LUBRICATION SYSTEM OF AN I.C.

ENGINE

The primary purpose of the lubrication is to reduce friction and wear between two
rubbing surfaces. The continuous friction produces heat which causes wearing of parts
and loss of power. This can be avoided by proper lubrication, which forms an oil film
between two moving surfaces.
The lubricating system of an engine is an arrangement of mechanism and devices which
maintains supply of lubricating oil to the rubbing surface of an engine at correct pressure
and temperature. Lubricating system in an IC engine is provided to meet out the
following functions.
 To provide thin oil film between the moving parts so as to reduce their wear and
tear.
 To cool the various engine parts.
 To clean the various engine parts from the products ol’ wear and tear.
 To provide seal between the various parts.
 To reduce noise produced by the moving parts coming in contact with each other.

TYPES OF LUBRICANTS:
Lubricants are obtained from animal fat, vegetables and minerals. Lubricants made of
animal fat, does not stand much heat. It becomes waxy and gummy which is not very
suitable for machines. Vegetable lubricants are obtained from seeds, fruits and plants.
Cotton seed oil, Olive oil, linseed oil and Castor oil are used as lubricant in small simple
machines. Mineral lubricants are most popular for engines and machines. It is obtained
from crude petroleum found in nature. Petroleum lubricants are less expensive and
suitable for IC Engines.
There are three common systems of lubrication used on stationary engines, tractor
engines and automobiles:
i. Splash system
ii. Forced feed system
iii. Combination of splash and forced feed system.

1. Splash System:
In this system, the lubricating oil is splashed on different moving parts of the engine
by means of a scoop, dipper or a crank web fitted to the big end bearing caps. When it
dips into the oil at every revolution, the oil gets splashed. The main bearings, cam
shaft bearings, timing gears, piston, cylinder liner etc. are lubricated by this system.
This system is commonly used in stationery engine.

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 2. Forced Feed System
In this system, the oil is pumped directly to the crankshaft, connecting rod, piston pin,
timing gears and camshaft of the engine through suitable paths of oil. Usually the oil
first enters the main gallery, which may be a pipe or a channel in the crankcase
casting. From this pipe, it goes to each of the main bearings through holes. From main
bearings, it goes to big end bearings of connecting rod through drilled holes in the
crankshaft. From there, it goes to lubricate the walls, pistons and rings. There is
separate oil gallery to lubricate timing gears. Lubricating oil pump is a positive
displacement pump, usually gear type or vane' type. The oil also goes to valve stem
and rocker arm shaft under pressure through an oil gallery. The excess oil comes back
from the cylinder head to the crankcase. The pump discharges oil into oil pipes, oil
galleries or ducts, leading different parts of the engine. This system is commonly used
on high-speed multi-cylinder engine in tractors, trucks and automobiles. In this
system. an oil pump is provided to circulate the lubricating oil to the engine moving
tarts at a pressure of 4-5 kgf/cm2.

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 3. Combination of Splash and Forced Feed System
In this system, the engine component, which are subjected to very heavy load are
lubricated under forced pressure, such as main bearing connecting rod bearing and
camshaft bearing. The rest of the parts like cylinder liners, cams, tappets etc are
lubricated by splashed oil.

COMPONENTS OF LUBRICATION SYSTEM:

1. Oil sump or oil pan
This is fitted at the bottom of the engine and contains the lubricating oil. It is made of
cast iron or sheet metal.
2. Oil pump
It supplies the lubricating oil to various parts o1 the engine with pressure. These are
of three types.
a. Gear type: In this type two spur gears are fitted in a housing. The drive gear
gets drive either from the cam shall or through crank shaft. While working
the two gears revolve in opposite direction. Oil is caught between the teeth
of the gears which is carried away from 4he inlet side to the outside. The
pressure generated depends upon the clearance between the wall of the
housing and tij) of the gears which should be 0. 15 mm. The back lash
between the gears should be 0.15 to 0.25mm. About 3 kg/cm2 pressure is
developed in the lubrication system of a tractor engine.
b. Rotor pump: It consists of two rotor drives and are fitted in the pump body. The
inner rotor has one lope less than the fixed outer rotor and at a time only one lope
remain in touch with outer rotor and the oil is outlet to the oil galleries out from
outlet pipe to the oil gallery.

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 c. Plunger type oil pump: In this type a plunger works in a barrel and moves
upwards and downwards by cam. It takes the oil from the sump and on its return
stroke pumps it to the main oil gallery.
3. Oil filter
To remove suspended impurities produced by wear and tear of’ moving oil filters are
standard fitment in all the engines. There are of two types.
a. Replaceable type: Filter elements made out of felt, cotton waste, cloth are mostly
used. These are to be replaced after certain period of use.
b. Cleanable type:
1. Wire gauge type: In this type, fine mesh wire gauge is fixed on a tin shaped
perforated Spool. Such type of filters arc cleaned at each oil change.
2. Edge type: These are made up of thin brass discs placed over each other. The
oil from the pump enters the center of the element through the edge which
results all impurities stuck outside the discs.
3. Centrifugal type: In this type a rotor is fixed on two bearings in the housing.
At the lower end of the rotor two jets are fixed, which make the oil under
pressure to go in the centre of the rotor. After having filled the rotor when this
oil comes out of the jets it strikes the body of the housing. 130(1)’ being
stationary, the rotor starts rotating at high speed and brings the impurities of
the oil to the inner side of the wall of rotor, which stick to it due parts types to
centrifugal action. At regular intervals these impurities have to be cleaned by
removing housing cover.Lubricating oil in an engine becomes contaminated
with various materials such as dirt, metal particles and carbon. An oil filter
removes all the dirty elements of the oil in an effective way. It is a type of
strainer using cloth, paper, felt, wire screen or similar elements. Some oil
filters can be cleaned by washing, but in general old filters are replaced by
new filters at specified interval of time. It is normally changed after about120
hours of engine operation.
Oil filters are of two types:
a. Full flow filter: In this filter, the entire quantity of oil is forced to circulate
through it before it enters the engine. A spring loaded valve is usually fitted in
the filter as a protection device against oil starvation in case of filter getting
clogged.
b. By pass filter:By pass filters take a small portion of oil from the pump and
return the filtered oil into the sump. Over a period of operation, all the oil in
the crankcase passes through the filter. Through the filter, the balance oil
reaches directly to the engine parts.

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 Types of engine oil filters

4. Oil pressure regulating valve

a. Oil pressure control valve: It is a spring loaded valve mostly fixed in oil
gallery. When the oil pressure increases than the specified value, it pushes the ball
off its seat by compressing the spring. When the ball is lifted off its seat certain
amount of oil escapes through this and goes back to sump. As soon as the p in the
line becomes normal, the spring pressure makes the ball sit back on its seat.
b. By pass valve:It is also a spring loaded valve and is usually seated in the cover of
the housing of’ filter. This valve opens when the filter gets chocked, to allow the
oil to go directly to oil gallery without going to the filter housing.
c. Relief valve: It is provided to control the quantity of oil circulation and to
maintain correct pressure in the lubricating system.
5. Oil pressure gauge: This is provided to know the oil pressure in the system.
Dipstick: It is used to check the level of oil in the engine sump. This is marked to
read as full, half and danger.
6. Crankcase breather ventilator
The engine crankcase is always fitted with some kind of breather, connecting the
space above the oil level with the outside atmosphere. During the operation of engine,
the crankcase oil reaches a temperature of 160-170°F or even more and
simultaneously the air above it gets heated up. Consequently the air is likely to
expand and cause pressure rise if it were unable to escape. The purpose of breather is

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 to prevent building up pressure in the crankcase. It serves as ventilating passage of
air. It is provided to minimize the dilution of oil due to condensation of water and
mixing of’ diesel due to dibbling injector. II involves the passing of a stream of air
through the crank case which picks up and carry away most of’ the fuel vapour.

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