After the catastrophic failure of a reciprocating engine such as a marine diesel engine, the question is always whether the engine block bearing race was damaged and, if so, to what extent. A quick decision is then required on the necessary scope of maintenance:

Is the crank shaft bearing race damaged? If so, what repairs are necessary?

Whether or not the right measures were taken will become clear no later than the final check, in which the crankshaft deflection is measured. If the crankshaft does not run properly at this juncture, there will only be a limited scope of corrective measures that can be taken. And this can lead to considerable expense.

‘Time is money’ and ‘only as much as is absolutely necessary’ are mottos that illustrate the constraints under which the damage is identified and maintenance requirements are calculated.

A single day of ship laytime costs around 10,000 euros. Depending on the degree of damage, repair costs may result in additional expenses of up to 500%, which is why the damage should be identified as precisely as possible. In addition to bearing race alignment, the roundness of the bearing seat should checked.