40
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November - December 2014
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www.machinerylubrication.com
By eLiz aBeth neLson, anaLysts inc.
Almost everyone knows how important a properly
maintained lubrication system is to optimum engine
health, but what most people don't understand is that
engine coolant and the cooling system are just as critical to engine
design, maintenance and optimum performance.
The demands of today's Tier-4 engines have dramatically
changed cooling system design and coolant formulation. These
heavy-duty diesel engines produce a tremendous
amount of power from a relatively small package,
placing greater demands on the cooling system to
absorb heat transferred from the engine, transmis-
sion and hydraulic fluids. At the same time, cooling
systems have become smaller and operate at higher
temperatures, pressures and flow rates, making
efficient heat removal and
adequate metal protection
even more challenging.
While oil analysis is an
invaluable condition monitoring
tool, it tells you very little about
what is happening inside the cooling system.
Coolant analysis provides the rest of the
story by pinpointing coolant and cooling
system issues that can lead to premature
engine failure.
Cooling System Criticality
An estimated 50 percent of all engine fail-
ures are associated with problems in the
cooling system. Once initiated, these prob-
lems can spread through the lubrication,
hydraulic and transmission systems,
damaging components, causing scale, clog-
ging passages and forming deposits. Yet the
cooling system is the least understood and
most neglected of these systems.
Cooling system problems can potentially
reduce the life of components within all
machinery, which makes maintenance of
these systems essential for achieving
optimum machine performance and
longevity. Coolant analysis takes the guess-
work out of maintaining these systems.
MAINTENANCE AND RELIABILITY
Preventing Premature
Engine Failure
with Coolant Analysis