Anyone familiar with Diesel Truck Engines ?

[axisg]

How long can you run a well worn ( 400 thousand kms ) diesel engine without coolant ?

Here's the backstory ; I have recently purchased an old 1989 International Truck ( 5tonne straight truck, single axle with a 26' box ) that I bought to use for outdoor storage for the tidy sum of $500. When the time comes I know I can sell the box for $ 500 and the working tail-lift for another $500 and scrap the rest for scrap money.

As it is the truck starts and runs but there is a known HG issue resulting in coolant in the oil. The guy I bought it from said it would drink 2 litres of water per day over the course of 8hrs run-time and 200 or so kms ( he drove it this way for the last 3 months while looking for a replacement truck ). I would like to keep the truck running well enough to start, build air pressure to release the brakes so I can back it into the dock and have access the the freight on-board ( meaning a runtime of 10-15 mins at a time 4-6 times a year ).

So after the backstory here's my thought. Because of the leaking HG I was thinking of draining the old milkshake oil and remaining coolant. Then replacing the oil with new (er) oil and no coolant.

Thoughts ? The truck will never be roadworthy again so that's not an issue

How long do you think I could let this old motor run before it overheats ? I am concerned that with the colder weather coming in the next month or so that the oil and water will seperate and the ice formed in the crankcase may possibly damage the fuel pump. I really want to put $0.00 and as little effort/money into this as possible

 

[megaladon6]

the problem is that if you just have water it will freeze and can do really bad things. a diesel produces very little heat, so it's possible to only run it for 10min with no coolant. not recommended but possible.
since it sounds like you don't give 2 tin sh*ts about the engine, that's the route i'd go (but change the oil to be safe). otherwise drain the oil, put in cheap oil and keep the coolant topped off, again with cheap crap.

 

[axisg]

Well I was thinking to replace the milkshake oil and not running coolant so there will be no future mixing. Like you said Diesels run cool so I was not going to put coolant back into it.

You are correct about the not caring part BTW. A storage trailer just over half full runs me $200/mo and costs me another $100 every time I need access to it so this truck will theoretically pay for it's self in 2.5 months but only if I can keep it running and moving.

My concern is the fuel pump. If there is any sludge ( frozen water ) in the oil then the pump could crack/break. We don't typically get very cold winters here in Toronto but we do get the occasional cold snap which has me concerned.

 

[kornball426]

Or here's a novel idea... Buy a new head gasket. Whats it got in it? A 6.9 or 7.3 V8? or is it a DT360 or DT466 inline 6? 200 thousand miles in not bad on a diesel... If it's a DT466 international puts a D10 (or point at which 10% of their engines will be dead) at 300,000 miles, at 450,000 miles more than 50% of them will still be running. Fix it man... Or you can give it to me and I'll put it in a pulling truck. :lol: And diesels do no run cool... In any way shape or form. Look at the radiator on them man... That should tell you enough it's probably about 4 inches thick and at least 20 inches tall and 30-36 inches wide. You're gonna toast that engine if you run it without coolant. Maybe 10 minutes you'd be fine... But if you fix it right it'll probably run indefinitely. Assuming that's all that's wrong with it.

As far as the oil goes, after you fix the gasket, I'd drain the oil and change the filter with the cheapest filter you can get and the cheapest oil you can (even used) possibly get... And run the thing up to operating temp and let it just run with the oil cap off and any vents open and let it just boil off whatever residual water is in there then drain the oil again, change the filter again and fill it up with fresh 15w40. Which ain't gonna be cheap it probably takes 14+ quarts at least. In the long run it'll be worth it though.



http://www.agkits.com/International-Nav ... rettyPhoto

 

[axisg]

Or here's a novel idea... Buy a new head gasket. Whats it got in it? A 6.9 or 7.3 V8? or is it a DT360 or DT466 inline 6? 200 thousand miles in not bad on a diesel... If it's a DT466 international puts a D10 (or point at which 10% of their engines will be dead) at 300,000 miles, at 450,000 miles more than 50% of them will still be running. Fix it man... Or you can give it to me and I'll put it in a pulling truck. :lol: And diesels do no run cool... In any way shape or form. Look at the radiator on them man... That should tell you enough it's probably about 4 inches thick and at least 20 inches tall and 30-36 inches wide. You're gonna toast that engine if you run it without coolant. Maybe 10 minutes you'd be fine... But if you fix it right it'll probably run indefinitely. Assuming that's all that's wrong with it.

As far as the oil goes, after you fix the gasket, I'd drain the oil and change the filter with the cheapest filter you can get and the cheapest oil you can (even used) possibly get... And run the thing up to operating temp and let it just run with the oil cap off and any vents open and let it just boil off whatever residual water is in there then drain the oil again, change the filter again and fill it up with fresh 15w40. Which ain't gonna be cheap it probably takes 14+ quarts at least. In the long run it'll be worth it though.



http://www.agkits.com/International-Nav ... rettyPhoto

Its a DT466 motor and the truck was a city delivery truck for many years meaning it's done and won't pass it's next annual check without thousands being spent. The cab is shot, it needs rear brakes and lines, and the tires are bald. PO ran it while going thru coolant for months so I have no douubt the bearings are shot. From everything I have read these motors are hard on headgaskets and seals allowing water into the oilpan. Diesels seem to take forever to warm up so I am hoping I can run it without coolant.

 

[megaladon6]

I only meant that diesels run cool compared to an equivalent size/powered gas engine.

 

[beermonkey9417]

all i know about diesel engines is that they dont like rpms, they use glow plugs ya have to wait to get hot before ya start the engine. they use compression and heat to cause combustion. and tons of tq.

 

[kornball426]

Not to be contrary just for the hell of it... But there's a lot of misinformation in here. Not all diesels use glow plugs in fact a lot of them don't the DT466 the topic of this thread doesn't have them. Isuzu diesels don't, Cummins B series don't, I don't think most Detroit's or Cat engines have them. And 99% of the time you don't need to wait for the glow plug light to go out a lot of diesels will start without the glow plugs until the temps get down 15 degrees below freezing or more. Mine wont... But then again mine is clapped out. :lol: Two... They make a lot more heat than a equal size gas engine

Here's the radiator for a 5.9 Cummins in a 96 Ram 2500: http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/Catal ... ype%3aA%29

Here's the radiator for a 5.9 V8 aka 360 Commando/Magnum in a 96 Ram 2500: http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/Catal ... ype%3aA%29

Notice the diesel radiator is about 5 inches wider and twice as thick?

Finally... Yes they're not usually considered rev happy but it's pretty safe to push a Cummins to 4000 rpms on a regular basis with just stiffer valve springs, and absolutely no problem if you have ARP rod bolts. There are guys in the pro sled pulling world that turn those engines well over 6000 rpms, on 125+ psi of boost. :lol:

Does it have a P-pump (Bosch P7100) on it? That engine might be worth some $$$$ if it does. It's probably a rotary pump model and it's probably not worth much though. I dunno I just don't like the idea of toasting an engine that could literally go another 100,000 miles easy, if it's showing good oil pressure. Even if it's not, the in frame overhaul kit for one of those things less than the cost of cheap reman SBC, and it would pretty much be a fresh engine.

 

[megaladon6]

While not every diesel has glow plugs, some have an intake heater, or at least some sort of heating device. Not that they are needed at all temps but...
on the radiator, whats the torque diff? (between the gas and the diesel)Every diesel i've ever had/driven/seen will rapidly cool in the winter, unless the rad is partially blocked. Granted, when under high load/boost a lot more heat is produced, but in steady state driving...?

 

[kornball426]

According to Wiki/Edmunds/Google:

1996 Dodge 5.9 Cummins 215hp @2600 440 ft/lbs @ 1600 rpm

1996 Dodge 5.9 V8 230hp 330 ft/lbs @ 3300 RPM.

Maybe on big mack trucks and what not I see driving around with the grill covers, but once my 7.3 powerstroke warms up which takes forever, it then just hangs out in the letter N of the word "Normal" pretty much no matter what (I don't have a real temp gauge on there just the crappy stock ford one), towing, cold days, hot days, A/C or heater on doesn't have much effect on it. And I had a 6.9 IDI, and another 7.3 PSD (and my brother has two PSD's a 16 foot landscape truck and a pickup) that were pretty much all the same. Except the 6.9 would get reallllllly hot like scarey if you towed anything up a long grade. Cummins are known for getting dangerously high EGT's when towing under high boost but I don't really hear anything about them cooling too fast or anything. I personally mostly just cruise around town trying to keeping the revs below 2200 as much as possible, and in OD at like 1100-1400 rpms as much as possible. Mine is a non intercooled truck so I try to keep it out of the boost except when you really need it and take it easy if I'm pulling a load... But my bro's PS with the intercooler we pulled a huge *ss trailer I think it was 30 foot with a big block corvette, three motorcycles, and his entire apartment of furniture and what not stuffed in the trailer and the bed over 100 miles on a hot day up hills (with the A/C on :lol: ) and doing 80 on the turn pike and the temp gauge never went more than a tiny bit above where it usually sits.

I did forget about grid heaters and block warmers even though block heaters are usually an add on not original... :lol: