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Date: 23rd January 2008
Location: Bermuda
Oh no! It's the 12,000 hour overhaul
January has been a particularly busy month, much to my regret, with a 12,000 hour overhaul on the port auxiliary generator taking up most of my time.
I may be aiming for high rank in my career, but right now as Acting 3rd Engineer my work is very much hands-on. So, amongst other things, I've been removing cylinder heads, testing fuel injectors and removing pistons.
Today, Wednesday, consisted of testing fuel injectors. These generally don't require maintenance, however they are vital to ensuring the engine operates efficiently and environmentally cleanly, so they do need removing and testing periodically to ensure top performance.
I removed injectors 5 and 6 from their cylinder heads and used clean diesel and a brass brush to remove any carbon from the nozzles. After this I placed the injectors in the test bed, attached the fuel supply line and ensured that they were atomizing the fuel at the correct pressure. I had to ensure they produce a clean spray pattern, and also that the flow completely stopped once the pressure had dropped. Both injectors performed perfectly and were ready to be reinstalled. A good day.
Date: 24th January 2008
Location: Bermuda
Thank goodness it's Friday
Fridays are usually the time of the week when we all begin to wind down ready for the weekend ahead. But not this Friday! I was involved in taking on 75 tonnes of fuel oil, doing fire and boat drills, and started removing pistons - all before I'd had my morning cup of tea (which is not on!!)
However, removing a piston is still a satisfying task. I removed number 5 cylinder head, turned the engine over to top dead centre and then removed the piston and cylinder liner. Once they had been cleaned up and marked, the piston rings and shell bearings were replaced. Then the cylinder liner was measured to ensure that there was not too much wear. It was OK.
Today also happens to be my duty day which means that everybody is calling the control room wanting something from me. So you can imagine I was especially looking forward to the weekend.
Thankfully Friday the 25th is of course Burns night, so we finished work slightly earlier to prepare for the banquet ahead. God bless Robbie Burns!!
Date: 25th January 2008
Location: Bermuda
Thank goodness it's Friday
Fridays are usually the time of the week when we all begin to wind down ready for the weekend ahead. But not this Friday! I was involved in taking on 75 tonnes of fuel oil, doing fire and boat drills, and started removing pistons - all before I'd had my morning cup of tea (which is not on!!)
However, removing a piston is still a satisfying task. I removed number 5 cylinder head, turned the engine over to top dead centre and then removed the piston and cylinder liner. Once they had been cleaned up and marked, the piston rings and shell bearings were replaced. Then the cylinder liner was measured to ensure that there was not too much wear. It was OK.
Today also happens to be my duty day which means that everybody is calling the control room wanting something from me. So you can imagine I was especially looking forward to the weekend.
Thankfully Friday the 25th is of course Burns night, so we finished work slightly earlier to prepare for the banquet ahead. God bless Robbie Burns!!