A Good Cylinder-wear Record
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Q0 many views have been expressed
on the subject of cylinder wear in road-transport engines, running on both petrol and oil, that the following experience of a prominent firm is well worthy of being recorded.
One hears and reads of results which vary to an enormous degree, also of many 'Efferent reasons for cylinder bore wear. No definite single cause for wear, however, seems yet to have been agreed upon by the experts who have been investigating this matter. It would appear that there is a number of contributory causes. Among these are included temperature, type of oil, design of piston rings and oxidation.
All the more interest, therefore, attaches to the excellent result referred to above. The vehicle concerned is a Tklultiwheeler, owned by Messrs. A. and -A. Peate, Maesbury Hall -Mills, Oswesti y. It is employed for grain transport, is equipped with a special hopper body, and carries an average pay-load of 12i tons, the total gross weight of the laden vehicle being approximately 22 tons. It runs to either Birkenhead or Liverpool twice per 71.ay for five days per week, and 'thus covers weekly about 1,025 miles. The power unit is a Gardner 5LW, developing 80 b.h.p. at 1,550 r.p.m.
On the recent completion of about 82,000 miles this vehicle was sent to the engine maker's works for decarbouizing. It had been decarbonized previously, only twice. To the agreeable surprise of all concerned, when the engine was examined, it was found that the wear in the five cylinders taken respectively in numerical order was, 0.0005 in., 0.005 in., 0.005 in., 0.005 in. and 0,004 in. This represents an average of 0.0051 in. and is equivalent to 10,050 miles per thousandth of an inch of wear. If this be not a record it cannot be far short of one.
This engine has ' no fan and no thermostat, but is almost always at a steady even temperature and keeps warm all day—certainly one of the important factors.. Best quality fuel and lubricating oil are used. Thus it is clearly evident that all the contributory causes of wear named above are correctly dealt with as such.
The obvious deduction is that with a properly designed power unit and reasonable care in driving and maintenance, there is no need for excessive cylinder wear to occur. It is worth adding that the average fuel consumption works out at 102 gallons per week, that is, just over 10 m.p.g.