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Sad News

Sad News

You may have heard the sad news that MAN Energy Solutions (Formerly Paxman Diesels) has announced plans to shut their facility in Colchester.

Paxman has been in Colchester (currently next door to our own facilities) for more than 150 years and this news is a major blow for our town and the UK engineering industry.

At its peak, the facility was employing around 3,000 local people, plus all the local support and sub-contracting companies, so it really is tremendously sad to see it go.

Paxman over the years. Image is taken from The Colchester Gazette Newspaper

There have been reports that economic effects of Coronavirus have caused this decision, but there were already problems, and although we are nowhere near the size of MAN, there are lessons we can all take from this situation.

Paxman engines were one of the world leaders for Naval and locomotive power, priding themselves on their power to weight ratio.  

In fact, if you’ve ever had anything to do with Naval vessels, then the chances are you’ve come across their engines, particularly the Valenta and Ventura models.

Or if you’re in the locomotive sector you are likely to have come across the RPH models.

When I look at the MAN heritage brands (Paxman, Ruston & Mirrlees), compared to MTU, who are now the leading engine supplier to Navies across the world, there is a significant difference in the investment in innovation.  

It’s the same when looking after critical equipment. 

If you don’t invest in the short term, it will cost you in the long term.  We have seen the results of making savings by not investing in engine maintenance which then ends up costing more when the inevitable failure occurs.

There are also significant gains to be made by embracing and incorporating innovations.  When working on engines that were designed 50+ years ago (or even 20 years ago), there are lots of progressions in materials, designs and improvements that could be utilised.

Paxman has a special place in Bartech’s history, with our founder, Gerald “Barney” Barnett and Technical Lead, Andy, completing their apprenticeships there, and we continue to support many of their engines around the world.

We understand that lots of operators are finding things even more difficult during the current economic climate and we would like to extend our support for any technical help you need, especially when you are looking to reduce costs and increase reliability.

Just hit reply and we’ll be happy to help.
 

Best regards,


Paul Bleck
Managing Director

Bartech Marine Engineering
Providing safety through mechanical excellence

Check out Bartech Parts Supply Ltd
 
Click here to download our free Engineer Resource Ebook
 
www.bartechmarine.com
Tel: +44 (0) 1206 791552
Fax: +44 (0) 1206 225241
Email: paul.bleck@bartechmarine.com


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How we can help you in the Marine sector...

With most of Bartech’s early client’s coming from the marine industry, we have over 30 years experience in this sector and it’s thanks to these relationships we understand the increasing pressures Technical Superintendents, Chief Engineers, Operators and Crew are under and the problems unreliable propulsion and generator engines can cause.

 

In-depth sector knowledge

Our experience working with ship owners and managers gives us the ability to understand the challenges you face with tight schedules, potential contract penalties and rising costs, whilst conforming to the latest regulations issued by Lloyds and SOLAS to those issued by IMO, MCA, and other regulators.

Experienced field service team

With our team of time served – highly trained and experienced engineers, we can be there when you need us, for breakdown responses 24/7 or scheduled maintenance worldwide.

Below are examples of the various projects we have carried out across the marine sector.

How we can help you in the Oil & Gas sector...

Offshore oil & gas companies need specialist support they can rely on to maintain and repair safety-critical equipment 24 hours a day. Health and safety are a priority and downtime an expensive consequence of breakdowns that is to be avoided at all costs.

In-depth sector knowledge

Our highly trained, dedicated offshore team offers complete 24-hour specialist support to our oil & gas clients worldwide.

We have the specific knowledge and engineering expertise needed to ensure that even the oldest of engines and equipment can be restored to working order quickly in the event of breakdowns, and can be kept well maintained to avoid costly future disruption.

Supported by our Aberdeen based Technical Service Manager, our offshore team of diesel engine experts will respond to breakdowns rapidly, day or night to get your engines and equipment safely back up and running as quickly as possible.

The complete service

You also get our full, bespoke, proactive support service, which includes audits, surveys and planned maintenance to ensure maximum operational effectiveness for your engines, whether they are used in fire pump, emergency generator, starter, crane, or lifeboat applications.

Having worked with Shell for over 25 years and now supporting over 20 oil & gas companies, our expertise, dedication, innovative problem solving and reputation for fast, reliable breakdown response is second to none.

Our focus on proactive maintenance enables us to provide you with engineering solutions that minimise disruption, with detailed backup, documentation and a commitment to the highest levels of health and safety as standard.

How we can help you in the Power Generation sector...

If you’re looking for generator maintenance, Bartech’s team of experienced engineer’s will ensure your critical engine is well looked after, giving you the peace of mind that comes with expert engineers, full documentation and our 12-month warranty.

Generator experts

At Bartech, we’re on a mission to help businesses like yours to enjoy the peace of mind that comes when you know back-up power will deliver if needed. That’s why we provide an expert generator maintenance service to ensure that our clients get what they need to keep their organisations going.

Peace of mind

Decades of expertise in maintaining emergency and standby generators combined with our membership of AMPS (The Association of Manufacturers of Power generating Systems) ensure we can help you get that peace of mind that comes when you know that everything’s looked after and running smoothly.

AMPS is the trade association and industry voice for the UK’s world-leading diesel and gas-engine power generating sector and associated businesses.

Complete Support

If you have the responsibility of the generator as an owner, through a facility management company, or even a generator contract, we can bring our 30+ years of engine expertise to reduce costs and problems caused by power issues.

Over time we have seen more than most how the little things can cause huge expense and inconvenience

Our generator maintenance team will provide you with:

Emergency breakdown response from specialised engineers 24/7

Technical support from engineers with specialist experience and OEM training

Full documentation for complete trace-ability and historical records

Safe working practices with full RAMS compliant with our OHSAS 18001 accreditation

 

How we can help you with your Wärtsilä engines...

Specialist independent Wärtsilä expertise for all your engine servicing, overhauls and support.

 

With Wärtsilä trained and experienced engineers, we can supply the parts and the skills to offer complete Wärtsilä engine services, from routine maintenance to full Wärtsilä engine repair and overhauls.

The complete solution

As an experienced, independent Wärtsilä engine specialist we can offer you more solutions and alternatives for your Wärtsilä engine repair, overhaul, maintenance and spares.

In short, however you need help with your Wärtsilä engine, we’ve got the skills, the contacts and expertise to help you, often with a significant saving to be had.

If you’re after a trustworthy Wärtsilä engine specialist with an excellent track record for your job then let's get started

What we can do for your Wärtsilä engine:

Identify and source the right parts for you, either from the original manufacturers or other engine manufacturers, all with a 12-month warranty.

Access our large inventory of spares to get you the right piece of equipment

Supply and install Wärtsilä engines for you, new or reconditioned.

We can help you with major assemblies

Our engineers (who work directly for Bartech) can visit you onsite (both offshore and onshore) to help with overhauls, fault diagnosis, commissioning and alignments

You’ll get a 12-month warranty with all parts supply and work completed

How you can benefit from our expertise:

Reduced parts costs by purchasing directly from manufacturers

Access overhaul and engineering solutions, with big savings to be had when compared with replacement options

You’ll be tapping into the expertise of highly experienced and Wärtsilä trained service engineers who can utilise engine knowledge from other makes to solve your problems quicker

Use us to source genuine spares for out of production models from worldwide stockists

Get measurement and test sheets with reconditioned parts and assemblies, giving you the peace of mind that comes from knowing your engine is in the best possible shape.

Our experience covers the following engines:

Wärtsilä Engines
Wärtsilä 20 Wärtsilä 22 Wärtsilä 24 Wärtsilä 26
Wärtsilä 32 Wärtsilä 34DF Wärtsilä 38 Wärtsilä 46
Wärtsilä 50DF Wärtsilä 64 Wärtsilä L 20

Send us your Wärtsilä parts enquiry now.

 

 

Wärtsilä Engines
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Overhauls – In-situ or out?
We carry out many overhauls on engines in various sectors, both in situ and here at our workshop in Colchester. And we’re often asked whether one of the options is better than the other. The reality is that it depends. For example, for one marine operator, we carried out a top-end overhaul onboard a windfarm vessel, which saved them downtime and reduced the overall cost.
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Burnt through four HEUI pumps
A few years back, we overhauled a Caterpillar C series engine for a marine operator. We’ve been working with them again recently and discovered that the engine has burnt through four HEUI pumps since the overhaul, despite only running for a total of 580 hours.
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Don’t replace those cylinder heads
We’re currently working with an operator and carrying out top-end overhauls on three of their land-based temporary power supply generator engines. Before working with us, they’d originally contacted the engine provider and were told that all 20 cylinder heads would need replacing. The cost for the works (including replacing the cylinders heads)? Over £45,000.
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When silence CAN’T be golden…
We were recently contacted by an offshore operator who needed a new Primary Reactive Spark Arrestor Silencer for one of their engines. We got busy sourcing it and discovered that the silencers available on the market were made of an incompatible metal, meaning the metal in the new silencer would react with the metal on the flange (ANSI 150 CORTEN A) which would lead to galvanic corrosion and failure.
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Damper Mistakes
As you know, we like to share as many case studies as we can, all with the aim of helping you keep your engines running smoothly. And one topic we’ve returned to several times is the major failures that can result from leaving silicon dampers on engines, without inspection, for significant periods of time. Whilst the contents of these types of dampers lose their effectiveness over time, our engineers’ eyes have been opened to the intricacies of oil-filled mechanical dampers whilst carrying out training at Geislinger's main facility in Salzburg, Austria.
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Experience vs instructions Caterpillar G3516E
Once again this week, I’ve been reminded that you can’t always depend on the manufacturer’s manuals for all the information you need. I was on-site, installing new main and conn rod bearings on a land-based Caterpillar G3516E power generation engine.
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Unseen Catastrophic failure part 2
Back in June, we attended a Caterpillar 3516 gas engine for a straightforward job – changing the rear main oil seal. In the end, it wasn’t quite so straightforward – during the investigation, our engineers found something they’d never seen before:
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Critical Circulation Caterpillar 3508 Engine

We currently have a Caterpillar 3508 engine in the workshop from a dredging vessel. The engine in question was removed from the vessel a while ago and kept dockside, prior to being sent to us for overhauling. And it appears that this has had an impact – we found rust on the camshaft, which has penetrated too deeply for us to rectify by machining - this will now require replacement.
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Serious Problem with Spare Parts
One of our operators recently had a Simms in-line 6 element fuel injection pump of theirs overhauled and installed by a third party. But unfortunately, after only one week of operation, there was a problem. Two problems actually: 1) Camshaft housing full of fuel an 2) Diesel spilling from breather when the engine was running
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Governor Swap Caterpillar 3508 Starboard Generator Engine
To change out the governor on the Caterpillar 3508 starboard generator engine. This engine had recently been installed after having been overhauled by a 3rd party, but there was a problem. When the new engine was commissioned, it wouldn’t share load with the port engine or shut down correctly.
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Numerous issues with Caterpillar 3412 Engine
We currently have a Caterpillar 3412 engine in for overhaul for a marine operator, and we’ve found numerous issues. I figured it might be useful to share exactly what we’ve found, as it’ll help you work out what you should be looking out for, and some of the reasons behind the problems. During the initial visual inspection, we found:
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Oil in the Manifold Paxman 12VP185 Generator Engine.
This week I’ve been onsite to change two low-pressure turbo cores and replace the core o rings on a Paxman 12VP185 generator engine. I attended previously to carry out a non-intrusive survey and health assessment of the set, and as you can probably guess, that survey flagged up a couple of things that needed attention.
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Gas Escaping Jenbacher 620 Engine
We attended a power generation site in London recently to perform a 30,000hr service on their Jenbacher 620 engine. And I’m glad we did since there were a few issues that could have been disastrous if left unchecked. During the clean of the cylinder heads, we noted that the pre-combustion chamber pockets were showing signs of gas passing.
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Governor Repositioning Caterpillar 3508 Engine from a Marine Operator
The other day, we received a newly overhauled Caterpillar 3508 engine from a marine operator. The work scope was to relocate the governor from the starboard side of the engine to the port side. As the Senior Engineer on the project, I got to work, disconnecting the governor from the engine and placing it on a governor stand, whilst also moving the supporting shell bearing to the left-hand side of the engine.
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Diesel Bug MAN D2848 LE 423 V8-900 engines
As part of our MAN dealership capabilities, two of our engineers recently attended a research catamaran. The work scope was a 2000-hour service on two MAN D2848 LE 423 V8-900 engines. And during the work, they came across a common but avoidable issue…
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Insurance Claim Cummins 6C8.3.
Last week we received a Cummins 6C8.3. A client needed us to inspect it for an insurance report, and we were happy to oblige. And although you might think that “insurance report” means a new engine, that’s not always the case.
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Transparency Cummins K19 Engine
We’re currently overhauling a Cummins K19 engine for one of our offshore operators and the platform rotating equipment engineer joined us for the week to see for himself how things are progressing, to share information on his critical engine, and see how things get done at Bartech.
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Thinking of changing your fuel?
Thinking of changing your fuel? I was contacted on LinkedIn the other day, with an interesting question: “Have you got any experience running Perkins 1506 engines on MGO and any issues with injectors or performance? What oil would you recommend and what are the expected service intervals?” I asked Charlie - one of our project engineers - to give him a call and talk through what the application was and provide some advice.
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Are you sitting on the answer? Caterpillar 3406 Engine
We recently attended a vessel that had engine failure. They’d been assessed by the OEM and were advised that they required a new crankcase and crankshaft for Caterpillar 3406 Engine
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IMO Tier III - 2021
With the new IMO Tier 3 regulations coming into play from the 1st January 2021, we wanted to reach out in case you need any help or advice on ensuring your critical diesel engines meet this requirement. Whilst this standard applies to marine applications, reduction in emissions is affecting all applications.
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Outside the box support Caterpillar G3520 Cylinder Head Gasket Kits
They approached us looking to source two Caterpillar G3520 Cylinder Head Gasket Kits on an urgent basis – no issues there, that’s what we do. Straight away, we reached out to our suppliers… which is where we hit the catch; we could only locate one kit quickly with the other kit being on a long lead time.
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Lack of Oil Pressure to Governor Caterpillar 3408 Engines
We recently attended a vessel to investigate a hot start issue on one of their Caterpillar 3408 engines. The operator reported that the engine started fine from cold but reported issues when the engine reached optimum operating temperatures. To allow the hot start investigation to begin, the engine was started and run for approximately 15 minutes off load and brought to its normal operating temperatures.
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Turbocharger Removal Issue Napier SA084 From a Standby Generator.
Last week we were out on an offshore platform to survey the removal of a turbocharger from a standby generator.
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Warped Governor Woodward 3161
We were called by a marine operator seeking rectification for a failed Woodward 3161 governor. Immediately after the start-up of the engine, the engine made a loud noise and stopped. When the engineers on board went to investigate they found oil everywhere – (unbeknownst to them, it was due to the governor blowing oil out at 250 psi)
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Wärtsilä engine?
I just wanted to reach out and let you know that if you’re responsible for a Wärtsilä engine, then we’re ideally placed to help you. As you know, we’ve been operating for well over 30 years now, and we’ve got a huge amount of experience, across a range of engines and manufacturers, including Wärtsilä.
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Detroit Diesel Support 8V71T
All is going well with me, and Bartech Parts – we’ve been busy with Detroit enquiries… Detroit Diesel (General Motors) started building engines in the 1930s with their 2-stroke 71 series, primarily used in the military, construction and standby generator sectors. After that success, they put into production the 2-stroke 53 series, V71, V92 & V149
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Running oil on high PSI Baudouin P15 Pump Engine
We recently completed the overhaul of a Baudouin P15 pump engine, and when it came to the 24hr FAT (Factory acceptance test) we noted something worrying, leading us to perform an RCA. Engine installed onto testbed and all connections were made, The engine was then primed by turning the engine over, All rocker covers were removed, and it was checked that oil was at the rocker gear. This was noted and the rocker covers were replaced
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Bearing Cap Cavitation on Wartsila Dual-Fuel 9L 50DF Engines
During planned maintenance on one of the first Wartsila dual-fuel 9L 50DF engines, our engineer came across a very unusual issue that - at the time - had never been recorded before. The discovery was made after the field service engineering team had removed all the pistons from the engine and started to remove the shim from each big end bearing upper cap.
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Generator Failure Deutz BF6M1013E Standby Generator
And keeping generator reliability in mind, only last week, we had a call for an urgent fix Tuesday afternoon, concerning a hotel’s Deutz BF6M1013E standby generator. The mounting plate for the ABB TPS50 turbocharger needed repair as the studs had sheared off inside the plate.
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Generator Water Leak MTU 12V4000 Engine
Well, one of our MTU trained engineers has just come back from attending another back-up generator issue This time the operator reported water coming out of one of the fuel injectors on their MTU 12V4000 engine. On arrival, our engineer walked around the set and the engine room
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Old not Obsolete -Mirrlees Blackstone ERS8 Emergency Generator
Mirrlees Blackstone ERS8 Emergency Generator - As you know, we look after critical diesel engines, and over the past 30 plus years, we have seen many that have been in service since the 1970s and earlier Our engineers know the difficulties that can arise with these older heritage engines and will be able to solve 99% of them.
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Emergency Engine Risks Dorman 6QT Driven Emergency Fire Pumps
Last week we headed out to survey a pair of Dorman 6QT driven emergency fire pumps for an operator. Our job was to determine if replacement engines were required or if they could be overhauled. Not always easy advice to give just based on a survey, but we were able to do it.
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Sad News
You may have heard the sad news that MAN Energy Solutions (Formerly Paxman Diesels) has announced plans to shut their facility in Colchester. Paxman has been in Colchester (currently next door to our own facilities) for more than 150 years and this news is a major blow for our town and the UK engineering industry.
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Correct Alignment Niigata Engines

We are just completing the replacement of the engine mounts on a couple of Niigata engines and whilst the engine mounts were in vital need of replacing (that’s another story), one of the critical parts of the work scope was the alignments. As you’ll be aware, engine alignment is critical in protecting the engine and the equipment it’s driving, with misalignments resulting in vibrations able to cause bearing failures and catastrophic damage.
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Incompatible Governor Designation Woodward EG3P Governors
Late last year we were sent in various spares from an offshore operator to inspect and overhaul. Included in the shipment were two Woodward EG3P Governors that had been stored and never used, which was just as well
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Turbocharger Overhaul Overdue ABB VTC 254-13
Our engineers will carry on with the required work on these turbos, but I just wanted to check, are your turbos at risk? We currently have a couple of ABB VTC 254-13 turbochargers in our workshop for full dismantle and report. Both have issues that could have been prevented if a more suitable maintenance schedule
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Hours Expired Damper
Whilst speaking with an operator recently, the question came up about whether it was possible to save time and money by not replacing the damper. We gave them the full technical explanation and it made me think that it was worth putting together the correct protocol when it comes to the dampers in your critical diesel engine, to help you make the right decisions.
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Walker Airsep Field Service Kit
As we mentioned at the end of May, we have recently been awarded official dealership status for Walker Airsep Engineering. Having already seen a high demand for these we have recently taken a stock order shipment to ensure we can deliver in time and on budget. The stock includes washable air filter elements for MAN D2862, Scania DI-16 and Caterpillar C30/C32 engines.
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Genuine Caterpillar Parts Quicker than Finning Caterpillar 3516 Generator Set
Last Friday lunchtime we received a call from someone in urgent need of a Coolant Water Pump for a critical Caterpillar 3516 Generator Set which had failed. Once we had the serial number, we identified, sourced, and arranged a same-day delivery service for a reman pump, though if you’ve ever been involved in changing these pumps, you’ll know they need a fitting gasket set.
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Poor Diesel Damage - MTU 396 Emergency Generators
Two of our engineers have just returned to the workshop after carrying out W3 services on some MTU 396 Emergency Generators. The filter was SO full of dirt that when the engine was trying to pull fuel through them, it had torn the elements from the housings, collapsing the metal housings themselves, causing the engine to be severely choked.
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Timing Issues Cat 3126A
The engine in question, however, IS out of the ordinary: A Cat 3126A with 2 valve cylinder heads and combined pump injectors. Caterpillar only made a few of these engines, and thanks to various issues with timing, they discontinued the engine after a year and moved on to the 3126B with fully electronically controlled injectors.
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Caterpillar 3412 Water Leak
Last week, while one of the engineers was changing the coolant pump and oil cooler on a Caterpillar 3412, he came across some further issues that couldn’t be ignored. Even with travel restrictions in place, the UK oil and gas sector is managing mobilisations with additional pre-flight checks to enable work on their critical equipment, but even with increased pressures
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Damage From Wrong Injectors Detroit Diesel 16v71 Engines
The operator is using some Detroit 16v71 engines and was experiencing issues with the engine’s timing, so they called a local company to rectify the problem. As part of their work, they decided to change out the injectors, but unfortunately, they changed them for the wrong type
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How we can help you with other engine applications

Bartech cover the use of engines in many applications such as Locomotive, Fire Pumps, Cranes and Agricultural, with the same level of support, parts supply and highly experienced engine specialists.

Our engine expertise goes beyond working in the oil & gas, marine and generation sectors.

Locomotive engines

Fire Pump driver engines

Crane engines

Agricultural engines

 

How we’ve helped clients just like you:

Locomotives

Case Study: Sulzer Governor - Locomotive Application

Bartech was invited to dismantle and inspect the Sulzer governor and report any findings. Click here for the case study to see what we found and how it was rectified for the operator.

 

Case Study: ABB VTC254 Replacement - Locomotive Application

Bartech was invited to source 4 off VTC254 Turbochargers to be installed on their 16V280ZJA diesel-electric prime locomotive mover. Click here for the case study.

Cranes

Case Study: 12-month service to offshore platform's Cummins NTA855-C-360 Crane engine.

Bartech was invited to carry out a 12-month service to the crane engine.

Fire Pumps

Case Study: Deutz DFP6 1013 C20 Firepump RCA

Bartech was invited to carry out an RCA on an offshore operator's Deutz DFP6 1013 C20 Firepump engine.

Coolant Engines

Case Study: Investigation of an oil leak at turbine end of the Holset 4MF turbocharger on the coolant engine

This HP BUCS coolant engine's turbocharger was sent to our Colchester workshop so we could Investigate reports of an oil leak at the turbine end of the turbocharger.

 

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Bartech Marine Engineering

Bartech has been building a strong reputation for improving diesel engine reliability, safety and performance since it was formed in 1987. Almost immediately we began supporting major companies such as Shell, Lockhead and the OEM, Paxman Diesels, who relied on our specialist knowledge.

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