Job Journal - Project Star Explorer

This is my 1st post regarding my new job in Malaysia. A simple job but took ages to complete due to spare part + CNY + everyone involved in CNY mood. Must thank the Marine Superintendent of Sang Muara for being very helpful and proactive in dealing with the owner(s) 'why so expensive's attitude. Another it will be one of the many series of jobs that I had involved and completed and will serve as a online update resume! hahahahahahah (as advised by tonyice)

On the way on back of lorry gohdardee

Tugger with a kapult genset

Headed a technical team consisted of a service engineer and 2 skilled technicians + 2 trainees/slaves/runners/teh tarik ice's boys to tugger ‘Star Explorer’ at West Port, Port Kelang, to carry out overhauling of one unit Perkins Sabre 6TWGM Marine Genset engine (Port side), in-situ with tugboat still in operations, during our normal working hours on weekdays. Our works been carried out on 28 Jan 2010 at 1000hrs after boarding the tugboat. We started to dismantle all the accessory parts, exhaust and inlet manifolds, intercooler tubestack, lube oil cooler, circulating cooling water pump , raw water pump, etc. Then we removed the flywheel assembly, pulley assembly, drive gears cover, all the drive & drive gears. Lowered the engine sump casing in order to have access to the connecting-rods and loosened all the securing bolts accordingly. Then we removed the cylinder cover, rocker arm-unit, cylinder dead, the pistons & connecting rods from the engine block for cleaning and inspection by owner's rep.

Royal Engine

The culprit

Dismounting

Half day job...

More to do

Due to limited space on the portside of the engine room, we disconnected the engine from its base mounting and negotiated the engine slowly with few chain-blocks to move the whole engine towards the middle of the engine room where we continued to removed the main bearing keeps and shaft ends keep, lifted out eh crankshaft for cleaning and inspection.

Layout inspection

After inspection with Sang Muara’s Marine Superintendent on 29 Jan 2010, we concluded that most of the small end bearing (bushes) of piston had worn and gudgeon having carbonized spots. With that we suggested that a new set of pistons are required to avoid unnecessary problems in the near future. On that day, we took all the pistons and connecting rods back to our workshop to de-carbonize and final checking. Cylinder head intake and exhaust valves dismantled and de-carbonized. We found that all intake valves and exhaust valves grooved and pitted deeply. Removed all cylinder liners for renewal with owner’s supply..... this is the lagging part.... only can proceed on after CNY!! had oil all the parts and wrapped them up in plastic.

After CNY - We cleaned all the crankshaft crankpins thoroughly and air-blowed through all oil holes, and oiled the crankpins thoroughly before re-assembly. Servicing had been carried out for the fuel pump assembly as well as intercooler for the gen set. On 17 Feb 2010, we carried out the reassembling job onboard Star Explorer. It was a difficult task especially when the tugboat was on operations. Upon completion cleaning and checking, the engine was reassembled with new parts (supplied by the owner) and re-used back whatever items not supplied by owners and all tightening were torque-up as per instruction manual and the rocker arms tappets were checked to correct clearances as per instruction manual aka toyol.

Have to wait for owner's rep to be ready for commissioning.. another lagging...On 22 Feb 2010, refitted all accessories, manifolds and connections. Upon completion of the task, we filled up the oil-sump, purged the fuel pump, fuel lines primed and the fuel injectors. After purging, the engine was test-run at lower RPM in the presence of Senior Technician onboard to his satisfaction. Engine being kept running for 2 continous hours. No problem

After running-in as requested by the Owner’s Rep, the genset was then run at normal RPM and put on-load on 24 Feb 2010. Overall test was satisfactory and all found to be back to normal. A job that really like working in a sauna room + noisy + unstable. the best part will be when u go back home, wash ur hand and start to dig ur nose for all the black gold!

a happy tugger