Fairbanks Morse, headquartered in Beloit, Wisconsin, was a major manufacturer of opposed-piston diesel engines supplying the US Navy with propulsion and auxiliary power engines for use in fleet submarines, destroyer escorts, and some larger auxiliary vessels throughout World War II and the Cold War. Fairbanks Morse’s distinctive opposed-piston diesel design — in which two pistons in each cylinder fire from opposite ends against each other — was widely used in the Navy’s Balao and Tench class submarines as main propulsion engines and in some destroyer escort classes as auxiliary power plants.

Asbestos in Fairbanks Morse Diesel Engine Components

Fairbanks Morse 38D8-1/8 and related opposed-piston diesel engines used asbestos-containing gasket materials throughout the engine:

  • Cylinder end cover gaskets — the opposed-piston design uses separate cylinder end covers at both ends of each cylinder rather than a conventional cylinder head, with asbestos sheet gaskets sealing the end covers at both ends of each cylinder. Removal of cylinder end covers for piston and liner inspection required removal of asbestos end cover gaskets at both ends of the cylinder
  • Exhaust manifold gaskets — asbestos sheet gaskets at the exhaust manifold connections on the high-temperature exhaust collector on each bank of the Fairbanks Morse engine
  • Turbocharger gaskets on turbocharged Fairbanks Morse engines — asbestos gaskets at turbocharger inlet and outlet connections to the engine
  • Aftercooler and heat exchanger connections on the FM diesel cooling system using asbestos-containing gaskets at heat exchanger flanged connections

Submarine Diesel Engine Service

Fairbanks Morse engines served as main propulsion engines in the Balao and Tench class fleet submarines, where they were maintained by Machinist’s Mates in the confined submarine engine room environment. The opposed-piston cylinder end cover design required periodic cylinder end cover removal for piston inspection and ring replacement — a maintenance task generating asbestos fiber from end cover gasket removal and replacement at both ends of each cylinder in a confined submarine engine room without adequate ventilation dilution.

Engineman Rating Exposure

Enginemen (EN) — the Navy rating specifically trained in internal combustion diesel engine maintenance — performed Fairbanks Morse engine maintenance as a primary duty in vessels equipped with FM diesel engines. The FM engine’s periodic maintenance requirements — cylinder end cover removal, ring replacement, and liner inspection — involved direct handling of asbestos end cover gaskets in the engine maintenance cycle.

VA Claims for Veterans Exposed to Fairbanks Morse Products

VA evaluates asbestos-related disability claims on a case-by-case basis. Veterans generally need evidence of in-service asbestos exposure, a current asbestos-related diagnosis, and a medical link between them. Enginemen and Machinist’s Mates who performed cylinder end cover and exhaust maintenance on Fairbanks Morse and other Navy diesel engines involving asbestos gaskets and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits.