Best way to trailer turbo'd tractor

[crazyal]

This is my 2 cents. I was told that you cover the stack on turbo equipment to prevent water and other junk getting in there. The last guy I used to transport my backhoe had a 5 gallon bucket he would place over the exhaust. He specifically asked me if it had a turbo and then told me why. But you have to remember that these tractors could be days/ weeks (or more) before they get started. A little moisture in a turbo for a few hours probably isn't going to hurt a thing, after a week and it could be enough to cause serious wear to a bearing from rust starting to form. It's also cheap insurance. Why risk it. But I've only seen it done to top stacks that curve forward. Top stacks that exhaust straight up usually have a metal flapper that does the same thing. I would think that the exhaust coming out behind the front axle pointing down isn't going to be an issue.

 

[namesray]

I am hauling tractor to a job site sunday. 13 miles one way, will see a couple miles of dirt roads and some highway miles (55mph).

Throughout this year tractor will see hundreds of miles of towing from job to job.

I still dont feel like I know for sure which is best (cover or not, back tractor on trailer or not), so for now I am just going to back the tractor on trailer and go.

The way the exhaust pipe with sheild is set up, it would be difficult to cover and like I said I dont want to "cover" the pipe because I dont want to wait for it to cool down when leaving a jobsite and the exhaust is still hot.

I still feel that their is a chance for damage to occur to the turbo from spinning by the air forced in pipe when trailering, but I am not "sure" of it.

This topic needs some more digging into....

 

[Sodo]

,,,,,,,Throughout this year tractor will see hundreds of miles of towing from job to job.,,,,,,,,I still feel that their is a chance for damage to occur to the turbo from spinning by the air forced in pipe when trailering, but I am not "sure" of it.

This topic needs some more digging into....

Well Ray, I am impressed that you want to follow this to the end and make a good decision. Since you will do this often, and are interested maybe you can test it. In the name of science of course! Here's one way that might provide a conclusion.

Tape aluminum foil over your aircleaner intake, and make a depression in the foil with your finger such that it's "concaved". Upon arriving at your destination, look again at it to see if it's still concave, or if pressure has made it "convex" (blown outward).

If that tinfoil is still concave there is no significant pressure differential that could cause an airflow to spin your turbo.

 

[bcp]

The way the exhaust pipe with sheild is set up, it would be difficult to cover and like I said I dont want to "cover" the pipe because I dont want to wait for it to cool down when leaving a jobsite and the exhaust is still hot.

Cover it while hot. Use a tin can with a hole in the side near the open end, and a shock cord to someplace on the tractor.

Bruce

 

[tjkubota93]

Send kubota an email and ask them. Owners manual should say too.

 

[DarkBlack]

Just a few thoughts.
On multiple cylinder engines it's almost a certainty that one cylinder will be in valve cross over at any given time when stopped.

A low pressure acting on the stack would draw air out of the exhaust ( acting in normal rotation)would this not turn the turbo?

Turbo bearings are plain bearings or (friction bearings), not ball bearings. Plain bearings rely on precision polished surfaces and lubrication, take away lubrication (oil pressure) and it will not take much to damage the bearing surfaces.

There's also a lot of turbos with ball bearing support.

 

[DarkBlack]

For you guys who think the turbo spins and damages itself, and think backward trailer loading would fix that...
Don't you think the air cleaner ( alleged exit path ) area could be in just as high of a pressure area on the trailer? Where is the assumption that the pipe will have a higher pressure coming from, because it points forward? So if you put the tractor on backwards, that backwards facing pipe now becomes a low pressure area, and the air cleaner is a higher pressure area, so now your turbo spins but spins forward direction ( which it does easier because of the vane shape ).

Besides that there's a truck, chains, straps and whatever else just ahead of the tractor, and the air pressure at the exhaust might be low, moving forward, not backwards as everyone assumes ( ever notice dry leaves dance in the bed of your truck?).

Better just cover it and keep the water and dust out, and forget the idea of backwards making a predictable difference.

 

[ovrszd]

I've lost track of the number of threads I've saw here on TBN regarding this subject.

I put forth this challenge. Someone post credible evidence that a turbo was ruined by hauling uncovered..

I'm not talking about "a friend of a friend said". I'm talking about credible evidence. That means names, signed statements, equipment type, total damage caused, definitive proof that the failure was caused by hauling.

Let's bring this stew to a boil. Provide evidence.

I can't remember the last time I saw a new piece of equipment being hauled down the hiway with the exhaust covered.

 

[JerryK]

If ......... " IF " ..... there was a path for the air to flow up the pipe, thru the muffler, thru the turbo, thru the valves, thru the ... etc..... I would be more worried about water/stuff getting into the engine than any worry about that durn turbo bearing ....

 

[namesray]

For you guys who think the turbo spins and damages itself, and think backward trailer loading would fix that...
Don't you think the air cleaner ( alleged exit path ) area could be in just as high of a pressure area on the trailer? Where is the assumption that the pipe will have a higher pressure coming from, because it points forward? So if you put the tractor on backwards, that backwards facing pipe now becomes a low pressure area, and the air cleaner is a higher pressure area, so now your turbo spins but spins forward direction ( which it does easier because of the vane shape ).

Besides that there's a truck, chains, straps and whatever else just ahead of the tractor, and the air pressure at the exhaust might be low, moving forward, not backwards as everyone assumes ( ever notice dry leaves dance in the bed of your truck?).

Better just cover it and keep the water and dust out, and forget the idea of backwards making a predictable difference.

Ya know, the more I think about this, the more I tend to agree here.

The tin foil idea, I will try and report back.

As for using a tin or metal can to cheat the hot exhaust pipe, good idea, but the way the pipe is set up it comes down out from underhood and has about a 90 degree bent and only goes for about 2 inches then ends. From there, there is a gaurd/shield (much larger) that runs down towards the front axel, then ends. So it would be very difficult to actually cover the pipe properly with these tight spaces. Even using a form of cloth cover would be difficult. Maybe I could devise a form of deflector that I could bolt on quick or hook on just ahead of exhaust pipe to deflect the air out around, eliminating the worry of a hot exhaust when covering??.

As for the owners manual, nothing about trailering, only allow turbo to cool down before stopping engine 3 to 5 minutes at idle.

I think I just might give kubota corp a ring on this one as well.

Seems to me this issue would have already been put to bed as there has to be a lot of turbo tractors out there and seems like more then just me would use them commercially, thus being trailered alot.

Thanks for the talk guys, I will report back with all my findings.