And Check the Oil

In February, mechanics Monir Garcia (left) and Allen Bell (right) from Hawthorne Caterpillar came to Woods Hole to complete a major overhaul of R/V Atlantis‘s engines. The ship’s engines go through a complete overhaul roughly every eight years, with smaller overhauls in between. During overhauls the mechanics replace pistons, cylinder liners, bearings, turbos, and injectors, and then check and measure other components, replacing them as needed. With an improved engine control system and a more fuel-efficient engine configuration, however, Atlantis went through two complete overhauls over the past 12 months alone.(Photo by Tom Kleindinst, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)