MAN B&W Diesel A/S

Service Letter SL02-408/KEA

July 2002

Level of BN (Base Number) and Viscosity

in System Lube Oil during Operation
Action Code: WHEN CONVENIENT

Dear Sirs

In two-stroke crosshead engines, the piston rod stuffing box separates the
combustion and scavenge air spaces from the crankcase. Thereby, lube oil will not
be contaminated with combustion products and used cylinder lube oil. However, in
practice, we have experienced that some cylinder lube oil is leaking through the
stuffing box, down into the system lube oil sump.

This is revealed by increasing BN and viscosity of the system lube oil. Normally, the
increase will stop after some time and remain at a stable equilibrium level where
topping up with new system lube oil, to make up for normal consumption, will reduce
the degree of contamination of the system oil with residues from the scavenge air
drain oil.

A certain minimum consumption is necessary to keep the equilibrium at an acceptable

level, especially on newer engines, as explained below.

Stuffing box design

When taking a look back in time, the largest modification of the stuffing box design
was carried out around 1980, when hardened piston rods were introduced, together
with the introduction of the MC engines. It thus became possible to considerably
increase the tension of the scraper ring springs. The result was a reduction in the
stuffing box drain amount from 24 l/day/cyl to 2-10 l/day/cyl for a run-in engine.

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Drain cleaning system

If a stuffing box drain cleaning system is used, and “cleaned” lube oil is returned to
the system lube oil sump, the quantity of new topping-up oil is minimized, and the BN
will therefore increase further, as the BN is not reduced by the cleaning.

Together with reduced drain oil amounts, this was the reason for omitting a stuffing
box drain cleaning system in our installation standard, when we changed this from
‘the standard’ to an option in 1996.

System oil consumption

Modern engines have much fewer joints than previous designs and are significantly
more oil tight. This reduces oil losses from leaks, and consumption is thus lower.

If a separate camshaft lube oil system is arranged, it is recommended to use system

oil from the bottom tank when the camshaft oil needs to be replaced. In this way, new
oil is supplied to the system lube oil sump, thereby also counteracting BN number and
viscosity increases.

BN level consideration
The increase in BN can influence the ability of the oil to reject water. It will then be
difficult for the centrifuge to remove water, which may thus accumulate in the system
lube oil. Water together with Ca can form calcium hydrogen/carbonate and build up a
deposit of lacquer on the bearings. Another effect is an increased sludge formation
when water is present.

Experience shows, however, that typical engine system oils are applicable with up to
30 BN (starting from initial 5-12 BN) without any operational problems, and without
any changes in the lube oil performance that give reason for renewing the oil.

An increase in BN to 25, and an increase in viscosity from SAE 30 to SAE 40, is

considered normal, and no action is called for. An increase beyond that is not really
harmful and can, in most cases, be balanced by new low-BN topping-up oil.

Conclusion
We recommend that attention is paid to the BN if there is an increase to more than
25 BN, and that the ability of the oil to reject water is tested by the oil supplier.

An increase in viscosity from the level of SAE 30 to the SAE 40 range does not give
rise to any concern.

Questions or comments regarding this SL should be directed to our Dept. 2160.

Yours faithfully
MAN B&W Diesel A/S

Carl-Erik Egeberg Kjeld Aabo