho Myint
First Engineer
M.F.S.L

DEFECTS READING FROM INDICATOR DIAGRAM

Choked Exhaust Port ( Late Timing )

Detection:

It can be detected by light spring card.

It shows exht. pressure does not falls rapidly as normal and prevent blow down of exhaust gas

Symptoms

High exhaust temperature and heavy smoke emission with soot coming out .
High temperature to internal working parts.
Turbocharger r.p.m reduce and surging

Caused by

Incorrect tappet clearance

Faulty fuel injection system
Lack of scavenge air
Excess cylinder lubrication
Exhaust system fouling
Cam clearance too much for uni-flow type engine.

Effect to

Engine blow pass which may lead to scavenge fire.

Decrease engine power output.

Remedy

Correction of tappet clearance

Correct fuel timing and good fuel injection
Correct cylinder lubrication
Keep good cleanliness of scavenge space , turbocharger and exhaust grid
Soot cleaning of exhaust gas boiler and uptake

Choked Inlet Port ( Loss of Scavenge Air )

Detection

It can be detected by taking light spring card.

It shows insufficient pressure of scavenge air entering than normal.

Symptoms

High exhaust temperature and black smoke emission.

Engine speed can not increase normal
Knocking sound may occur in some case.

Cause by

Inlet scavenge ports fouling with incomplete combustion products

Obstruction may have inlet air manifold.
Improper cleaning of scavenge spaces
Air cooler fouling
Turbocharger fouling at blower side .ect.

Effect

Due to starvation of air , engine can not perform with complete combustion. In correct air & fuel
ratio may cause engine running unbalance and decrease engine power out
Due to incomplete combustion products , internal corrosion of engine parts , ring sticking ,
contamination ..may occur.

Remedy

Correct maintenance and cleaning of Turbocharger including water washing

Regular cleaning Air cooler , Scavenge spaces and inlet ports
Cho Myint
First Engineer
M.F.S.L

DEFECTS READING FROM INDICATOR DIAGRAM

Incorrect Tappet Clearance

Detection

- By taking light spring card

- By checking tappet clearance while in port

Symptom

- Hearing noise of tappet

- Exhaust and inlet air abnormal
- Dump sound in air inlet manifold for normally aspirated engine

Caused by

- Irregular maintenance check to engine

- Excess wear and tare of the followings being caused by starvation of L.O
- Rocker arm bush
- Pin ball at rocker arm
- Cup at push rod
- Valve seat and guide for exhaust and suction valve
- Broken spring..

Effect to

- Incorrect timing of opening and closing to inlet and exhaust valve.

- Early opening of inlet valve may cause low scavenge efficiency , high scavenge space temperature
and choke to suction valve.
- Late opening of inlet valve may cause low scavenge efficiency , remain exhaust gas , lack of fresh
air for combustion lead to poor combustion and black smoke .
- Early opening of exhaust valve may cause loss of power since pressure is released too soon. It will
give high exhaust temperature with the risk of overheating and contamination.
- Late opening of exhaust valve will increase thermal load , overheat in unit , reduce scavenge air
efficiently by reducing blow down. It will also effect energy supply to turbocharger.

Remedy
- Always check and readjusted tappet clearance according to recommended R.H
- Always check and regulate the necessity of L.O for rocker arm , valves and tappet mechanism.
Leaky Piston Ring

Detection:

By taking Compression card , Power card & Draw card without fuel supply.
Measure compression pressure and compare to other unit.

Symptom

High exhaust temperature with smoke.

All units exhaust temperature not steady

Caused by

Excess liner wear and tare

Excess wear of piston rings and ring grooves
Piston ring jamming or sticking due to carbon deposit

Effect to

Engine blow pass

Scavenge fire
High rate of cylinder wear being insufficient lubrication due to blow pass
Piston and liner overheat and may cause seizure.

Remedy

- Overhaul unit ( Clean & measure Liner calibration , Piston Groove , Piston Ring width
thickness
Gap , Ring to groove clearance )
- Renew excess limited parts.
- Measure cylinder lubricating rate and correct as necessary
- Avoid running overload.
Cho Myint
First Engineer
M.F.S.L

DEFECTS READING FROM INDICATOR DIAGRAM

After Burning

Detection

By taking Power card and Draw card.

Rise expansion line indicate after burning condition during the expansion stroke .

Symptoms

Exhaust temperature higher than normal

Emission of smoky exhaust
Turbocharger surging

Caused by

Incorrect fuel pump timing

Leaky fuel valve

Effect to

Exhaust valve burning

Fouling the exhaust gas system and lead to uptake fire
Burning of piston crown
Corrosion of liner and piston rings due to burning away of lubricating oil film being internal parts
overheating.

Remedy

Change fuel valve

Correct fuel pump timing
Maintain correct cooling temperature

Leaky Fuel Valve

Detection
`

By taking Power card and Draw card

It show the fluctuation of pressure during expansion process due to after burning of leaky fuel.

Symptoms

High exhaust temperature with black smoke emission.

Knock of pressure wave in the fuel injection system.

Caused by

Incorrect opening pressure setting of fuel valve. ( Too Low or Spring Broken )
Partial opening of fuel valve by small debris at needle valve and forming carbon deposit by back
pressure hot gas from combustion.

Effect to

After burning
Produce incomplete combustion products
Fouling at inlet and exhaust ports
Reduce Turbocharger efficiency
Carbon encrusted nozzle

Remedy

Inspect fuel valve , overhaul and pressure test , Change if necessary.

Maintain correct fuel temperature
Keep good fuel valve cooling temperature
Keep good fuel purification and separation
Cho Myint
First Engineer
M.F.S.L

DEFECTS READING FROM INDICATOR DIAGRAM

Choke Fuel Valve ( or ) Choke H.P Filter

Detection:

By taking Power card & Draw card.

It show irregularities at the peak of the diagrams.

Symptoms
`

Lower exhaust temperature than normal

Hammering of high pressure pipe between fuel pump and injector.
Engine speed not steady.

Caused by

Small debris choke at fuel atomizer holes or high pressure filter.

Leaky fuel valve receiving hot gas being blow back pressure from combustion process and
forming carbon deposits.
Sticking of fuel valve being overheating.

Effect to

Engine running with unbalance output

Reduce engine power output

Remedy

Inspect fuel valve , overhaul & pressure test

Change fuel valve if necessary
Clean all filter and strainers in F.O system.
Maintain efficient fuel separation
Maintain good fuel valve cooling.

Carbon Encrusted Nozzle.

Detection

- By taking of Power card & Draw card

- Can roughly determine form improper curve of combustion line due to poor fuel atomization and
spray pattern.
- It is usually seen in engines using high viscosity fuel.

Symptom

- Due to poor combustion , smoky exhaust with high temperature and increased fuel consumption.

Caused by

- By the construction of a nozzle , there is a small space between valve seat and space holes ,
called
sac. After injecting fuel , the sec contain fuel is overheated by blow back of combustion gas, and
forming carbon around the holes. This trouble is caused by high fuel valve cooling temperature.
-The secondary cause is poor closing of fuel valve , i.e , sluggish shut off , and fuel dribble.
If secondary cause is present with the first , serious combustion problem may arise.
The formation of carbon gradually built up and interfere spray pattern and atomization.

Remedy

- Fuel injectors to be cleaned and pressure test in regular interval.

- Change with overhaul spares at rated running hour
- Fuel valve cooling system to be perfect.
- Always maintain fuel valve cooling rated temperature.
- Cleaning and upgrading of F.O to be care (sedimentation , filtration , purification and
chemical treatment process )
- Keep correct temperature and viscosity of fuel oil .

4
5

Cho Myint
First Engineer
M.F.S.L

DEFECTS READING FROM INDICATOR DIAGRAM

Cho Myint
First Engineer
M.F.S.L