BASIC MAINTENANCE OF A PERKINS ENGINE
The maintenance of an engine is one of the fundamental tasks that every company must carry out for its machites so that they always work in optimal conditions.
Engines are machines that are constantly in motion, due to this the parts that compose it suffer from wear over time, wear is an effect of use that gradually deteriorates the components of a machine and is something that cannot be avoid, but if it can be delayed so that it causes as little inconvenience as possible.
Perkins engines are mostly used in the construction industry, agricultural industry, and power generation industry with engine generators.
These engines are recognized worldwide for being highly durable, resistant, providing high power and having the best quality standards in the market.
In Maq Parts we have all the spare parts for Perkins engines that you may need. If you have recently had problems with your engine and this has completely paused your production or delayed your work, it is likely that before purchasing a spare part you should check if your engine needs some maintenance.
How often should a Perkins engine be serviced?
There is no general rule for all engines, but in the case of Perkins engines in particular it is recommended that general maintenance be done after every 400 hours of operation.
Remember that the objective of maintaining an engine can bring many benefits, some of which are: Savings in fuel use, Extending the useful life of the engine and therefore of all the units, which benefits the profitability of the company. Reduce downtime or unproductive time, these occur when the machine spends more time in the workshop than in operations, this negatively affects the company's performance and money flow. Increase the performance of the entire company.
PREVENTIVE AND CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE
Preventive maintenance is understood as those actions whose main objective is to avoid damage and failures in the engine before they occur.
On the other hand, corrective maintenance is carried out once the engine has already failed and it is necessary to change a part for a new one that has too much wear or has directly broken.
PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE OF A PERKINS ENGINE
All maintenance begins with cleaning, a good practice is to establish fixed days of the week for cleaning the engines of each company machine.
This cleaning plays a very important role and should always be done cold, that is, when the engine has been off for at least 1 hour, this allows oil and fuel leaks to be detected that would otherwise remain covered with dirt.
The cooling system should also be checked and cleaned, as well as a periodic check of all the filters, these mainly include the oil, gasoline, water and air filter.
It is important to remember that a dirty system decreases the capacity of the refrigerant because the earth acts as an insulator against heat.
The time of cleaning is also used to inspect the steering ball joints and wheel sets, movements in general, lights, tire pressure and subsequently perform greasing tasks.
All these practices periodically and constantly will allow the user in charge of maintenance tasks to detect faults in advance and correct them before they cause more damage to the engine in the long term.
ENGINE COMPONENTS
At the start of each maintenance day, the first thing to do is check the engine oil levels, and the radiator water, drain the sedimentation tank of impurities, and check the fuel level.
It is also recommended to run the engine empty for a few minutes so that the oil reaches the ideal operating temperature and lubricates all the mechanical parts.
OIL
The oil check should be done after each day, remember that the Perkins engine oil goes through a filter that "cleans" it of dust particles or other elements that can affect mechanical systems.
Every time Perkins engine oil is serviced it is very important to check for leaks from the vent tubes or other cavity.
If there are, this may mean that there is a deterioration of the engine and that the compression is damaging the rings and pressurizing the crankcase, which produces greater fuel consumption, a loss of power and of course, excessive wear that could internally damage the engine.
To avoid this, an oil check should be carried out at least once a year to remove metals or other materials that can drastically damage the Perkins engine.
COOLING
Coolant, like oil, is one of the liquids responsible for the engine to work in optimal conditions.
Sometimes this can also be contaminated with ashes or dust, which causes overheating in the engine that could damage all the mechanical parts.
To avoid this during preventive maintenance it will also be necessary to check the quality of the engine coolant compared to new coolant.
FILTERS
In most cases, the defects or failures in a Perkins engine can be corrected by simple solutions that derive, in general, from the simple observation of the problems when they are just beginning, but if they are allowed to go by for a long time, they cause irreparable damage that require corrective maintenance.
On the other hand, if your Perkins engine has been running very demanding jobs without breaks, it is advisable to slow down the engine revolutions to a "idle", and then completely stop its operation by turning it off, so that it rests and returns to normal. at a suitable temperature.
THE WEATHER
Many times companies ignore one of the most important factors that damage or cause engine failure and that factor is the weather.
Perkins engines are designed to work under specific temperatures and conditions, in the case of temperature these ranges in which it can work can be found on the manufacturer's sheet.
But it is generally thought that an engine works under "normal" conditions, but sometimes it happens that engines are pushed to the limits. This happens when:
- The engine is not given a break for a whole working day
- Is subjected to much higher workloads than he can handle
- The weather outside is extreme either too cold or too hot
- Is subjected to a working day with intense rains
- The ground where the tractor moves has debris or objects that hinder mobility
In all these scenarios, the motors are working in a much more difficult environment than they can withstand, this causes greater wear on the machines and causes wear to damage the mechanical parts over time due to lack of maintenance.
ADVISED PRECAUTIONS FOR ENGINE FUEL
The best way to avoid failures is to prevent yourself, in this sense, another fundamental aspect is the fuel that is used in each Perkins engine.
The quality of the fuel used in the engine is a very important factor in prolonging the useful life of the engine.
Fuels that can be considered adequate must be clean and highly reliable, therefore they must be stored in a clean place free of dirt, water and other foreign matter.
It is also essential to avoid prolonged storage of fuel to prevent future failures in the engine and/or injection pump, as well as the clogging of filters that can end up clogged by the use of dirty fuel.
Fuel can also become contaminated with water, this occurs in two ways: external or internal.
External contamination of the engine fuel water: In this case, the water enters directly into the container or tank due to filtration or accumulation of water, it can also be due to leaks or cracks in the machine itself that enter water into the fuel tank.
Internal contamination occurs during hot days if the drums remain in the sun for several hours. When they cool, they condense the water in the air, letting it fall and accumulating on the surface. This is the most common.
WHEN PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE DOESN'T WORK
Remember that all these actions will help you give your Perkins engine a longer useful life, but in the event that even with all these procedures, your engine continues to have faults, perhaps it is because you must perform corrective maintenance.
For this, we invite you to read our previous posts where we talk in detail about How to Disassemble and Maintain a Perkins Engine Step by Step.
We guarantee that it will be very useful to you.
Also remember that if you need a replacement for your Perkins engine at Maq Parts you can find everything you need at the best price.
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