Oil for Detroits

[alskdjfhg]

Since the throttle linkage is pretty screwed up (someone before me really did a number to it), and I'm too lazy to fix it as close to right as possible.

I just lock the throttle in position at the engine with a pair of vice-grips, so the upper (a 4-53) runs pretty close to wide open all the time.

Heard (again on this fourm) that Detroit's don't like to be idled and would really prefer to be loaded constantly. I also agree with kshansen that a Detroit in a crane isn't the best, kinda counter intuitive by that logic.

But had the crane had another engine in it, they might have been able to start it at the auction lot (blower cut off was engaged), and it may have sold for more money. Who knows.

Once I got that cut off opened (had to be told again from this forum that it was there to begin with) the engine started in less than a second.

 

[kshansen]

But had the crane had another engine in it, they might have been able to start it at the auction lot (blower cut off was engaged), and it may have sold for more money. Who knows.

Once I got that cut off opened (had to be told again from this forum that it was there to begin with) the engine started in less than a second.

Okay now tell the truth you tripped the emergency shut down when no one was watching just hoping no one would figure it out and then the "DEAD" engine would keep the bidding down!

 

[alskdjfhg]

Okay now tell the truth you tripped the emergency shut down when no one was watching just hoping no one would figure it out and then the "DEAD" engine would keep the bidding down!

Hahah you overestimate me.

I did see the emergency shut down in the cab and I did mess with it, but if I tripped it I wouldn't have know at the time. Never seen a Detroit or friction crane in person before then so its a good thing it didn't start.

The upper would crank at the auction, and the lower started and ran great, so I bid on it assuming that it was locked out somehow.

I'm no expert or mechanic, but I've spent enough time around junk to know it when I see it, and this machine had lots of good signs. It was ugly but I don't think its ever been abused or has too many hours.

I got really lucky with it.

 

[RBMcCloskey]

I use D-A Extra Treated Diesel Oil II 40w.
Great products and great service.

 

[td25c]

td, that idling stuff is what will stick the rings worse than anything. check with a local oil jobber and buy the Delo 100 by the drum... Your Detroits will love you. Just sayin'

Will sure look in to it RZucker .

That would be the only practical way to have it on hand .

We buy most of our oil & grease from a Rural King farm supply store .

No love for the SAE 30 Rotella ? http://www.ruralking.com/rotella-t-30-wt-1-gal-bucket.html

We've had such good luck with Rotella 15/40 over the years in engines I've thought about buying it in 55 gallon drums & putting it everywhere .
http://www.ruralking.com/55-gal-barrel-15-w-40-oil-rotella.html


Engine , transmission , hydraulic tank and finals in equipment , trucks and the lawn mower . Thoughts ?

 

[willie59]

I often felt that a Detroit in a crane application was one of the worst ones there was, but they were probably the cheapest option so everyone went to them.

You have to consider back in that day there weren't as many engine options. The Jap engines weren't prevalent at that time, and the American truck engines, Cat, Cummins, Mack, sure, there were some of their engines that would work in those applications, but the engines available from them back in the 60 through the 80's were more designed for truck frames and transmissions. Then there was Detroit, engine options that spanned from 2 cylinder industrial engines, the 71 and 92 Series truck engines, and the 16V off road engines, choices out the wazoo. Then there was the Detroit configuration, CW or CCW, starter on left or starter on right, intake left exhaust right, exhaust right intake left, exhaust intake both on same side, then the ease of mounting various pumps or compressor, it was just so easy for crane manufacturers to take a Detroit and configure it to fit perfectly in their frame and application. No other engine to my knowledge has ever been built that can match the configuration versatility of a two stroke Detroit.

 

[kshansen]

Then there was Detroit, engine options that spanned from 2 cylinder industrial engines, the 71 and 92 Series truck engines, and the 16V off road engines, choices out the wazoo. Then there was the Detroit configuration, CW or CCW, starter on left or starter on right, intake left exhaust right, exhaust right intake left, exhaust intake both on same side, then the ease of mounting various pumps or compressor, it was just so easy for crane manufacturers to take a Detroit and configure it to fit perfectly in their frame and application. No other engine to my knowledge has ever been built that can match the configuration versatility of a two stroke Detroit.

Don't get me wrong I always liked the various Detroits I worked on, from the 3-53 in that genset up to the 16V-71's in the old Mack M-65's with just about every thing in between.

Your post got me wondering if Detroit inspired the Lego company back in the day or was it the other way around? Quick check seems to say Detroits were being built a few years before the plastic Legos. Just grab a pile of parts and build what ever you want!

 

[td25c]

Don't feel bad about it kshansen .

You just have been out of the game for a little while Bro . That's called a well earned retirement .:thumbsup


We are going to send some cherries home on a bid job . Job will be a little noisy , LOL !

 

[RBMcCloskey]

I suggest D-A Lubricants in Indiana. They ship overnight and the products are second to none, I have used them for 40+ years and have never had a problem.

Their technical department actually answers question and will provide the correct products the first time. I use D-A Extra Treated Diesel Oil 40w in my Detroit Diesels.

http://www.dalube.com/

 

[alskdjfhg]

Guess ill give a close to this thread.

Bought 3 5 gal buckets of delo 100 from West Marine. At $24 a gallon its not exactly cheap stuff.

Looked into a 55gal drum, and the per gal cost is less, but the shipping is much more.

West Marine ships the 5 gal buckets to a store for free and there is a store real close to the house, so bought it from them.

http://www.westmarine.com/buy/chevron--delo-100-diesel-engine-oil-sae-40-5-ga--6865356

 

[walkerv]

Guess ill give a close to this thread.

Bought 3 5 gal buckets of delo 100 from West Marine. At $24 a gallon its not exactly cheap stuff.

Looked into a 55gal drum, and the per gal cost is less, but the shipping is much more.

West Marine ships the 5 gal buckets to a store for free and there is a store real close to the house, so bought it from them.

http://www.westmarine.com/buy/chevron--delo-100-diesel-engine-oil-sae-40-5-ga--6865356

you can order it at oreilly auto parts stores in gallon jugs for 19.99 a gallon

 

[OFF]

We still have about a dozen Detroit engines in use where I work, most of them in emergency stand-by type applications. We run single grade PetroCanada Duron 30W or 40W in all of them except one.

It's a Whiting Trackmobile with a 4-53. When we got a rebuilt engine for it from the Trackmobile dealer, they specified use only Shell Rotella T6 5W40 synthetic. So we have. About 4 years of hard work later, everything is fine. Very little slobber and almost no oil consumption between 250hr services.

I haven't tried the T6 5W40 in any of the others Detroits........yet......

 

[alskdjfhg]

you can order it at oreilly auto parts stores in gallon jugs for 19.99 a gallon

I tried too, but the website wouldn't let me.

Kept saying like "permenatly out of stock" or something.

And then when I asked at the store, they looked at me like I was wanting a rocket stage for a Saturn V.....

 

[td25c]

We lucked out on the last oil change for the excavator .

Farm supply store had Shell 30 WT oil in stock .

http://www.heavytruckforums.com/showthread.php?263-Some-Holmes-750-action&p=2648&viewfull=1#post2648

 

[mog5858]

thanks boys for all the good info. as i did not know about oil thing DD are a little new to me but now have 2 a 6-71 in a S-12 and now a 4-71 in a S-7 scarper. i have to see what i can come up with for that meats the oil speck. what i looking for is 40-W with sulfated ash content of 1.0% or less. right all my rigs will be run in the summer time only as there just play toys. not trying to go down another rabbit hole but i did read in my manual that they should only idle for 90 seconds?

 

[Tenwheeler]

The main problem with the 15W/40 oil is the friction modifiers that keep the viscosity of the oil stable across a given temperature range. These friction modifiers break down in the shear stress of the Detroit upper and lower piston ring configuration, these engines have pistons that are very different than pretty much any other diesel engine. Yes, Delo 100 40 weight meets the specs for these engines the best, but what matters is any SAE 40 oil with a sulfated ash content of 1.0% or less. Texaco Ursa meets the spec, and Mobil Delvac 1240 works as well. Yes, these oils are getting scarce as there's not many applications that call for them now days, but as crane op mentioned you can typically order them if you can wait a couple of days.

BTW, Delo 400 SAE 40 is out of spec and so is Rotella SAE 40.

I have to agree with Willie. I worked for a company in 1983 that bought out another company that was predominantly 2 stoke Detroits. 15W40 was to be the only oil and they we dropping like flies and or slobering like they had rabies. The last of those I was around were 1995 8V92's runnings Delo 100. One had 20,000 hours on it and never had the heads off.

 

[td25c]

[QUOTE="mog5858, not trying to go down another rabbit hole but i did read in my manual that they should only idle for 90 seconds?[/QUOTE]

Makes me wonder what happens if they idle past the 90 seconds ?
Something bad ?

 

[willie59]

Most commonly known as "wet stacking", unburned fuel and oil builds up in the exhaust system which is then forced out of the "stacks" (pipes) when it's under load, commonly leaves a trail down the exterior of the pipes. Add to that a common quirk with Detroit engines, extended idling will build up oil in the airbox, then when you drive off under normal load it will burn that oil causing a temporary "run away" with the engine. This happened to me once with a 6V-53 during a winter when the driver would start the engine in the morning and let it pretty much idle all day to keep the cab heater warm. When the job was done I started the rig to let it warm up, went to drive it off, after about the third gear change she took off like a raped ape!

 

[RZucker]

[QUOTE="mog5858, not trying to go down another rabbit hole but i did read in my manual that they should only idle for 90 seconds?

Makes me wonder what happens if they idle past the 90 seconds ?
Something bad ?[/QUOTE]

I have to admit I was an idle Nazi around Detroits. If they didn't need to be running, they weren't.

 

[RZucker]

Most commonly known as "wet stacking", unburned fuel and oil builds up in the exhaust system which is then forced out of the "stacks" (pipes) when it's under load, commonly leaves a trail down the exterior of the pipes. Add to that a common quirk with Detroit engines, extended idling will build up oil in the airbox, then when you drive off under normal load it will burn that oil causing a temporary "run away" with the engine. This happened to me once with a 6V-53 during a winter when the driver would start the engine in the morning and let it pretty much idle all day to keep the cab heater warm. When the job was done I started the rig to let it warm up, went to drive it off, after about the third gear change she took off like a raped ape!

Normally the airbox drains take care of that excess oil... But usually the drains seem to be plugged with bits of broken piston rings. Funny how much fire ring they can lose and still run strong.