Off topic about a Semi tractor turbo and blown motor

[hawkeye08]

Glad it was just the turbo! Just curious (I am not now nor have been in the past a semi truck driver) why it is run with the oil down a half gallon for 3 weeks? I would expect it be topped off more often than that.

 

[aczlan]

Glad it was just the turbo! Just curious (I am not now nor have been in the past a semi truck driver) why it is run with the oil down a half gallon for 3 weeks? I would expect it be topped off more often than that.

A semi truck will (depending on the engine) take up at least 10 gallons of motor oil, so being down a half gallon isnt a big deal.

Aaron Z

 

[Johnp33]

I am a licenced HD mechanic and specialised in engine repair for 35 plus years and a Diesel engine does not run away. I have seen them with the CAC completely full of oil and it shut the engine down to the point it would not pull on the flat. I have worked on the 2 cycle Detroit's to the most modern electronic engines it does not happen.
A diesel engine is compression ignition and any oil brought into the cylinder, will pre ignite before top dead centre, and cause the engine to absorb more Power than it can produce from the fuel injected because there is no longer enough oxygen to run the engine.
These stories are great, I have sen engine cut in half never from it over speeding. An engine will run to a phenomenal RPM. I have seen fuel dilution so bad it blew out the dipstick no run away. Blowers on the Naturally aspirated 2 cycles passing oil no runaways
You all have a nice day!

 

[5030]

I am a licenced HD mechanic and specialised in engine repair for 35 plus years and a Diesel engine does not run away. I have seen them with the CAC completely full of oil and it shut the engine down to the point it would not pull on the flat. I have worked on the 2 cycle Detroit's to the most modern electronic engines it does not happen.
A diesel engine is compression ignition and any oil brought into the cylinder, will pre ignite before top dead centre, and cause the engine to absorb more Power than it can produce from the fuel injected because there is no longer enough oxygen to run the engine.
These stories are great, I have sen engine cut in half never from it over speeding. An engine will run to a phenomenal RPM. I have seen fuel dilution so bad it blew out the dipstick no run away. Blowers on the Naturally aspirated 2 cycles passing oil no runaways
You all have a nice day!

Really...

Interesting.

I owned a '79 Western Star with a 3406 pre electronic engine, ata charge air cooled with a Jacobs engine brake. The seal on the turbocharger (cold side) was compromised and it slowly filled the frontal mounted aluminum ata unit with lube oil. I say slowly so it wasn't a matter of a few seconds, rather days. When the level got high enough for the intake to begin sucking in oil and charge air, the engine took off. I was in between gears at the time and I slipped it into gear and applied the brakes and it took the driveshaft. The engoine wound up and broke one of the bridges on the Jake brake and dropped 2 valves. So no, it didn't reach a high rpm but high enough to destroy the overhead. Had to put in a reman engine.

I guess I disagree with your synopsis, at least in principle. It can happen and it happened to me and yes, I owned the tractor so I looked under the hood, under the chassis and actually checked the slacks and everything else because I paid the repair and maintenance bills or I did the maintenance myself.

Working on trucks is a dirty job.

Besides, I too work on them everyday. Mostly Cats, some Cummins and a smattering of MB's.

 

[jeffsw6]

I'm not saying Wikipedia is always right, but it agrees that diesel runaway is not a myth. Diesel engine runaway - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[5030]

I'm not saying Wikipedia is always right, but it agrees that diesel runaway is not a myth. Diesel engine runaway - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In my case it happened so quickly, all I could think of was getting it in any gear and spiking the brakes, which I did and the driveshaft twisted like a soda straw. Both holes with the dropped valves had broken pistons and the overhead was junk so a reman engine was necessary, plus a driveshaft and a clutch because I smoked that too.

Back in the day, Roadway Express had a metering setup on their engines that metered crankcase oil into the fuel so they never changed the oil, just added more.

Of course if you had a Detroit 2 stroke, you always added oil because the oil constantly dribbled out the 'puke' tubes......:laughing:

 

[sandman2234]

Glad it was just the turbo! Just curious (I am not now nor have been in the past a semi truck driver) why it is run with the oil down a half gallon for 3 weeks? I would expect it be topped off more often than that.

Topping it off usually happens when it gets a gallon low, kind of like most of our p/u and cars, when they get to the add mark, which is a quart on a typical passenger vehicle and a gallon on a semi truck engine. For some reason, that particular engine has a sweet spot that decreases the oil consumption after it reaches about half way to the add mark. You can top it off to the full line every day and it will probably need some again in a day or two, but leave it alone and it settles in at about the half gallon mark. Simple economics is why we leave it alone till it needs a full gallon, though a little driver laziness might play into it from day to day, depending on just which "steering wheel holder" drives the truck and IF he actually checks the oil.
David from jax

 

[Mace Canute]

I am a licenced HD mechanic and specialised in engine repair for 35 plus years and a Diesel engine does not run away. I have seen them with the CAC completely full of oil and it shut the engine down to the point it would not pull on the flat. I have worked on the 2 cycle Detroit's to the most modern electronic engines it does not happen.
A diesel engine is compression ignition and any oil brought into the cylinder, will pre ignite before top dead centre, and cause the engine to absorb more Power than it can produce from the fuel injected because there is no longer enough oxygen to run the engine.
These stories are great, I have sen engine cut in half never from it over speeding. An engine will run to a phenomenal RPM. I have seen fuel dilution so bad it blew out the dipstick no run away. Blowers on the Naturally aspirated 2 cycles passing oil no runaways
You all have a nice day!

Just last week a friend was telling me about a diesel that "ran away" from turbo failure. Only info he had was that it reached 3200 rpm for sure and that it sucked oil through the turbo. He didn't know if that was all the tach would read or if that was an actual rpm number that the computer recorded.

Here's a video clip of a runaway diesel. Be sure to click on "Show more" to read what the man who uploaded the video had to say about the circumstances leading up to the runaway.


Rap 24 hp semidiesel, second start attempt. - YouTube

 

[sandman2234]

Nice to know there are other professionals out there that "get it". Nice job.

Any chance you're in this video somewhere?

http://www.xr650r.us/video/ntdc%202007%20lowres.wmv

E

Thanks for the compliment!
As far as the video...
Not me..., I am in it for the money, not the glory. Besides, that is the top 1% of the top 1%, so I probably wouldn't have even made the cut.(first 1% would be extremely lucky, might be able to bribe my way into that, lol, second 1%, ain't going to happen!)
I do see something I thought "out of line" with their testing methods. The poor little duck catches all the tires, but in a real world situation, it's not the tire that you worry about hitting something, but the front end which sticks out a few inches further than the tire path when making a turn. Teaching people to be able to judge something that close, and then they hit it anyway(???)if it happens to be as tall as the bumper or higher. I would think using something skinny and taller like CB antennas instead of the shorter ducks would go further to promoting good driving habits, while still putting some challenge into it.
Bottom line, some good drivers, no... make that some great drivers there!
David from jax

 

[The Haymaker]

Thanks for the compliment!
As far as the video...
Not me..., I am in it for the money, not the glory. Besides, that is the top 1% of the top 1%, so I probably wouldn't have even made the cut.(first 1% would be extremely lucky, might be able to bribe my way into that, lol, second 1%, ain't going to happen!)
I do see something I thought "out of line" with their testing methods. The poor little duck catches all the tires, but in a real world situation, it's not the tire that you worry about hitting something, but the front end which sticks out a few inches further than the tire path when making a turn. Teaching people to be able to judge something that close, and then they hit it anyway(???)if it happens to be as tall as the bumper or higher. I would think using something skinny and taller like CB antennas instead of the shorter ducks would go further to promoting good driving habits, while still putting some challenge into it.
Bottom line, some good drivers, no... make that some great drivers there!
David from jax

You have valid points. Your record you mentioned puts you in that 1% of 1%. I have an interview at Maine Motor Transport, you're one of the guys I mention in the first paragraph.

As for the TDCs, you're right. When I'm trying to help out the rookies, one of the things I bring up is "The hardest thing about it is every day you try to stay AWAY from obstacles, now you are trying to get close." But, at the same time, I also tell them the obstacles are nothing to worry about, because if you stand back and think about it, every problem on the course is probably something you see every day on the street.

But, keep in mind, the competitions are far more than just jumping behind the wheel and going. There is also the written knowledge of the industry test and the pretrip skills test. Excel at one and fail another, and you won't even make the podium. I once got beat out of taking a first because the guy I tied with beat me on the pretrip by 15 seconds. Yes, there are significant differences between the competitions and "Real world", BUT, if you haven't got it figured out in the real world, you will fail miserably at the TDC.

"Glory"? Yeah, maybe a smidgen, but they also put me on the right course for a profitable career and have given me a good resume if the need for it arises. Being chosen for this interview will come in handy for that fact alone.

 

[sandman2234]

You have valid points. Your record you mentioned puts you in that 1% of 1%. I have an interview at Maine Motor Transport, you're one of the guys I mention in the first paragraph.



"Glory"? Yeah, maybe a smidgen, but they also put me on the right course for a profitable career and have given me a good resume if the need for it arises. Being chosen for this interview will come in handy for that fact alone.

Congradulations on the win, and on being chosen for the interview. Both make a impressive mark on a resume, no doubt. I think it would be interesting to go watch one of the competitions, but taking that much time out of my busy schedule would be hard to do. Guess I need to slow down and smell the roses, lol.
David from jax

 

[The Haymaker]

Congradulations on the win, and on being chosen for the interview. Both make a impressive mark on a resume, no doubt. I think it would be interesting to go watch one of the competitions, but taking that much time out of my busy schedule would be hard to do. Guess I need to slow down and smell the roses, lol.
David from jax

Three wins, podium every year since 2002 or so.

They are the most boring thing know to man to watch. Just contact your state MTA a couple months before you state TDC date and sign up. It's only one day.

 

[sandman2234]

Took a different truck this afternoon, with an empty trailer, headed towards the tire shop about 3 miles away. Running down a 4 line, 45mph speed limit, slowed for a set of R/R tracks, and after crossing them, proceeded to speed back up to 45. Heard a pop, then a whirling noise, like a squirel cage blower dragging on its housing. Immediately turned the key off, clutch in, and coasted to a parking place. Checked everything under the hood, but had a sinking feeling that I had just lost another turbo. Called the boss, and they called a Tech, who listened to it, then pulled the intake side of the turbo. Then we called a tow truck. I called the wife, who was on her way home, and she took me to get another truck. Boss said he had already heard about my second turbo from his boss and his boss's boss.
I don't know what I "might" be doing wrong, other than spending way too much time in those trucks, but two turbos in a month, after never having had one go before is a little scary. I have my ideas about what is going on, but really would like to know if anyone has any idea as to what could be happening. To the best of my knowledge, there really isn't much a driver can do to make a turbo go out on a truck, but if there is, I would like to know what it is, so I don't do it.
David from jax

 

[B7510HSD]

don't know what you could be doing to cuase this unless you were pulling a hill with a heavy load in the old days you had to watch the Pyrometer but if these are newer trucks you shouldn't have much of a problem...

 

[Diamondpilot]

I think its just bad luck. As you know I am a pilot and have been with my current company for 12 years as of November. I will go 5 years and no issues then in one month have 2-3 items break on the Jet that cost 1/4 of a million to fix. Its just the way it goes.

I once had 3 windows break in a month time period. 3 days down time each and about $25,000 each plus labor gets pricey real quick.

Its just the way these things work.

Chris

 

[Reg]

Took a different truck this afternoon, with an empty trailer, headed towards the tire shop about 3 miles away. Running down a 4 line, 45mph speed limit, slowed for a set of R/R tracks, and after crossing them, proceeded to speed back up to 45. Heard a pop, then a whirling noise, like a squirel cage blower dragging on its housing. Immediately turned the key off, clutch in, and coasted to a parking place. Checked everything under the hood, but had a sinking feeling that I had just lost another turbo. Called the boss, and they called a Tech, who listened to it, then pulled the intake side of the turbo. Then we called a tow truck. I called the wife, who was on her way home, and she took me to get another truck. Boss said he had already heard about my second turbo from his boss and his boss's boss.
I don't know what I "might" be doing wrong, other than spending way too much time in those trucks, but two turbos in a month, after never having had one go before is a little scary. I have my ideas about what is going on, but really would like to know if anyone has any idea as to what could be happening. To the best of my knowledge, there really isn't much a driver can do to make a turbo go out on a truck, but if there is, I would like to know what it is, so I don't do it.
David from jax

What is "going on" is statistics - sometimes known as coincidence, happenstance, luck, distributions, etc.
That someone can live to 80+ years and never find a 4 leaf clover, THEN find seven of them in a single day may seem astounding, amazing, in some way meaningful - a "sign", whatever...
It just means that randomness (and entropy) is "like that".

OTOH, it COULD be an indicator that the maintenance at your place of work has some "opportunities for improvement" (-:

 

[Johnp33]

Many things put put stress on a turbo, that could be driver related, revving the motor then shutting it down.
Staring it with the throttle pushed.
Unless you are pulling hard to the top of a hill then shut it off, Coking is not a problem.
Other than that it is usually something mechanical that causes the problem something coming apart, going threw the turbo and jamming the turbine, and breaking the shaft.
There is also the problem with the compressor wheel nut on some will break off, or even back off.
When a turbo fails you have to be sure the drain is free flowing, no scrap jammed, and the oil feed is not restricted. The air filters have to be changed and every piece cleaned and wiped to be sure there is no particles left in the air intake or stuck into the piping and that is aluminum to. Pieces will weld them selves into the piping, get into connections and destroy the new turbo,
I have found turbo compressor pieces in the left hand air cleaner in a Peterbilt conventional. Plastic intakes when pieces are found under warranty, we replaced the piping. We also removed the CAC we use to replace them now you wash it out, always flow the opposite direction to the air then tap it on the floor to dislodge any pieces in them.

 

[PoorMansCat]

or it could have a Honeywell tag on it... thats the most direct way to a turbo failure!!!..

 

[sandman2234]

or it could have a Honeywell tag on it... thats the most direct way to a turbo failure!!!..

Have to add that turbo tag to my pretrip inspections...
David from jax

 

[PoorMansCat]

Have to add that turbo tag to my pretrip inspections...
David from jax

Sorry, couldnt help myself.... I have a history with a large pile of Honeywell turbos!!..