Occasionally, and much less recently lately, I get a call from someone working on an EMD 567 Engine turbocharger. Here is some information I share with them. Take it or leave it as you see fit.

1. The lube oil supply system of the 567 turbocharged engine is different from a 645. Compare diagrams in the 567 and 645 engine manuals, note the differences:

2. On the 567 turbos (like D3A p/n 8296440), the input gear train idler has a sleeve bearing. On the 645 turbos, a roller bearing is used.

3. If a 567 turbo, the sleeve bearing can be "dry" on startup if the turbo has been stored for a long time. This is getting more common now because there are few 567 turbo engines left running and a turbo may have sat in the crate for quite a while.

4. The soak back pump on a 567 turbo engine does not lubricate the input idler sleeve bearing during startup. The bearing lube oil feed is on the engine side of the flapper valve.

5. Your best practice when changing a 567 turbo is to pre-lube the entire engine before attempting a start. Watch for oil flow at the camshaft bearings to make sure the entire oil supply path is lubricated. Watch for oil flow down the rear gear train (confirmed by viewing from inside oil pan through handhole cover) to be sure the flapper valve works and the turbo is being lubricated.

PC

It is my opinion, and has been for over 50 years, that any large diesel engine that is to be repeatedly started needs to be equipped with a prelubing system. On engines that have Bendix-drive starters, it is relatively easy to use a pump on the starter motor to pressurize the accumulator, but on a 567 (which will almost certainly be cranked by motoring the generator) there is not this cheap way to get the thing done.

I believe I understand the problem here is not that the turbo bearings per se (as the turbo would operate when overdriving the clutch) need lubricant, but the shaft of the low-speed gear drive is the concern. This might have to be actively prelubed for some time during a motored start, as the gears will be turning as soon as the engine is motored, before the oil pump system builds pressure.

I have seen discussions of prelubing applied to 539Ts, but not 567s. I would like to see descriptions and pictures of systems that can be easily used, especially which preserve as much of the 'historic fabric' as possible.

I never understood why locomotives never came with pre-lube pumps from the get go, whereas every marine engine (from every manufacturer) I have ever been around has them. Then again, getting crews to blow down before starting is essentially non existent to begin with..

I will be posting a few other maintenance and troubleshooting tips for 567 engines as available time allows. The 567 engines were the subject of a clinic I assembled for an ARM convention about 15 years ago. Posting some of the topics here may preserve the information for a few more years.

PC