JOHN N COBB - 1950 Fairbanks-Morse Diesel Engine

[tpvalley]

What failed do u know?

[TheChiefEngineer]

It was a sheared main crankshaft.

With these kind of engines, parts were no longer available and had to be taken from engines in museums.

She went out in her own terms to be honest.

[tpvalley]

u can still buy the parts for them, they trade along with nordberg for spares, they have several websites.

Fairbanks and morse only made 2 types of OP engine, 2 different bore sizes that is, and a few number of cylinder permurations, surely it was fixable.?

[TheChiefEngineer]

There will most certainly have been bearing damage and damage to the running gear, and possibly damage to the entablature. It's not just about getting spares though, it's the logistics involved. I had a damaged shaft in a dredge pump. Simple in principle to repair using a £100 stainless steel sleeve, and also the impeller needed building up, but all of the work involved in getting that shaft and impeller out resulted in a staggering £125,000 shipyard bill...

[petespencer23]

That sounds great. Not too many old slow speed diesels left....

[tpvalley]

I think these run at about 800-1000rpm or there abouts, they used them in locomotives also; I think medium speed is more like the description.