LM24: Peugeot Engine Failures Explained

Le Mans / ALMS

LM24: Peugeot Engine Failures Explained

French diesels suffer connecting rod failures; reaffirm commitment to Intercontinental Le Mans Cup

John Dagys | Posted July 05, 2010 Chicago, IL

Peugeot suffered a disastrous Le Mans, with three of its four 908 HDi-FAPs dropping out with engine failure. (John Dagys)

The cause of Peugeot’s highly publicized engine failures suffered last month at Le Mans has been revealed by the French squad. Peugeot Sport technical director Bruno Famin confirmed Monday that all three of its V12 engines had connecting rod failures, a new-for-2010 part inside the diesel power plants.

All four Peugeots failed to finish the twice-around-the-clock classic after dominating practice, qualifying and the majority of the race. The pole-sitting No. 3 machine was the first to drop out in the third hour with a punctured tub from a lower right-front wishbone failure. Famin cited the failure as an “undetectable defect" in the tub. It was the same tub that had won Le Mans last year and the Spa 1000km in May.

The three remaining 908 HDi-FAPs all succumbed to engine failures, which opened the door for Audi Sport Team Joest to take a surprise 1-2-3 finish. The failures, which occurred on the right bank of each power plant, has been traced to a new style of connecting rod which the team began using this year. Coupled with the “particularly severe conditions” at Le Mans last month, Famin suggests the failures were due to the excessive overload of the engines.

The No. 2 Peugeot 908 HDi-FAP went out in a blaze while leading at Le Mans. (John Dagys)

"Indeed, the track benefited from high levels of grip this year, so the engines spent longer at full throttle than we expected,” Famin said. “At the same time, the weather stayed cool and, unlike previous years, the air/air intercoolers did not become clogged up. The filling of the combustion chambers remained extremely efficient throughout, which in turn meant that the performance delivered by the engines was particularly high.”

Despite completing extensive pre-season tests, including the Twelve Hours of Sebring in March and additional 24-hour simulations at Paul Ricard, the issue was not detected.

"We didn't observe the slightest problem with them during any of these test sessions, so there was nothing to suggest that we were closer to the limit than we had imagined,” Famin said. “As it turned out, the race conditions tipped us to the wrong side of that limit.

“Having contested the Le Mans 24 Hours three times, we had every faith in our processes. The evidence now points to the fact that this wasn't the case and that despite our growing experience, it is very difficult to master absolutely everything. The conditions we face at Le Mans differ every year, as do the constraints to which the cars are subjected. It is clear that we need to reinforce our validation procedures."

Peugeot is determined to bounce back from its Le Mans heartbreak and will compete in three additional races this year, all part of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup.

A single 908 HDi-FAP will be entered for Anthony Davidson and Nicolas Minassian at the Silverstone 1000km on Sept. 12, while the French squad reaffirmed its commitment to the Petit Le Mans in October with a two-car squad.

Davidson will rejoin Le Mans teammates Marc Gene and Alex Wurz in one machine, while Pedro Lamy, Franck Montagny and Stephane Sarrazin will pilot the team’s second 908 in the 1000-mile/10-hour enduro on Oct. 2.

The team will also take two cars to Zhuhai, China for the third and final leg of the inaugural Cup on Nov. 7, with Montagny, Sarrazin, Sebastien Bourdais and Simon Pagenaud all named to drive.

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John Dagys

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