General Information
DETROIT DIESEL 53
GENERAL
PROCEDURES
Various factors such as the type of operation of the
In many cases, a serviceman is justified in replacing
parts with new material rather than attempting repair.
engine, hours in service and next overhaul period must
However, there are times when a slight amount of
be considered when determining whether new parts
reworking or reconditioning may save a customer
are installed or used parts are reconditioned to provide
considerable added expense. Crankshafts, cylinder
trouble- free operation.
liners and other parts are in this category. For
example, if a cylinder liner is only slightly worn and
within usable limits, a honing operation to remove the
For convenience and logical order in disassembly and
glaze may make it suitable for reuse, thereby saving
assembly, the various sub-assemblies and other related
the expense of a new part. Exchange assemblies such
parts mounted on the cylinder block will be treated as
as injectors, fuel pumps, water pumps and blowers are
separate items in the various sections of the manual.
also desirable service items.
DISASSEMBLY
various sub-assemblies should be removed from the
Before any major disassembly, the engine must be
engine. When only a few items need replacement, it is
drained of lubricating oil, coolant and fuel. On
not always necessary to mount the engine on an
engines cooled by a heat exchanger, the fresh water
overhaul stand.
system and raw water system must both be drained.
Lubricating oil should also be drained from any
Parts removed from an individual engine should be
transmission attached to the engine.
kept together so they will be available for inspection
and assembly. Those items having machined faces,
To perform a major overhaul or other extensive
repairs, the complete engine assembly, after removal
which might be easily damaged by steel or concrete,
should be stored on suitable wooden racks or blocks, or
from the engine base and drive mechanism, should be
a parts dolly.
mounted on an engine overhaul stand; then the
CLEANING
Before removing any of the sub-assemblies from the
Solvent Tank Cleaning
engine (but after removal of the electrical equipment),
A tank of sufficient size to accommodate the largest
the exterior of the engine should be thoroughly
part that will require cleaning (usually the cylinder
cleaned. Then, after each sub-assembly is removed
block) should be provided and provisions made for
and disassembled, the individual parts should be
heating the cleaning solution to 180F.-200F.
cleaned. Thorough cleaning of each part is absolutely
Fill the tank with a commercial heavy-duty solvent
necessary before it can be satisfactorily inspected.
which is heated to the above temperature. Lower large
Various items of equipment needed for general
parts directly into the tank with a hoist. Place small
cleaning are listed below.
parts in a wire mesh basket and lower them into the
tank. Immerse the parts long enough to loosen all of
The cleaning procedure used for all ordinary cast iron
the grease and dirt.
parts is outlined under Clean Cylinder Block in Section
1.1; any special cleaning procedures will be mentioned
Rinsing Bath
in the text wherever required.
Provide another tank of similar size containing hot
water for rinsing the parts.
Steam Cleaning
Drying
A steam cleaner is a necessary item in a large shop
and is most useful for removing heavy accumulations
Parts may be dried with compressed air. The heat
of grease and dirt from the exterior of the engine and
from the hot tanks will quite frequently complete
its sub-assemblies.
drying of the parts without the use of compressed air.
March, 1973 Page 11
