Know eight major causes of engine bearing failure

By Official Release
February 17, 2009
09:50 AM EST

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As you know, every automotive engine part will eventually wear out. And if every part always performed for the full length of its expected life, your technician's job would be fairly simple -- just replace the parts that have worn.

Major Causes

Premature Bearing Failure

Cause	Percent

Dirt	45.4
Misassembly	12.8
Misalignment	12.6
Insufficient Lubrication	11.4
Overloading	8.1
Corrosion	3.7
Improper Journal Finish	3.2
Other	2.8

Unfortunately, we cannot always count on an engine part failing only because its normal lifespan is exceeded. A technician must not only be a "replacer of parts" but, like a doctor, he must be capable of diagnosing his "patient" to determine why a part failed prematurely.

The table to the right lists the eight major causes of premature engine bearing failure, along with percentage figures which indicate how often each has been found to be the prime contributor to a bearing's destruction. In many cases a premature bearing failure is due to a combination of several of these causes

Bearings suffer from wear and tear as happens with all the active parts of an engine. This is due to the normal wear that occurs after a certain mileage, depending on the conditions in which the engine has been operated. Temperatures, loads, and extreme speed cause the acceleration of the bearing's normal wear.

Want to learn to diagnose failed engine bearings? Visit www.mahleclevite.com to checking out a Bearing Distress Guide to help identify engine bearing symptoms of distress.

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