Oil & Fuel Diesel more Maintenance than Gas (engine)?

sneaky_pete · Sep 30, 2004

( Wife staying away from tractor - what's the problem?

Carb cleaner = wife repellent

/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif )

Nothing works better (for me) than opening the solvent (parts cleaner) tub. Guaranteed to keep her out of the shop. Just have to be careful not to get any on my jeans or she won't wash 'em.

Pete

Tom_H · Sep 30, 2004

REAL Diesels are superior, especially when built by a quality manufacturer and used under optimum conditions. Years ago GM and Volkswagon tried modifying gas engines to work as diesels. They were a disaster. Gas is better for high performance and acceleration. A tractor usually runs at a fairly constant RPM, much more ideal for a diesel. They are simpler and work better when built correctly. My BX2200 is smelly at start-up, but not so after the block is hot. I don't notice it the way I did my VW Rabbit pickup. You need the right engine for the right application. Diesels belong in tractors, semis, and locomotives. Gas engines belong in Formula 1 racers, turbines belong in F-22s, nuclear reactors belong in carriers and subs. There are some old threads on this back in the archives.

gsxr1100 · Oct 1, 2004

slow rev is correct in my book. They break down less but when they do, look out. So in the end it is almost equal.

I personally think they need more attention but that is me. If you have weak GP, dirty filter etc, they do not like to start; while most gas will. Diesel have more sensors etc.

It is a trade off. Just do the normal items at xxxxx intervals and you will be fine.

The one thing I HATE about my diesel tractor is the fuel price.. Yes diesel uses lesse but it cost more to run...Again trade off. When super duper gas is $0.20 less then "dirty diesel" something is wrong, very wrong.

Dargo · Oct 1, 2004

gsxr1100, If you are paying more for diesel than gas, why are you driving your tractor on the street? /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif I've always paid less for my off road diesel. It is perfectly legal and there is no reason for me to pay "road tax" on my off road tractor fuel.

MarkLeininger · Oct 1, 2004

wife repellent = sex repellent

big problem

frank_f15 · Oct 1, 2004

i own both diesel and gas, diesel might smell a little more on start up, but a diesel engine will out perform a gas engine. did u ever wonder why all the 18 wheel tractor trailers tooling down the highway are diesel? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

ZackaryMac · Oct 2, 2004

( GM and Volkswagon tried modifying gas engines to work as diesels. They were a disaster...)

GM I agree was a disaster, but VW? Just wondering why you feel this way.

BRIGUY · Oct 2, 2004

Yes GM old gas retrofit diesels made great boat anchors.

I was under the impression that VW was having better luck with Their TDI engines than their gas burners lately.

Tom_H · Oct 2, 2004

( GM I agree was a disaster, but VW? Just wondering why you feel this way.)
I don't know about more recent VW diesels. I had a 1980 VW diesel rabbit pickup. The engine was a modified gas engine. It got 52 mpg highway, nearly 40 around town, but during the 13 years & 115K mi. I had it it blew 3 head gaskets and suffered 2 cracked blocks. Both blocks cracked at the corner from the same head bolt hole outwards diagonally to corner. The 3 blown gaskets also blew at that same spot. All 5 repairs were done by different mechanics so it wasn't 1 shop making a repeated mistake. The bolts were torqued very carefully on each repair. The block was cast iron & the head was aluminum. Numerous people were having the same problems so special alloy head bolts were several times redesigned by VW engineers to compensate for differing expansion rates of block & head. I had to use the vehicle in everything from sub-zero to desert climates. I used a block heater, always warmed up 10-15 min. before driving, & otherwise babied it. The engine originally designed as a gas engine simply could not take combination of the higher compression ratios at the peak of the compression stroke and at beginning of ignition stroke, along with differing expansion and contraction rates for block and head. I bought it thinking I was doing my duty for environmental conservation, but as is often the case with experimental technology, it didn't serve well for my own financial conservation. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

As far as diesel odor, I think not only the engineering design has an affect, but the differing formulation of the fuel and the source of the crude. Differing batches of crude have differing amounts of sulfur and other chemicals.

lynxpilot · Oct 2, 2004

I've got a 2002 VW Golf with the TDI and it's a blast. There are flaws, but most are related to things like EGR and CCV, power windows, and mass airflow sensors rather than the fact that it's a diesel. This thing gets 50 mpg give or take 5 depending on driving style and conditions. In 2 years, I've managed to clock 75,000 miles and I've replaced the MAF and the window regulators and that's about it. I change the air filter every oil change and use Mobil Delvac 1 (very expensive oil), but change at the normal service 10,000 mile intervals. My only regret will be in about 5,000 miles when I'm due for the timing belt change. Requires lots of specialized tools and is a pain in the butt to get to, so I'll leave that to a mechanic who has time on his hands rather than doing it myself like I usually do.

Also have a Ford pickup with 6.0L diesel.

I'm hopelessly hooked on diesel and it was the first absolute requirment on my recent tractor purchase. Diesels burn lots of different fuels (biodiesel, jet fuel, cooking oil, and funny thing diesel too) which makes them really economical in terms of fuel. If they're built right (all engine lower end) and taken care of, they'll last for ages. The only drawback is that similar repairs between diesel and gasser are generally more expensive in the diesel. You just can't lose compression with a diesel and still run, but then again most manufacturers are using superb coatings on cylinders/sleeves and super rings now too.

Economy per unit volume of fuel is far better than gasoline. Per unit weight, they are almost identical.

My VW exhaust smells like propane engine exhaust when I'm burning old #2 and smells like candle wax when I burn biodiesel. The Ford is another story. It stinks on #2 (different smell than a semi or tractor though) but is tolerable on biodiesel.

Not sure why tractor diesel smell should be an issue. Wife just needs to stay away from it. You're not running it in the house are you?