Optimizing Planned Maintenance Systems to Prevent Rocker Arm Bushing Wear and Exhaust Valve Stem Failure in Medium-Speed Marine Diesel Engines: A Case Study of KM. Mutiara Berkah II

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6239-793-4_28How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Planned Maintenance System; marine diesel engine; rocker arm bushing; exhaust valve failure; preventive maintenance; reliability engineering

Abstract

The reliability of marine diesel engines is a critical factor in ensuring safe and efficient vessel operation. Failures in the valve train system, particularly those related to rocker arm bushings and exhaust valves, may reduce propulsion performance, increase fuel consumption, interrupt voyages, and create safety risks. This study analyzes how suboptimal implementation of a Planned Maintenance System (PMS) contributed to rocker arm bushing wear and exhaust valve stem failure on KM. Mutiara Berkah II, a Ro-Ro passenger vessel powered by a medium-speed SEMT Pielstick 12PC4-2V diesel engine. A descriptive engineering case-study design was applied using shipboard observations, PMS records, running-hour documentation, engine logbook data, exhaust gas temperature (EGT) records, maintenance documentation, and interviews with engine personnel. The results show that the PMS was not optimally implemented due to irregular alignment inspections, clearance checks without precision instruments, inconsistent running-hour recording, and delayed replacement of bushings caused by spare-part unavailability. The bushing clearance increased from the normal range of 0.30-0.60 mm to approximately 0.95-1.00 mm. This condition caused rocker arm misalignment, abnormal vibration, knocking noise, increased EGT up to 365℃, uneven loading on the valve stem, and eventual exhaust valve stem fracture in cylinder 6B. The study proposes an enhanced PMS framework incorporating operating-hour-based inspection, precision clearance measurement, EGT trend monitoring, critical spare-part management, and improved maintenance documentation. The findings demonstrate that disciplined preventive maintenance and early condition monitoring can reduce the recurrence of valve train failures and improve main engine reliability.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Abu Bakar
AU  - Sarifuddin Sarifuddin
AU  - Bayu Nanda
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/16
TI  - Optimizing Planned Maintenance Systems to Prevent Rocker Arm Bushing Wear and Exhaust Valve Stem Failure in Medium-Speed Marine Diesel Engines: A Case Study of KM. Mutiara Berkah II
BT  - Proceedings of the  International Conference on Advanced Maritime Interconnection (ICAMI 2026)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 377
EP  - 390
SN  - 2352-5401
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-793-4_28
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-793-4_28
ID  - Bakar2026
ER  -