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Project

60K Overhaul of EMD 16-645-E8 Main Engine for Drilling Rig in India

Table of Contents

Background

Industry
Oil & Gas
Solution
60K Overhaul of
Main Engine
Make & Model
EMD 16-645-E8
Main Engine
Asset
Drilling Rig

Summary About The Project

Neptunus successfully carried out a 60K overhaul of an EMD 16-645-E8 main engine installed on a drilling rig in India. The engine had accumulated approximately 59,370 running hours at the start of the overhaul. The previous 30K overhaul was carried out by Neptunus in 2016 at approximately 30,828 running hours.

Prior to dismantling, the engine operating parameters were recorded. The customer reported recurring failures of the left- and right-bank water pumps due to seal and shaft issues. Minor leakage was also observed at the accessory-end oil line, along with leakage from both water pump seals.

The overhaul included comprehensive inspection, cleaning, calibration, component renewal, reassembly, pre-commissioning, safety testing, and load trials. Major activities included renewal of power pack assemblies, cylinder test valves, injectors, rocker arms, camshaft bearings, main and connecting rod bearings, camshaft and gear train components, blowers, water pumps, lube oil and piston cooling pumps, governor drive components, and associated seals and gaskets.

Planning

  • Team Composition: eptunus team of 3 members led by the Team Leader, with rig technical support
  • Duration: 05 October 2023 to 02 November 2023
  • Work Scope:
    Complete 60K overhaul including dismantling, inspection, cleaning, calibration, component renewal, reassembly, pre-commissioning, safety testing, and load trials.

Procedure Carried Out

1. Power Pack Assembly:
  • Removed all existing power pack assemblies from the engine
  • Renewed all power pack assemblies
  • Renewed all cylinder test valves
  • Installed new cylinder head seat rings and inserts
  • Cleaned, inspected, and reused cylinder head mounting crab bolts
  • Matched power pack baskets with their respective fork rods during assembly
  • Assembled power packs according to EMD guidelines
  • Checked lateral play of the lower bearings after tightening
  • Renewed all water jumper lines with new seals
  • Torqued all crab nuts and basket bolts according to EMD specifications
2. Fuel Injection System:
  • Renewed all 16 fuel injectors
  • Applied EMD-recommended torque to the injector crab assemblies
  • Inspected and serviced the fuel injector linkage system
  • Renewed required needle bearings and linkage components
  • Checked fuel linkage operation during assembly
3. Rocker Arm and Valve Mechanism :
  • Renewed all 16 rocker arm assemblies
  • Inspected and renewed the valve bridge assemblies
  • Applied EMD-recommended torque during assembly
  • Checked and adjusted valve settings according to EMD requirements
4. Fuel System and Lay Shaft:
  • Inspected the main fuel filter block NRVs
  • Inspected the main governor and injector linkages
  • Renewed required linkage bearings
  • Inspected the lay shaft and supporting bearings
  • Confirmed the fitness of the inspected components
5. Starting Air System:
  • Inspected the starting air motors
  • Checked the downstream air system
  • Inspected filters, valves, and hoses
  • Renewed both starting air motors where required
6. Governor and Drive:
  • Flushed and renewed governor oil
  • Renewed the governor drive assembly
  • Inspected and serviced the governor booster and connecting hoses
  • Renewed governor drive components and associated gaskets
  • Checked governor operation during commissioning
7. Camshaft and Bearings:
  • Removed and inspected camshaft components
  • Renewed camshaft segments where required
  • Renewed camshaft bearings
  • Inspected camshaft drive components
  • Renewed camshaft stub shafts and associated brackets
  • Checked camshaft drive gear backlashes
8. Crankshaft and Bearing System:
  • Cleaned and calibrated all crankshaft crank pins
  • Recorded crank pin journal measurements
  • Confirmed crank pin journals within the specified new-part range of 165.05 to 165.10 mm
  • Renewed all main bearings
  • Renewed all connecting rod bearings
  • Renewed thrust collars
  • Checked crankshaft thrust clearance
  • Applied EMD-recommended torque to main bearing cap nuts
  • Inspected and confirmed crankshaft jointing bolts
  • Renewed rear-end oil slingers, oil retainers, and shims
9. Front-End Gear Train:
  • Cleaned and renewed accessory-end gears
  • Renewed idle gears and associated stub shafts and brackets
  • Renewed governor drive components
  • Renewed accessory drive gear and oil slinger
  • Checked and recorded all gear train backlashes
  • Cleaned the oil gallery and reassembled it with a new gasket
  • Cleaned and renewed the oil pressure regulating valve
  • Dismantled and cleaned the strainer assembly
  • Renewed strainer elements and associated gasket kits
  • Inspected the oil manifold housing for foreign particles before assembly
10. Rear-End Gear Train:
  • Renewed the idler stub shaft
  • Renewed the rear-end gear train components
  • Renewed oil slinger, oil retainer, and shims
  • Set gear backlashes according to EMD recommendations
  • Set exhaust valve timing and counterweight timing
  • Renewed required bolts and carried out lashing
  • Renewed crankshaft-to-flywheel bolts, nuts, and washers
  • Reused flywheel-to-coupling disc bolts and nuts after inspection
11. Lubrication System:
  • Renewed the piston cooling lube oil pump
  • Renewed the required lube oil pump gasket kits
  • Inspected pumps for foreign material before assembly
  • Renewed the lube oil pressure regulating valve
  • Inspected and reused lube oil pipeline flexible couplings and clamps
  • Renewed lube oil filter elements
  • Cleaned the lube oil separator
  • Renewed lube oil separator gaskets and filters
  • Inspected and cleaned lube oil strainers and strainer boxes
12. Cooling Water System:
  • Renewed both left- and right-bank water pumps
  • Renewed water pump seals and gaskets
  • Inspected and cleaned cooling water manifolds
  • Renewed applicable water manifold seals and gaskets
  • Inspected cooling water hoses and connections
  • Checked the cooling water circuit during pre-commissioning
  • Verified the cooling system for leakages
13. Engine Block and Crankcase:
  • Thoroughly cleaned the engine block
  • Removed carbon deposits and cleaned the block using diesel and compressed air
  • Visually inspected the engine block and lower sump
  • Inspected A-frame weld areas for cracks and abnormalities
  • Inspected sealing areas for damage, burrs, and nicks
  • Recorded upper liner pilot bore measurements
  • Recorded lower liner pilot bore measurements
  • Measured the main journal bore
  • Renewed hand hole cover seals
  • Lower liner pilot bore measurements on Units 5 and 6 reached the maximum recommended limit of 281.13 mm
14. Blower Assembly:
  • Renewed the blower assemblies
  • Renewed blower drive components
  • Renewed blower drive gears
  • Inspected blower stub shafts
  • Checked blower drive gear backlashes
  • Installed blower assemblies according to EMD specifications.
15. Air Box and Exhaust Manifold:
  • Inspected the air box and scavenging area after running
  • Removed and inspected the exhaust manifold
  • Cleaned the exhaust manifold internally
  • Renewed exhaust manifold mounting gaskets
  • Renewed bellow gaskets
  • Renewed required mounting bolts
  • Torqued exhaust manifold bolts according to EMD specifications
  • Conducted exhaust manifold mounting and leakage checks
16. Overspeed and Safety System:
  • Inspected the overspeed trip housing and mechanism
  • Renewed required trip housing linkages
  • Calibrated the overspeed trip assembly
  • Inspected the counterweights
  • Renewed overspeed trip seals and gaskets
  • Inspected and renewed overspeed trip components
  • Verified crankcase pressure shutdown
  • Verified engine overspeed shutdown
  • Verified low lube oil pressure shutdown
17. Flywheel and Coupling:
  • Inspected the flywheel ring gear teeth
  • Inspected the magnetic pickup and pointer
  • Inspected the flywheel and coupling assembly
  • Renewed required coupling bolts
  • Carried out engine-alternator alignment
18. Valve Timing and Calibration:
  • Checked exhaust valve timing
  • Set valve timing according to EMD specifications
  • Recorded and verified gear train backlashes
  • Recorded bumping clearances for all 16 units
  • Confirmed bumping clearances within the specified limits
  • Completed pointer calibration and exhaust valve timing checks
19. Instrumentation:
  • Inspected engine instrumentation gauges
  • Confirmed gauges were in working condition
  • Checked temperature and pressure indications
  • Verified instrument condition during engine operation
20. Pre-Commissioning Checks:
  • Completed jacket water charging and bleeding
  • Completed fuel system priming and bleeding
  • Inspected the crankcase before startup
  • Completed lube oil priming
  • Verified lube oil circulation through:
    - Rocker arms
    - Camshaft bearings
    - Main bearing shells
    - Connecting rod big-end bearing shells
  • Checked lube oil sump level
  • Attended and checked leakages
  • Rechecked critical bolt torques
  • Rechecked connecting rod bottom-end and basket bolt torques
  • Rechecked main bearing nuts and crab nuts
  • Rechecked rocker arm nut torque
  • Completed electrical checks
21. Safety Shutdown Testing:
  • Tested crankcase pressure shutdown
  • Tested engine overspeed shutdown
  • Tested low lube oil pressure shutdown
  • Confirmed all applicable safety shutdown systems were satisfactory
22. Load Trials:
  • Started the engine and completed no-load checks
  • Conducted load trials under available operating conditions
  • Engine was tested under maximum available load for 24 hours
  • Monitored lube oil pressure and temperature
  • Monitored cooling water temperature
  • Monitored fuel pressure
  • Monitored governor operation
  • Recorded engine operating parameters throughout the trial
  • Conducted joint inspection with the customer
  • Confirmed all recorded operating parameters were satisfactory
  • Handed over the engine for operation after successful trials

Scope for Improvement

  • Maintain adequate lifting arrangements and suitable maintenance tools onboard
  • Maintain suitable special tools required for major engine overhaul activities
  • Ensure adequate emergency spare parts are available onboard
  • Maintain the engine operation and maintenance area in clean and spacious condition
  • Provide a complete new set of pyrometers for future maintenance
  • Provide complete new air inlet lines for the starting air motors
  • Plan replacement of all front-end accessory pumps during the next scheduled maintenance
  • Monitor the lower liner pilot bore condition, particularly Units 5 and 6, which have reached the maximum recommended limit
  • Plan engine block requalification or repair during the 120K maintenance if required

Recommendations

  • Monitor engine performance closely during the first 100 operating hours after overhaul
  • Keep a close watch for abnormal sounds, vibrations, leakages, and operating parameters
  • Take immediate corrective action if any abnormality is observed
  • Change lube oil filters after the first 100 operating hours
  • Inspect the removed filters for abnormal particles
  • Carry out lube oil analysis after the first 100 operating hours
  • Change the lube oil immediately if the analysis indicates abnormalities
  • Follow the maker's recommended engine starting and stopping procedures
  • Closely monitor lube oil pressure and jacket cooling water temperature
  • Monitor the engine for fuel dilution and check fuel condition regularly
  • Replace the power packs and associated components during the next scheduled 30K top overhaul
  • Renew the required front-end accessory pumps during the next maintenance
  • Provide a complete new set of pyrometers for reliable exhaust temperature monitoring
  • Replace the air inlet lines for the starting air motors during the next maintenance
  • Monitor the lower liner pilot bore measurements during future maintenance
  • Plan block requalification or repair at the 120K maintenance if the liner pilot bore condition requires corrective action
  • Plan the next scheduled 30K TOH as per OEM recommendations

Conclusion

Neptunus successfully completed the 60K overhaul of the EMD 16-645-E8 main engine installed on a drilling rig in India. The overhaul involved systematic dismantling, inspection, cleaning, calibration, component renewal, reassembly, pre-commissioning, safety testing, and load trials.

The successful completion of the overhaul, safety checks, and load trials confirmed satisfactory engine performance and demonstrated Neptunus’ capability in delivering comprehensive EMD engine overhaul services for offshore drilling applications in India.

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