What's new
By:
Filters

Diesel experts step in

Bacho said:
We were talking about the intake and exhaust valve. In your link they are deactivated, they are also deactivated in your wife’s Corvette. You haven’t talked through that one what is your plan for that?
Click to expand...
They don’t need to be. What does it matter? It’s just air going in and going out. I guess it would dilute the exhaust. EPA will love that. I don’t know if you read the whole thread, but I already ran the motor this way for half an hour. It ran smooth and worked fine. I agree, it might seize up the pump. It might not also. There is a whole column of fuel sitting on top of the pump that might lube it for a long time.

I have already decided not to peruse this, but as an intellectual exercise, I have to say I think deactivating the valves on a diesel would not be as good as leaving them. The reason I say this is because then the cylinder would be an air spring every revolution as apposed to every two revolutions like the power strokes. So it would probably run smoother my way. I’m not sure why the article I linked deactivated the valves. Perhaps there is another benefit.
 
WaterH said:
They don’t need to be. What does it matter? It’s just air going in and going out. I guess it would dilute the exhaust. EPA will love that. I don’t know if you read the whole thread, but I already ran the motor this way for half an hour. It ran smooth and worked fine. I agree, it might seize up the pump. It might not also. There is a whole column of fuel sitting on top of the pump that might lube it for a long time.

I have already decided not to peruse this, but as an intellectual exercise, I have to say I think deactivating the valves on a diesel would not be as good as leaving them. The reason I say this is because then the cylinder would be an air spring every revolution as apposed to every two revolutions like the power strokes. So it would probably run smoother my way. I’m not sure why the article I linked deactivated the valves. Perhaps there is another benefit.
Click to expand...
Because it takes energy to compress that air at 16:1 or whatever compression ratio it is.
Not sure why you think it's a air spring, it would still be exhausting and scavenging wouldn't it?
 
ExWrench said:
Yes, and it wasn't clear if you'd caught it :flipoff2:
Click to expand...

Wasn’t clear in my very next post when I said it makes sense?

CarterKraft said:
Yes it definitely matters, this is no different than any mechanical injection pump, the individual pumps are mounted in the block instead of the pump housing.
Click to expand...

Good to know. I thought it might, wasn’t sure.

CarterKraft said:
Because it takes energy to compress that air at 16:1 or whatever compression ratio it is.
Not sure why you think it's a air spring, it would still be exhausting and scavenging wouldn't it?
Click to expand...

It takes energy to compress it, but you get that energy back when the spring releases. (It’s a power stroke without the added power of the fuel.) When they deactivate the valves, every rotation is a compression and power stroke.

Edit, before you say it, yes, it will not get 100% of the energy back. (Very close) The linked article coined the phrase air spring, not me.
 
Last edited:
It would act as an air spring during the compression and combustion cycles, with a lot of friction and extra unnecessary things happening during the other two cycles, assuming the valvetrain is still active.
 
So am I understanding this correctly?

OP has a really nice 5K that just idles when in use, and now bought a 10K he wants to run with some of the fuel shut off?

Seems the real question is, why? OP might have compulsive buying disorder. (CBD)

The financial shit show thread this produces should be spectacular! :laughing:
 
Mikel said:
It would act as an air spring during the compression and combustion cycles, with a lot of friction and extra unnecessary things happening during the other two cycles, assuming the valvetrain is still active.
Click to expand...

Yea, as “NeverMonday” said, it would basically become an air pump the other two cycles. You could harness it and make it a air compressor if you really wanted.
 
Boss said:
So am I understanding this correctly?

OP has a really nice 5K that just idles when in use, and now bought a 10K he wants to run with some of the fuel shut off?

Seems the real question is, why? OP might have compulsive buying disorder. (CBD)
Click to expand...

I got this one at a great price. It’s just a backup or I will sell it. I was thinking of doing the fuel shut off on my 5KW, but it appears stacking is not as big a deal as I was led to believe.
 
WaterH said:
I got this one at a great price. It’s just a backup or I will sell it. I was thinking of doing the fuel shut off on my 5KW, but it appears stacking is not as big a deal as I was led to believe.
Click to expand...
My OCD says keep them both running as designed and cycle them. Get a load bank and a timer relay? Have the load come on line for 15 minuts every once and a while. It would suck if you ruined them and really need them some day.

You really should send me that 5KW to relieve yourself of some of this burden. :flipoff2:
 
Boss said:
My OCD says keep them both running as designed and cycle them. Get a load bank and a timer relay? Have the load come on line for 15 minuts every once and a while. It would suck if you ruined them and really need them some day.

You really should send me that 5KW to relieve yourself of some of this burden. :flipoff2:
Click to expand...
Yea, I really like the 5KW. I ran it once 24/7 for a month after the hurricane. I keep my eyes open for another one, but they don’t come up as much and draw a high price when they do.
 
M92PV4U said:
The diesel above the pump is neither cooling nor lubricating the pump.
Click to expand...
You state that pretty “matter of factly” . I would agree it’s not cooling, but that area never gets vey hot according to my temp gun. As to the lubricant part, I’m not sure. There is residue fuel in the pump and the diesel siting on top is not hurting anything. I venture the pump would last a long time before any damage would occur.
 
WaterH said:
Yea, I really like the 5KW. I ran it once 24/7 for a month after the hurricane. I keep my eyes open for another one, but they don’t come up as much and draw a high price when they do.
Click to expand...
Buy yourself a 8kw diesel light tower. Much better form factor. Has lights and wheels. Mine run 24/7 all summer. Put a couple thousand hours on each of them every summer absolutely bullet proof.
 
ThePanzerFuhrer said:
Buy yourself a 8kw diesel light tower. Much better form factor. Has lights and wheels. Mine run 24/7 all summer. Put a couple thousand hours on each of them every summer absolutely bullet proof.
Click to expand...
I’ve seen them, but I like these military ones. They are “tactical quiet”. Cool name and they truly are quiet.
 
WaterH said:
You state that pretty “matter of factly” . I would agree it’s not cooling, but that area never gets vey hot according to my temp gun. As to the lubricant part, I’m not sure. There is residue fuel in the pump and the diesel siting on top is not hurting anything. I venture the pump would last a long time before any damage would occur.
Click to expand...
Pumping diesel that is not moving is creating heat. At some point there is a check valve not letting diesel flow backwards through the pump, part of that pump isn't getting lubricated.
 
WaterH said:
I’ve seen them, but I like these military ones. They are “tactical quiet”. Cool name and they truly are quiet.
Click to expand...
And made with stupid engines hard to find parts ect vs a super common can get it at Napa thing :lmao:.

Light towers are super quiet:lmao:

I tried military gensets and they blow. To much military in them:lmao:
 
ExWrench said:
"Military Grade®" sounds badass until you realize it means, "made by the lowest bidder that could meet the arbitrary, possibly ass-headed, specifications made by a committee" :laughing:
Click to expand...
Exactly right. Most military stuff is junk for the real world. Everything is oddball one off shit. This must be why waterhead likes it. I have 2 8kw light towers running as we speak and will continue to run for the next week straight to keep my pumps running.
 
ThePanzerFuhrer said:
Light towers are super quiet:lmao:
Click to expand...

Are you joking here? The ones I see on the highway seem to be loud.

Do light towers make 240 volts?

These military ones actually make 3 phase if you want. I’ve never tried it, but I do have a lathe and mill that use 3 phase. I have a phase converter, so I’ve never attempted hooking direct.
 
WaterH said:
Are you joking here? The ones I see on the highway seem to be loud.

Do light towers make 240 volts?

These military ones actually make 3 phase if you want. I’ve never tried it, but I do have a lathe and mill that use 3 phase. I have a phase converter, so I’ve never attempted hooking direct.
Click to expand...
Yes they make 240:lmao:. As to how loud probably half the noise or less than what a comparable gas generator makes. I’ll bust out my db meter next to one this weekend.

The only issues with light towers are the generators have a capacitor based voltage regulator so they are not the best that way. The reconnectable generator found in the military one will be better in that respect.
 
ExWrench said:
"Military Grade®" sounds badass until you realize it means, "made by the lowest bidder that could meet the arbitrary, possibly ass-headed, specifications compiled by a committee" :laughing:
Click to expand...
This maybe true, but in the case of generators, the military way under rates them. Meaning a 5KW can make 7kw without issue. I have a commercial 4kw generator that struggles to make 3kw. I will say the light towers have a better reputation.
 
ThePanzerFuhrer said:
The only issues with light towers are the generators have a capacitor based voltage regulator so they are not the best that way. The reconnectable generator found in the military one will be better in that respect.
Click to expand...
This is over my head. How would that effect the performance?
 
WaterH said:
This is over my head. How would that effect the performance?
Click to expand...
They fluctuate voltage quite a bit more because the regulator is just a capacitor. I’m sure the tacticool one has a legit voltage regulator on it .
 
ThePanzerFuhrer said:
They fluctuate voltage quite a bit more because the regulator is just a capacitor. I’m sure the tacticool one has a legit voltage regulator on it .
Click to expand...
So does that fluctuating hurt things? Or is it just irritating? (Like the lights go brute and dim?)
 
WaterH said:
So does that fluctuating hurt things? Or is it just irritating? (Like the lights go brute and dim?)
Click to expand...
Not the best for computers and what not. For dumb things like lights small motors and what not they are fine. I have yet to wreck anything that was run off one.
 
ExWrench said:
"Military Grade®" sounds badass until you realize it means, "made by the lowest bidder that could meet the arbitrary, possibly ass-headed, specifications compiled by a committee" :laughing:
Click to expand...

I used to work for a company that made sensors. They also did some military business, mainly for the navy.

Due to specs that had not been revised since 1961, we were forced to use utterly obsolete electronic components that were made now at extreme cost, rather than take advantage of what is available today, which is far better and far cheaper. Those obsolete specs will outlive all of us.

Defense is the sacred cow of the right. I would be happy to make savage cuts to that budget. We need many Truman Commissions.
 
M92PV4U said:
Pumping diesel that is not moving is creating heat. At some point there is a check valve not letting diesel flow backwards through the pump, part of that pump isn't getting lubricated.
Click to expand...

I would agree with everything you said. The question is how long before damage will occur? I’ve just run mine 1/2 hour. I haven’t tested it yet, but I’m guessing it’s ok. So will it fail in 2 hours? 5 hours? 20 hours? Only testing will tell. I sure wouldn’t want to bet on it failing quickly.

What if you turned the fuel on before starting and then shut it off. It would get fully lubricated and last for a long while. I sort of like the idea of a pin hole in the ball valve. A trickle of fuel would be fine for lubrication. That I would be willing to bet on working.
 
WaterH said:
I would agree with everything you said. The question is how long before damage will occur? I’ve just run mine 1/2 hour. I haven’t tested it yet, but I’m guessing it’s ok. So will it fail in 2 hours? 5 hours? 20 hours? Only testing will tell. I sure wouldn’t want to bet on it failing quickly.

What if you turned the fuel on before starting and then shut it off. It would get fully lubricated and last for a long while. I sort of like the idea of a pin hole in the ball valve. A trickle of fuel would be fine for lubrication. That I would be willing to bet on working.
Click to expand...
The pin hole won't work, it will just limit the volume of injected fuel.

Since this academic at this point...
The solution for the fuel side is a actuator installed into the side of the block adjacent to cylinder to be cut out. When desired the actuator rotates and a fork lifts the roller off the pump cam removing it from pumping.
This could be controlled with a rotary actuator and triggered as needed based on current load of genset.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Back Refresh