CONTAMINANTS AND THEIR EFFECTS ON AIRCRAFT ENGINES

A number of aircraft engine irregularities are avoidable because they are the direct result of abrasive materials in the engine. The paper describes the types and sources of abrasives involved. The patterns of failure in different types of plain bearings are shown, as well as the effects of airborne and “built-in” abrasives on pistons and piston rings. A number of simple methods for the identification of various contaminants are given. General suggestions for the proper cleaning of parts are included. The applicability of this work to other types of engines is also discussed.