SERVICE LETTER Services, Wärtsilä Finland Oy Engine section Engine type Ref. Date Issue Document No. 11 Crank mechanism See list WFI–S 25.06.2007 01 3211S085 Page 1(2) Connecting rod handling and inspection Engine type This bulletin concerns WÄRTSILÄ® Vasa 32, 32LN, WÄRTSILÄ® 32, 32GD, 32LNGD, 32DF, 34SG and W34SG engines. General The connecting rod is one of the most vital parts of the engine. Operating with a damaged connecting rod puts the operators and engine at risk and must be avoided. Any surface damages may lead to stress concentrations and eventually connecting rod failure. Handling When handling connecting rods during e.g. overhauls or transport, care must be taken not to dent or scratch any surfaces. Handle the components carefully. Do not drop them or allow them to hit anything during moving or lifting. Hydraulic lock If water is present in the cylinder or the receiver during a starting attempt, it may cause a hydraulic lock that bends the connecting rod. If there are indications that there is water in the cylinder(s) or the receiver, the engine must not be started until the fault is found and corrected. Recommendation When overhauling, check for damages. Small dents on the connecting rod shank (areas marked with red dotted lines (……) in the illustration above) can be repaired according to the instructions on next page. Always follow the starting procedure as described in the engine manual, chapter 03.2. If hydraulic lock is suspected, the affected connecting rods should be removed from the engine and checked for straightness. Contact your closest Wärtsilä Service Network for further advice if necessary. Wärtsilä Finland Oy Services, Vaasa P.O. Box 252 (Tarhaajantie 2) FIN-65101 Vaasa, Finland Telecop. +358 10 709 1847 Telecop. +358 10 709 1380 Tel. +358 10 709 0000 Wärtsilä Finland Oy Services, Turku P.O. Box 50 (Stålarminkatu 45) FIN-20811 Turku, Finland Telecop. +358 10 709 3279 Telecop. +358 10 709 3410 Tel. +358 10 709 0000 Business ID 0773744-3 Registered Office: Vaasa Services, Wärtsilä Finland Oy Service Letter Issue 01 Inspection Document No. 3211S085 Page 2(2) All connecting rods in the engine to be visually checked. If dents are found, do a magnetic particle inspection of the dents. If cracks are found, the connecting rod upper part / complete connecting rod must be changed. If no cracks are found, the dents to be repaired according to the repair instructions below. Repair instructions Note! 1. Check the depth of the damage, damages less than 1 mm deep can be repaired. All damages over 1 mm deep must be individually approved by Wärtsilä Finland Oy, Technical Service, before repairing. 2. Grind and polish the area with the defect according to the sketch below. 3. Do a magnetic particle inspection after polishing the area with the damage. If cracks are found, the connecting rod upper part / complete connecting rod must be changed. 4. Clean carefully. It is of utmost importance that the connecting rod is properly protected during, and cleaned after the inspection and repair. Letter distribution Wärtsilä Service Network and owners/operators of engines concerned. Letter validity Until further notice. 2007 Wärtsilä Finland Oy – All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, graphic, photocopying, recording, taping or other information retrieval systems) without the prior written permission of the copyright holder. Wärtsilä Finland Oy makes no representation, warranty (express or implied) in this publication and assumes no responsibility for the correctness, errors or omissions for information contained herein. Information in this publication is subject to change without notice. Unless otherwise expressly set forth, no recommendation contained in this document is to be construed as provided due to a defect in the engine, but merely as an improvement of the engine and/or the maintenance procedures relating thereto. Any actions by the owner/operator as a result of the recommendations are not covered under any warranty provided by Wärtsilä and such actions will thus be at the owners/operators own cost and expense. NO LIABILITY WHETHER DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL, IS ASSUMED WITH RESPECT TO THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN. THIS PUBLICATION IS CONFIDENTIAL AND INTENDED FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY.
