The CAT G399 is a gas engine. It is one of the heavy-duty Caterpillar engines that runs on natural gas. Many people familiar with heavy-duty engines are used to diesel engines because diesel engines are mostly used as heavy-duty engines.
The maintenance of an engine that runs on natural gas and diesel is quite different.
1. Oil change: Like every other engine, your engine needs regular maintenance to drain the engine oil. Allowing the oil to stay too long in the engine causes it to form sludge, which is detrimental to the engine.
When should you replace the oil? Check the owner’s manual and follow the instructions written.
2. Replace the spark plugs: You should not forget that this engine is a spark ignition engine, which means it relies on the spark plugs for combustion. Just like in your car, if you have bad spark plugs, it will affect the engine’s smooth running and could also cause the engine to misfire. Make sure you replace the spark plugs as per manufacturer instructions.
3. Use the right gas: You need to make sure that you are using the right gas. Failure to use the right gas could cause damage to the engine.
You also need to ensure that the gas line is free of corrosion due to gas moisture. With regular scheduled maintenance, you can have a clean gas line.
If you’re looking for parts for your CAT G399 engine, ProDieselParts has got you covered.
4. Change the filters: During regular maintenance, you would need to replace the filters such as the oil, gas, and air filters.
These filters have different roles to ensure that the engine runs smoothly. The gas can sometimes be filtered by a scrubber rather than a gas filter.
5. Ignition system: You need to ensure you have a good ignition system. The ignition system includes magneto and other related components.
You need to make sure that the spark plugs keep receiving high currents capable of burning for a sustained period.
6. Valve Adjustment: This is one area where a majority of people fail to do when it comes to maintaining the CAT G399. When the engine has been used for a certain number of working hours, the valve lashes increase and require readjustment.
Check the owner’s manual for guidelines on when and how to adjust the valves.
7. Drain the coolant: When there are no coolant leaks, the coolant can be in the radiator for months. But does that mean you can keep running the engine with the old coolant for years?
The answer is no. You need to drain the coolant and replace it.
These are some maintenance requirements needed to keep your G399 Caterpillar engine running smoothly.
