PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-589
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 589
DECEMBER 2001
High-speed idling prevents this kind of trouble. Always idle between 1,000
and 1,200 rpm. But don't idle the engine longer than 10 minutes to warm it up
in the morning.
PS 589
DEC 01
18
T
he engine on your combat or tactical vehicle doesn't like to run at low idle. It
likes it even less when you start it up and shut it down time and again before it has
a chance to heat up.
Diesel engines work best at normal operating temperatures. They run smoother
and last longer.
Here's what happens when you don't let the engine get to its normal operating
temperature:
• Fuel and oil are not completely
burned in the combustion chambers,
leaving carbon deposits on the valve
stems. Carbon hinders valve opera-
tion, resulting in burned valves and
bent push rods.
• Condensation from normal engine
breathing isn't boiled off. Instead, it and
any unburned fuel slip around the pistons
and into the crankcase. There they mix
with oil to make acid and sludge.
Keep your
idle
high
and
avoid
stop-
and-start
driving.
ugh!
I hope
that’s not
catching
It won’t
be if our
drivers
avoid
low idle!
I wish
my
driver
had known
that!
Carbon
deposits foul
valve stems
Blowby…
makes
sludge
Heat
scorches
bearings
Sludge blocks
lube passages
Diesel Engines…
•
Acid and sludge break down engine
oil. Poor lubrication burns up bearings.
•
Sludge also blocks lube passages. Oil
can't get through to do its job, so heat
and friction tear up your engine.
589. 18-19 (C)
10/29/01
2:05 PM
Page 1
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