A piston ring failure on your diesel engine can lead to major headaches for you. Especially if it's not immediately clear what caused the failure in the first place.
Assembly Error Leading to a Broken Oil Control Ring
Sometimes, the piston ring can fail because of poor assembly. In particular, assembly errors can lead to issues with your oil control ring. We've seen failed rings that, when placed on a flat surface, have a noticeable upward bend on the broken side of the ring. This type of failure would likely be from the ring not being sufficiently compressed, and it was probably damaged during installation.
Improper Installation Techniques Causing High Crankcase Pressure
Poor installation practices can cause other issues for your engine. Rings that weren't installed correctly can allow a combustion path to the crankcase, which leads to high crankcase pressure (blow-by) and power loss.
High Oil Consumption From a Broken Oil Control Ring
Have you noticed higher than normal oil consumption in your diesel engine? Your oil control ring might be to blame. In some cases, the oil control ring might be broken in several places. A likely cause of failure would again be damage during installation.
Abrasive Contamination Leading to Ring Failure
Other issues with your rings might cause higher than normal oil consumption as well. We've seen rings where the ring faces had noticeable vertical scratching. This scratching will not allow a complete seal of the power cylinder, therefore leading to excessive oil consumption.This can be caused by leaks in the air intake system, abrasives in the engine oil, or poor cleanliness during assembly.
