RECENTLY WE WERE STARTING TO DRILL A WELL AND ENCOUNTERED AN ELECTRIC
POWER LINE. THE WHOLE RIG BECAME ELECTIFIED UNTIL THE POWER COMPANY
COULD TURN IT OFF. THIS TOOK 2 HOURS. EVER SINCE THEN WE HAVE HAD
PROBLEMS WITH THE DIESEL ENGINE THAT RUNS THIS MACHINE. LOSS OF POWER,
AND HEAVY EXHAUST SMOKE. ARE THERE ANY ARTICULES ON RESULTING DAMAGE
TO INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES THAT HAVE HAD A SIMULAR OCCURANCE. I
ALREADY KNOW ABOUT LIGHTNING DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT ENGINES.

---

Request for Question Clarification by responder-ga on 28 Sep 2002 17:05 PDT

Hello Rls:

Can you give us some information on the engine:  manufacture date; is
it fuel injection, turbocharge; is it a Detroit, Cummins, Ford, etc.?
Any specifications may help, like horse power.   You may think it
would make no difference, but in fact it may.  Thank you.

---

Request for Question Clarification by ozguru-ga on 28 Sep 2002 22:22 PDT

Dear rls,

I would almost certainly say that the the electronic "brain box" which
controls the tuning has been at least partially damaged. My experience
has been almost totally with large gas engines (Caterpillar 3516),
whose timing was electronically controlled.

I would imagine that whoever tunes the engine should have a fairly
good idea where to start trouble shooting. If you are lucky, settings
may just have to be restored rather than the electronic module
replaced.

Regards,

---

Clarification of Question by rls-ga on 29 Sep 2002 06:21 PDT

THE ENGINE WAS A 1980 CATERPILLAR 3208 AND IS NOT CONTROLLED BY
ELECTRONICS. NOT TURBO CHARGED,  RATED AT 210 HP @ 2500 RPM.  FUEL
INJECTION PUMP ON ENGINE.

Hi, 

If the rig/engine had an electrical current going through it for 2
hours, then magnetism becomes an issue and will produce the effects
you describe. To read about this I've listed a number of websites
describing the effects and known problem. It appears that these
engines can have this problem without being charged and that it can
happen over time, but since you were not having this problem before
the charge it suggests that this occurrence is the cause.

If any parts around the pickup coils are magnetized then this is going
to through off your timing.

JASPER Engines and Transmissions
http://www.jasperengines.com/diesels.html

CAMSHAFTS
Camshafts are inspected for magnetism, demagnetized and precisely
machined to provide correct lift. JASPER has improved lifter rotation
by increasing lobe taper to exact specifications.

Dieselcity Products Page
http://www.dieselcity.com/products.htm

Ignition Solutions for Garden Pulling Tractors 
http://members.aol.com/pullingtractor/ignition.htm

This one is not on diesels, but engines just the same, and had a good
paragraph where this type of damage is talked about.

Degauss Instructions
http://www.sacskyranch.com/degaussi.htm
Occasionally someone asks what might happen if the part is not
demagnetized and the engine part that you don't want magnetized is the
hydraulic lifter. The check valve in the lifter uses a small ball. If
the lifter body becomes magnetized the ball doesn't work properly.
Incidentally, magnetized engine parts. Any rotating magnetic part in
the engine I have to admit that I have never seen this type of damage.
It does cause real damage in some industries, especially where a
rotating shaft is large and not grounded to a frame.

This is obviously not a common occurrence, thank goodness, but there
is enough on the problems any engine would have with being magnetized
in even small areas to suggest that this is your problem.

Thanks, 

webadept-ga

---

Clarification of Answer by webadept-ga on 26 Oct 2002 02:18 PDT

By the way, it was good to read that your daughter was alright after
this happened, if a bit shooken up. Engines are easy to replace.

Good luck to you. 

webadept-ga

As a contractor and having previously owned a heavy equipment company,
as well as operated excavators, dozers, etc. You DID NOT CALL for an
UNDERGROUND UTILITIES LOCATION, BEFORE YOU BEGAN DRILLING. IT'S STATE
LAW, here in NJ, call BEFORE you dig. You are lucky you did not get
electrocuted, and also endanged the lives and safety of the persons
operating the rig.

TO STOCKZGUY-GA  WE HAD THE LINES LOCATED BY CALLING MISS UTILITY. 
THEY DID NOT DETECT THIS LINE AND A TELEPHONE LINE.  WE DRILLED 10
FEET FROM THE MARKED POWER LINE & TELEPHONE LINE.

rls, 
My husband used to contract to a huge utility company, and is very
familiar with utility locators, such as MISS Utility and Blue Stake.
He said that when the utility locators were wrong, THE COMPANY is
liable for ALL damage to ANYTHING. You need the work order
number/control number.....whatever it is called where you live.
Contact the utility locator and submit copies of the repair bill for
your truck, including lost time and business revenue. You may have to
go to court, but it seems well worth it in your case. Most utility
locating companies fire the lackadaisical employee after two such
errors.

_Good Luck!

TO CRABCAKES-GA
WE HAVE THE TICKET NUMBER AND FAX SAY IT WAS CLEAR AND MARKED.  WE
FOUND THAT THE LOCATOR FROM THE POWER COMPANY, AND THE LOCATOR FOR THE
TELEPHONE COMPANY, BOTH MISSED THIS LINE CONTINUEING ON BEYOND THE
TURN INTO THE HOUSE.  THEY REFERED TO IT AS A STUB-OUT THAT WAS ALIVE
FOR FUTURE CONNECTION TO THE NEXT LOT.  THERE IS NO OTHER LOT. THE
TELEPHONE COMPANY EVEN HAD A TALL RECTANGULAR BOX BACK, HIDDEN IN THE
BRUSH.
THANKS FOR YOUR HELP. MY DAUGHTER IS THE DRILLER ON THE RIG AND SHE
TOOK A GOOD SHOCK JUMPING OFF THE RIG AT THE TIME OF THE INCEDENT.