The Cat 3116 is a 6-cylinder engine used in many applications because of its moderate size. If you’re looking to purchase parts to repair your CAT 3116 engine, go to ProDieselParts. These are some common problems and solutions found in the CAT 3116 engine:
1. Leaks around the oil cooler: Oil leaks around the oil cooler are very common in the CAT 3116 engine. Oil leaks are common around the oil cooler because it is sealed with only two O-rings. The fix is fairly simple. The solution is that you should buy spare o-rings, so as soon as the problem happens, all you need to do is to replace the o-rings.
2. Damaged O-rings at Injector Tip: The CAT 3116 was designed with o-rings at the injector tip which are prone to wear. O-rings are frequently exposed to combustion while the engine is running, causing them to deteriorate over time.
The o-rings can also allow combustion gas to creep into the engine. The solution is to replace the seal when it becomes bad.
3. Loosing Power: Loosing power in your CAT 3116 is very common. Losing power means you will notice the engine’s RPM decreasing
What is usually the cause of this?
In most cases, the problem is air in the fuel. When there is air in the fuel system, it disrupts the engine’s operation and results in a loss of power. Sometimes it can be difficult to know if there is air in the fuel system. You can install a sight glass to help you detect this. With the help of sight glass, you can see bubbles in the fuel as an indicator of air presence in the fuel system.
The solution is to check for any leaks around the suction line and stop the leak. To remove the air in the fuel, you need to bleed the system.
4. Starting Solenoid Problem: This solenoid is located at the fuel pump. The solenoid controls the supply of the fuel pump. When the solenoid is bad, the fuel pump stops working. Many people replace the fuel pump not knowing the problem is caused by the starting solenoid.
To check the starting solenoid, you can use a battery to see if the solenoid energizes when current is applied
So before you replace the fuel pump due to no fuel supply, you need to check the starting solenoid. If the starting solenoid is bad, then you need to replace it.
5. Boring and sleeving: This is one of the disadvantages found in the CAT 3116. Boring is the process of enlarging the engine’s cylinder diameter to remove wear or damage and Sleeving is inserting a metal sleeve into the cylinder to restore its original size and shape.
The engine uses dry sleeves, which requires boring and sleeving when you need to replace the faulty sleeve.
It is easier to replace a wet sleeve than to replace a dry sleeve. Therefore one of the common problems you are going to encounter is liner boring and sleeving. Learn about the difference between wet and dry sleeves in this article.
The solution to this is that you need to look for a competent machine shop where the boring and sleeving can be properly done.
6. Injectors and rack issues: The CAT 3316 engine’s injector system requires precise adjustments that must be done by a professional. Incorrect installation can affect the rack, which may prevent the engine from running.
Each time you replace or repair the injectors, then you need to ensure that a proper setting is done for the engine to be able to run.
7. Dropped valve: Valves drop is very common in the old CAT 3316 engines. This can affect other engine components like pistons.
The solution to this problem is to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations on when to replace the valve and its components.
The good news is that the new model doesn’t have this issue, as it features a stronger valve stem. Purchase valves for your CAT 3116 here at ProDieselParts.
8. Spun Crankshaft Bearings: Many users of this engine have also complained about a spun crankshaft. This occurs when the bearings rotate out of place and overlap, causing damage to both the bearings and the crankshaft.
This usually happens when there is oil starvation. To prevent this problem, you need to replace the bearings on time and ensure regular oil changes. Find parts for the CAT 3116 crankshaft here.
9. Soft block: This is a very popular term to describe the CAT 3116 engine. It is generally known for this because its block is soft.
There is nothing you can do about this, rather when the block is bad, you replace it.
However, you should also be aware that the soft block problem has been settled by the manufacturer by improving the production process. Therefore the newer blocks no longer have such a problem.
ProDieselParts carries all the components necessary to fix and keep your CAT 3116 engine running.
For more maintenance info on your CAT 3116 engine please have a look at this article:
https://www.prodieselparts.com/category/caterpillar/cat-3200-series/
