Service Experience

Small Bore Four-stroke Engines

Contents

Introduction.................................................................................................. 5
Cylinder incidents L16/24 units................................................................... 5
Exhaust gas temperature L16/24................................................................ 6
Valve adjustment procedure L16/24, L21/31, L27/38 ................................. 7
Excessive wear on valve L21/31 and L27/38............................................... 7
Cavitation L21/31 and L27/38.................................................................... 7
Pressure fluctuations in the fuel system L21/31 and L27/38........................ 8
Exhaust gas sensors L21/31...................................................................... 8
Cracked piston L23/30 . ............................................................................ 9
Oval/cracked connecting rod L23/30 and L28/32..................................... 10
Broken gear wheel 9L27/38...................................................................... 11
Liner and ring groove wear L27/38........................................................... 12
Bush for cam follower V28/32S ............................................................... 12
Prolonged Service Interval L23/30............................................................... 14
New roller on valve cam L28/32H............................................................. 15
HFO service experience.............................................................................. 16
Leak oil....................................................................................................... 17
Conclusion.................................................................................................. 17

Service Experience
Small Bore Four-stroke Engines

Introduction
For the small bore four-stroke engines,
considerable know-how is available in
Denmark within the four-stroke organisation at Holeby. The MAN Diesel & Turbo Holeby organisation is the day-today cooperation partner when it comes
to component sales, technical support,
GenSet and engine design, etc.
In the following, we will report about

Design changes:
Improved turbochargers
Pre-heating valve
Retrot clamp/shark n

some of the important findings regarding service experience of small bore

four-stroke engines. Furthermore, we

describe how we have identified and

rectified a number of technical problems on the small bore four-stroke en-

New rotocap
New valve springs
New valve guides
Valve pockets in piston
Camshaft with reduced valve lift

gines in service.
Some engines in service are in need of
updating to be able to perform satisfactorily, and it is necessary to improve

Fig. 1: L16/24: higher safety against sticking valves, i.e. sticking valves will not cause engine breakdown

their condition in order to regain the

trust of the operators.
introduction of the low-lift cam (Mk 2),

Cylinder incidents L16/24 units

we have not experienced valve damage

It is well-known that the L16/24 en-

related to sticking valves in service.

gine has experienced cylinder incidents

over the last years. At the same time,
similar engines have logged 50-80,000
running hours in service and never experienced such problems. The investigation of the incidents revealed that
most cases were related to extremely
low load operation in combination with
fuel of poor ignition properties. Because
the fuel fulfilled the standard, even with
the poor ignition properties, we had to
make some modifications. From the
beginning, the modifications were concentrated on preventing sticking valves,
better charge air preheating, better
turbocharger and adjustment of valve
stem clearance, see Fig. 1.
With the low-lift cam, stronger spring
valve, etc., the risk of collision with the
piston has been eliminated. After the

Service Experience Small Bore Four-stroke Engines

Unfortunately, incorrect valve adjust-

First version of new clamp

ment still resulted in valve bridges getting out of place during operation of
engines. Therefore, we recently introduced a valve bridge guide to align the
rocker arm and valve bridge as a retrofit, see Fig. 2.
For new engines, the solution to prevent
the valve bridge from turning is a socalled shark fin, see Fig. 3.
A new valve clearance procedure has
also been introduced to minimise the
possibility of incorrect adjustment. This
new valve adjusting procedure is common for L16/24, L21/31 and L27/38,
and it was introduced to the operators
with the service letter: SL12-559/MIKA.
To summarise, the Mk 2 package

Cost-optimised version. Price reduced with 25%

launched in the beginning of 2012 comprises:

low-lift cam

insulation of the front-end box top

improved turbochargers

pre-heating valve

retrofit clamp/shark fin

new rotocap

new valve spring

new valve guide

valve pocket in piston.

Fig. 2: L16/24: new rocker arm and self-aligning valve bridge introduced

Exhaust gas temperature L16/24

On some 5L16/24 engines, the exhaust
gas temperature is too high. Generally,
the temperature was acceptable when
the engines were tested at the shop trial
and after cleaning of the turbine side on
board, but the time between necessary
cleaning is unacceptably short, and
many operators are not cleaning efficiently.
The problem has been solved on many
engines by introducing a valve cam with
a longer overlap. The turbocharger has
proven to have better long-term per-

Fig. 3: L16/24: valve arrangement, new serial solution

formance with the longer valve overlap.

Service Experience Small Bore Four-stroke Engines

Our next step is to test different turbocharger characteristics for better part
load performance. This may include
different valve timing and different turbochargers. We expect this will result
in satisfactory cleaning intervals without
increased exhaust gas temperature.

Valve adjustment procedure L16/24,

L21/31, L27/38
Service experience has revealed that,
from time to time, valve clearance adjustment was not done properly or with
the required accuracy. This has largely

Fig. 5: Wear on valve seat (L21/31 and L27/38)

been the case for the L16/24 type engine, but only to a very limited extent

This kind of wear has never been seen

for the L27/38, and very seldom for the

on HFO-running engines or on most

We have implemented these actions on

L21/31 engine.

common diesels. To overcome the

several plants, and subsequent service

For this reason, we simplified the ad-

problem, we are currently testing a new

experience looks promising. However,

justment procedure and safeguarded a

armouring of the valve seats.

we still need more running hours to

correct tightening torque by means of a

Cavitation L21/31 and L27/38

close the topic.

new special tool, see Fig. 4.

Ever stricter requirements on exhaust

Excessive wear on valve L21/31 and

L27/38

gas emissions imply that more ma-

Pressure fluctuations in the fuel system L21/31 and L27/38

rine engines and power plant engines

MGO operation may also lead to pres-

We have experienced heavy wear on

operate on gas oil. Operationally, this

sure fluctuations in the low-pressure

the inlet valve seat for engines running

can have a negative influence on the

fuel system. At the end of each injec-

on low-sulphur diesel, see Fig. 5.

fuel injection equipment. Marine gas

tion, the high pressure is released to the

This observation has been made on a

oil (MGO) has a lower vapour pressure

suction chamber in the fuel pump. On

very small number of engines, but still

than HFO, and the system pressure is

HFO, the viscosity of the fuel absorbs

we have decided to introduce counter-

also lower. This may lead to cavitation,

most of the pressure peak, whereas on

and cavitation on the plunger leads to

MDO/MGO, the pressure peak is trans-

lower capacity of the fuel pumps, with

mitted to the fuel piping.

a lower power output as a possible

This has been experienced on marine

consequence. Cavitation of plugs and

engines and power plant engines with

valves in the pump may result in larger

low-volume fuel systems, and has

particles blocking the nozzle holes. Erosion of the delivery and constant-pressure valves can result in loss of residual
pressure in the high-pressure system.
This may result in cavitation of the highpressure pipes and nozzle parts, see
Fig. 6.
Fig. 4: Tool for correct tightening torque (L16/24,
L21/31 and L27/38)

measures.

Actions taken to minimise cavitation:

supply system pressure increased

circulation flow increased

temperature kept as low as possible.

Fig. 6: Cavitation of high-pressure pipe (L21/31

and L27/38)

Service Experience Small Bore Four-stroke Engines

caused damage on pressure transduc-

The problems with the exhaust gas

junction box and full cable length on

ers and other components in the sys-

measurement turned out to be com-

sensors).

tem.

plex:

Actions taken to decrease pressure

1. Sensors were not sufficiently reliable

fluctuations:

installation of gas dampers (Fig. 7)

matching of fuel pump inlet and outlet nozzles.

from the manufacturer

2. Junction box connections suffered
from loose wires and failures
3. Longer sleeves had not been fitted
correctly

We are testing the gas damper on several plants, see Fig. 7. Service experi-

4. Teflon cables had not been introduced correctly

ence looks promising, but we need

5. Insufficient exhaust gas pipe insula-

more running hours to close the topic.

tion resulted in sensor cable failure.

Matching on different nozzles is still ongoing.

To solve the problems, the following

Exhaust gas sensors L21/31

countermeasures were introduced:

In connection with the L21/31 Tier II re-

1. Junction boxes removed (see Fig. 8)

lease and introduction of the SaCoSone

2. Sensors with full cable length applied

system, the exhaust gas temperature

3. Washer applied on engines in serv-

PT1000 sensor type was released.

On the L21/31 engines, licensees and

ice, and long sleeves applied on new

engines

operators have often reported a failing

4. Service Letter with photo documen-

temperature signal. The problem was

tation of the exchange procedure is-

claimed to MAN Diesel & Turbo, and an

sued

investigation of the root cause was initiated.

5. New assembly drawings and parts

lists introduced (new cable route, no

Junction boxes have been removed

Cable tray has been moved down

Fig. 7: Gas dampers being tested in service (L21/31 and L27/38)

Fig. 8: Exhaust gas sensors on L21/31

Service Experience Small Bore Four-stroke Engines

Initial damage

Next level of damage

Final level of damage

Cracked piston L23/30

Consequential cracks run from the lat-

serious personal injury for people who

In mid-2010, we received a report from

eral piston bolt accommodation in cir-

are near the engine.

a vessel claiming cracks in the L23/30

cumferential direction to the piston skirt

After issuing the service letters regard-

inspections,

or through the pin boss. Investigations

ing the pistons, we received reports

cracks were found in all pistons on all

into the origin of the problem proved

from operators with pistons from other

three genset engines on board. During

that a too small rounding and poor cast-

licensees, using other sub-suppliers,

the second half of 2010, the same type

ing quality of the surface roughness had

stating that they had also found cracks

Fig. 9: Cracked pistons on L23/30

pistons.

After

further

of failure was reported to MAN Diesel &

led to an excessively high stress level.

in the pistons.

Turbo (MDT) from more than ten differ-

All engines affected were equipped with

Thorough investigations of the pis-

ent vessels and ship operators. In some

pistons from the same maker. Nearly

tons from the involved makers are still

cases, fatigue cracks caused total pis-

21,000 pistons were in service world-

in progress to eliminate any future risk

ton failure with consequential damage

wide. According to an agreement be-

of engine damage and injury of people

to the engine. The cracks were found

tween the licensees involved and MDT,

around the engines. During the inves-

in pistons that had been in service from

service letters were issued from all par-

tigations, all involved licensees will be

20,000, but also up to 50,000 hours.

ties involved. One general service letter

approached/involved to eliminate the

The pistons were sent for material ex-

from MDT, and one from each licensee

problem in cooperation before issuing

amination, which revealed that the pis-

to the specific operator with pistons

new service letters. According to our

tons always had a primary initial crack,

installed from their engine production.

knowledge, there are around 15,000

and one or two typical consequential

The service letters strongly recom-

high-risk pistons in service from differ-

cracks.

mended to replace the pistons due to

ent makers.

Primary cracks start from the inner con-

the potential risk of engine damage and

Oval/cracked connecting rod L23/30

necting bar towards the piston bottom.

Service Experience Small Bore Four-stroke Engines

and L28/32

failures are often related to inappro-

In 2011, we received notice from op-

priate tightening of the connecting

erators claiming that their connecting

rod and/or lubrication of the serration

rods had an ovality at the big end bore

before assembly.

exceeding the limit of 0.08 mm. When

the connecting rods were sent for re-

As another important issue related to

conditioning, they were often found with

connecting rods, see Fig. 11, we have

cracks in the serrations, and recondi-

seen broken connecting rods causing

tioning was therefore not possible.

serious damage to the engine and the

After thorough investigation of connect-

risk of personal injury. These failures are

ing rods from various engines, we found

due to machining errors of the thread

the following two root causes, which

in the connecting rod resulting in a fa-

depend on the running hours:

tigue crack initiated in the bottom of the

1. If the connecting rod is found with

thread hole.

high ovality and/or cracks in the serration the first time the connecting
rod is disassembled, then this is related to incorrect machining of the
serration by the maker of the connecting rod. The geometry of the serrations on both sides of the big end
was measured, and there was not
correct correspondence between the
upper part and the lower part. The
incorrect geometry of the serrations
will have a negative influence on the
ovality and the occurrence of cracks.

Fig. 10: Connecting rod serration (L23/30 and

L28/32)

The connecting rods are from engines

built by different licensees, but the connecting rods are mainly from one subsupplier. The serrations are, however,
not made by this sub-supplier. Fig. 10
shows an example where the requirement of 80% contact between the mating surfaces between the teeth is not
fulfilled.
We always recommend full measurement and reporting when a connecting
rod is disassembled to ensure the correct quality of the connecting rod.
2. If the ovality or cracks are found after the second disassembly or later,
this is related to failure during the last
assembly of the connecting rod. The

10

Service Experience Small Bore Four-stroke Engines

Fig. 11: L23/30 connecting rod

Broken gear wheel 9L27/38

The problem with broken gear wheels is
cracks between the teeth of the intermediate wheel driven by the crankshaft.
See Fig. 12.
The conclusion is that the crankshaft
of a 9-cylinder engine has a small upand-down movement during rotation,
thereby pressing the teeth of the gear
wheels so close to each other that they
get into full contact. Thus, the stress in
the bottom of the teeth becomes high
and the resulting fatigue may initiate a
crack. Statistics show that only 9-cylinder engines with single bearing alterna-

Fig. 12: Broken gear wheel from L27/38

tors are affected.

New two-part gear rings for installation
on the crankshaft are in production. The
new gear rings will increase the clearance, thereby overcoming the problem.
Today, two-bearing alternators are the
standard for new 8 and 9L27/38 engines and, thereby, the problem has
been eliminated.
A circular letter (CL001-2012) alerting
the operator about the issue has been
sent out, and new gear wheels will be
delivered to the relevant operators.

Service Experience Small Bore Four-stroke Engines

11

Liner and ring groove wear L27/38

A high liner and ring groove wear on the

1998 to 2002

2006

L27/38 engine was a problem earlier,

and various solutions have been tested
in the field. As a result, the liner wear

3,000 hrs.,

6,200 hrs.,

is now kept below 10 m/1,000 hours,

HFO Propul-

HFO Propul-

and the ring groove wear rate can be

sion

sion

kept below the target limit, i.e. less than

5 m/1,000 hours. The entire solution
package consists of:
1. Changed cylinder liner support
2. Changed piston top land clearance
3. Improved scraper ring groove drain
4. Changed compression ring shape
and material
5. Cooling jacket with controlled water
flow

Fig. 13: L27/38: improvement on hardware

6. Low-sac fuel nozzle.

All the changes were tested and intro-

wear rate
[mm 1000 h]

duced in 2006, see Figs. 13 and 14.

2000
1st customer engine

0.12

Nevertheless, some operators were

still claiming high wear rates in the ring

2001
liner worn out
after 1500 hrs

0.1

grooves, i.e. more than 0.25 mm within

12,000 hours.

2003
LTC-Ring
new piston rings 2005
free liner

0.8

Investigation of these cases showed

0.06

that not all engines built after 2006 were

equipped with the mentioned package,

2006 package
free liner
low sack nozzle

0.04

which effectively will cure the problem.

Bush for cam follower V28/32S

0.02

Due to cracks in the engine frame in

0.01
0
1998

the area of the roller guides 12-oclock

stud (see Fig. 15), as well as cost-down

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008
year

considerations, the original roller guide

design was simplified and integrated in

Fig. 14: 27/38 liner wear rates

the engine frame.

Original roller guide design:

weakened by the cut-out for the hous-

mounted in the roller guide housing,

ing, and cracks developed around the

which is mounted in the engine frame

lower cylinder cover stud. Especially the

steered by a pin on the roller guide

gas engine version was affected.

stud and a groove in the housing.

Service experience revealed afterwards

that, with an improved design of the

12

The original roller guide design was

roller guide, the wear rates of roller

working very well, but the frame was

guides and bushings were not as low as

Service Experience Small Bore Four-stroke Engines

expected and the required lifetime was

not achieved.

V28/32H Original design

A re-introduction of the guiding bush in

combination with enforcement of relevant wall thicknesses was introduced
as the new standard and retrofit solution, see Fig. 16.
New roller guide design (2006)

mounted in bushes that are shrinkfitted directly into in the engine frame

steered by a pin on the roller guide

stud and a groove in the bushes.

The new roller guide design was based

on the old one from the V28/32H,
L28/32H and L23/30H, etc. Now, a
bush is mounted in the engine frame,
with a steering groove similar to the
housing on the above-mentioned types.

Crack position

In this way, the frame strength is maintained.

The new design requires correct posi-

Fig. 15: Original roller guide design on V28/32H

tioning of the bush and the roller guide

stud. Otherwise, the roller guide, cam,
etc., will fail.

Prolonged Service Interval L23/30

A recent inspection of exchanged engine p arts after main overhaul of a
7L23/30H auxiliary engine, following
an interval of 21,199 hrs. in operation,
confirmed that the L23/30H can oper-

V28/32S New Design (2006)

Fig. 16: V28/32S: present roller guide design

Service Experience Small Bore Four-stroke Engines

13

ate for 20,000 hours on HFO between

main overhaul. The specific wear rates
recorded for the cylinder components is
listed below:

Cylinder liners, TDC 1st ring: .

5 m/1,000 hrs.

Piston, 1st ring grove: .

2 m/1,000 hrs.

Piston rings: all with intact Cr-layer

and no side face corrosion.

Fig. 17 shows the good condition of the

piston rings from the 7L23/30H auxiliary
engine after 21,199 hrs. in service.
To achieve this prolonged service inter-

Fig. 17: Piston ring condition after more than 20,000 hrs. in service (7L23/30H)

val, regular maintenance cleaning of the

turbocharger, lube oil, and fuel oil is required. Furthermore, the main overhaul
must be carried out according to the instructions and with correct spare parts,
and the engine performance must be
brought back to shop test level.
The inspection revealed that the exhaust valves and seat rings seemed to
have reached their limit, while bearings,
pistons and connecting rods had even
more hours left, see Fig. 18.

Fig. 18: Main bearing condition after more than 20,000 hrs. in operation (7L23/30H)

14

Service Experience Small Bore Four-stroke Engines

New roller on valve cam L28/32H

A number of damaged valve cams (ballistic type) were claimed from the operators, and the root cause has been
identified to be insufficient material
properties and/or an incorrect hardening process, see Fig. 19.
A solution involving the release of soft
shoulder cams (see Fig. 20) has been
introduced, similar to the ones used on
newer engine types, as this design is
easier to handle production-wise.
The below production procedure must
be followed to obtain the best soft
shoulders:
1. Roller is pre-machined.
2. Roller is hardened to a specified hardness and, more importantly, to a

Fig. 19: Camshaft pitting L28/32 fuel cam with 5,000 operating hours

specified hardening depth

3. Roller is grinded to specified dimensions
4. Area to create soft shoulders to be machined away. This machining ensures
that hardened material is removed
and that the remaining non-hardened
material has the wanted flexibility.
This design variant will also mean a cost
reduction for some engine producers.

Fig. 20: L28/32 soft shoulder cam design

Service Experience Small Bore Four-stroke Engines

15

HFO service experience

From report:

Sticking fuel pumps have always been

an annoying problem for engines operating on heavy fuel. Lacquer deposits
on the lower part of the plunger reduce
the clearance and can lead to sticking
of the plunger, especially after standby
periods and change to diesel fuel.
High viscosity and low-quality HFO
leads to a higher temperature to achieve
the correct injection viscosity. The higher temperature increases the tendency
to lacquering in the lower drain grooves.
Furthermore, when the drain bores are
filled/blocked by coke, the leak oil will

Fig. 21: L21/31 pump

be trapped there, see Figs. 21 and 22.

The L16/24 does not have this problem,
and it seems that a special sealing oil
system with controlled oil flow in the

From report:

lower part of the pump element minimises the problem.

In response to the above, investigations
are ongoing to eliminate the problem
also on engines larger than the L16/24.
A similar system for the other small fourstroke engine pumps has been function-tested and will go into field test.
Another approach to lower the risk of
lacquering is to keep the fuel temperature in the pumps as low as possible
within the limits for viscosity and to have

Fig. 22: L21/31 pump plunger

a high-circulating fuel flow to maintain a

sufficient standby temperature.

16

Service Experience Small Bore Four-stroke Engines

Leak oil
When operating engines on MGO, the
leak oil amount increases to nearly 1%
of the full load fuel consumption. The
increased leak oil flow is caused by
the lower viscosity of MGO compared
with HFO. The main part of the leak oil
comes from the fuel nozzle, and a minor
part comes from the fuel pump drain.
All this oil can be reused directly. A new
system is in the design phase where
leak oil from the fuel nozzle and pump

Fuel oil inlet

will be separated from leaks in the lowpressure system and engine frame top,
see Fig. 23.

Waste oil outlet (closed circuit)

To day tank
Fuel oil outlet

Conclusion
MAN Diesel & Turbo works hard to
ensure the best service to engines in
operation and when it comes to con-

Waste oil outlet (open circuit)

To sludge tank

tinuous development of the engine programme. It goes without saying that we

will do our utmost to make the neces-

Fig. 23: L21/31 split drain

sary changes and improvements. As

is already the case, we will continue
to offer our strong support to both our
engine licensees and the owners, so as
to ensure that we all achieve our goals.

Service Experience Small Bore Four-stroke Engines

17

All data provided in this document is non-binding. This data serves informational
purposes only and is especially not guaranteed in any way. Depending on the
subsequent specific individual projects, the relevant data may be subject to
changes and will be assessed and determined individually for each project. This
will depend on the particular characteristics of each individual project, especially .
specific site and operational conditions. CopyrightMAN Diesel & Turbo.
5510-0118-00ppr Aug 2012 Printed in Denmark

MAN Diesel & Turbo

Teglholmsgade 41
2450 Copenhagen SV, Denmark
Phone +45 33 85 11 00
Fax
+45 33 85 10 30
info-cph@mandieselturbo.com
www.mandieselturbo.com

MAN Diesel & Turbo a member of the MAN Group