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Unit 4 worksheet: Bearings gaskets, sealants and adhesives

Competency unit: AURTTA005 Select and use bearings, seals, gaskets and
adhesives

Activity summary:
This worksheet will be used as evidence regarding your work within the following competencies:
1. Explain the effects of friction with regard to bearing surfaces.
2. Identify a range of bearing types and their applications.
3. Seal types, gaskets and their applications.
4. The use of sealants and adhesives.
Reference material:
Automotive Mechanics: 10e, Chapter 6.
3. Follow safety precautions with regard to cooling system heat, pressure and moving parts.

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Unit 4 Worksheet
To accompany May & Simpson Automotive Mechanics 10e
© McGraw-Hill Education Australia 2018
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Unit 4 Worksheet
To accompany May & Simpson Automotive Mechanics 10e
© McGraw-Hill Education Australia 2018
 3

Competency unit: AURTTA005 Select and use bearings, seals, gaskets and adhesives

Section 1: Bearings
1. There are five types of friction that apply to automotive systems and components. Using the table
below, provide an explanation for each type of friction:

Type of friction Explanation

Static friction is a force that keeps an object at rest. It must be overcome to start
moving the object. Once an object is in motion, it experiences kinetic friction. If a
Static Friction
small amount of force is applied to an object, thestatic friction has an equal
magnitude in the opposite direction.
The maximum friction that can be generated between two static surfaces in contact
with each other. Once a force applied to the two surfaces exceeds the limiting
Limiting friction
friction, motion will occur. For two dry surfaces, the limiting frictionis a product of
the normal reaction force and the coefficient of limiting friction.

The term sliding friction refers to the resistance created by two objects sliding
Sliding Friction against each other. This can also be called kinetic friction. Sliding friction is
intended to stop an object from moving.

Rolling resistance, sometimes called rolling frictionor rolling drag, is the force
Rolling Friction
resisting the motion when a body (such as a ball, tire, or wheel) rolls on a surface

Fluid friction describes the friction between layers of a viscousfluid that are moving
Fluid Friction relative to each other. Lubricated friction is a case of fluid friction where a lubricant
fluid separates two solid surfaces.

2. Name the three types of loads that bearings may be required to withstand:
i. Angular Load
ii. Radial Load
iii. Contact Load
3. Bearings can fail due to abrasion, lack of lubrication, corrosion and faulty fitment. Provide an
explanation as to how you might determine the reason for bearing failures as listed by the causes
below:

(a) Abrasion: A line of small burns along the line of contact of the rolling elements is caused by a low
current constantly passing through the bearing. Improper BearingLubrication: Lack of or improper
lubrication generally causes overheating or excessive wear in the bearing.Abrasive wear is the
scratching or gouging ofbearing rollers or raceways resulting in the creation of metal wear debris within
the gearbox.Wear particles which are not removed from the lubricant will continue to multiply and
damage can progress into micropitting.

Unit 4 Worksheet
To accompany May & Simpson Automotive Mechanics 10e
© McGraw-Hill Education Australia 2018
 4

(b) Lack of lubrication: Lubrication failure without flaking of material. Such damagemay occur primarily
in areas, where maintenance of the lubricating film is hindered, such as bearing ring faces or on roller
faces. Undesirable wear may also occur dueto slippage of rolling elements towards the bearing rings.

(c) Corrosion: Corrosion of bearing may be caused by acidic oil oxidation products formed in service, by
ingress of water or coolant liquid into the lubricating oil, or by the decomposition of certain oil
additives. Removal of overlays by abrasive wear or scoring by dirt exposes the underlying lead in
copper-lead or lead-bronze bearings to attack, while in severe cases the overlays may be corroded.

(d) Faulty fitment: A frequent source of trouble resulting in overheating and separator failure.
Common causes are bent shafts, out-of-square shaft shoulders, out-of-square spacers, and out-
of-square clamping nuts. Inspection of the raceways will show the bal l track veering from one
side to the other. Bearings should be mounted with a press fit on the rotating ring. Generally,
the shaft rotates and the inner ring is mounted with a press or interference fit.

4. Most tapered roller bearings have to be adjusted during installation. Provide an explanation as to
how this adjustment is carried out when applied to the following:

(a) Screw Adjustment: This arrangement is to be used in applications involving temperature variations, or
when the points of load application of the two bearings need to be as far apart as possible. It more
specifically enables the creation of compact assemblies with either pre-loading or clearance. The
adjustment is made on the distance between the cones of the two bearings which is determined by either
a spacer length or an adjustment Screw.

(b) Shim adjustments: To install a shaft fully equipped with the bearings in a housing. The adjustment is
made on the distance between the cups of the two bearings, and is determined by shims or an adjustment
nut.

5. Identify the bearings as shown in the diagrams below:

Ball Bearing Double Ball Bearing

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Roller Bearing Needle Roller Bearing

Tapered Roller Bearing Thrust Needle Roller

Bearing

Section 2: Seals, gaskets, sealants and adhesives

1. For most lip seals to operate effectively, when installed, the lip must face towards the inside of the
housing. Explain why the seal must be fitted in this direction:
The seal must be fitted face towards the inside of the housing because the primary purpose of a lip seal is to
exclude contaminants while retaining lubricants. By nature, lip seals function by maintaining friction. They
can be used in a variety of applications from slow-moving equipment to high-speed rotation and in
temperatures from below freezing to more than 500 degrees F. To be effective, a lip seal must maintain
proper contact with its rotating counterpart. This will be influenced by proper selection, installation and care
of the seal once it is installed. Often seen a new lip seal start to leak as soon as it was put into service. This
typically is due to improper installation. Other seals will leak initially but then stop leaking once the seal
material has seated to the shaft.

2. Briefly explain what an O-ring is and how it acts as a seal:

An O-ring, also known as a packing, or a toric joint, is a mechanical gasket in the shape of a torus; it is a
loop of elastomer with a round cross-section, designed to be seated in a groove and compressed during
assembly between two or more parts, creating a seal at the interface.
O-Ring seal prevent fluids from escaping through the gaps in mating pieces of hardware. The O-Ring sits in
the middle of a gland when it's at rest, but as pressure begins to rise in thesealing system, the O -Ring shifts
to the opposite side of the pressure.

Thrust Ball Bearing Journel Bearing

Unit 4 Worksheet
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3. Identify the different types of seals shown

below:

Oil seal

Radial Lip Seal

Oil Seal
Shaft Spring Seal

4. Explain the function of an oil scroll:

When a scroll starts, oil remains inside the sump. The bearings and pump are dry. As the motor rotates, the
centrifugal force gradually overcomes gravity and surface tension. The pressure generated by the centrifugal
force inside the flow field drives the oil into the oil gallery.

5. The material from which the gasket is made is selected to suit the particular component and will
depend on three factors. These are:

(a) Temperature - possibly the most important factor in choosing a gasket material. When higher
temperatures at the gasketed joint need to be sealed, the potential choices are quickly eliminated. If the
system operating temperatures approach a gasket materials max. continuous operating temperature
threshold, the next best material should be chosen.

(b) Chemical compatibility to the media to be sealed against (including flushes and system cleanouts).
There are many different fluids and gasses to seal against, and many different choices of gasket
materials to seal against them.

(c) Pressure at the gasketed joint. The internal pressure of the fluid should be a determining factor in
choosing a gasket sealing material. If severe cycling or pressures changes occur frequently, a more
robust material may be required.

6. Where would you be most likely to use an embossed metal gasket, and why?
An embossed single layer of rubber coated metal is a technology that is being applied to the sealing of
gasketed joints in internal combustion engines. The data can be used to select gasket designs which require
less expensive flange finishes and lower assembly loads while providing good sealing performance.
Embossed metal gaskets are used because they provide enhanced ability to seal higher pressures. Material
maintains rigidity to prevent bolt-torque loss.
Unit 4 Worksheet
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© McGraw-Hill Education Australia 2018
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7. Sealants or adhesive compounds are used extensively in automotive systems and components. Using
the table below, outline the purpose of the sealant and the application for which they can be used:

Sealent Explanation
A thread sealant is a product used to seal the gaps between pipe thread
connections (male and female threads). Pipes that are connected using
Thread sealants threadsusually create gaps between them that allow liquid or gas to escape. It
is thesealant's job to ensure that the gap is closed tightly to prevent any
leakage.
Gasket sealant can be used to make cheaper gasketmaterials more robust,
increasing adhesion and chemical/water resistance. RTV sealants are Room
Gasket sealants
Temperature Vulcanising and needs to be at room temperature to cure.There
are liquid gaskets used to create a seal.
RTV sealant is not to be used in areas with high temperatures like exhaust
RTV silicone manifolds. Always use the appropriate sealerrecommended by the engine
sealants manufacturer for the specific application. RTV or room temperature
vulcanizing sealant is used throughout the engine, sealing all kinds of leaks.

Unit 4 Worksheet
To accompany May & Simpson Automotive Mechanics 10e
© McGraw-Hill Education Australia 2018