Preserving an Engine

Have you considered the affects of not preserving your equipment before putting it into long term storage?  Or “Parking it along the fence?” as so many people refer to it.  How many of you have started up a unit after storing it and noticed it was no running as it was before or experienced a catastrophic failure?  Maintaining spare equipment and redundant machinery in a prime state, ready for operation is critical.

Storing Equipment That Has Recently Been Operable

1. Clean the engine of any dirt or debris.

2. Get the engine running so the oil is hot.  Drain and install clean oil filters.

3. Preserve the engine with preservative oil.  Remove rocker arm covers and gear train covers. Spray these with a preservation oil.  For gas engines, remove spark plugs and spray preservation oil into each cylinder.  Spray each spark plug and install back in place.

4. Seal all intake, exhaust and any other open ports.

5. Relieve the tension on belts to prevent fatigue and deterioration.

6. Spray or brush preservation oil on exposed machined surfaces.  Remove fuel from filters and drain fuel injection pump.  Grease rod threads, joints, linkages, etc.  Remove batteries and store indoors on a trickle charger.  Place a waterproof cover over the equipment.

7. If possible, rotate the alternator on a monthly basis.  Prior to being put back into service, all alternators and switchgear should be visually inspected and have its insulation tested using a megger.

8. When placing the equipment back into service, all equipment must be removed of its preservation oil and be filled with normal, manufacturer approved oil.  Coolant should be tested and an analysis performed.

Engine manufacturers may have other or a variant of steps to be performed.  Always consult the operation and maintenance manual for the proper preservation procedure.

How Can We Help?

The best way to avoid a costly failure perform the steps above – or consult Collicutt Energy for a quote to perform a preservation or de-preservation on your equipment.

During this preservation, we can perform an inspection on the equipment.  This inspection would identify suggested repairs to occur either now or when the equipment is planned to be placed back in operation.  Knowing the condition of your equipment and ensuring it does not further deteriorate saves repair costs in the future.

Take Action

Take action now and schedule an inspection and/or preservation today to ensure that your equipment is ready for when you need it!

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