Idling Diesel Engines

[valland]

After sitting for 30 days, I like to start it just to hear it RUN, I do let it warm up to 150 or so then shut her off. Not so much for the engine as it is for me.

[richard5933]

Originally Posted by Winemaker2

If in my car simple shut it off and go in the AC restaurant for lunch.
In the MH we stay w the rig and cook / eat lunch... what do you do when stopping for lunch?
If I had to sit in my car in 90+* I would likely run the chassis AC as no choice to run gen & house AC.
It thought it was a simple multiple choice why the smart remark?

Wasn't trying to leave a smart remark. I actually thought that you were talking about going inside a restaurant for lunch.

But, even when we stop for a quick lunch in the coach, we rarely leave the engine run. And we use over-the-road a/c to keep the coach cool, not roof a/c. Unless it's extremely hot outside, our coach will stay comfortable enough for a short stop without needing to run the engine or generator to fire up the house a/c.

And, since many people use their roof a/c units powered by the generator to keep the coach cool while going down the road, if you are stopping for a quick lunch there's no reason you can't shut down the main engine and just keep the generator running for the roof a/c.

[BillJinOR]

Originally Posted by rthooker

I learned a very expensive lesson about not letting my diesel pusher not idol long enough. From what I am told by multiple diesel mechanics, after I blew my engine, was that you have to let a diesel idol for 10-15 minuets before you shut it down. The engine needs to cool off and the engine needs to equalize it’s temperature. What happens if you don’t, well your sleeves in you block could end up sliding down and get chewed up by the crankshaft and put all kinds of metal through out your hole engine. Quotes to replace the engine anywhere from $55,000.00- $65,000.00. Hard lesson learned.

Someone is giving you some very bad info.
Who are these multiple guys ?

[lwmcguire]

Originally Posted by Diesel-Lover

I have to tell you a real story: My dog would always cough when one of our gasoline engine vehicles backed out of the garage and we were there to say good bye. Then I noticed that when the Diesel Jetta was backed out he never coughed! To complete the experiment, I walked around the back of the Motor home and you guessed it, he did not cough. In the CG when we were walking when a gaser went past, and we were on the side of the exhaust he would cough or pull the leash to distance himself. The older diesel noise would also make him pull at his leash to get way off the road I think.

The diesels were modern and no roll that coal modifications so perhaps that is a factor. Idling diesels or specially gasoline engines when the stop is more than 5 minutes is really a sad disregard for the environment and this planet as well as the future of the children and grand children.

Humans are all powerful and have created many a brown fields and utter ecological disasters and so yes we can save the planet if we all act together, heck the virus may be helping us save our blue marble but at a great cost to us. What say we act ecoresponsibly and reduce our pollution footprint, avoid single use plastic bottles, bags and such. As an example of eco idiocy can you imagine giving cases of 16oz water bottles to folks in Detroit instead of gallon size or 5 gallon size! Crazy totally crazy. Drive at the limit or 5 less when possible to reduce the fuel consumption and yes don't idle the engine just to heat up the engine because under light load it will warm faster and the system will thank you by lasting longer.

Lets all keep from having to wear masks forever due to pollution of viruses, when we step outside eh. If we could have initiated ID and quarantine kinda like the stop and frisk Bloomberg initiated to reduce the crime rate instantly. We blew a three month head start, Instead of highfiving and buttslapping at what a great great job .Best of Luck every one and stay safe. The virus is bad really really bad hope the warming temps give us a respite from it, though this one is way more easily transmitted than the usual flu so time will tell. Please lets not roll coal!

Any thoughts on the tremendous impact on the discarded medical equipment? Protective gear discards naturally just went out the roof with the virus

Hopefully it don't wind up in the ocean

Kind of makes the plastic straw thin pale

Instead of changing the slobs that discard trash we changed bags, straws , bottles

What's next?

[rthooker]

Originally Posted by twinboat

The pistons and rods can do that but the sleeves ? They go in the top, with a flange, and don't fit out the bottom.

I AM a diesel mechanic and I have never seen it or believe it. I know other diesel mechanics and never heard of it from them.

Talk to Cummins. Ask them why. Also ask them why they had a recall on so many engines for the wrist pin coming out and hitting the sleeve wall and pulling the sleeve into the crankshaft. I am sure that if you were correct Cummins would not have spent millions to repair the problem.

[LETMGROW]

Originally Posted by rthooker

I learned a very expensive lesson about not letting my diesel pusher not idol long enough. From what I am told by multiple diesel mechanics, after I blew my engine, was that you have to let a diesel idol for 10-15 minuets before you shut it down. The engine needs to cool off and the engine needs to equalize it’s temperature. What happens if you don’t, well your sleeves in you block could end up sliding down and get chewed up by the crankshaft and put all kinds of metal through out your hole engine. Quotes to replace the engine anywhere from $55,000.00- $65,000.00. Hard lesson learned.

Whoever gave you that advice must have gone back to their coworkers and have a good laugh. As Twinboat explained a sleeve sliding in a Diesel engine is impossible. If a sleeve ever came out of place it was damaged beyond recognition before it moved by something else. Even then the whole sleeve couldn't move. Even in a gas engine if we repair a block by installing a sleeve the block is bored down where the sleeve will stop and a lip is formed at the bottom of the cylinder. The sleeve is driven into the block then the top of the sleeve is cut off with the boring bar and then the top of the block is decked in a resurfacing machine. The top of the sleeve will contact the cylinder head so it can't go anywhere.
Lynn
P.S. 59 years working in the auto / truck repair industry, the last 36 years owning and operating an 'Auto Care Center" along with owning (still do) and operating an automotive machine shop.

[LETMGROW]

Originally Posted by rthooker

Talk to Cummins. Ask them why. Also ask them why they had a recall on so many engines for the wrist pin coming out and hitting the sleeve wall and pulling the sleeve into the crankshaft. I am sure that if you were correct Cummins would not have spent millions to repair the problem.

That is an entirely different scenario. It had nothing to do with an engine cooling before it was shut down.
Lynn

[vadertime]

So, when I lived in an RV park in Central FLorida for work over a 3.5 year period, I would fire up my gas RV for 20 minutes each week. When I traded that in for my diesel I would run that for 20 mintues each week. This was a way of making sure everything was alright and to keep the oil circulating throughout the engine. My gas RV sat at my site for 2 years before I moved it to take it down to the dealer to trade in on my diesel. My diesel sat for almost 18 months without moving before I brought it down here to my retirment house in SW Florida. I still fire it up once a week as well as the generator for 20 minutes on weekends. If I want to go on a trip, I need to know the engine is ready to go.

[BillJinOR]

And this is why no amount of truth or facts will change anyone’s habits.” It’s the way I’ve always done it “ or “Billy Bob the mechanic told me”

[birddog2you]

any other complaints about other peoples habits? Maybe everyone has gone stir crazy dealing with the virus. Can't we all just get along? Maybe I'm going stir crazy reading complaints about other people. 😆

[Dave9]

Just for a matter of interest I drove big rigs for a few years prior to having generators and and overnight heaters.
We had to run the engine overnight in truck stops for heat in the cab.
I was told to select cruise and raise the rpm 1 notch to increase the rpm to make sure you have proper oil pressure, the older units with high mileage oil pressure was too low for long idle.
Just a little useless info.

[LifeSalt]

Originally Posted by twinboat

I'v heard that one too. So loud bike are seen ? Doubtful.

You're right. Their pipes can be very loud. Nobody will hear them while going down the road until the bike goes by, or even stopped to make a turn. Only ones that hear them are pedestrians. I used to ride, a ricer. And my opinion, every bike should have those flashing headlights. They stand out like a sore thumb. Mortorcycles are basically high powered bicycles. They're narrow, thats why they don't get seen. Has nothing to do with quiet pipes. Loud pipes make zero difference.......

[crolfmilton]

Originally Posted by Xmcdog

A short 3-5 min idle before shut down is a good idea. After running on the highway everything on and in the engine is hot, very hot. The exhaust manifold may even reach red heat. So letting it idle allows this heat to be dispersed. It allows the exhaust manifold to cool, the turbo charger to slow down and the heat in the turbo bearings to be removed by the oil system. If shut off when really hot the oil will "coke" in the turbo bearings leading to failour sometime later. With synthetic oils this has become less of an issue but remember that turbo still needs to slow down with no oil pressure if shut off too soon.

As far as starting it every day for 30 minutes. There is no reason. Waste of fuel, additional cold start, this is the time of high wear before the full operating temp is reached. This is not bringing it up to full operating temp so that any condensation in the oil will stay in the oil and not be boiled off. This is not a good practice at all.

Re the pickups etc, if it has a turbo, a 3 min idle is a good idea for the above reasons. Actually it is a good idea even for a gas engine with turbo.

Idling any engine, gas or diesel for anything longer is counter to the long life of the engine.

As far as the diesel powered roller skates and skateboards we are working on prototypes as we speak. Emissions are a problem. Very big grin.

Hope this answers your question.
Jeff

I completely agree. What the OP may be hearing run for 30 minutes is a generator?

[RogueRV]

May be like Harley riders constantly blipping their throttle LOL. I don't idle our diesel Sprinter RV any more than qick warm up. I've read that idling increases the rate of DEF usage.