SERVICE

LETTER
Wrtsil Italy, Service
Subject

Engine type

Ref.

Date

Document No.

DLC

Cam effect on crankshaft pins

See Application

WIT-S

03.05.2010

S-ALL.0003.GB 110

Issue

Page

02

1/6

Cam Effect On Crankshaft Pins

1 General
The purpose of this Service Bulletin is to give basic knowledge about the so-called cam effect
phenomenon. This Service Letter is also intended to give advice for possible refurbishing work to be carried
out on worn pins, and for countermeasures to be adopted in order to avoid undergoing such a kind of
occurrence.

2 Background
Field experience reports a limited number of cases related to a particular wear phenomenon commonly
known as cam effect, which affects crankshaft pins on engines of different type and size. Such wear
phenomenon may be found on medium-speed engines that have run for several tens of thousands running
hours, including periods when fouled lubricating oil was used (i.e. oil with suspended abrasive particles,
etc.). If not promptly and adequately remedied, it may lead soon to early bearing shells deterioration and
even more serious consequential damages to the engine concerned (e.g. bearing seizure).

3 Application
This Service Letter concerns all W26, W38B, W64, all Sulzer Z40, ZA40, ZA40S and all GMT230,
GMT320, GMT420, GMT550 4-stroke medium-speed engines provided with lower big end bearing shells
with full oil groove.

4 Description Of Cam Effect Phenomenon

Cam effect is a non-uniform wear phenomenon resulting as a deviation from the original geometry of
crankshaft pins. It turns out as a protruding band (cam) whose maximum projection typically comes
across a particular angular position which corresponds to the portion of the pin pointing upward (to the
cylinder head) when the pin itself is set at BDC, i.e. between the crank webs (see Figure 1).
The typical cam effect protruding band is related with the use of partially-grooved bearing shells, which
feature a through-groove for the oil feed to the connecting rod only on the lower half (see Figure 2).

Figure 1: crankshaft pin affected by cam effect.

Wrtsil Italia S.p.A.

Services

Figure 2: pair of partially-grooved big end bearing shells.

The upper half (low in the picture) shows a central
discoloured band due to the cam protruding on
the affected pin.

Bagnoli della Rosandra, 334

34018 San Dorligo Della Valle (TS) ITALY

Telephone :
Fax :

+39 040 319 5000

+39 040 319 5647

SERVICE
LETTER
Wrtsil Italy, Service
Subject

Engine type

Ref.

Date

Document No.

DLC

Cam effect on crankshaft pins

See Application

WIT-S

03.05.2010

S-ALL.0003.GB 110

Issue

Page

02

2/6

Cam effect can affect crankshaft pins of engines that have run for many running hours (e.g. more than
50000 rhs), and its occurrence and significance is always closely connected to the fouling degree of the
lubricating oil and/or inadequate care of lube oil system. In fact, the cam protrudes because the
surface of the pin at both sides of the cam is affected by a significant amount of wear. This is set off by
the continuous action of tiny abrasive particles suspended in the lube oil film which may have been
present in the lube oil system, when not constantly maintained in the proper way. Such wear
mechanism typically takes place when the engine is running at low loads, and when the concerned
driving unit moves across the TDC, at the beginning of the intake stroke. This is the only stroke of a
whole engine cycle when the lower bearings half actually works: the crank pin begins to drag the driving
unit components down to the BDC in opposition to their inertia (traverse reverse of piston and
connecting rod), so the crank pin itself perceives a short and sudden counterstroke by the lower bearing
shell half, which recovers the radial backlash at the same time.
When fouled lubricating oil is used for prolonged operating periods, the above mentioned active phase
for the lower bearing shell half can lead to cam effect development: the abrasive action of dirt particles
emphasizes pin wear in line with the two running surfaces of the lower bearing shell at both sides of the
oil groove, while the central band of the pin that faces the groove is not worn, thus protrudes out and the
cam outline takes shape (see Figure 5).
When a pin has developed cam effect, consequential damage at the upper bearing shells may occur
during the remaining strokes (compression, expansion and exhaust), which represent the active phases
for the upper bearing shell halves. In fact, due to the protruding cam developed on the pin, the
stresses being borne by the upper bearing shell half (which features a solid running surface, i.e. do not
include any oil groove) act on a limited contact zone corresponding to the protruding cam itself (see
Figure 6). The resulting local overload on the upper bearing shell half can lead first to pronounced wear
along the central band (early symptoms), then to abnormal deterioration (scuffing and smearing of the
running layer see Figure 3), and the risk to overcome the fatigue limit of the bearing material is
increased (see Figure 4). As an ultimate danger, bearing shells failures may expose the engine to even
more critical, sometimes catastrophic consequential failures, e.g. crankshaft seizures. Therefore, the
occurrence of cam effect phenomenon under certain conditions may also seriously compromise
engine safety.
Note:

When coupled to pins with an already existing cam effect, brand new bearings shells suffer a
deterioration rate higher than used ones. Indeed, while used bearings shells undergo a sort of
gradual adaptation to the altered pin geometry throughout several running hours, new
bearings shells fit badly with pins whose running surface differs from their original cylindrical
shape (see Figure 6). For this reason, in suspect conditions, particular attention must be paid
with regard to the running-in procedure.

Figure 3: typical appearance of an upper BEB shell damaged by cam Figure 4: running layer material detachment by fatigue damage from
effect: uneven wear at the central band of the bearing, where
the upper half of a 3-metal big end bearing shell, located on

Wrtsil Italia S.p.A.

Services

Bagnoli della Rosandra, 334

34018 San Dorligo Della Valle (TS) ITALY

Telephone :
Fax :

+39 040 319 5000

+39 040 319 5647

SERVICE
LETTER
Wrtsil Italy, Service
Subject

Engine type

Ref.

Date

Document No.

Cam effect on crankshaft pins

See Application

WIT-S

03.05.2010

S-ALL.0003.GB 110

smearing of running layer material took place.

DLC

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02

3/6

the central band.

protruding cam

zone affected by wear

caused by abrasive particles
in the lubricating oil

crankpin
BEB
lower shell
half

Figure 5: crank at TDC position, at the beginning of the induction stroke. Solid particles suspended in the soiled lubricating oil lead
to uneven wear of the pin, generating a sort of protruding cam due to the presence of the oil groove in the BEB lower
shell half. Note the position of the cam: between the crank webs.

BEB
upper shell
half

crankpin
protruding cam

Figure 6: crank at BDC position. The BEB upper shell half is solid, i.e. does not feature an oil groove where the protruding cam
can slip into. Consequently, the bearing shell undergo local overload along its central band, which lead to its early
deterioration (uneven wear, scuffing, smearing, fatigue detachment of running layer material).

Wrtsil Italia S.p.A.

Services

Bagnoli della Rosandra, 334

34018 San Dorligo Della Valle (TS) ITALY

Telephone :
Fax :

+39 040 319 5000

+39 040 319 5647

SERVICE
LETTER
Wrtsil Italy, Service
Subject

Engine type

Ref.

Date

Document No.

DLC

Cam effect on crankshaft pins

See Application

WIT-S

03.05.2010

S-ALL.0003.GB 110

Issue

Page

02

4/6

5 Detection Methods
Besides the above explained typical wear pattern that can be noticed on the concerned bearing shells,
the occurrence of the cam effect phenomenon can be ascertained and evaluated by three different
methods:
- Prussian blue check. This qualitative check is performed making use of a couple of brand new bearing
shell halves. After dismantling the complete driving unit (piston, connecting rod, BEB caps, etc.) and
cleaning the pin from any trace of lubricating oil, the running surface of both upper and lower brand new
bearing shell halves must be painted with a very thin and uniform Prussian blue layer. Afterwards, the
complete driving unit must be assembled, all the screws or studs/nuts tightened according to the engine
instruction manual, and the crankshaft must be turned slowly for at least one complete revolution. Then,
the driving unit must be dismantled again in order to inspect the concerned crankpin and check for any
uneven contact between the crankpin and the brand new bearing shells (in particular the upper one,
which pushed against the pin, since it had to bear the weight of the complete assembled driving unit).
Any protruding cams on the crankpin should turn out as shown in Figure 7 and Figure 8.
An alternative way to carry out the Prussian blue check is to make use of calibrated tailor-made shells
(bearing shell dummies) instead of brand new bearing shell halves, with no need to reassemble the
complete driving unit.
protruding cams

protruding cams

Figure 7: Cam effect detected by Prussian blue check on a

crankpin.

Figure 8: detail of the protruding cams detected by Prussian

blue check.

- Straightedge check. This is another qualitative check that can be performed quite quickly and easily on
crankpins that are suspected to suffer cam effect phenomenon. It is performed evaluating by naked
eye possible macroscopic irregularity of the crankpin surface using a straightedge as reference, as
shown on Figure 9 and Figure 10. Positioning a source of light behind the straightedge and the
observation point could make easier the detection of contact and non-contact areas. Be aware that any
non-axial (e.g. diagonal) positioning of straightedge leads to misinterpretation of results.

Figure 9: example of visual straightedge check for cam effect

detection on a crankpin .

Wrtsil Italia S.p.A.

Services

Figure 10: protruding cam (contact area) detected by

straightedge check.

Bagnoli della Rosandra, 334

34018 San Dorligo Della Valle (TS) ITALY

Telephone :
Fax :

+39 040 319 5000

+39 040 319 5647

SERVICE
LETTER
Wrtsil Italy, Service
Subject

Engine type

Ref.

Date

Document No.

DLC

Cam effect on crankshaft pins

See Application

WIT-S

03.05.2010

S-ALL.0003.GB 110

Issue

Page

02

5/6

- Hard resin replica of the crankshaft pin. This is the only method that allows to evaluate the severity of
the cam effect phenomenon in a quantitative manner. Apposite hard resin replicas (e.g.

Technovit 3040 type resin or similar) taken on a significant portion of crankpin (see fig.11 and fig.12)
allow to draw up a comprehensive characterization of the cam effect. Lab precision feeler-pin
machines can draw the replicated crankpin profiles along different generating lines, in a proper
magnified scale (Figure 13). In this way, the extent of possible geometrical deviations can be evaluated
with appropriate precision. Additionally, roughness measurements and profiles can also be obtained
from such kind of hard replicas (see Figure 14).

Figure 11: Replication of the running surface of a crankpin

affected by cam effect.

Figure 12: hard resin replica ready for being analysed.

Figure 13: example of surface profile drawn from a hard resin replica of a crankpin affected by cam effect.

Figure 14: example of surface roughness profile drawn from a hard resin replica of a crankpin affected by cam effect.

Wrtsil Italia S.p.A.

Services

Bagnoli della Rosandra, 334

34018 San Dorligo Della Valle (TS) ITALY

Telephone :
Fax :

+39 040 319 5000

+39 040 319 5647

SERVICE
LETTER
Wrtsil Italy, Service
Subject

Engine type

Ref.

Date

Document No.

DLC

Cam effect on crankshaft pins

See Application

WIT-S

03.05.2010

S-ALL.0003.GB 110

Issue

Page

02

6/6

6 Corrective Actions
For the reasons explained above, it is strongly advised to restore any pin affected by cam effect to its
regular condition, according to the relevant crankshaft specifications, especially when new bearing
shells are fitted.
In presence of minor pin geometry deviations (ranging in the order of magnitude of 1/100 mm, and always
to be judged case by case), it is recommend to perform a pin polishing in order to restore the proper pin
geometry. Pin polishing activity can be carried out either manually, using a very fine grain-sized emery
cloth or, alternatively, by means of a polishing machine. Pin polishing entails no pin under-sizing: besides,
the original geometry of the pin should be preserved as much as possible, focusing the polishing action
on the central band of the pin, where the cam is located, paying attention always to remain within
geometrical and dimensional limits of the crankshaft pin (wear and tear tolerances) established by
Wrtsil.
When cam effect and the general crankshaft conditions are such that it is not possible to correct it by a
mere polishing, machining of the crankshaft pin might be needed as an extreme solution, to reduce the
diameter of the affected pin to the first available undersizing dimension.
Warning: After any possible polishing or machining of any crankshaft pins, contact test (Prussian blue
check, as per Chapter 5 of this document) must be always carried out, in order to be sure of
the accuracy of the final results.

Recommendations
As previously explained, the cause of cam effect is the presence of a period of unsuitable lubricating
conditions (presence of abrasive particles in the lubricating oil) during the service history of the engine: a
regime of pin wear set up such as to alter the original pin geometry. Under correct engine running
conditions, no cam effect can be generated indeed.
So, it is of utmost importance to use only Wrtsil approved lubricating oils and to take particular
care of the engine lubricating oil system, always following carefully the maintenance schedule as
described in the Engine Instruction Manual.

8 Distribution
Wrtsil Service Network

Owners of engines concerned

9 Liability
NO LIABILITY WHETHER DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL, IS
ASSUMED WITH RESPECT TO THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN. THIS PUBLICATION IS
CONFIDENTIAL AND INTENDED FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY.

10 Validity
This general instruction is valid until further notice.

Wrtsil Italia S.p.A.

Services

Bagnoli della Rosandra, 334

34018 San Dorligo Della Valle (TS) ITALY

Telephone :
Fax :

+39 040 319 5000

+39 040 319 5647