Wear of Valve Train Components Due to Soot Contaminated Lubricant

A study has been carried out to investigate the influence of soot contaminated automotive lubricants in the wear process of engine valve train contacts. Previous research on this topic has been performed from a purely generic and theoretical point of view. Testing has been carried out using standard testing techniques with very little relevance to real engine conditions or components. In this study the conditions under which wear occurs was investigated using tests with actual valve train components. The objective of the work was to develop a knowledge base of wear data for a variety of lubricated reciprocating valve train components. This will increase the understanding of the wear mechanisms that occur within a contaminated contact zone, which will be used in the future development of a predictive valve train wear model.