CMRT Corrective Maintenance Procedures 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When a centrifugal pump loses prime during operation, what is the FIRST corrective action a technician should take?
- Increase motor speed immediately
- Check suction line for air leaks or blockages (Correct answer)
- Replace the mechanical seal
- Disassemble the pump volute
Correct answer: Check suction line for air leaks or blockages
Loss of prime is most commonly caused by air ingestion through suction-side leaks or blockages, so that should be investigated first.
Question 2: During corrective maintenance, a technician discovers the actual failure mode differs from the reported symptom. What is the correct next step?
- Continue with the original work order scope only
- Update the work order to reflect the true failure and scope change (Correct answer)
- Ignore the discrepancy and complete the repair
- Immediately escalate to management without documenting
Correct answer: Update the work order to reflect the true failure and scope change
Work orders must be updated to accurately reflect all discovered failure modes so repairs are complete and records remain accurate.
Question 3: A technician is replacing a failed V-belt drive. Which measurement is MOST critical to verify before returning the equipment to service?
- Belt color and brand
- Belt tension and sheave alignment (Correct answer)
- Number of belt strands only
- Belt length measured loosely
Correct answer: Belt tension and sheave alignment
Proper belt tension and sheave alignment directly affect belt life, power transmission efficiency, and bearing loads.
Question 4: What does 'Mean Time To Repair' (MTTR) measure in a corrective maintenance program?
- The interval between scheduled overhauls
- The average time required to restore failed equipment to operational status (Correct answer)
- The total lifecycle cost of a repair
- The number of repairs per calendar year
Correct answer: The average time required to restore failed equipment to operational status
MTTR is the average elapsed time from failure detection to full restoration of function, and is a key maintenance effectiveness metric.
Question 5: When performing corrective maintenance on a gearbox, technicians find metal particles in the oil. What is the BEST initial diagnostic step?
- Drain the oil and refill immediately
- Perform oil analysis and inspect a magnetic drain plug sample to identify particle type (Correct answer)
- Weld-repair any visible cracks on the housing
- Increase the operating speed to flush particles
Correct answer: Perform oil analysis and inspect a magnetic drain plug sample to identify particle type
Particle morphology (shape, composition, size) from oil analysis and magnetic plug inspection identifies the specific failed component.
Question 6: A rotating shaft shows 0.012 inches of radial runout when measured with a dial indicator. Per standard corrective maintenance practice, this reading should be:
- Accepted as normal for all shaft sizes
- Compared against the equipment manufacturer's acceptable tolerance specification (Correct answer)
- Automatically flagged as a shaft replacement requirement
- Recorded only if the shaft is over 2 inches in diameter
Correct answer: Compared against the equipment manufacturer's acceptable tolerance specification
Runout acceptability depends on shaft diameter, speed, and application; always compare measurements to the OEM specification.
Question 7: During corrective maintenance, an unexpected energized circuit is discovered that was not shown on the equipment's electrical drawing. The correct action is to:
- Quickly disconnect it and continue the repair
- Stop work, re-apply energy control, and update the lockout/tagout procedure before continuing (Correct answer)
- Cover it with electrical tape and proceed
- Ask a coworker to hold the wire while you work
Correct answer: Stop work, re-apply energy control, and update the lockout/tagout procedure before continuing
Unidentified energy sources require an immediate stop-work, additional LOTO controls, and drawing updates to protect all personnel.
CMRT Corrective Maintenance Procedures 2
When a centrifugal pump loses prime during operation, what is the FIRST corrective action a technician should take?