Re: how hard to run a diesel engine?????

Posted by Hugh MacKay on April 12, 2005 at 09:07:03 from (64.228.11.167):

In Reply to: how hard to run a diesel engine????? posted by vabill on April 12, 2005 at 06:40:28:

bill: Most important with the diesel is keep temperature in operating range suggested by manufacturer, usually around 180F. Do your work between max torque and full throttle. maximum torque on most diesels around 1,500 rpm.

Full throttle is a bit of a myth. Look at the big rigs on highway, most of them never run at full throttle. Most of them at 65 mph are turning 1,650 rpm in high gear. Cat will even tell you not to be afraid to lug their truck engines to 1,000 rpm, short term, if it avoids spinning out on an icy hill, from shifting gears.

Remember the efficiency of a diesel lies in that maximum torque at low rpm. You see guys buy a diesel pickup, put in 4.10 axle gears so it will make lots of noise and burn just as much fuel as a gasser. Plus it will turn 2,800 rpm on highway driving. I ran a 6,2 Chevy with 3.24 gears half million miles with no rebulild and got 30 miles to Canadian gallon (24 US) It turned 1,800 rpm on highway. And we all considered the 6.2 a Mickey Mouse affair.

After my many years experience with diesels I would never buy another diesel with a governed range higher than 2,000 rpm. Just look at the 475 hp Cat on highway, governed under 2,000 rpm, pulling 140,000 lbs, it will accelerate just as fast in either of the two closest gears, at about 40 mph. IH and Deere for example didn't need 2,400 rpm to get same hp out of those diesels they were using in the 70s. RPM's were just to wear then out faster. There was no choice standard pto was at 2,300 rpm, or there abouts.

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