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B-145245, JUN. 8, 1961

B-145245 Jun 08, 1961
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THERE WAS FORWARDED TO OUR OFFICE YOUR LETTER OF FEBRUARY 8. WHICH WERE FURNISHED THE ARMY SIGNAL ENGINEERING AGENCY. A LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE WAS NOTED IN THE GENERATORS AND UPON EXAMINATION A LARGE AMOUNT OF STEEL SHAVINGS WAS FOUND IN THE OIL PANS. UPON INSPECTION THE CRANKSHAFTS AND BEARINGS WERE FOUND TO BE DAMAGED AND THE NECESSARY REPAIRS WERE MADE BY WESTERN BRANCH DIESEL. LIEUTENANT COUTTS HAS STATED THAT HE WAS ADVISED BY MR. THIS UNDERSTANDING WAS ALSO VERIFIED BY MR. CLAIMANT NOW ALLEGES THAT THE FAILURE OF THE ENGINES WAS CAUSED BY DEFECTIVE LUBRICATING OIL. THE REPORTS OF ANALYSIS WERE CONSIDERED BY MR. WERE DISCUSSED BY HIM WITH MR. IT WAS THEIR CONCLUSION THAT THE OIL WAS GOOD.

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B-145245, JUN. 8, 1961

TO MAJOR MARY B. PARKER, FC:

BY LETTER DATED MARCH 7, 1961, FROM THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF FINANCE, FIELD DIVISION, INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, THERE WAS FORWARDED TO OUR OFFICE YOUR LETTER OF FEBRUARY 8, 1961, WITH ENCLOSURES, REQUESTING A DECISION AS TO THE PROPRIETY OF MAKING PAYMENT ON VOUCHER IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,112.45, COVERING INVOICES SUBMITTED BY WESTERN BRANCH DIESEL, INC., RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, IN THE AMOUNTS OF $495.51, $485.50 AND $131.44, FOR REPAIRS TO THREE GENERAL MOTORS DIESEL ENGINE UNITS IN TRAILER MOUNTED GENERATOR SETS, WHICH WERE FURNISHED THE ARMY SIGNAL ENGINEERING AGENCY, ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA, BY ADLER ELECTRONICS, INC., NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK, UNDER CONTRACT NO. DA-36-039-SC-81830, DATED OCTOBER 31, 1958, AND SHIPPED TO THE 14TH SIGNAL DETACHMENT, FORT LEE, VIRGINIA.

IT APPEARS THAT THE GOVERNMENT TOOK POSSESSION OF THESE UNITS ON JUNE 10, 1959, AND THAT ON OR ABOUT AUGUST 15, 1959, A LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE WAS NOTED IN THE GENERATORS AND UPON EXAMINATION A LARGE AMOUNT OF STEEL SHAVINGS WAS FOUND IN THE OIL PANS. LIEUTENANT WILLIAM R. COUTTS, JR., COMMANDING OFFICER OF THE 14TH SIGNAL DETACHMENT, ADVISED MR. WALTER BIEBER OF ADLER ELECTRONICS, INC., OF THE TROUBLE AND MR. BIEBER ARRANGED FOR AN INSPECTION OF THE GENERATORS BY MR. W. B. FAUST, SERVICE MANAGER OF WESTERN BRANCH DIESEL, INC., DISTRIBUTOR FOR DETROIT DIESEL ENGINE DIVISION, GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION. UPON INSPECTION THE CRANKSHAFTS AND BEARINGS WERE FOUND TO BE DAMAGED AND THE NECESSARY REPAIRS WERE MADE BY WESTERN BRANCH DIESEL.

LIEUTENANT COUTTS HAS STATED THAT HE WAS ADVISED BY MR. FAUST AT THE TIME OF THE INITIAL INSPECTION AND AT ONE ADDITIONAL MEETING THAT THERE WOULD BE NO CHARGE FOR THE REPAIRS SINCE THE ENGINES HAD FAILED WITH SUCH LOW OPERATING HOURS. THIS UNDERSTANDING WAS ALSO VERIFIED BY MR. MYERS, MANAGER OF THE CLAIMANT'S PLANT AT RICHMOND, IN A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION ON THE DAY OF THE INSPECTION. HOWEVER, CLAIMANT NOW ALLEGES THAT THE FAILURE OF THE ENGINES WAS CAUSED BY DEFECTIVE LUBRICATING OIL, HAVING A HIGH MOISTURE CONTENT AND LOW VISCOSITY. THE PROPRIETY OF MAKING PAYMENT WOULD APPEAR TO DEPEND ON THE CLAIMANT ESTABLISHING ITS CONTENTION.

WESTERN BRANCH DIESEL SUBMITTED A SAMPLE OF LUBRICATING OIL TAKEN FROM THE CRANKCASE OF ONE OF THE UNITS REPAIRED TO PURE OIL COMPANY FOR ANALYSIS WHICH SHOWED (1) A WATER CONTENT OF 0.5 PERCENT; (2) VISCOSITY WHICH INDICATED THE OIL TO BE A MULTI-GRADED PRODUCT IN THE 10W/30 WEIGHT; AND (3) THE PRESENCE OF BARIUM, ZINC AND PHOSPHATE IN QUANTITIES WHICH WOULD CLASS THE OIL AS DETERGENT OIL WITH HIGH WEAR PROPERTIES. DETROIT DIESEL ENGINE DIVISION OF GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION ALSO HAD ITS LABORATORY MAKE AN ANALYSIS WHICH SHOWED 3.5 PERCENT WATER CONTENT.

THE REPORTS OF ANALYSIS WERE CONSIDERED BY MR. A. M. GERMAN OF THE ARMY SIGNAL ENGINEERING AGENCY, ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA, AND WERE DISCUSSED BY HIM WITH MR. R. E. STREETS, CHIEF, FUELS AND LUBRICANTS SECTION, RESEARCH BRANCH, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT DIVISION, ARMY ORDNANCE, AND IT WAS THEIR CONCLUSION THAT THE OIL WAS GOOD. MR. GERMAN'S REPORT POINTS OUT THAT THE TOTAL ASH AND ASH ANALYSIS ARE NORMAL AND THE VISCOSITY READINGS ARE QUITE PROPER. THE REPORT STATES FURTHER THAT WATER CONTENT OF 0.5 PERCENT IS NORMAL IN AN OPERATING PLANT AND THAT WHILE THE 3.5 PERCENT IN THE DETROIT DIESEL REPORT IS A LITTLE HIGH IT IS NOT CONSIDERED HARMFUL.

AS TO THE HIGH MOISTURE CONTENT SHOWN BY THE DETROIT DIESEL ANALYSIS, IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE RECORD DOES NOT SHOW THE TYPE OF CONTAINERS USED TO RETAIN THE SAMPLES OR THAT ALL CHANGE OF MOISTURE CONTAMINATION WAS PRECLUDED. ALSO THE REPORT OF PURE OIL COMPANY IS ENTITLED TO GREAT WEIGHT SINCE IT REPRESENTS AN IMPARTIAL ANALYSIS SUBMITTED BY A THIRD PARTY AT THE REQUEST OF THE CLAIMANT. FURTHERMORE, LIEUTENANT COUTTS HAS STATED THAT PROPER LUBRICANTS AND METHODS OF OPERATION WERE STRICTLY ADHERED TO IN THE OPERATION OF THE GENERATORS.

ON THE PRESENT RECORD IT MUST BE CONCLUDED THAT WESTERN BRANCH DIESEL, INC., HAS NOT ESTABLISHED THAT THE FAILURE OF THE GENERATORS WAS DUE TO THE USE OF DEFECTIVE LUBRICATING OIL BY THE GOVERNMENT. ACCORDINGLY, PAYMENT OF THE VOUCHER MAY NOT BE MADE.

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