- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
Any of y’all ever dealt with a runaway diesel engine?
Posted on 10/30/24 at 10:34 pm
Posted on 10/30/24 at 10:34 pm
I’ve never seen this happen before in person.
Basically an older diesel engine with some wear could potentially get enough blow by in the piston rings to run on its own engine oil, making it impossible to turn off by simply cutting diesel fuel.
It’s extremely loud as the motor revs very high, potentially dangerous as there is no real governor or engine control when this happens, and can be scary if it happens to you.
I’ve never seen one in person.
crazy video of a runaway diesel
Basically an older diesel engine with some wear could potentially get enough blow by in the piston rings to run on its own engine oil, making it impossible to turn off by simply cutting diesel fuel.
It’s extremely loud as the motor revs very high, potentially dangerous as there is no real governor or engine control when this happens, and can be scary if it happens to you.
I’ve never seen one in person.
crazy video of a runaway diesel
22
Posted on 10/30/24 at 10:36 pm to frequent flyer
Only run away trains. They never coming back.
Posted on 10/30/24 at 10:39 pm to frequent flyer
Yeah I’ve had it happen a few times but we always had over speed protection so I never had to do anything crazy to kill it. I had a buddy who had an old Mercedes that wouldn’t turn off so I shoved a football in the air intake until it choked itself out.
I’ll say that having to walk up to a 6V71T that’s screaming to manually trip the shutdown valve is scary AF.
I’ll say that having to walk up to a 6V71T that’s screaming to manually trip the shutdown valve is scary AF.
This post was edited on 10/30/24 at 10:41 pm
Posted on 10/30/24 at 10:41 pm to frequent flyer
Heard of it happening on a submarine... fricked the diesel up pretty bad. We had big Fairbanks Morse 38ND 8-1/8 opposed piston engines. The procedure for a runaway diesel was to cut fuel and spray CO2 fire extinguishers into the intake 
I would have just exited the machinery room with a quickness
I would have just exited the machinery room with a quickness 
Posted on 10/30/24 at 10:42 pm to frequent flyer
Watched a Cat engine on a triplex mud pump take off. It blew the radiator hoses before we got it shut down.
Posted on 10/30/24 at 10:43 pm to frequent flyer
Saw the results of one in a push boat in the early ‘80s, the crew said it made a bit of a racket before it failed.
Detroit 71 or 92 series engine.
Reminds me of the observation made about Detroit 6V71s:
“Take a photograph of one, frame the picture, put it on the wall for a week. Take the picture down and there’s an oil spot on your wall.”
Detroit 71 or 92 series engine.
Reminds me of the observation made about Detroit 6V71s:
“Take a photograph of one, frame the picture, put it on the wall for a week. Take the picture down and there’s an oil spot on your wall.”
This post was edited on 10/30/24 at 10:45 pm
Posted on 10/30/24 at 10:43 pm to frequent flyer
I had a fella call me and ask if my refrigerator was running….that a-hole..
And yes I have Prince Albert in a can ….
And yes I have Prince Albert in a can ….
Posted on 10/30/24 at 10:45 pm to frequent flyer
I have on an old kubota 2 cylinder diesel. I thought the dang thing was going to explode right after it cranked up, scared the crap out of me. Only way to kill it was to cover the intake with my hand. It wasn't from wear though, I had taken the injection pump apart and had something in there 180 degrees out of time after putting it back together. Took me a few hours to figure that one out.
Posted on 10/30/24 at 10:47 pm to frequent flyer
There's a few ways this can happen.
Old man handled it fine other than leaving the kid on standby to handle it, who promptly shite himself when it started getting away.
Old man handled it fine other than leaving the kid on standby to handle it, who promptly shite himself when it started getting away.
Posted on 10/30/24 at 10:48 pm to terd ferguson
quote:
cut fuel and spray CO2 fire extinguishers into the intake
I would have guess the sub diesels had air shutoff valves on them. The more ya know.
Posted on 10/30/24 at 10:53 pm to sleepytime
quote:Promise us you won’t ever work on planes?
I had taken the injection pump apart and had something in there 180 degrees out of time after putting it back together. Took me a few hours to figure that one out.
Posted on 10/30/24 at 10:57 pm to frequent flyer
my uncle used gasoline to clean the air filter on a john deere tractor one time. didnt wait long enough for the fumes to dissipate. engine sounded like it was gonna jet out of the tractor and the ignition switch wouldnt kill it. not easy to stall out a 170 hp tractor, but he shifted into hi gear, dropped the disc and hit the brakes before the engine turned him into rocketman. that was my lesson on why gas never goes into a diesel engine.
Posted on 10/30/24 at 11:12 pm to frequent flyer
Yes, seen it happen on a pump engine, a 71 series Detroit.
It runs away in a sense but the mechanical load helps restrain it plus the piston fits being bad enough for this to happen in the first place and the combustion of old oil not being equivalent to atomized, refined diesel usually isn't catastrophic.
I could see it getting out of hand on a truck in neutral but not on something under load.
In the case of the pump engine, it just kept running (real shitty) after fuel got cut off. They ended up gagging the air intake to stop it.
A someone said in this thread, you never need to check the oil in a Detroit, just look under it. If there's no oil under it, there's no oil in it.
It runs away in a sense but the mechanical load helps restrain it plus the piston fits being bad enough for this to happen in the first place and the combustion of old oil not being equivalent to atomized, refined diesel usually isn't catastrophic.
I could see it getting out of hand on a truck in neutral but not on something under load.
In the case of the pump engine, it just kept running (real shitty) after fuel got cut off. They ended up gagging the air intake to stop it.
A someone said in this thread, you never need to check the oil in a Detroit, just look under it. If there's no oil under it, there's no oil in it.
Posted on 10/30/24 at 11:23 pm to frequent flyer
You got to pull the coil wire off. 
Posted on 10/30/24 at 11:40 pm to soccerfüt
quote:
Promise us you won’t ever work on planes?
No promises there but I follow protocols on anything important or valuable. I was flying blind on that little motor with no manual or instructions and it was about to be scrapped because water had got into it.
Posted on 10/30/24 at 11:46 pm to frequent flyer
Posted on 10/31/24 at 12:02 am to Randall Savauge
quote:
Only run away trains. They never coming back.
Wrong way on a one way track.
Posted on 10/31/24 at 12:21 am to billjamin
quote:
we always had over speed protection
How did that operate?
Posted on 10/31/24 at 3:01 am to frequent flyer
Happened with one of our screaming Jimmy's in a 4600 manitowoc drag line.
Posted on 10/31/24 at 3:08 am to frequent flyer
Yes, twice.
2 cycle Detroit that the pin fell out of the governor linkage under the valve cover, tripped the flap on the blower to snuff it out.
International truck that the turbo failed on, started pumping engine oil into intake. Hammered the brakes and killed it.
2 cycle Detroit that the pin fell out of the governor linkage under the valve cover, tripped the flap on the blower to snuff it out.
International truck that the turbo failed on, started pumping engine oil into intake. Hammered the brakes and killed it.
Page 1 of 3
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News