If possible, I’d hook up a temporary oil pump and pressurize the lube oil system prior to running the engine. Once you get oil into the bearings, I’d make sure the crankshaft turns 360 degrees. Then I’d go ahead and roll it over with the starter. The generator looks great! I wouldn’t be real concerned about cleaning. Other than clean the commutator with some alcohol on a rag. Make sure the brushes are all free to move. For first start, disconnect the field windings so the generator will not build voltage. Then it’s safe to get the engine running. I’m a retired electrical engineer with 45+ years experience in designing and operating large electrical power plants. I’ve also worked on railroad diesel electric systems up to 4,000 HP. I’d be happy to come out and spend some time on Aurora and help you get these systems running.
Just in Case you are not aware of the newly renovated Maybach Diesel in your Area. The Guys at Nyles Canyon Railway (Bay Area) have renovated a Maybach Diesel from the 60s. They have some serious Connections to former Engineers and Mechanics of Maybach from Germany and made a lot of Tools for the Job. Maybe you should ask for their Oppinion on the Diesels.
Before you attempt to start those engines, run them on the starter with heater plugs removed. That pumps oil around with minimal loads on the bearings.While you have the cam covers removed, you could paint the cams with grease to help them start nicely. I'd imagine the cam bearings won't be so easy to prime with lubricant.
Thanks for the info. This is exactly the kind of feedback we need to more forward without harming the engines. Would have never thought to remove the heater plugs.
If you run them on starter without heater plugs, diesel is injected but not burned. You don't have to remove the plugs, just make sure the injectors get no fuel.
@@AuroraRestorationProject "This is exactly the kind of feedback we need to more forward without harming the engines. " No, it is certainly not! Except for what Jacco and one other reader wrote earlier most suggestions are pure garbage. It is worth less than you paid for it because at best it is dangerous and ignorant. Before you do anything or allow some enthusiastic amateur boater or "heater plug" guru to touch anything in that engine room you need to get very friendly with a Maybach experienced diesel mechanic and a licensed marine engineer. The UK is riddled with Maybach mechanics, British Rail operated hundreds of them, the money you save flying one onboard for a vacation will be returned by the buckets full. At the very least, if they are missing onboard, buy all the documentation you can find on every piece of equipment in the engineering spaces and spend a couple of years learning about what you are looking at. At the very very least, go the the MEBA union hall in Oakland and ask if there is a marine engineer there who would like to take a look at the machinery spaces and answer some of your questions. The crap that you read on here obviously comes from people who have never set foot on a ship or touched a marine generator set.
Usually engines this large have a priming system for this reason. Check the start procedure and sometimes it will say press priming lever button whatever until it shows a specific amount of pressure on a gauge. I could tell you a whole bunch of things to check first and how to spin this engine without starting it but I recommend having a professional at least in the engine room helping you. I don't recommend spinning the injection pumps without fuel...it's a lubricant and may damage it...if it's turbocharged it could have oil settled in the intercoolers and run away upon starting or even worse ingest oil and hydrolock... causing massive damage and a major safety hazard...
I was a third engineer on large diesel cargo and tanker vessel. These engine are air start , there will be indicator cocks on each cylinder head, open those first. Secondly the engine will have a lub oil priming pump it may be electric or a hand pump. Use this pump to bring oil pressure up in the engine. Thirdly bar the engine over by hand , there. Will be a barring bar next to the fly wheel . With the indicator cocks open the engine will bar over easily . Two reason why you do this one it gets rid of any moisture in the cylinders, two it proves the the engine is not seized. You will need a fairly high air pressure and high volume to start the engine.
Had a feeling that the engines were properly mothballed before the ship was laid up! Everything under the covers look excellent, considering the age. I'm by no means a marine diesel expert, but I'd remove every possible cover and manually lube all the cams and bearings with fresh oil, then remove the glow plugs to squirt more oil down into the cylinders. I know that presents a chance of the oil being ignited, but that's why you'd leave the glow plugs out. The idea is to prevent as much wear as possible when performing those first few critical rotations before the oil starts flowing again. Only then would it be safe to re-install the plugs and attempt a fire up. In my opinion, I foresee the engines being relatively easy to get up and running, but the electrical systems being the major pain point. The brushes and commutators in the generators and drive motors look good still, but could stand a polishing. My main concerns would be decaying insulation and corrosion of the copper wires/bus bars. Worst case, you're having to completely rewire everything, and that's an endeavor in itself. Wishing you the best on this, I'd been eagerly awaiting the time you start to focus on getting the propulsion system up and running again!
It’s great to have people like yourself willing to loan valuable information and tips. I have to agree. The electrical is going to most definitely be the issue but we will cross that bridge when we get there. First we will make this beast operational and then work out the electrical. Best thing to do first perhaps is to disable the flow of power. Let the engine run without fear of burning up the electrical system.
@@AuroraRestorationProject Agreed! Definitely disconnect the main feed wires from the generators before firing up the engines. Would help prevent a potential electrical fire hazard.
Great videos as always. At a diesel locomotive shop I worked in years ago, they had a 60-gallon compressed air tank modded to hold oil. The tank was filled with oil, and pressurized. A hose with a ball valve with the fitting was attached to a pressure port on the engine. This resulted in the engine being pre-lubed prior to a fresh rebuild start. The other method was to fill the sump with oil and use a high-pressure high-flow electric pump, to draw oil from the sump and supply it through the engine. After 5 minutes, the engine would be cranked for 5 seconds, stopped, and run pump another 5 minutes.
I have worked on a few large diesels over the past few years. I've even worked with a series of 375 hp diesels built in the 1940's. All of them had a pre-oiling system. I'm betting these do too!
I’m betting the blanket on top was to help keep heat in. When I went to inspect ex USCGC Acushnet, we had one of her ex chief engineers with and he said that it was very common to get moisture inside the windings of the motors, that’s why if they were to be down for an extended period or had been cold for a while the Acu had heaters permanently installed in the motors that would dry out any moisture that got in them. I wouldn’t be surprised if Aurora has motor heaters too that were used to dry the windings and internals of the propulsion motors too.
The light bulbs inside the propulsion motors actually supply some amount of heat, not enough to make them dry if they are wet, but I think enough to help keep them dry if they already are dry and the bulbs are kept on. These propulsion motors meggered out as dry in the 90's and even though its been a while since then it would not surprise me at all if they are still dry and basically ready to go. I actually don't see the propulsion motors as being that difficult to bring to operation, they are likely ready to turn and run if the main shaft bearings and seals are intact and functional etc. Plus it only takes like two (ish) of the maybachs running to turn these enough to get some level of propulsion. The only time I have seen a large propulsion motor fail due to moisture is when the motor was seriously soaked. Here is a quote regarding marine electric motors and water: "Marine motors must withstand a constantly wet and high-humidity environment. Not only can water ingress ruin electrical components, it can also ruin materials via corrosion. This is largely solved by component material selection to prevent oxidation or galvanic corrosion." Anyway these motors are very well sealed, that's why they look so good all these years after installation. That's a good thing because these propulsion motors are one of the few things on this ship that are really not replaceable. An example of that si the Waukesha generator which was installed long after original manufacture.
Hey Chris really been enjoying your videos and I'm not sure if you remember what I told you before but my buddy had fired up those Mercedes diesel engines with the oil in them when the ship was anchored off in San Pedro and the engines ran like a champ started very easily.... As far as that Waukesha engine I personally was there when the guy was maintaining it while at anchor in San Pedro that engine runs like a champ and lit up the whole entire ship and that was the engine that was used to lift the anchors while it would drift around I personally seen that engine run and it's absolutely and I was there when he ran the anchors up and down
@@AuroraRestorationProject I'm sure I still got that video because I remember when you copy that you gave it back to me.... I'll see if I can dig around and find it
I can’t wait for you to get started 🎉on these fabulous engines. I’ve been a Lifeboat crew member and mechanic for 47 years. All the very ❤best with this task!!!!
I am so glad the world has people like you and your team who dedicate themselves to reviving engineering and architectural pieces of beauty. I can't wait to see this ship all up and running again!!
Watching this episode causes an overwhelming feeling in me. So complicated and so in need to general servicing. This really is where the rubber meets the road doing a restoration.
Those marine engines have ports for the oil gallery, that you can prelube the engine before you crank it/ or baring it over to make sure it’s not seized.
Very interesting and exotic engine, seems to have roller bearing type main bearings and Y shaped conrod to the A side, B side conrod in the middle... you need clean oil, clean filters, flushing the complete system with fresh oil with the prelub pump... check the compressor wheel for turning, the try to turn the engine with no compression. Rollerbearings set if not turned frequently, be very careful and check oilflow from all bearings before start. I think the engine will start ! All valves must be checked for free movement when turning engine wo compression.
Just having the generator running would be a game changer for the project. Imagine having electrical power throughout the whole ship. Those engines are a testament to the quality of Mercedes engineering and it looks like they should be able to be recommissioned without too much dificulty. A cordless impact wrench and a cordless ratchet would save you having to undo all those bolts by hand.
Electrical distribution on this ship is interesting because she started out as all DC, AC was added later, in fact there is an entire room called the "A/C room" above and outside the engine room that had various aspects of the added on A/C distribution. All was made more interesting by the fact that since she was owned by germans and italians and greeks and americans in her life and there were modifications made at each stage such that you could find circuits labeled in each of those languages making electrical diagnosis an exercise in linguistics along with electrical theory. By the way as I recall the Waukesha started and ran fine, no problems there.
Just a suggestion Functioning electric motor / generator commutators should always have a chocolate brown patina / coloration to them . If they are polished the surface will eat up the brushes at an accelerated rate so it would be better to just surface clean then of dirt and dust .
I have been fine Aurora’s rebuild for a long time. I wish you the best of luck getting the engines to start! Will be following what progress you do post on it. Thanks again for taking the time to put up videos of progress that you have made on the ship.!
Quality German Engineering, I would not be surprised if it started up when cranked over. Take your time check them over,I am sure the work will be minimal. Best of luck . Keep up the good work.
@@AuroraRestorationProject I was a marine Engineer in the Canadian Navy for 20 years and thought it wouldn't hurt to mention it. It is a beautiful ship and German engineered to boot. I live Nova Scotia, Canada.
This is a project in its own! You’re going to either become a marine engineer or make a new best friend in one. I wish you good luck! Those Waukesha generators are monsters! They will run in the most adverse conditions with the worst possible fuel. (I’ve seen them run off bio gas which i s full of H2S and condensate.) I call that a win in my books! Far better than the rare Mercedes which would have the very worst of part acquisition problems.
Would be nice just to have the right knowledge to work on this propulsion system. What I have learned is that no matter what you know it’s never enough and someone always knows more. I think the idea is to round up a couple of knowledgeable engineers and go to work and see where we can go from here.
Im watching from London. Ive got a few engines going in my time.. they look very promising. Id go straight in and get the lot going. Could have been a lot worse!! All looks clean.
Would love to see these run again, I would ask around that someone that have experience with these and get them down and look at them at least ask alot of questions, my guess they won't be no big deal to get running again
I cannot believe how clean those engines are they look like their in great shape. Impressed really impressed. I thought for sure there be surface rust but its looks as though you have very little of it if all at all.
Fabulous job 👍🏻 Back in the U.K. we ran class 52 western diesel locomotives with the Maybach engines in them 😊 We’ve got some preserved on railway lines with work shops. I bet if you contacted say the East Lancashire Railway in Bury they’d help you out with some knowledge 🤔👏🏻🏴
It has been wonderful following your progress. Have you considered contacting Mercedes or AEG? With the historical importance of what is in Aurora, in the very least they may be helpful in getting manuals, documentation, etc, or may even be interested in helping further, for publicity, of course. I hope all goes well. And yes, kudos to whoever mothballed the engines, they did an incredible job… like they were hoping someone would come along with passion for the project and bring everything back to life.
If the engine has an independent oil pump, use that to circulate oil throughout the engine before cranking. Engines look to be things of beauty. Great news!!
Locomotive and large marine diesels usually have a prelube oil pump. It is normally electric, and the switch for it will generally be on the engine control panel, or the engineers station.
Lots of interesting work to do. It will be quite an achievement to get the engines running. I suppose the genset would be handy. Id be tempted to get that running first, so you have power anytime. Good luck.
You need to gain access to the turbo to make sure it free , then change oil and filters then charge oil pressure with all covers off . Check oils everywhere . Then turn her over
Lotite 518 anaerobic is an excellent gasket replacer that you might want to consider. Don't forget the old gaskets will contain asbestos. Keep them wet with WD40 when scraping off the old material.
Thanks for the info. Will look into the Lotite 518 and will definitely use something to soak the gaskets when removing. I know the only asbestos threat is in airborn form but never hits to be safe.
Bigger isn't necessarily better when it comes to diesels. Those engines like to work, and if they are run under a light load, they'll gum up the rings.
@@KartmanWolf That's very true. But with modernization will come increased electrical demand and what was once oversized will become appropriately sized.
Wow....exactly the same engine as our locomotives here in the UK. We also have the bigger brother MD870 V16 engine however our locomotives are coupled to a hydraulic transmission rather than electric generator. Fantastic!
I wonder if Maybach kept a record of those engines, and if so, if they would be willing to share it with you. It seems like a company that does keep records of the things that they produce. With those engines and all the other systems you can't have experts enough. Anyway, a big 👍
@@microdubber I noticed another comment with a very good source of information. In that comment they talked about people not too far away from the Aurora who apparently restored a Maybach engine from a somewhat similar era, and from what the comment said those people had contacts with former Maybach engineers and such. And of course that is great, but what I am talking about is possible original blue prints or other original records directly from the Maybach company. I mean, it is worth to send them an E-mail and to explain the project. If they never ask they will never know, that's for sure.
It all comes down to money really. Would love to have her put into dry dock and if all goes well then that’s a possibility. Until that time however she will stay here in fresh and shallow water.
I have every faith they will run they have been preserved well and just need to be brought back on line systematically. I would start with a step by step approach. See if the servicing manuals are available and look at start up procedure and check each step. Engine will need an oil flush.
these mercedes industrial engines are extremely reliable they are also well supported in terms of spare parts. the engine being so clean inside means the oil was well maintained zero sludge in there
Another key area to check is Engine Cooling. Hopefully saltwater was pumped through a heat exchanger to than cool the engines with fresh water. As long as the seawater feeds were closed and the heat exchangers were flushed clean, you should be in okay shape. Noting much worse than saltwater. Did the ship come with any documentation on the Engine Room and Controls?? Also have you reached out to Mecedes/Maybach and AEG? Documentation is going to be critical to get everything working and cooperating that way it should.
There are going to be definite issues with the heat exchanger and cooling lines. Most likely will need to tear down the heat exchanger and give it a proper deep clean. Maybe need to replace some of the cooling lines. Definitely going to be an ongoing project.
@AuroraRestorationProject possibly true but one good thing is that you can run the diesel for a few moments (seconds or even a very few minutes) with no heat issues without any of the cooling systems actually in operation as long as the water jacket is full. That way you can do a video with that nice running engine sound!:) If the freshwater cooling can be activated, which I think could be done with an external pump even if the existing pumps are not yet operational, then I would think you could run the propulsion generators until you see the freshwater cooling system temperature and/or lube oil temp start to climb which would be several minutes at least. Saltwater heat exchangers do seem to suffer from a lot of corrosion at times but I would think those would all be much less of a project than getting the propulsion generators on line and of course restoring the propulsion generator controls which is really an interesting question on that ship. As I recall the main control panel had a lot of corrosion . Overall though I do see all of that as being entirely doable.
Should be an Pre lub pump some were in regards pumping oil around the galleries and thru the systems before startup. Check the luboil system drawings for the ship. Also check cooling systems and fuel system. Usually ships have system drawings of pipes valves with id tags for pumps and valves. Just message me if you need any advice, I have been working as an marine Engineer/ engine room operator for 7years.
So the props are line driven by electric motors? That is pretty cool. I recently have learned a lot about diesel electric locomotives so that makes loads of sense to me!!!!
It will always be a “project vessel” but seeing how clean those MB engines are, I’d assume once the cabinet/gauges/wiring are sorted they probably will get to work. May be worth seeing if any locomotive mechanics would be interested in helping if they don’t generate power correctly. From my understanding each one of those stators will generate 600+ Amps each so be careful with HV lines and have them properly checked and sorted too.
Heater plugs out and fogging oil or duck/wd40 the cylinders. As others have already said oil the cam and lifters with run in oil in a spray bottle, Duck oil or a similar light lubricant will also be ideal ( Duck oil and wd40 act as a water displacer as well so good if moisture is present). Use run in oil and if you can access the crank use a oil sprayer to liberally coat bearings, fill with run in oil and keep heater plugs out. If there is a way to manually bar the engine over I would do this to ensure its free. Then proceed to crank via the starter still with heater plugs out and injectors disconnected / fuel supply isolated until you have oil pressure. Refit glow plugs and injectors and cross your fingers. Love the vids.
In the comments of the last video, there was a fella that said he worked on the engines of your ship's sister ship. He offered, so reach out to him for help.
as a shipmechanic i recommend to disable the injectorpump by removing the fuelpipe to the engines to prevent it from starting and to check the preheating of the engines (warm engine starts easier than a cold one) otherwise good luck
I'm a musician and composer, can't help but think the way you organize and visualize putting all this together must be similar to a musical piece. I'd love to hangout with ya'll.
@@AuroraRestorationProject I was surprised to see roller bearings on the crankshaft that's German engineering those motors will last forever with proper care 😊
Love the channel! Moisture in electrical generators isn’t such a great thing. The motors and generators should have a full cleaning, brushes and heaters replaced, bearings checked, then a full electrical test conducted. Any foreign materials introduced into the stator and rotor in the motors and generators could end up being very costly so take the time to explore the entire generator. Make sure you draw schematics for all the wiring so it will be easier later to troubleshoot.
Maybe you could Team up with the Guys at Nyles Canyon Railroad. They are Restoring a Krauss Maffei Diesel Hydraulic Locomotive with a Maybach Engine in it. They have disassembled it completely and put back together. As far as im aware you Guys should be within a drivable Distance to one another.
electric propulsion has its risks This from the srtory of the SS Canberra in 1963 But sadly her troubled past was about to catch up with her again for at around 4 AM on January 4, 1963 the Canberra was sailing eastward at good speed of 27 knots across the Mediterranean with 2,222 passengers on board. Being about 160 miles north-east of Malta, one of the officers in the engine room saw that one of the three turbo-generators had “shed its load.” As the generator began to speed up, the crew were unable to trip the circuit breaker, and then one of the crew forcibly broke the contact and that was in spite of the sign warning not to do this. It created a considerable electrical arc that caused a fire that was fed electrically by the other two generators and this then destroyed the starboard side of the switchboard and the majority of the electrical distribution cables. Canberra suddenly lost all power and suddenly alarms rang out throughout the ship.
I'm a little disappointed, I'm used to instant gratification tv, and so I figured you'd have all five running and be out to Sea within a nice 30 minute timeframe. Got a dose of the realities. Keep up the good work, I know someday we'll all celebrate when you take that thing out for a little run. I hear Capt. Stubing is available for parties and Bart mitzvas.
Unfortunately reality shows are a bit more unrealistic. Behind the scenes are 20 people working day and night to get the job finished and the reality show gives us a couple of average people knocking it out themselves in a single episode. It’s really whatever sells an audience I guess.
@@AuroraRestorationProject Well I promise I was only kidding, I've been watching closely, and I know it's no fantasy tv show. I will admit to being greedy though. I love an update, it's just so much fun to watch you slowly bring this historic ship back to life. And the fireplace in the lounge is total bad azz, I would like to party there some day. No I must say, I appreciate all the work everyone is doing, and will look forward to each and every update with great fervor cause I got the fever.
Most people write here about filling the engine with oil. In my opinion, the first thing you should do is fill the engine and cooling system with water and start warming up the engine. Open the crankcase and check for water leaks a and then fill the engine with oil.
The black dust inside the generators is carbon from the commutator brushes. Really high power generators cool the windings with hydrogen inside a sealed casing. The slip rings are OUTSIDE the hydrogen cooled area, so the dust is contained.
One piece of advice, no mater how good they look, change out all of the old oil and filters asap before thinking of starting or turning anything over. Oil does have a lifespan, and while it might look perfect, if it has been sitting then its viscosity will be severely hampered or no longer existent. Once it gets even a small amount of heat into it, it will turn to water and will not lubricate anything. That is when the danger is of doing catastrophic damage to everything when it didn't have to happen at all. From the look of those engines they look like they were merticulously serviced and cared for. I have seen those internal surfaces before, they look like they have been sitting for too long and gravity has simply pulled away the oil into the sump. No atmosphere looks like it ever got in so i would take a educated guess and say those engines are very near perfect and more than ready to rock and roll. I dont know what it is like over there, but here in Australia all those parts are readily available almost anywhere. Globes and all.
Most Locomotives never change the oil until they blow a rod or need overhaul. It would be interesting to see if this is the case here. But old sludgy oil thats been sitting too long may be a lost cause…. He has 5x of these 16cyl engines aboard. Thats like 150+ gal of oil
@@Ms_Princess_Zelda an engine on a locomotive is very easy to change, the body comes apart to get to everything. However on a ship it isn't as easy, therefore they will not take the risk. Also Railway Companies are stingy and have bad habits of cutting corners and costs in some countries. But again with ships there is no such thing as cost, money is nothing and is spent flippantly to keep ships in perfect condition since they can't afford to get stuck put as sea somewhere in the middle of the ocean. It is fairly obvious those ships that aren't cared for properly as they are constantly breaking down.
"...or it's just that clean." Could be it's just that clean. I've seen junkyard motors that look like rusted out scrap on the outside, but are spotless under the heads and down inside. It's all about keeping the seals intact. Keep the moisture out and they stay fresh.
Either there is one purifier for all engines or a small one each . If the heating for the purifier is electrical it should be possible to start it / them just with electric power and start purifying the engine oil . Otherwise you also need a boiler to heat the oil . The oil has to be heated to 85 degrees celsius to be purified properly . Then you also need water to run the purifier . Good luck with everything !
Couple things...BUY AN IMPACT WRENCH 😅...and also you should keep track of the location you remove each bolt from you you can make sure the right size goes back in
Why are there heaters in the bottom of the electric traction motor? Use in artic cold water and too much difference of temperature could create cracks? Thank you
I design and manufacture LED lighting for a living and I would definitely replace the control indicators with LEDs, that would be easy and save effort in procurement of the old bulbs. All that would be needed would be to energize that circuit to determine what the voltage is and then a suitable LED could be inserted there which would pretty much never fail. I would be happy to supply those to you at no charge. Same goes for engine room emergency lighting. Regarding the light bulbs inside the propulsion motors you want incandescent there because they supply some heat for drying while the motors are not in use.@@AuroraRestorationProject
I'd start with the turbos and make sure they're free. Then hopefully there's a pre oiler built in. If not, perhaps improvise something into either an external filter or oil cooler. Definitely ideal to get some oil circulated before trying to roll the engine over. If that won't work, open the valve covers and pour some oil over the valve gear, pull the injectors, and roll it over until there's oil pressure. Do not oil the cylinders and also check the oil seals in the turbos before you attempt the first start - you don't want a runaway! I'm willing to bet Mercedes still has all the technical resources to help you get these engines back in service. Wow! Roller bearings on the crank, fork and blade rods... And did I see an oil nozzle for piston cooling? ♥♥♥ They sure don't build them like they used to
Before cranking, open the cylinder cocks to make sure all condensation is out of the cylinders. Water/condensation in any cylinders will cause a bent connecting rod...don't want that. I would focus primarily on the waukesha genset, then you'll have power for engineering dept, and main engine electrics...
I don't see why you can't replace most of the old controllers with modern Industrial PLC's. It would make it much easier to install modern instrumentation for monitoring as well. I understand the desire to keep it original but it seems the quality of life improvement would be worth an exception.
If the four bolts with the safety wire on them, if they are tightened by turning them clockwise. the 2 bolts on the right has a neutral wire and the 2 bolts on the left are safety wired backwards
If possible, I’d hook up a temporary oil pump and pressurize the lube oil system prior to running the engine. Once you get oil into the bearings, I’d make sure the crankshaft turns 360 degrees. Then I’d go ahead and roll it over with the starter.
The generator looks great! I wouldn’t be real concerned about cleaning. Other than clean the commutator with some alcohol on a rag. Make sure the brushes are all free to move. For first start, disconnect the field windings so the generator will not build voltage. Then it’s safe to get the engine running.
I’m a retired electrical engineer with 45+ years experience in designing and operating large electrical power plants. I’ve also worked on railroad diesel electric systems up to 4,000 HP. I’d be happy to come out and spend some time on Aurora and help you get these systems running.
Just in Case you are not aware of the newly renovated Maybach Diesel in your Area.
The Guys at Nyles Canyon Railway (Bay Area) have renovated a Maybach Diesel from the 60s. They have some serious Connections to former Engineers and Mechanics of Maybach from Germany and made a lot of Tools for the Job.
Maybe you should ask for their Oppinion on the Diesels.
Thanks for the contact. I will see if I can get in touch with one of their people and see where that goes
Holy crap! It has roller main bearings on the crank shaft!!!
Before you attempt to start those engines, run them on the starter with heater plugs removed. That pumps oil around with minimal loads on the bearings.While you have the cam covers removed, you could paint the cams with grease to help them start nicely. I'd imagine the cam bearings won't be so easy to prime with lubricant.
Thanks for the info. This is exactly the kind of feedback we need to more forward without harming the engines. Would have never thought to remove the heater plugs.
If you run them on starter without heater plugs, diesel is injected but not burned. You don't have to remove the plugs, just make sure the injectors get no fuel.
It looks bone dry, I second removing all the covers and lubricating everything either with an assembly grease out just straight engine oil
@@AuroraRestorationProject "This is exactly the kind of feedback we need to more forward without harming the engines. " No, it is certainly not! Except for what Jacco and one other reader wrote earlier most suggestions are pure garbage. It is worth less than you paid for it because at best it is dangerous and ignorant. Before you do anything or allow some enthusiastic amateur boater or "heater plug" guru to touch anything in that engine room you need to get very friendly with a Maybach experienced diesel mechanic and a licensed marine engineer. The UK is riddled with Maybach mechanics, British Rail operated hundreds of them, the money you save flying one onboard for a vacation will be returned by the buckets full. At the very least, if they are missing onboard, buy all the documentation you can find on every piece of equipment in the engineering spaces and spend a couple of years learning about what you are looking at. At the very very least, go the the MEBA union hall in Oakland and ask if there is a marine engineer there who would like to take a look at the machinery spaces and answer some of your questions. The crap that you read on here obviously comes from people who have never set foot on a ship or touched a marine generator set.
Usually engines this large have a priming system for this reason. Check the start procedure and sometimes it will say press priming lever button whatever until it shows a specific amount of pressure on a gauge. I could tell you a whole bunch of things to check first and how to spin this engine without starting it but I recommend having a professional at least in the engine room helping you. I don't recommend spinning the injection pumps without fuel...it's a lubricant and may damage it...if it's turbocharged it could have oil settled in the intercoolers and run away upon starting or even worse ingest oil and hydrolock... causing massive damage and a major safety hazard...
I was a third engineer on large diesel cargo and tanker vessel. These engine are air start , there will be indicator cocks on each cylinder head, open those first. Secondly the engine will have a lub oil priming pump it may be electric or a hand pump. Use this pump to bring oil pressure up in the engine. Thirdly bar the engine over by hand , there. Will be a barring bar next to the fly wheel . With the indicator cocks open the engine will bar over easily . Two reason why you do this one it gets rid of any moisture in the cylinders, two it proves the the engine is not seized. You will need a fairly high air pressure and high volume to start the engine.
Had a feeling that the engines were properly mothballed before the ship was laid up! Everything under the covers look excellent, considering the age. I'm by no means a marine diesel expert, but I'd remove every possible cover and manually lube all the cams and bearings with fresh oil, then remove the glow plugs to squirt more oil down into the cylinders. I know that presents a chance of the oil being ignited, but that's why you'd leave the glow plugs out. The idea is to prevent as much wear as possible when performing those first few critical rotations before the oil starts flowing again. Only then would it be safe to re-install the plugs and attempt a fire up.
In my opinion, I foresee the engines being relatively easy to get up and running, but the electrical systems being the major pain point. The brushes and commutators in the generators and drive motors look good still, but could stand a polishing. My main concerns would be decaying insulation and corrosion of the copper wires/bus bars. Worst case, you're having to completely rewire everything, and that's an endeavor in itself.
Wishing you the best on this, I'd been eagerly awaiting the time you start to focus on getting the propulsion system up and running again!
It’s great to have people like yourself willing to loan valuable information and tips. I have to agree. The electrical is going to most definitely be the issue but we will cross that bridge when we get there. First we will make this beast operational and then work out the electrical. Best thing to do first perhaps is to disable the flow of power. Let the engine run without fear of burning up the electrical system.
@@AuroraRestorationProject Agreed! Definitely disconnect the main feed wires from the generators before firing up the engines. Would help prevent a potential electrical fire hazard.
Great videos as always. At a diesel locomotive shop I worked in years ago, they had a 60-gallon compressed air tank modded to hold oil. The tank was filled with oil, and pressurized. A hose with a ball valve with the fitting was attached to a pressure port on the engine. This resulted in the engine being pre-lubed prior to a fresh rebuild start. The other method was to fill the sump with oil and use a high-pressure high-flow electric pump, to draw oil from the sump and supply it through the engine. After 5 minutes, the engine would be cranked for 5 seconds, stopped, and run pump another 5 minutes.
I have worked on a few large diesels over the past few years. I've even worked with a series of 375 hp diesels built in the 1940's. All of them had a pre-oiling system. I'm betting these do too!
The lines on that ship are classic and it would be great to see her under way again.
I’m betting the blanket on top was to help keep heat in. When I went to inspect ex USCGC Acushnet, we had one of her ex chief engineers with and he said that it was very common to get moisture inside the windings of the motors, that’s why if they were to be down for an extended period or had been cold for a while the Acu had heaters permanently installed in the motors that would dry out any moisture that got in them. I wouldn’t be surprised if Aurora has motor heaters too that were used to dry the windings and internals of the propulsion motors too.
The light bulbs inside the propulsion motors actually supply some amount of heat, not enough to make them dry if they are wet, but I think enough to help keep them dry if they already are dry and the bulbs are kept on. These propulsion motors meggered out as dry in the 90's and even though its been a while since then it would not surprise me at all if they are still dry and basically ready to go. I actually don't see the propulsion motors as being that difficult to bring to operation, they are likely ready to turn and run if the main shaft bearings and seals are intact and functional etc. Plus it only takes like two (ish) of the maybachs running to turn these enough to get some level of propulsion. The only time I have seen a large propulsion motor fail due to moisture is when the motor was seriously soaked. Here is a quote regarding marine electric motors and water: "Marine motors must withstand a constantly wet and high-humidity environment. Not only can water ingress ruin electrical components, it can also ruin materials via corrosion. This is largely solved by component material selection to prevent oxidation or galvanic corrosion." Anyway these motors are very well sealed, that's why they look so good all these years after installation. That's a good thing because these propulsion motors are one of the few things on this ship that are really not replaceable. An example of that si the Waukesha generator which was installed long after original manufacture.
Hey Chris really been enjoying your videos and I'm not sure if you remember what I told you before but my buddy had fired up those Mercedes diesel engines with the oil in them when the ship was anchored off in San Pedro and the engines ran like a champ started very easily.... As far as that Waukesha engine I personally was there when the guy was maintaining it while at anchor in San Pedro that engine runs like a champ and lit up the whole entire ship and that was the engine that was used to lift the anchors while it would drift around I personally seen that engine run and it's absolutely and I was there when he ran the anchors up and down
Wish I could find the video that you gave me years ago. Would make for some great UA-cam content about now.
@@AuroraRestorationProject I'm sure I still got that video because I remember when you copy that you gave it back to me.... I'll see if I can dig around and find it
I can’t wait for you to get started 🎉on these fabulous engines. I’ve been a Lifeboat crew member and mechanic for 47 years. All the very ❤best with this task!!!!
Thanks, We definitely need more people excited with us about making this happen. These engines are pretty special in my opinion.
@@AuroraRestorationProject I only wish that I lived in near to the Aurora
@@malcolmharvey6581 we definitely need more volunteers that have a passion for museumships.
I am so glad the world has people like you and your team who dedicate themselves to reviving engineering and architectural pieces of beauty. I can't wait to see this ship all up and running again!!
Amen!
Now this is getting seriously interesting to me . I will certainly be following your progress. Regards from France.
Thanks, The machinery is always a little more interesting then the rest of the restoration.
Watching this episode causes an overwhelming feeling in me. So complicated and so in need to general servicing. This really is where the rubber meets the road doing a restoration.
Best thing we can do is to take things slow and get lots of help where we can.
This is the cold start that I have been waiting for.
Those marine engines have ports for the oil gallery, that you can prelube the engine before you crank it/ or baring it over to make sure it’s not seized.
I've REALLY been looking forward to this part of the restoration !!!
Me too. USCG MKC here! Loving this
Very interesting and exotic engine, seems to have roller bearing type main bearings and Y shaped conrod to the A side, B side conrod in the middle... you need clean oil, clean filters, flushing the complete system with fresh oil with the prelub pump... check the compressor wheel for turning, the try to turn the engine with no compression. Rollerbearings set if not turned frequently, be very careful and check oilflow from all bearings before start. I think the engine will start !
All valves must be checked for free movement when turning engine wo compression.
Absolutely. It would be worth a surface inspection of the roller races too. Pitting spells quick failure of roller bearings.
Just having the generator running would be a game changer for the project. Imagine having electrical power throughout the whole ship. Those engines are a testament to the quality of Mercedes engineering and it looks like they should be able to be recommissioned without too much dificulty. A cordless impact wrench and a cordless ratchet would save you having to undo all those bolts by hand.
Would certainly be nice.
Electrical distribution on this ship is interesting because she started out as all DC, AC was added later, in fact there is an entire room called the "A/C room" above and outside the engine room that had various aspects of the added on A/C distribution. All was made more interesting by the fact that since she was owned by germans and italians and greeks and americans in her life and there were modifications made at each stage such that you could find circuits labeled in each of those languages making electrical diagnosis an exercise in linguistics along with electrical theory. By the way as I recall the Waukesha started and ran fine, no problems there.
Just a suggestion Functioning electric motor / generator commutators should always have a chocolate brown patina / coloration to them . If they are polished the surface will eat up the brushes at an accelerated rate so it would be better to just surface clean then of dirt and dust .
I have been fine Aurora’s rebuild for a long time. I wish you the best of luck getting the engines to start! Will be following what progress you do post on it. Thanks again for taking the time to put up videos of progress that you have made on the ship.!
This is definitely me of many that will be dedicated towards the engine room and machinery.
Those engine internals are amazingly clean. Totally was not expecting it to look like an engine that was never commissioned.
Quality German Engineering, I would not be surprised if it started up when cranked over.
Take your time check them over,I am sure the work will be minimal.
Best of luck . Keep up the good work.
Thanks and definitely keep watching. We will get one if not all fired up with a little luck.
This will decide whether this ship will ever sail again. These engines certainly look good. I hope they are.
Wishing you good luck on running success! Can’t wait to hear that Maybach First Start! Hope you get some volunteer local expert help!
I think these engines would have a pre oiling pump either hand operated or electric.
I see they are electric pre lube pumps. Some are missing and other engines have them. Likely easy to substitute when it’s time to replace them.
@@AuroraRestorationProject I was a marine Engineer in the Canadian Navy for 20 years and thought it wouldn't hurt to mention it. It is a beautiful ship and German engineered to boot. I live Nova Scotia, Canada.
Nice to see your putting more content up.
Working on it. Trying to give a little better content each time.
This is a project in its own! You’re going to either become a marine engineer or make a new best friend in one. I wish you good luck! Those Waukesha generators are monsters! They will run in the most adverse conditions with the worst possible fuel. (I’ve seen them run off bio gas which i s full of H2S and condensate.) I call that a win in my books! Far better than the rare Mercedes which would have the very worst of part acquisition problems.
Would be nice just to have the right knowledge to work on this propulsion system. What I have learned is that no matter what you know it’s never enough and someone always knows more. I think the idea is to round up a couple of knowledgeable engineers and go to work and see where we can go from here.
Doubtless a lot cheaper to service than those Maybachs!
Can’t wait to hear some diesel noise on the boat 👍👍
Get all those engines running. Go for it.
Absolutely
Im watching from London. Ive got a few engines going in my time.. they look very promising. Id go straight in and get the lot going. Could have been a lot worse!! All looks clean.
@@MetamorphicWonders hopefully the rest of them will look similar. Would love to see them all running once again.
Good update. Thank you.
Would love to see these run again, I would ask around that someone that have experience with these and get them down and look at them at least ask alot of questions, my guess they won't be no big deal to get running again
ALL MY ENGINEER friends can’t wait for you to get started on these FABULOUS engines
Great episode.
Thanks
I would love to donor my Labour an Knowledge as an industrial Electrician to this Project!
Cheers from Austria.
Kind of far away but would definitely love to have a few people with above average skills
I cannot believe how clean those engines are they look like their in great shape. Impressed really impressed. I thought for sure there be surface rust but its looks as though you have very little of it if all at all.
Fabulous job 👍🏻 Back in the U.K. we ran class 52 western diesel locomotives with the Maybach engines in them 😊 We’ve got some preserved on railway lines with work shops. I bet if you contacted say the East Lancashire Railway in Bury they’d help you out with some knowledge 🤔👏🏻🏴
It has been wonderful following your progress. Have you considered contacting Mercedes or AEG? With the historical importance of what is in Aurora, in the very least they may be helpful in getting manuals, documentation, etc, or may even be interested in helping further, for publicity, of course. I hope all goes well. And yes, kudos to whoever mothballed the engines, they did an incredible job… like they were hoping someone would come along with passion for the project and bring everything back to life.
Wow, she's in fantastic shape!
I can't wait for her to move under her own power again.
Good to notice the engineers yellow marks on certain components in the engine. Looks encouraging. Love every bit of your program
If the engine has an independent oil pump, use that to circulate oil throughout the engine before cranking. Engines look to be things of beauty. Great news!!
Locomotive and large marine diesels usually have a prelube oil pump. It is normally electric, and the switch for it will generally be on the engine control panel, or the engineers station.
So Wise , Thank You .Looks like experts? are out . From what I can tell you are making progress . Each step is important
Lots of interesting work to do. It will be quite an achievement to get the engines running. I suppose the genset would be handy. Id be tempted to get that running first, so you have power anytime. Good luck.
That genset ran fine in the 90's, seems likely to me to still be good.
You need to gain access to the turbo to make sure it free , then change oil and filters then charge oil pressure with all covers off . Check oils everywhere . Then turn her over
This is something I need to figure out. I don’t see an access door in the turbo so it may have to come off to see inside :(
Go go!!!! Fan Sweden 🇸🇪
Thanks,
Lotite 518 anaerobic is an excellent gasket replacer that you might want to consider. Don't forget the old gaskets will contain asbestos. Keep them wet with WD40 when scraping off the old material.
Thanks for the info. Will look into the Lotite 518 and will definitely use something to soak the gaskets when removing. I know the only asbestos threat is in airborn form but never hits to be safe.
@@AuroraRestorationProject It is Henckels Loctite 518. Dave left out the C.
or only replace gasket if bad, asbestos is only harmful if you screw arund with it or it's already flaking
I think an "oversized" genset is a lucky addition. Fully modernized this vessel will have higher electrical demand than originally built.
Bigger isn't necessarily better when it comes to diesels. Those engines like to work, and if they are run under a light load, they'll gum up the rings.
@@KartmanWolf That's very true. But with modernization will come increased electrical demand and what was once oversized will become appropriately sized.
Wow....exactly the same engine as our locomotives here in the UK. We also have the bigger brother MD870 V16 engine however our locomotives are coupled to a hydraulic transmission rather than electric generator. Fantastic!
Love the African Queen steam boat .
I wonder if Maybach kept a record of those engines, and if so, if they would be willing to share it with you. It seems like a company that does keep records of the things that they produce. With those engines and all the other systems you can't have experts enough. Anyway, a big 👍
Mercedes keeps records. The problem is finding the right person to ask.
@@microdubber I noticed another comment with a very good source of information. In that comment they talked about people not too far away from the Aurora who apparently restored a Maybach engine from a somewhat similar era, and from what the comment said those people had contacts with former Maybach engineers and such. And of course that is great, but what I am talking about is possible original blue prints or other original records directly from the Maybach company. I mean, it is worth to send them an E-mail and to explain the project. If they never ask they will never know, that's for sure.
If you plan to have the Aurora run under hew own power, and actually sail again, will she be drydocked beforehand for hull treatment?
It all comes down to money really. Would love to have her put into dry dock and if all goes well then that’s a possibility. Until that time however she will stay here in fresh and shallow water.
@@AuroraRestorationProject Like anything i suppose, it all comes down to money. Thanks for the reply
I have every faith they will run they have been preserved well and just need to be brought back on line systematically. I would start with a step by step approach. See if the servicing manuals are available and look at start up procedure and check each step. Engine will need an oil flush.
these mercedes industrial engines are extremely reliable they are also well supported in terms of spare parts. the engine being so clean inside means the oil was well maintained zero sludge in there
Another key area to check is Engine Cooling. Hopefully saltwater was pumped through a heat exchanger to than cool the engines with fresh water. As long as the seawater feeds were closed and the heat exchangers were flushed clean, you should be in okay shape. Noting much worse than saltwater.
Did the ship come with any documentation on the Engine Room and Controls?? Also have you reached out to Mecedes/Maybach and AEG? Documentation is going to be critical to get everything working and cooperating that way it should.
There are going to be definite issues with the heat exchanger and cooling lines. Most likely will need to tear down the heat exchanger and give it a proper deep clean. Maybe need to replace some of the cooling lines. Definitely going to be an ongoing project.
@AuroraRestorationProject possibly true but one good thing is that you can run the diesel for a few moments (seconds or even a very few minutes) with no heat issues without any of the cooling systems actually in operation as long as the water jacket is full. That way you can do a video with that nice running engine sound!:) If the freshwater cooling can be activated, which I think could be done with an external pump even if the existing pumps are not yet operational, then I would think you could run the propulsion generators until you see the freshwater cooling system temperature and/or lube oil temp start to climb which would be several minutes at least. Saltwater heat exchangers do seem to suffer from a lot of corrosion at times but I would think those would all be much less of a project than getting the propulsion generators on line and of course restoring the propulsion generator controls which is really an interesting question on that ship. As I recall the main control panel had a lot of corrosion . Overall though I do see all of that as being entirely doable.
Should be an Pre lub pump some were in regards pumping oil around the galleries and thru the systems before startup. Check the luboil system drawings for the ship. Also check cooling systems and fuel system. Usually ships have system drawings of pipes valves with id tags for pumps and valves. Just message me if you need any advice, I have been working as an marine Engineer/ engine room operator for 7years.
So the props are line driven by electric motors? That is pretty cool. I recently have learned a lot about diesel electric locomotives so that makes loads of sense to me!!!!
Apparently it is much smoother than a vessel with transmissions. I look forward to witnessing that one of these days.
It will always be a “project vessel” but seeing how clean those MB engines are, I’d assume once the cabinet/gauges/wiring are sorted they probably will get to work. May be worth seeing if any locomotive mechanics would be interested in helping if they don’t generate power correctly. From my understanding each one of those stators will generate 600+ Amps each so be careful with HV lines and have them properly checked and sorted too.
Omg did you see the safetywired valve retainers?
Really intresting and educating video. Can't wait for the next one. Keep up the good work.
Heater plugs out and fogging oil or duck/wd40 the cylinders. As others have already said oil the cam and lifters with run in oil in a spray bottle, Duck oil or a similar light lubricant will also be ideal ( Duck oil and wd40 act as a water displacer as well so good if moisture is present). Use run in oil and if you can access the crank use a oil sprayer to liberally coat bearings, fill with run in oil and keep heater plugs out. If there is a way to manually bar the engine over I would do this to ensure its free. Then proceed to crank via the starter still with heater plugs out and injectors disconnected / fuel supply isolated until you have oil pressure. Refit glow plugs and injectors and cross your fingers. Love the vids.
My boat has the 16v652's. All aluminium. It's a cold war era German Minesweeper, built in 1956.
In the comments of the last video, there was a fella that said he worked on the engines of your ship's sister ship. He offered, so reach out to him for help.
as a shipmechanic i recommend to disable the injectorpump by removing the fuelpipe to the engines to prevent it from starting and to check the preheating of the engines (warm engine starts easier than a cold one) otherwise good luck
The SS Canberra was turbo electric and the main drive motors were huge!
Is there the engine room log book on board if so all maintenance should be in the log book
Need more videos please. More content 🙏🏼
Very cool
I'm a musician and composer, can't help but think the way you organize and visualize putting all this together must be similar to a musical piece. I'd love to hangout with ya'll.
It's a good thing a more well known generator is installed. Very rare means impossible to repair usually
That’s true and a great way to think about it. This generator appears in great condition
@@AuroraRestorationProject I was surprised to see roller bearings on the crankshaft that's German engineering those motors will last forever with proper care 😊
@@johnsnow1355 I sure hope so. They could be beautiful if restored correctly.
Get this man an electric impact driver
I used to hate cleaning the commutator and insulation layer between each copper strip. then doing the electrical check on each comm.
Love the channel! Moisture in electrical generators isn’t such a great thing. The motors and generators should have a full cleaning, brushes and heaters replaced, bearings checked, then a full electrical test conducted. Any foreign materials introduced into the stator and rotor in the motors and generators could end up being very costly so take the time to explore the entire generator.
Make sure you draw schematics for all the wiring so it will be easier later to troubleshoot.
Can you cover the basic items that you’ve repaired to keep her afloat, pumps electrical, etc.
She has never had water in the bilges since my service to this ship. But definitely ready if something were to happen.
Check out those huge roller main bearings. Built to run forever. German overbuilt!
Absolutely, Better to be overbuilt than under..
these engines have also been used in trains
hope to do work but see that you don't try to start like crazy but work carefully great
Definitely going to go one step at a time and try our best to do it right and not be in a hurry.
Maybe you could Team up with the Guys at Nyles Canyon Railroad. They are Restoring a Krauss Maffei Diesel Hydraulic Locomotive with a Maybach Engine in it. They have disassembled it completely and put back together.
As far as im aware you Guys should be within a drivable Distance to one another.
Dry ice blasting would be perfect for inside those generators.
Haven’t though about dry ice inside the generators. Definitely a thought worth exploring..
Can you create wiring diagrams when you rewire the control panel and other areas as the electrical restoration work progresses
Absolutely, Definitely not taking any chances.
electric propulsion has its risks
This from the srtory of the SS Canberra in 1963
But sadly her troubled past was about to catch up with her again for at around 4 AM on January 4, 1963 the Canberra was sailing eastward at good speed of 27 knots across the Mediterranean with 2,222 passengers on board. Being about 160 miles north-east of Malta, one of the officers in the engine room saw that one of the three turbo-generators had “shed its load.” As the generator began to speed up, the crew were unable to trip the circuit breaker, and then one of the crew forcibly broke the contact and that was in spite of the sign warning not to do this. It created a considerable electrical arc that caused a fire that was fed electrically by the other two generators and this then destroyed the starboard side of the switchboard and the majority of the electrical distribution cables. Canberra suddenly lost all power and suddenly alarms rang out throughout the ship.
I'm a little disappointed, I'm used to instant gratification tv, and so I figured you'd have all five running and be out to Sea within a nice 30 minute timeframe. Got a dose of the realities. Keep up the good work, I know someday we'll all celebrate when you take that thing out for a little run. I hear Capt. Stubing is available for parties and Bart mitzvas.
Unfortunately reality shows are a bit more unrealistic. Behind the scenes are 20 people working day and night to get the job finished and the reality show gives us a couple of average people knocking it out themselves in a single episode. It’s really whatever sells an audience I guess.
@@AuroraRestorationProject Well I promise I was only kidding, I've been watching closely, and I know it's no fantasy tv show. I will admit to being greedy though. I love an update, it's just so much fun to watch you slowly bring this historic ship back to life. And the fireplace in the lounge is total bad azz, I would like to party there some day. No I must say, I appreciate all the work everyone is doing, and will look forward to each and every update with great fervor cause I got the fever.
Most people write here about filling the engine with oil. In my opinion, the first thing you should do is fill the engine and cooling system with water and start warming up the engine. Open the crankcase and check for water leaks a and then fill the engine with oil.
The black dust inside the generators is carbon from the commutator brushes. Really high power generators cool the windings with hydrogen inside a sealed casing. The slip rings are OUTSIDE the hydrogen cooled area, so the dust is contained.
Thanks David, It’s things like this that we should know. The more knowledge the better off these engines will be.
Most likely nitrogen, as hydrogen is insanely flammable.
Large power plants use Hydrogen for cooling.
Your setup is much like a diesel electric locomotive. Probably just needs a good cleaning.
One piece of advice, no mater how good they look, change out all of the old oil and filters asap before thinking of starting or turning anything over.
Oil does have a lifespan, and while it might look perfect, if it has been sitting then its viscosity will be severely hampered or no longer existent.
Once it gets even a small amount of heat into it, it will turn to water and will not lubricate anything. That is when the danger is of doing catastrophic damage to everything when it didn't have to happen at all.
From the look of those engines they look like they were merticulously serviced and cared for. I have seen those internal surfaces before, they look like they have been sitting for too long and gravity has simply pulled away the oil into the sump. No atmosphere looks like it ever got in so i would take a educated guess and say those engines are very near perfect and more than ready to rock and roll.
I dont know what it is like over there, but here in Australia all those parts are readily available almost anywhere. Globes and all.
Most Locomotives never change the oil until they blow a rod or need overhaul. It would be interesting to see if this is the case here. But old sludgy oil thats been sitting too long may be a lost cause…. He has 5x of these 16cyl engines aboard. Thats like 150+ gal of oil
@@Ms_Princess_Zelda an engine on a locomotive is very easy to change, the body comes apart to get to everything. However on a ship it isn't as easy, therefore they will not take the risk. Also Railway Companies are stingy and have bad habits of cutting corners and costs in some countries.
But again with ships there is no such thing as cost, money is nothing and is spent flippantly to keep ships in perfect condition since they can't afford to get stuck put as sea somewhere in the middle of the ocean.
It is fairly obvious those ships that aren't cared for properly as they are constantly breaking down.
@@theghost6412 oh I agree, I was making an observation.
4 months since the last update.. how did you manage with her horn and engines??
This was the episode I was waiting for ! The Mercedes Maybach tag stated year of manufactuer was 1965 ….wasnt the ship built in 1955? .
"...or it's just that clean." Could be it's just that clean. I've seen junkyard motors that look like rusted out scrap on the outside, but are spotless under the heads and down inside. It's all about keeping the seals intact. Keep the moisture out and they stay fresh.
Should be prelude pumps installed. Look for em.
I would think there is a oil centafeuge, that supplies oil to the engine the same for the fuel supply, and it might be a dry sump system
Indeed there is. Something else to decipher in the very near future.
Either there is one purifier for all engines or a small one each . If the heating for the purifier is electrical it should be possible to start it / them just with electric power and start purifying the engine oil . Otherwise you also need a boiler to heat the oil . The oil has to be heated to 85 degrees celsius to be purified properly . Then you also need water to run the purifier . Good luck with everything !
Awesome !
Couple things...BUY AN IMPACT WRENCH 😅...and also you should keep track of the location you remove each bolt from you you can make sure the right size goes back in
I think your biggest issue isnt going to be mechanical but electrical such as the wiring But overall lookin good!
I can tell right away that your 100% correct. Especially if anything requires new windings.
Why are there heaters in the bottom of the electric traction motor? Use in artic cold water and too much difference of temperature could create cracks?
Thank you
If you're redoing the wiring, could you replace the bulbs with new LED bulbs?
Not sure if we will move towards LED in this control box. Really depends on voltage etc..
I design and manufacture LED lighting for a living and I would definitely replace the control indicators with LEDs, that would be easy and save effort in procurement of the old bulbs. All that would be needed would be to energize that circuit to determine what the voltage is and then a suitable LED could be inserted there which would pretty much never fail. I would be happy to supply those to you at no charge. Same goes for engine room emergency lighting. Regarding the light bulbs inside the propulsion motors you want incandescent there because they supply some heat for drying while the motors are not in use.@@AuroraRestorationProject
I'd start with the turbos and make sure they're free. Then hopefully there's a pre oiler built in. If not, perhaps improvise something into either an external filter or oil cooler. Definitely ideal to get some oil circulated before trying to roll the engine over. If that won't work, open the valve covers and pour some oil over the valve gear, pull the injectors, and roll it over until there's oil pressure. Do not oil the cylinders and also check the oil seals in the turbos before you attempt the first start - you don't want a runaway! I'm willing to bet Mercedes still has all the technical resources to help you get these engines back in service.
Wow! Roller bearings on the crank, fork and blade rods... And did I see an oil nozzle for piston cooling? ♥♥♥ They sure don't build them like they used to
Before cranking, open the cylinder cocks to make sure all condensation is out of the cylinders. Water/condensation in any cylinders will cause a bent connecting rod...don't want that.
I would focus primarily on the waukesha genset, then you'll have power for engineering dept, and main engine electrics...
I don't see why you can't replace most of the old controllers with modern Industrial PLC's. It would make it much easier to install modern instrumentation for monitoring as well. I understand the desire to keep it original but it seems the quality of life improvement would be worth an exception.
What are you do with the ship when done have it as a hotel or a running cruise ship
Is it possible to try for the Blue Ribbon?, when everything is working . What is the top speed?
Actually it’s only 18 knots..
@@AuroraRestorationProject upgrades maybe? That would be awesome to see ! Nice work bro.
Blue Ribben? That is still on the name of the SS United States. With a speed of 35.59 Knots.
@@jaccodejongthenetherlands611 that would be awesome to see that record broken.
@@reidnolan4456 This was the power of the SS United States, 247,785 shp (184,773 kW).
Have you connected with PLA down in Fremont? They have several Maybach diesel experts on the SP9010 project. PM for more information and contacts.
If the four bolts with the safety wire on them, if they are tightened by turning them clockwise. the 2 bolts on the right has a neutral wire and the 2 bolts on the left are safety wired backwards
Are you planning on adding the wood back on the deck?
Hey look at the old guy! Glad he was able to get onboard and give you a hand. I think I'm gunna donate a battery powered impact gun to ya Chris.🤓
Is the ultimate plan to get them all running off they all check out good?