Articles in the section

  
 
 
In co-operation with the UK Ministry of Defence, Kittiwake have developed an instrument for measuring the engine compression loss.  This ingenious device, known as a Potmeter, assists the maintenance manager in ascertaining valuable information on the condition of the piston rings and valves on large engines up to 300mm bore. 

If excessive crankcase pressure or engine compression loss is experienced, each cylinder can be tested in turn using the Potmeter. The operation is quick and straightforward, allowing a 12 cylinder engine to be checked in 1 hour. Hence, this test can be performed as a preventive maintenance task whenever injectors are being checked.

Supplied complete with carrying case, dummy injector/injectors and a selection of parts including: Potmeter to injector hose, Calibration device for checking operation, Spares kit including injector seals, Fitting kit to attach to your air supply & manual carrying strap.

The Potmeter consists of a specially shaped dummy injector, which is fitted into the engine cylinder, and an electronic flow meter, which applies a constant air pressure and monitors the airflow due to cylinder leakage.  This allows the state of the piston rings/cylinder bores and the valves/valve seats to be assessed.

• Supplied with carrying case and range of dummy injectors for various engines.
• Microprocessor controlled, with instructions on screen - no user adjustments necessary.
• Automatically adjusts for all sizes of engines.
• Can differentiate between valve and cylinder wear - spotting potential failure before major damage occurs.
• Quick to test (20 cylinders per hour) and stores up to 20 readings in the internal memory.
• Self contained, self calibrating, battery operated unit.
• Portable and robust - ideal for use in confined spaces.
• Easy to use - no training or expertise required.

The Potmeter can be used on a variety of engines by removing the injector and replacing with a dummy injector. The following injectors are currently available: Paxman Valenta, Paxman Ventura, Rolls Royce CV8/12 Further designs of injectors can be made available at short notice.