What is a likely consequence of insufficient lubrication in engine bearings?

Study for the Machinery Repairman Test. Enhance skills with comprehensive questions, detailed hints, and insightful explanations. Dominate your exam!

Insufficient lubrication allows metal-to-metal contact between engine bearings and the crankshaft journal. The oil film normally keeps these surfaces separated, reduces friction, and carries away heat. Without enough lubrication, the bearing faces rub together, causing rapid wear, surface scoring, and potential bearing failure. The heat buildup can further degrade oil viscosity, worsen wear, and even lead to bearing seizure or main bearing damage. That’s the primary consequence, making increased wear and possible bearing failure the best answer. Electrical conductivity or no impact aren’t the direct outcomes of insufficient lubrication, since the lubrication’s main role is to prevent wear and manage heat, not to alter electrical properties.