Engine Lubrication System

ENGINE LUBRICATION SYSTEM: WORKING PRINCIPLE, COMPONENTS, AND IMPORTANCE
When two metallic surfaces under direct contact move over each other, they create friction which
generates heat. This causes excessive wear and tear of those moving parts. However, when a film
of lubricating matter separates them from each other, they do not come in physical contact with each
other. Thus, lubrication is a process that separates the moving parts by supplying a flow of a
lubricating substance between them. The lubricant could be liquid, gas or solid. However, the engine
lubrication system mainly uses liquid lubricants.
WORKING PRINCIPLE
The engine lubrication system is to distribute oil to the moving parts to reduce friction between
surfaces. Lubrication plays a key role in the life expectancy of an automotive engine. If the
lubricating system fails, an engine would succumb to overheating and seizing very quickly. An oil
pump is located on the bottom of the engine. The oil is pulled through a strainer, by the oil pump,
removing larger contaminants from the mass of the fluid.
The oil then forced through an oil filter under pressure to the main bearings and the oil pressure
gauge. It is important to note that not all filters perform the same. A filter’s ability to remove particles
is dependent upon many factors, including the media material (pore size, surface area and depth of
filter), the differential pressure across the media, and the flow rate across the media. From the main
bearings, the oil passes into drilled passages in the crankshaft and the big-end bearings of the
connecting rod.
The oil fling dispersed by the rotating crankshaft lubricates the cylinder walls and piston-pin
bearings. The excess oil is scraped off by the scraper rings on the piston. The engine oil also
lubricates camshaft bearings and the timing chain or gears on the camshaft drive. The excess oil in
the system then drains back to the sump.
IMPORTANCE OF ENGINE LUBRICATION SYSTEM:
1. Minimizes power loss by reducing the friction between the moving parts.
2. Reduces the wear and tear of the moving parts.
3. Provides cooling effect to the hot engine parts.
4. Provides cushioning effect against vibrations caused by the engine.
5. Carries out the internal cleaning of the engine.
6. Helps piston rings to seal against high-pressure gases in the cylinder.
Engine lubrication system supplies the engine oil to the following parts:
1. Crankshaft main bearings
2. Big end bearings
3. Piston pins and small end bushes
4. Cylinder walls
5. Piston rings
6. Timing Gears
7. Camshaft and bearings
8. Valves
9. Tappets and push-rods
10. Oil pump parts
11. Water pump bearings
12. In-Line Fuel Injection Pump bearings
13. Turbocharger bearings (if fitted)
14. Vacuum pump bearings (if fitted)
15. Air-compressor piston and bearings (in commercial vehicles for air-brake)
TYPES OF ENGINE LUBRICATION SYSTEM:
There are mainly four types of lubrication systems used in automotive engines which are:
1. Petroil System
2. Splash System
3. Pressure system
4. Dry-Sump System
COMPONENTS OF ENGINE LUBRICATION SYSTEM:
1. Oil Sump
2. Engine oil filter
3. Piston cooling nozzles
4. Oil Pump
5. The Oil Galleries
6. Oil Cooler
7. The Oil pressure indicator/light
Oil Pan / Sump:
An Oil Pan / Sump is just a bowl-shaped reservoir. It stores the engine oil and then circulates it
within the engine. Oil sump sits below the crankcase and stores the engine oil when the engine is
not running. It is located at the bottom of the engine in order to collect and store the engine oil. The
oil returns to the sump by pressure/gravity when the engine is not in use.
Bad road conditions could cause damage to the Oil Pan / Sump. So, the manufacturers provide a
stone guard/sump guard underneath the sump. The sump guard absorbs the hit from the uneven
road and protects the sump from any damage.
Oil Pump:
An Oil Pump is a device which helps to circulate the lubricant oil to all the moving parts inside the
engine. These parts include crankshaft & camshaft bearings as well as valve lifters. It is generally
located at the bottom of the crankcase, close to the oil sump. The oil pump supplies the oil to oil filter
which filters and sends it onward. The oil then reaches different moving parts of the engine through
oil galleries.
Even, small particles can choke the oil pump and galleries. If oil Pump gets blocked, then it can
cause severe damage to the engine or even complete seizure of the engine. To avoid it, the oil
pump consists of a strainer and a by-pass valve. Hence, it is necessary to change the engine oil and
filter at regular intervals as recommended by the manufacturers.
Oil Galleries:
In order to get better performance and longer engine life, it is essential that the engine oil quickly
reaches the moving parts of the engine. For this purpose, manufacturers provide oil galleries within
the engine. The Oil Galleries are nothing but a series of interconnected passages which supply the
oil to the remotest parts of the engine.
Oil galleries consist of big and small passages drilled inside the cylinder block. The bigger passages
connect to the smaller passages and supply the engine oil up to the cylinder head and overhead
camshafts. The oil galleries also supply the oil to the crankshaft, crankshaft bearings and camshaft
bearings thru holes drilled in them as well as to valve lifters/tappets.
Oil Cooler:
The Oil Cooler is a device which works just like a radiator. It cools down the engine oil which
becomes very hot. Oil cooler transfers the heat from the engine oil to the engine coolant through its
fins. Initially, manufacturers used the oil cooler only in the racing/high-performance vehicles.
However today, most vehicles use the oil cooler system for better engine performance.
Oil cooler which helps to maintain the engine oil temperature also keeps its viscosity under control.
Additionally, It retains the lubricant quality, prevents the engine from overheating and thereby saving
it from wear and tear.

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ENGINE LUBRICATION SYSTEM: WORKING PRINCIPLE, COMPONENTS, AND IMPORTANCE

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