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We've talked about piston failure before, but there are many different ways pistons can fail.
Issues with your pistons can lead to unwanted downtime and expense. We know how frustrating this can be, and we're here to help you get to the bottom of it.
To get the right fix, though, you need to make sure you're finding the right problem. You need to identify which part of the piston is failing.
This includes investigating the piston skirt to see if they're part of the failure.
But what can cause damage to the piston skirt? What can you do to help fix the damage if it happens? This failure analysis will take you through possible failure modes to help you stop this damage from happening again.
Causes of Piston Skirt Damage
There are several things that might lead to a piston skirt failure. It's important to properly diagnose the problem to ensure you are getting the right solution.
Some causes of failure might include:
Upside Down Piston Skirt
In some cases, you might find that the piston skirt in the liner is upside down. You'll also likely find broken bolts in the piston pin in these situations.
This type of failure is due to assembly error.
When installed upside down on the pistons, the skirt can make contact with the crankshaft throws. This in turn places excessive loads on the connecting rod retaining bolts and causes them to fracture.
Scuffing on the Piston Skirt From Low Coolant Levels
Sometimes you might notice scuffing on the piston skirts when you remove them.
This might be light scuffing on the major thrust side of the skirt, a few scratches on the minor side, or you might have heavy scuffing all around the outside of the piston.
The exterior is not the only place you might see some scuffs. You can also have scuffing inside the liner.
When you look inside, there can be scuffing all around the upper half of the liner and the quarter point on the lower half.
In many cases, the cause of the scuffs is the same: this damage is likely due to overheating. This type of failure points to low coolant levels as the source.
Highway & Heavy Parts Can Help With Your Piston Failures
It's important to remember that piston skirts aren't the only part of the piston that can fail. Other components that are associated with your pistons might be causing you problems, too.
If you need help diagnosing piston issues in your diesel engine, give us a call! Our ASE Certified Technicians and the other experts on our team can help you work through the problem and make sure you're getting the parts you need to get the repair done right.
We have a huge inventory of parts to ensure you get the right fit for your diesel engine.
It's our mission to help take the risk out of buying diesel engine parts. From diagnosis through delivery, we're Highway & Heavy Parts!
Related Articles:
GUIDELINES FOR INSTALLING A DIESEL ENGINE CYLINDER HEAD & COMMON MISTAKES
THE EVOLUTION OF CATERPILLAR PISTONS
4 SIGNS YOU NEED TO REPLACE YOUR DIESEL ENGINE CYLINDER HEAD AND CAUSES
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