Oriolowo, K. T.,¹ Adio, T. A.,¹ Lateef, A. A.², Mogbojuri, A.O³

¹Mechanical Engineering Department, The Polytechnic, Ibadan.

²Mechanical Engineering Department, Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti.

³ Industrial and Production Engineering Department, University of Ibadan, Ibadan

                Correspondence: kolaorry@yahoo.com, Tel: +234 8027347109

Abstract

Lubrication of machine plays vital role in maintenance; in lieu of this preventive maintenance is necessary by monitoring some physical and chemical characteristics of the lubricant. 

The changes in certain physical and chemical process in crankcase of tractor diesel engines are taken to be a heuristic type.  Data of this heuristic changes were taken from the year 2007 for the crankcase of tractor diesel engines, and seven-state Markov chain is used in modeling the diesel engine lubricant condition. 

Statistical inference established that the chain is of the first order which is applicable to the tractor in study.  The model helps in understanding the process of lubricant deterioration and a means of predicting future changes of the lubricant.