Luxury Coach Lifestyles - View Single Post - Driving a Detroit Diesel xV92
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Old 05-15-2009, 01:52 AM   #10
77newell
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Join Date: May 2008
Location: Just North of Detroit, a surprizingly great city
Posts: 380
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Any diesel can run away, not just two strokes, if provided with a souce of fuel beyond that need for normal operations. I used to work for a chemical company and was the project leader for a plant site fire water supply system driven by large diesel pumps when a fire situation would occur. Since the plant site utilized flammable liquids that could vaporize if released to the atmosphere we had air cut-offs installed on the engine intakes to prevent run-aways if an engine started ingesting these vapors. Though such a release never happened it was nice to know we wouldn't completely destroy our fire fighting capabilities if it did happen.

If we were to break a propane line and the vapor just happened to make its way to the engine intake on our coaches the engine could conceivably run away. Not likely but it is possible. Any burnable material that could enter the engine cylinders could cause a run-away. Due to the internals it is more likely on two-strokes but it isn't something I stay up late worrying about. I'm more worried about the cost of the fuel I intentionally burn in it.

Jon
1977 Newell 3500
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