Runaway Diesel

[86Scotty]

I've grown pretty attached to my legs over the years and from time to time I think about how close those pistons and rods are to my right leg when driving a van. I guess it's a good 6 or 8 inches. That's what scares me. Of course, if a diesel started revving uncontrollably I would be out of it pretty quick!

[carringb]

Originally Posted by photographix

News to me, too.

On a 6.0, what would be the fastest way to stop the engine? Just opening the air filter housing takes about 5-6 minutes for me because I have move the radiator tank out of the way.

Fire extinguisher pointed in the intake. CO2 will do it quickest, but a dry-chem *should* eventually plug the filter and stop it too.

[chromisdesigns]

Originally Posted by carringb

Fire extinguisher pointed in the intake. CO2 will do it quickest, but a dry-chem *should* eventually plug the filter and stop it too.

If you fire a dry-chem extinguisher into the air intake, you might as well have let the thing run away, in terms of the damage it's going to do to the engine. Ouch, makes my head hurt just thinking about it! I wouldn't trust the filter to keep out all the nasties, or for that matter, even to clog up enough to stop the engine before it dies.

CO2 or Halon will stop it w/o damage, though.

[PatO]

Originally Posted by photographix

News to me, too.

On a 6.0, what would be the fastest way to stop the engine?

I think letting the warranty expire is the quickest way!

[carringb]

Originally Posted by chromisdesigns

If you fire a dry-chem extinguisher into the air intake, you might as well have let the thing run away, in terms of the damage it's going to do to the engine.

I was thinking more limiting collateral damage or injury. I think if a 6.0 had a runaway, its probably done anyways. I think chances are better than not, that most diesels won't be usable after a runaway event, but the 6.0 is already pushing its own limits anyways.

[REF]

Holy crap! Never heard or seen that either, that would be scary, thanks for posting and the good info on what to do.
Looks like first one had some performance bits that boosted that 6.0 too....makes me wonder with my DP tuner on my 7.3

[chromisdesigns]

Originally Posted by carringb

I was thinking more limiting collateral damage or injury. I think if a 6.0 had a runaway, its probably done anyways. I think chances are better than not, that most diesels won't be usable after a runaway event, but the 6.0 is already pushing its own limits anyways.

Yeah, that's a point. Was nice in the old days when you could just pull off the air cleaner and put your hand or something else directly over the intake. Back in the day when I had a sailboat with an old English Ford 4-cylinder diesel, I stopped it that way a few times when I was working on it, being all scrunched into the engine compartment and not wanting to scrunch my way back out again to find the mechanical stop lever. Worked fine.

Got a Sprinter now, and as you say, by the time I could get the intake disassembled, it would be all over.

[REF]

Just watched that 2nd vid with the 7.3....those idiots are cheering on and wanting to watch something blow...then the comment at the end....Clearly it's at a shop...I bet when insurance co. adjuster did the assessment and found the cause, I bet those guys weren't laughing anymore after they were canned when the shop got the bill!

[BajaSportsmobile]

Jan and I had a rod end cap just miss us as it exited a TDI block flew 200 feet over a bunch of camped motor homes and hit a guy in the leg, requiring stitches. I was trying to help shut it down when it spun up to over 10000 RPM and let go. Left holes in both sides of the block. It is the only time I had seen this happen... gnarly!