Bore polishing identification

and simulation
G. F. AI-Khalidi and T.S. Eyre

Bore polishing resulting from the abrasive wear of the bore of diesel engines
has become more evident with the introduction of turbo-charging and
consequent high mileage. This paper identifies the principal characteristics of
bore polish, suggests causes and records the examination of a particular used
liner. A laboratory wear machine was then used to simulate bore polish
conditions. The results are analysed and discussed.

Keywords: bore polishing, abrasive wear, delamination wear, surface roughness,

lubricants, grey cast iron.

Introduction
Wear of the bore of diesel engines has been associated with Light polish: a mirror finish overlaid on the original
abrasion, scuffing and corrosion attack, and, of these, honing pattern.
abrasion is the most common. In some cases all three may Medium polish: a mirror finish showing faint original
operate together but usually in different positions. Scuffing honing pattern.
is particularly associated with initiation on the piston ring, Heavy polish: a mirror finish showing no traces of the
usually at top dead centre (TDC), which subsequently original honing pattern.
transfers to and damages the bore. Corrosive attack is more
associated with the bore than piston rings and is usually One method of recording polished areas which has been
evident at mid-stroke. Corrosion is caused by sulphuric acid found to be particularly useful is to trace their outline on
formed from combustion products and condensation of clear plastic sheet laid out in the bore. This has the advan-
water vapour which is usually associated with a low engine tage of producing a permanent record, and also accurately
operating temperature. Abrasion occurs in all engines to a locates the position of the different types of polish in the
greater or lesser degree and is associated with abrasive liner. Photographs are not a very satisfactory method of
particles from the combustion zone entering the lubricant;
abrasion may also be accelerated by wear debris. It is not
clear whether there are additive or synergistic effects
between abrasion on the one hand and corrosive attack on
the other.
From time to time, problems occur with new designs, but
these are usually eliminated before going into production.
Other developments have taken place in materials and sur-
face finishing to eliminate problems of which scuffing is an
example. Both chrome-plated and molybdenum-sprayed
rings are now more widely used to improve wear life and
also to eliminate scuffing. b
Since the mid 1970s there have been more frequent refer-
ences to bore polishing associated with the introduction of
turbocharged diesel engines, and this is a high mileage
problem.
In this investigation we firstly identified the main charac-
teristics of bore polish and then developed a laboratory
technique for producing bore polish under specific
C
conditions.

Bore polishing - identification of characteristics

Bore polish develops after a long period of service and leads
to blow-by, increased oil consumption and difficulties in
lubrication which then cause scuffing. Bore polish is evi-
denced by clearly defined areas of bright, highly reflective
d /am

surfaces. Different intensities of polishing can occur and a 0.5 mm

broad classification has been agreed as follows I . Fig 1 CLA value for polished Tornado liner: (a) unused,
Department of Materials Technology, Brunel University, Uxbridge, Ra --" 0.55 Ore; (b) light polish, Ra -- 0.40 l~n; (e) medium
Middlesex UB8 3Ptt, UK. polish, Ra = 0.15 tam; (d) heavy polish, R a = 0.08 tam

18 0 3 0 1 - 6 7 9 X / 8 7 / 0 1 0 0 1 8 - 0 7 $03.00 © 1987 Butterworth & Co (Publishers) Ltd February 87 Vol 20 No 1


recording polish, mainly due to lighting and light reflection
problems, coupled with the curvature of the liner surface.
Attempts have been made to define the severity of polish-
ing by means of surface roughness measurements in terms
of CLA (centre line average) values. However, character-
istics of the original bore surface finish and the condition
of normally run-in surfaces are found to affect interpreta-
tion of results on this basis. Fig 1 shows results fairly
typical of a bore-polished Tornado engine, and it can be
observed therefrom that a normal honed bore of 0.55/am R a
is polished down to a level of 0.08/am Ra.
The onset of bore polishing is characterized by increasing
oil consumption and blow-by in which exhaust gases leak
past the piston ring pack; this then leads to a reduction in
power output, and eventually, because of lubrication
failure, seizure is likely. It is not clear whether the problem
is caused by the amount of local wear leading to excess
clearance and loss of the seal, or if it is due to the diffi-
culties associated with retention of a lubricant on a smooth
surface. It is believed that the latter is the dominating
factor.
The likely causes of bore polishing
Various authors suggest that hard carbon on the piston
crown land acts as a fine abrasive, producing polished areas
above and below ring travel 2 . However, Wilson and Calow 1
Fig 2 Optical micrograph of(a) the new liner, and (b) the
heavily polished surface
TR I BO LOGY international
A I - K h a l i d i and Eyre - bore p o l i s h i n g
comment that polishing has been observed with pistons free
from carbon deposits. The shape of the crown land has also
been shown to have an important effect on oil consumption
and hence upon polishing 3 . The sulphur content of fuels
has a role in polishing, since sulphur trioxide may combine
with water produced in the combustion process to form
sulphuric acid. The resulting corrosive wear is detrimental
to the sealing properties of the piston ring and may also
produce abrasion particles. Abrasive wear has been observed
in bore polishing by several authors 4 ; this is not surprising,
however, because abrasion is the predominant mode of
wear in all engines, even those running in a perfectly satis-
factory manner.
The interaction of piston ring and cylinder liner and the
role of the lubricant has not been accorded great impor-
tance in connection with polishing. There are, however,
reference oils used in engine tests which will either initiate
or prevent bore polish. Polishing observed at the top of the
piston stroke (TDC) tends to be more severe than at other
positions in the stroke, since under these conditions the oil
film thickness falls to a minimum and boundary or mixed
lubrication exists under normal running conditions.
Examination of a polished bore
Two Ford Tornado liners were obtained for examination,
one had been used in an engine test to reproduce bore
polishing and the other was in the unused condition. The
used liner was representative of many others from similar
tests exhibiting bore polishing. The results of tracing the
polished area confirm its concentration around TDC. On
the basis of optical examination, three areas were selected
for obtaining Talysurf traces; these are shown in Fig l, and
they confirm the very smooth nature of the bore. Sections
were cut through the thickness of the liners and examined
in the polished condition to show an undercooled graphitic
structure, ASTM 267 Type B/D in the size range 6 to 8.
Etching revealed a normal pearlitic structure with some
phosphide but no free ferrite. The structure of both liners
is similar and represents a good quality commercial product
for this type of application. An optical examination of the
cross-honed structure of the bore of a new liner shows a
finish which produces an ideal plateau groove surface to
retain an oil film (Fig 2(a)).
A section from a heavily polished area of a bore is shown
in Fig 2(b), and it will be observed that all of the cross-
honing has been completely removed and abrasion marks
are in evidence running in the ring travel direction. The
graphitic structure of the cast iron can be observed quite
clearly, and there is no evidence of corrosive attack or of
surface deposits.
Taper sections were prepared at an 11 ° angle through both
the unused and heavy-bore-polished surfaces. Fig 3(a)
shows evidence of the cross-honing at the surface, whilst
Fig 3(b) shows that cross-honing has been completely
removed and the surface is now much smoother than before.
There is no evidence of deformation of the surface or of a
glazed surface deposit. Etching shows the pearlitic structure
to be free from plastic deformation, and there is no evi-
dence of any white transformation layer which would have
been associated with scuffing.
There has been some suggestion that blow-by and seizure
are a result of excessive local wear in the bore polish area
which leads to a loss of seal, and this hypothesis has been
19
A I - K h a l i d i and Eyre - bore p o l i s h i n g
tested by taking a Talysurf trace through from an unworn
to a polished area (Fig 4). Considerable smoothing has
occurred, but wear is less than 2/2m in depth.
Discussion
A smooth bore may be produced by a number of different
processes, and three of these are shown schematically with
the original surface in Fig 5. Deformation would have the
effect of closing over the graphitic structure, which would
not subsequently be observed in the optical microscope
(Fig 5(b)). Fig 5(c) shows the effect of building up a 'glaze'
or 'polymeric film', and although both would produce a
smooth surface, the graphite structure would not then be
visible. Fig 5(d) shows the effect of polishing which would
remove material but not obscure direct observation of the
1;0 ,um
Fig 3 Taper section of(a) new liner, and (b) heavily
polished surface
Unused ~ Run-in
Fig 4 CLA trace through an unworn and bore-polished area
20
graphitic structure, and it is this mechanism which is
believed to be responsible for the bore-polished condition.
This condition could be produced by an abrasion/polish
process in which the surface was gradually exposed to
smaller and smaller abrasive particles - similar to laboratory
metallographic polishing.
Reproducing bore polishing in a laboratory
wear machine
I ntroduction
The characteristics of bore polish were established, as des-
cribed above, by examination of Tornado cylinder bores
from engine tests. In the second part of this investigation a
laboratory wear machine which has been used for other
investigations by, one of the present authors s was used to
simulate bore polish conditions.
This laboratory wear machine has already been used to
establish correlations between service and laboratory wear
behaviour for piston ring and cylinder bore and therefore
was considered to be capable of producing the character-
istics of bore polish.
Lubricant formulators have extensively used two test oils,
RL47 and RIA8, to investigate bore polish, and RI_A8 is
said to promote bore polish in short term engine tests; it is
these oils which were used in the tests described below.
Test procedure
A portion of the cylinder liner under test was held in
position in an oil bath, and a section of a piston ring was
then loaded against the liner specimen (Fig 6). The ring
and the liner were fully submerged in 50 mlitre of the test
lubricant. The temperature was controlled thermostatically
at 80°C. Loads of 3 0 0 , 6 0 0 , 9 0 0 , 1200 and 1500 N were
applied for a test duration of up to 20 h. All tests were
carried out at 8.3 cycles/rain, the test producing a speed
continually variable over the whole length of the stroke.
Friction force and dimensional change were both measured
by linear voltage displacement transducers (LVDT) and the
results plotted graphically by means of a chart recorder.
The dimensional change measurement represents the
wear of both the ring and the liner, and in this investigation
these were not separated.
The ring and the liner specimens were thoroughly cleaned
in an ultrasonic cleaner, degreased using white spirit, then
dried and then cleaned again in acetone followed by air
drying. The specimens were mounted in the test machine,
oil was added to the bath and heated to 80°C, the ring
specimen was lowered to make contact with the liner, and
the test was then commenced.
The material used for both ring and liner specimen is
~__ ~ Heavy polish
February 87 Vol 20 No 1
 A I - K h a l i d i and Eyre - bore p o l i s h i n g

a
/
f

b J
It

~ \ \ \\ \ \\ \ \ \\ \ \ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

d
Fig 5 Schematic view of surface produced by different
processes." (a) original, (b) deformation, (c) glaze, (d) polish

Load

Fig 7 Microstructure of grey cast iron: {a) unetched

{optical); (b} etched {optical}; {c} unetched {SEM)
. B41452 grey cast iron grade 14, and its microstructure is
shown in Fig 7. After the completion of each test the ring
and the liner were thoroughly cleaned in an ultrasonic
cleaner, degreased using white spirit, then dried, and cleaned
with acetone followed by air drying. After each test,
Sliding direction examination was concentrated on the liner specimen only,
using optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in
an attempt to identify the mechanisms of surface damage
Fig 6 Schematic diagram of apparatus and in particular bore polish characteristics.

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A I - K h a l i d i and Eyre - bore p o l i s h i n g

0.15
0.14 • RL48
0.13 A RL47
0.12
0.11
.~ 0.10
'c. 0.09
"8 0.08
E
o 0.07
-% 006
o
o 0.05
0.04
0.03
0.02
0.01
i i i i /
300 600 900 1200 1500
Test load, N
Fig 8 Coefficient or friction for RL4 7 and RL48 at 80 °C

f O RL48 1500N
0.18 ~ RL47 1500 N
O R L48 900 N
0.16 ~ RL47 900 N

0.14

~E 0.12
E
E
= 0.10

0.08

0.06

0.04

0.02

F I 1 l I I I
100 200 300 400 500 600
Sliding distance, rn
Fig 9 Wear for RL47 and RL48 at 80 °C
Fig 10 SEM mierographs o f (a) unworn liner, (b) worn liner
at 1200 N with RL4 7, (c) worn liner at 1200 N with RL48
Surface roughness values expressed as CLA were taken
before and alter each test using a Rank Taylor Hobson Surface roughness measurements show that at lower loads
Talysurf. the surface in each oil is slightly smoother than the unworn
surface (0.55/Ira) and then becomes rougher at higher
Results
loads, particularly for RL47.
The coefficient of friction was plotted against the applied
load and the total wear volume plotted against sliding Examination of liner surfaces shows that wear is dominated
dislance for both lubricants at 80°C. The results show that by abrasion and delamination with no obvious evidence of
coefficient of friction (Fig 8) and wear (Fig 9) are each bore polish. Abrasion is shown for each oil at 1200 N in
lower for RL47 than for RL48. Fig 10, and it will be observed that for each there are

22 February 87 Vol 20 No
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t3

d
Fig 11 CLA value for diamond abrasive: (a) unused, Ra "-- 0.5 #m; (b) 0 mm, Ra = 0.08 Wn; (c) 15 mm, Ra = 0.10 pro;
(d) 30 mm, Ra -- O.08 pm
regular abrasion grooves in the rubbing direction, all of the
original machine marks have been removed, and the
graphite is not visible. At 1500 N delamination occurs in
each oil, and this accounts for the rough surface finish.
Oil RL48, which is known to promote bore polish in
Tornado engine tests, did not produce bore polish in the
tests described so far, although the surface was smoother
than that produced by RL47. An attempt was made to
promote a smoother liner surface by adding a controlled
amount of 0.25/lm diamond paste to RL48.
The smoothest surface was produced in earlier tests at a
load of 900 N, and subsequent tests were therefore carried
at this load under the conditions already described. It was
later found that the bore polish condition was best
obtained after a test duration of 8 h; longer periods pro-
duced rougher surfaces.
Fig 11 shows CLA values for (a) the unused liner, and the
three positions along the worn liner length at (b) 0 mm,
(c) 15 mm and (d) 30 mm. These values are considerably
smoother than those produced in previous tests. It will also
be seen that the wear track is slightly smoother at both
ends (ie Fig 1 l(b) and (d)) than in the middle of the stroke
(Fig 1 l(c)). To confirm that the finish achieved in the test
rig produces bore polish it is necessary that the graphite
structure be directly observed metallographically, and
Fig 12 confirms this clearly, with some abrasion and a few
original machine marks still present. Fig 12(a) therefore
confirms bore polish and may be compared with Fig 12(b),
which is from a bore-polished Tornado engine liner.
It is somewhat artificial to produce bore polish with
diamond paste, which is not present in a running engine,
and samples of hard carbon were therefore obtained from
used pistons. This carbon was added to RL48, and the test
procedure previously adopted was then repeated. The CLA
Fig 12 SEM micrograph o f (a) surface produced in test rig value is shown in Fig 13, which compares very well with
close to the end o f the wear track in RL48 with diamond those in Fig 11 and confirms that bore polish has been
paste, (b) Tornado bore-polished surface produced. This was confirmed by metallographic examina-

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A I - K h a l i d i a n d Eyre - bore p o l i s h i n g
C
Fig 13 CLA value f o r carbon abrasive: (a) 0 m m , Ra = O. 0 75 I~m; (b) 13 mm, Ra = O. 090 # m ; (c) 50 mm, Ra = O.0 75 llm
Fig 14 S E M micrograph o f bore-polished surface produced
in R L 4 8 with hard carbon
tion, and Fig 14 clearly shows the graphite structure with
some abrasion and no original machining marks remaining;
in addition there are some surface cavities present, which
could be initiators of delamination.
Discussion
The laboratory machine differentiates between RL47 and
RL48 in terms of friction, wear and surface roughness. Bore
polish, however, is not produced by RL48 until a fine
abrasive (carbon) is introduced into the oil. In this condi-
tion there is a good correlation between the characteristics
of a bore-polished Tornado liner and the surfaces produced
in these tests. There appears to be a strong association
between the presence of carbon and the production of the
bore polish condition, and this is confirmed by other
investigators 2. There is also evidence that abrasion is the
predominant wear mechanism at low loads, but at higher
loads delamination occurs to produce rougher surfaces and
a higher wear rate.
Wear is greater at the ends of the wear track than in the
middle, which reflects the different pin speed along the
stroke length, and this is also true of a fired engine. In these
tests the polish condition is obtained prior to delamination
to produce more catastrophic wear.
24
Optical and SEM examination have been used to confirm
that bore polish occurs with no significant deformation to
obscure the graphite structure. There is no evidence of the
white transformation layer usually associated with scuffing,
and there is no observable glaze on the surface which would
have obscured the graphite structure.
Conclusions
(1) Bore polish is a condition where a very smooth finish
is produced by a fine-scale polishing operation, with
no evidence of deformation, scuffing or chemical
attack. The smooth finish promotes lubricant starva-
tion, and delamination is initiated.
(2) The laboratory machine used differentiates between
RL47 and R I ~ 8 oils, with the higher friction, higher
wear, and smoother surfaces produced with RL48.
(3) The initial results from this study indicate that bore
polishing in engines can be simulated in a reciprocating
laboratory wear machine.
(4) Bore polishing is produced by using hard carbon with
the lubricant RIA8.
(5) Two other wear mechanisms - (1) abrasive wear, (2)
delamination wear - were obtained, the former at low
loads and the latter at high loads.
(6) The laboratory machine is capable of producing the
full range of friction and wear behaviour of grey cast
iron, which is normally used as an engine material. It is
therefore capable o f characterizing other materials and
lubricants prior to confirmatory engine tests.
References
1. Wilson J. and Calow J. Cylinder liner bore polishing in auto-
motive diesels - a progress report on a European Study,
SAE 76O722, 1976
2. McGeehan J.A. A single cylinder high B.M.E.p engine for
evaluating lubricant effects on piston ring deposits, ring wear,
oil consumption and bore polishing, SAE 80043 7, 1980
3. Furahama S. and Hiruma H. Unusual phenomenon in engine
oil consumption. ASLE, 36 (10), 1980, 599-606
4. Ayel J., Roux F. and Tahon G. Polissge des cylindres des
moteurs diesel. Proc. Conf Groupment Francais de
Co-ordination, 19 79
5. Eyre T.S., Dent N. and Dale P. Wear characteristics of piston
rings and cylinder liners. ASLE, 39 (4), 1983, 216-221
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