We opened the bearing housing of the compressor and found that the thrust bearings had turned black. What’s the reason? Well, the oil temperature is a bit high, at 97–102
Thread Content
We opened the bearing housing of the compressor and found that the thrust bearings had turned black. What’s the reason? Well, the oil temperature is a bit high, at 97–102
It’s just that after being used for a long time, impurities accumulate; it’s nothing serious.
As long as there are no signs of burned tiles, it means there is no problem
If there are no obvious signs of wear but only some blackening, it can be fixed with some treatment; the cause of the blackening is most likely an issue with the grease.
Personally, I don’t think the blackening of the bearing shells is a serious issue; it’s mainly due to carbon buildup, and it doesn’t have a significant impact on the operation of the unit. Nevertheless, it is important to pay attention to this matter, keeping an eye on oil temperature to ensure it does not get too high. Additionally, regular analysis of the oil quality is necessary; any issues detected should be addressed by filtering or changing the oil promptly.
High oil temperatures can lead to carbon buildup; check the bearing surfaces – there should be no problems.
The surface of the thrust pad is made of babbitt alloy, and the maximum operating temperature generally does not exceed 100 degrees. It is very likely that scorching occurred due to high oil temperatures over an extended period of time; if the thickness of the babbitt alloy can still be maintained after grinding, the pad can still be used
This post was last edited by zakk on 2012-3-16 at 15:54. First, it is necessary to check whether there are any signs of wear on the bearing shells; once damage to the bearing shells has been ruled out, if they turn black, it is still advisable to examine the quality of the lubricating oil. Additionally, attention should be paid to any abnormal increases in lubricating oil temperature, as normal bearing shells do not turn very black.
The temperature of over 90 degrees that you measure is the temperature of the tile surface as detected by the probe; the actual temperature at the area where the tile comes into contact with oil is even higher. As a result, the lubricating oil undergoes carbonization due to high-temperature friction, which leads to the formation of carbon deposits. These deposits are ground into black lines on the tiles, and after cleaning and grinding, the material can be used again
What could be the reason for such high oil temperatures? It needs to be addressed as soon as possible. Since it’s a thrust bearing, why not take the opportunity to check the shaft displacement as well?
Mainly check the issue of high oil temperature. If the thrust pad is blackened but not burned, it can be used again after cleaning and lapping