Reference on diagnosing engine failures

[MadBill]

Don't take that the wrong way. I am just saying. And your right, reading never hurts anyone. If the book wasn;t $160 I wouldn't be apposed to it...

Common sense covers a large percentage of diagnoses but sometimes you have to look deep for the real answer and such a book can be illuminating in those circumstances. Say for example the track is really sticky today. You dump the clutch, pull the wheels two feet and the crank snaps. "Damn, Shoulda gone for the Callies DragonSlayer rather than a Compstar; I'll have to buck it up this time."
You tear it down and sure enough, it's broken at the front of the rearmost rod journal, but upon close examination you note successive ridges radiating across the break, centered on the journal edge of the fillet where a hairline notch can be seen... Aha, per the reference book, not an inadequate crank, just bad machining creating a stress riser, leading to a textbook fatigue failure that finally let go on that launch!

[gmrocket]

Not sure why you would even need something like that. If it blows up, what came first, the chicken or the egg? Otherwise, I think it's pretty self explanatory. Piston skirts are scuffed bad? Probably not enough Piston to wall clearance, if the bearings are chewed up, likely a clearance and or oiling issue, bent valves? Only a couple things that could be, Etc Etc

What's obvious to you isn't obvious to me. I don't build engines for living, and have to spend a lot of time sitting in front of a computer. Because of this, I figured that reading a book might be a good way to mitigate the impact of my experience and deficiencies. What's the worst thing that could happen just because of reading a book? Maybe overconfidence? Overconfidence is something that seems to be a risk in this area regardless of how you learn, from a book or from some parts.

You can get specific material for free from manufacturers..

Clevite has a bearing failure analysis pamphlet that has lots of good pics.

I've seen piston manufacturers do the same thing.

Ring manufacturers,, same

Hit some up for what they have

[ptuomov]

You can get specific material for free from manufacturers..

Clevite has a bearing failure analysis pamphlet that has lots of good pics.

I've seen piston manufacturers do the same thing.

Ring manufacturers,, same

Hit some up for what they have

I've got the second edition of the Mahle piston book, which has some failure analysis. I've also got the free failure analysis materials from Mahle Clevite. I think they are good, but I was looking for something more comprehensive -- and less conflicted! Especially with aftermarket performance product providers, it seems that it's never a fault with their material or design, it's always a user error!

[AA Performance]

The other thing, make them not fail, and you don't need the book.

Man that has to be the quote of the week.
I'm starting to like you

[RevTheory]

I bet having a firm grasp on failure analysis beforehand could go quite a long way towards parts selection, inspection and assembly and ultimately, failure prevention.

[ptuomov]

The first engine failure "analysis" (if you can call it that) that I ever did was when I bought a fire damaged engine from a wrecker and opened it up. My conclusion was... insurance fraud! The heads had been changed to older first casting revision heads with bent valves and the more valuable (and presumably working) second casting revision heads that were highly likely on this engine based on the engine number had been taken off. Then the engine was burned off but with a marks that indicated that the timing belt wasn't on the sprockets. It was interesting.

[tresi]

'Engine failure analysis', by Greuter and Zima

Cheers.

Thank you, ordered.

In college I had a book that was just called "Failure analysis" don't remember who wrote it.