HJ Mechanical Cylinder Lubricators

Most likely the problems are due to dirt entering the float valve with the oil. Please check if the strainer in front of the lubricator is clean, and that new dirt cannot enter the float valve this way.

Use the manual drawing for understanding the construction and mounting – dismount the float valve for cleaning. The best liquid to use is kerosene.

If during the cleaning you notice scratches on the slide or in the slide bore of the housing, these have to be removed before proper function can be attained. For this purpose use a fine liquid polishing agent. E.g. “Brasso”. If the scratches are too deep to be removed this way, you may risk a leaking float valve, and the best solution would then be to install a new one instead.

If the stroke setting has been done correctly and evenly, the flow from each pump should be the same, and the balls will therefore under normal conditions be standing at the same height in the flow bores. Uneven ball heights are most likely due to air in some of the pumps.

There is always dissolved air in oil, and it has a tendency to collect in the pumps if it is not released before the oil enters the pumps. Applying heating in the lubricators may provide the solution. In this connection, please also confirm that there is no fresh air intakes blowing directly at the lubricator, or that it is otherwise “artificially” cooled down.

Normal heating is designed to increase the cylinder oil temperature to approx. 20 degrees above the temperature of the surroundings.

If the engine has had a longer stand still without the heating connected, or the lubricator is installed rather recently, it can be that air is collecting several times and the lubricator has to be bled by loosening the bleed screws. Follow the instruction of the manual.

No, that is not the case. The oil viscosity is highly depending on the temperature, and ball heights are decided by viscosity and flow through the ball control bore.

You can use the ball heights to determine if all the pumps are actually pumping the same quantity. The only exception from this conclusion is if the balls are standing at the top of the glass all the time. Then the position is not a safe indication of even quantity.

This is difficult to reply to. It very much depends on your expectations and request to optimise the application, so that a minimum of cylinder oil is consumed.

We recommend that the HJ Mechanical Lubricator is cleaned and packings and seals exchanged at least every second year. This also gives a good occasion to check the timing (for timed cylinder lubrication) and the pump stroke setting.

If you want us to help you in this connection, this can be done e.g. at a harbour of your choice, in connection with a docking or by overhauling at our works.

We recommend heating in the HJ Mechanical Lubricator for the reason listed below.

There is always dissolved air in oil, and it has a tendency to collect in the pumps if it is not released before the oil enters the pumps. Applying heating in the lubricators may provide the solution. In this connection, please also confirm that there is no fresh air intakes blowing directly at the lubricator, or that it is otherwise “artificially” cooled down.

Normal heating is designed to increase the cylinder oil temperature to approx. 20 degrees above the temperature of the surroundings.  If the temperature conditions are lower than usual for an engine room (18-20 degrees C), if the cylinder lubricator is supplied with very cold cylinder lube oil or there is unusually much air in the cylinder lube oil, it may be relevant to apply thermostat and heating element with a higher output.

You have better operational conditions if heating is applied and it is switched on at all times, also at engine stand still.

The classification society requirement is normally one spare lubricator per engine. If the engine applies timed lubrication and several non-identical lubricators, this can be argued not to be the optimal situation.

There are two possibilities for getting around this problem. Either a spare lubricator for each of the different units on the engine is applied, or one lubricator together with additional cam shafts, so that the engine staff can modify the spare lubricator on board for any of the positions where exchange can become necessary.

Pressure tight lubricators distinguish themselves from the mostly applied execution with float valves by having the full inlet pressure directly into the lubricator and therefore always a tank under pressure of the oil.

Making the units pressure tight, means that opening the lubricators become more difficult, as the tightness sets added requirements to the packing and sealing of the assembled parts. The pressure also has to be removed before disassembly begins.

One may feel tempted to choose this version to get around problems with dirt in the float valves. This, however, is not necessarily a good idea. When dirt gets stuck in the float valve the problem of dirt is detected before it may lead to functional problems. If dirt assembles in the bottom of the lubricator container, it will eventually get to the level of the pumps, and when it enters the pumps, serious functional problems can be foreseen. Unless regular and conscientious cleaning of the lubricator oil tank takes place, it may give a false sense of security.

Different customers have different views to the choice of type of lubricators; therefore we produce and deliver both, depending on customer specification.

We cannot recommend on type over the other. Please refer to your lubricator manual, if you what to check which type of lubricator you have.

Fixed zero-stroke setting is a way of having a fixed point of starting, when setting the stroke of the lubricator.

All lubricators look the same, and to check if you have zero-stroke setting or not, please refer to the lubricator manual.

On lubricators with fixed-zero stroke setting, the adjusting bolts are executed so that when the bolt head is screwed in to touch the surface of the flange on the lubricator casing, then the stroke is exactly zero.

Unscrewing the bolt from this point lets you make an easy stroke setting. Standard adjusting bolts today have a thread pitch of 0.5mm, meaning that two turns of the adjusting bolt outwards means a pump stroke of 1 mm. Using the key ways in the bolts for fixing it, the adjustment possibilities are in steps of 0.125 mm.

Fixed zero stroke setting is a big advantage in operation, when stroke has to be adjusted, but when disassembled or spare parts have to be applied, installation is not easy and require careful and accurate work. Please be aware that without this care and accuracy, it may be giving a false sense of safety, and a risk of wrong stroke setting.

As MAN B&W is introducing the ME engine series, it is of course interesting if the HJ Mechanical Hans Jensen Lubricator can be applied in this connection. The answer is yes.

Applying HJ Mechanical Lubricators will build on experience and pave the way for application of HJ SIP lubrication.

Although there is no chain drive for the traditional mechanical drive for the cylinder lubricators as on the MC engines, it is - based on experience from other engine designs - possible to apply electronically timed HJ Mechanical Lubricators, or an erected mechanical drive.

As the past has brought some confusion in this connection we hereby take the liberty of clarifying the following:

Approved for use on MAN B&W engines are:

Hans Jensen Cylinder Lubricators

and

Alpha Lubrication (available from Hans Jensen)

No other MAN B&W approvals exist. Lists of Difference indicating alternative standards from before August 2001 have been recalled by MAN B&W.

The lubricators for HJ SIP Lubrication are, however, approved by MAN B&W like our other lubricators. This means, that later installation can be prepared by specifying HJ SIP Lubricators from the outset. Until HJ SIP Lubrication is activated, these lubricators will operate according to conventional lubrication principles.

Our new designed HJ SIP Lubrication system is applied on a "no objection" basis, but does not yet have a formal MAN B&W approval. However, data for new applications are provided by the engine designer, and we keep MAN B&W informed about applications, performance and results with the intention of providing the SIP system with a formal approval.

Our HJ Mechanical Cylinder Lubricators and lubricator arrangements are approved for application on Sulzer diesel engines.

Thus, based on approvals we can deliver cylinder lubricators, lubricator arrangements and distributors to the entire range of 2-stroke Sulzer engines. We look forward to expanding our activities in this connection.

We can inform that we have a close formal cooperation with MHI regarding HJ SIP Lubrication.

As for conventional lubrication on UE engines, we have no formal approval, but we have supplied our cylinder lubricators to MHI Kobe and MHI Yokohama, as well as their licensee Akasaka Diesels, for application on UE engines.

Based on this, we take the liberty of assuming that application of HJ Mechanical Lubricators is possible, if so desired.

At delivery, MAN B&W DEs with timed HJ Mechanical Cylinder lubricators are equipped with a timing gauge allowing for easy confirmation that the timing of cylinder oil injection is according to the engine designer specifications.

The gauge (or template) is fitted over the cam shaft of the lubricator and fixed with the pins to the lubricator casing, allowing a good reading.

The basis for checking the timing for all cylinders using the gauge is turning the engine so the piston of cylinder one is in TDC (Top Dead Center) position.

The marking on the gauge for the relevant cylinder shall then correspond to the marking on the lubricator setting scale when mounted on the relevant lubricator. I.e. if having placed cylinder one in TDC and mounting the gauge on the cylinder lubricator for cylinder 5, then the mark on the lubricator scale shall be off the mark for cylinder 5 on the gauge.
Is the timing found to be incorrectly set according to the gauge, the easiest adjustment is done by starting with the lubricator(s) at the engine gear drive, and working outwards from there. Make sure that couplings are tightened with the specified torque.

Furthermore, we refer to the engine maker manual as well as the lubricator manual for more detailed information.