New instrument for checking liner diameter with minimal dismantling
Chris Marine's LDM instrument does not require removal of the cylinder head or exhaust valve
Chris Marine of Sweden has launched a new liner diameter measurement (LDM) instrument in order to quickly investigate the internal condition of cylinder liners for two-stroke engines.
The main advantage claimed for the new LDM is that the cylinder head or exhaust valve housing does not need to be removed. By replacing the traditional internal micrometer, the LDM is inserted in the liner through the scavenging ports. A complete liner measurement is now made in what is said to be a fraction of the time previously taken using traditional methods, where the removal (and assembly) of the head could not only take several hours, but present a risk of failure during re-assembly.
The LDM can be preset with engine data for most existing two-stroke engines, weighs 3.6 kg and is suitable for cylinder liners with a bore between 500 – 980 mm. Up to 12 measured diameters can be obtained on each level in the cylinder liner. The system accuracy is claimed to be better than 0.03 mm and the total time to measure is about 1 hour per liner for measurement of four diameters on nine heights (of which the set-up time is about 20 minutes).
The system consists of the actual measuring unit and a wireless hand held terminal. Measured data is transmitted via a radio link to an antenna inserted in the start air valve pocket. The stored data can be transferred to an Excel application in any PC by Bluetooth, USB or by SD card.
The instrument with radio transmitter has a CE-label, which is required for use within the EU and Turkey. The company says that further tests will be carried out for verifying compliance with other standards, of which the most immediate are USA, Japan, China and Korea.
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