Kiene Diesel Accessories is a small manufacturing company located in the Chicago, Illinois, USA area. Kiene’s products for large-bore engines and compressors are based on the need to measure and monitor cylinder pressures in large-bore diesel and natural gas engines and gas compressors. Products include indicator valves which provide access to the engine or compressor cylinder, cylinder pressure indicators to measure the pressures, and a range of accessories.

Kiene was founded in approximately 1948 by William Kiene. Mr. Kiene was an engineer on an ore boat on the Great Lakes with responsibility for maintenance of the main propulsion engines. He developed an improved design for the indicator valves on these engines—a valve that would not open accidentally while the engine was operating. This first Kiene product was very popular with diesel engine operators. Building on the success of this valve, Kiene went on to develop indicator valves valve adapters, extensions, and other accessories for a wide range of large-bore engines and compressors.

In addition to indicator valves, Kiene developed a range of cylinder pressure measuring instruments for both large-bore and high-speed diesel engines. Included in this range are the K-Series Cylinder Pressure Indicators for large-bore slow and medium speed engines. These instruments are rugged and easy to use, and remain a standard method for obtaining cylinder firing pressures throughout the world.

In the late 1960’s, William Kiene had retired, and management of Kiene Diesel Accessories was assumed by C.W. Craychee Sr. Mr. Craychee had been Manager of Diesel Sales at Bacharach Industrial Instrument Company, and so was very familiar with the Kiene products and markets. Mr. Craychee developed sales of Kiene products into all markets, but in particular, sales to the major OEM’s and to the military were expanded. In addition, new products were added to the Kiene line. These included new indicator valve configurations and accessories, a fuel injection pump test stand (for single plunger-type pumps), and a range of engine rebuild stands for high-speed diesel engines.

In recent years product development has continued, resulting in improvements to the indicator valve design, expansion of the K-Series range, and a ball-type compressor analyzing indicator valve. In addition, the manufacturing facility has been expanded from the original 5000 sq. ft. plant to modern 20,000 located in Addison Illinois utilizing primarily CNC equipment.

Kiene continues to develop and manufacture products that focus on the need to measure and monitor cylinder pressures in large-bore engines and compressors. Its fifty years of experience with these products has enabled Kiene to better serve manufacturers, operating personnel, and owners of large-bore diesel and natural gas engines.