Monthly Archives: March 2019

Maintenance of Diesel Engine Coolant Systems

It is estimated that the failure of an engine coolant system is one of the key factors for the engine downtime. The diesel engines today emit more heat than their predecessors, requiring better cooling mechanisms than ever before.  They require a fully formulated, premixed, glycol based coolant containing a heavy duty additive package and de-ionized water. The coolants play an integral role in the system maintenance. They have to face multiple conflicts with rust, acid, foams, debris etc. to maintain the right operating conditions of an engine. Coolants may differ according to the job and requirement. They need to be monitored frequently to ensure proper chemical balance.

No engine cooling system can be maintenance free. Every component degrades over time and so does the coolant. Various factors such as dilution with water, additives and the invasion of foreign particles entering the cooling system, can all cause a chemical degeneration. Products can get mixed, making testing and servicing difficult.

A coolant can perform well only when it preserves its original composition. The mutated version can cause fluctuations yielding disastrous results for an engine. Fleetguard Filtration provides the most comprehensive cooling system product range with support products that help test, service, and repair cooling system fluid. Mentioned below are various ways in which a coolant system can be taken care of in order to experience less downtime & great efficiency.

Coolant Filtration

A coolant filter is a primary mechanism to remove contamination that enters the cooling system through poor quality water, internal component wear or other inbuilt particulates which are a key cause of pump seal failure. Coolant filters are the most effective solution against contamination of the coolants and are essential to service your coolant and protect it.

Test Strips

Using test strips is like the litmus test used to correctly determine the condition of the coolant. Regular testing can identify trends that may be leading to equipment damage. These strips help determine various factors such as

  • Overall freeze protection and key inhibitor quantity levels.
  • Overall Quality of the coolant to determine whether it is fit for continued use or is contaminated.
  • Water Quality - is this water suitable for use in a cooling system.

Refractometers

Depleting glycol levels in the coolant will bring down the boiling point and have a detrimental effect on the engine, especially in hot spots around the head. Refractometers are a near accurate tool to measure the glycol content of engine coolant. It is essential to maintain glycol levels within the specified limits. Different products may require different refractometers depending on their additive makeup.

Fleetguard Coolant Solutions

There are many products available in the Fleetguard range to assist with Cooling System maintenance:

  • • Ethylene Glycol (EG) and Propylene Glycol (PG) based Fully Formulated Coolants (ES Compleat)

These glycols are available as pre-mixed products, using de-ionized water, which are ready to use. They are also available in the more traditional, concentrated format which requires dilution with good quality water before use.

  • • DCA (Diesel Coolant Additive) heavy duty corrosion inhibitor

These inhibitors are available as a liquid concentrate to allow initial charging of a standard antifreeze product or to re-charge. A coolant which is low in inhibitor levels.

  • • Cooling System flushing/cleaning agents to remove scale, corrosion products, oil and gel contamination etc. Radiwash This not only removes contamination /scale/rust in the intricate passages of the engine without need of dismantling but dramatically brings the engines at operating temperatures.

Fleetguard is one of the leading Automobile Filter Manufacturers in India.

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How Fuel and Fuel Filters Work Together to Maintain the Fuel System

How Fuel and Fuel Filters Work Together to Maintain the Fuel System

The primary function of any fuel system is to store fuel & provide it to the engine whenever required. The fuel system typically comprises of fuel tanks, pumps, filters, lines, and injectors. Each component in the system plays a vital role in the performance of the engine. Fuel is mixed with air, atomized and vaporized in the air intake system. It can then be compressed in the engine cylinder and ignited to produce energy. The fuel systems may differ for various engines but the principle mechanism remains the same, that is, supplying fuel to the IC and regulating the flow of fuel w.r.t. air.

Diesel Fuel System

The fuel system supplies, transfers, cleans and delivers fuel to the engines’ cylinders to enable combustion, thereby producing power. The fuel system is responsible to meter the exact amount of fuel and deliver the fuel to the injector assembly with precise timing. As the fuel is delivered, the final conditions for providing complete combustion are atomization and the spray pattern of the fuel.

Multiple Functions of the Fuel

Diesel fuel exposed to the right amount of air is the primary energy source of a diesel engine. Diesel fuel specifications ensure it meets the necessary requirements for providing the correct amount of power, regardless of temperature and operating conditions. While the correct amount and timing of diesel fuel injection is necessary for optimum power, the fuel has several other key roles which include cooling, lubricating & cleaning.

  • • Cooling: Constant motion creates heat in the engine body. The fuel flowing through the injection pump circulates through the pump and absorbs the unwanted heat that is generated by the engine, akin to an engine coolant. Eventually, the heat is dissipated from the system. In this context, the fuel assists in the cooling mechanism.
  • • Lubricate: Diesel naturally has lubricating properties. It lubricates the moving components of both the fuel transfer pump and the fuel injection pump assembly. Lubrication with fuel is crucial to reduce the unwanted wear of the fuel system components to ensure longer service intervals.
  • • Cleaning: The fuel travelling from the fuel tank to the fuel system picks up dirt and dust on its way and delivers them to the fuel filtration components where the contaminants are removed. Cleaning the fuel system components ensures a long, trouble-free engine life.

 

Diesel is evidently much more than just fuel and performs various support functions to keep the fuel system efficient. As such, the fuel collects a lot of contaminants while performing its duties. Hence, to maintain the proper functioning of the fuel system, the fuel itself must be clean and free of impurities such as dirt, dust, metal particles, water etc. This is where a fuel filter helps. A fuel filter is located in the fuel line to screen out contaminants such as dirt, dust, debris and rust particles from the fuel. A fuel filter protects the critical parts of the engine, by filtering out foreign particles that can potentially damage a fuel injector. Now injectors are pretty expensive to replace, so you don’t want to cause them damage just because you didn’t replace a fuel filter on time. So make sure you practice timely replacement of your filters. And while you are at it, ensure that you buy filters only from reliable OEMs. Fleetguard is one such trusted automobile filter manufacturers in India implementing the best practices and delivering complete solutions to all your filtration needs.

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