just had my first run away but it was a small 30hp, I remember a guy at the quarry had a 3406 run away on some type of crusher plant,he tried to get it shut down, but it blew up before he could, he died on the spot . what to do ? and when to run and when to not run? could a smaller engine kill to?
You can go try to kill a runaway all you want. Me, I’ll be leaving the area if it can’t be shut down right away. Anything can kill in this business especially when it starts slinging parts around.
Let this one roll to see what kind/type of reply's it receives.
My first runaway was on my own equipment and plugged the intake that limited the rpm then spun the suction fuel filter off to shut it down. I doubt it got very high rpm but there was a lot of black smoke. It was mine and I was broke so I was going to save that one or die.
I worked next to a Mack Dealership for YEARS.. I would always get “Mack pumps” in with the brass inlet fitting knocked off flush w the aluminum hsg..?? I finally asked, what’s up with that.?? THATS HOW they stopped a run-away.!!! I toldm a 3/4 wrench works just the same.!!! (Remove the line) After that little talk, I retired my EZ-Outs..
I can’t count how many I stopped.
If it's a lube oil runaway, you need to stop the intake of air. Too many conditions and situations to enumerate a procedure that fits. I hotrodded a VW TDI once, and part of that was removing the ASV valve which cut off the air when you keyed off. It had a funky intercooler that could "store" a little blowby lube oil and every once in a while it made a halfhearted little uncommanded blurb and puff of smoke. I drilled a small hole at the low point and would fish it with a wire, end of that. It was a tiny boost leak I learned about the ASV when my wife's car refused to start. It was also in the path of the EGR and they get stuck with gunk. A quick cleaning and it was good to go and still runs for a friend we sold it to.
Had a small duetz run away on me. It ran for probably 2-3 minutes at full screech but wouldn’t blow up. Finally I got brave and cut the fuel line.
Long ago, 53 Chevy 6 cyl with a brick on the throttle. Ran a long time and then just kinda wheezed to a stop. Quite disappointing, wasn't the show we had hoped for. Joe H
Anything mechanical that has not run in a while or a new overhaul I always leave the turbo inlet open and have a paddle handy. If something runs away on me I'm letting it ride. Nobody's iron, or even my job, is worth the risk IMO. I wouldn't expect anyone to risk their neck to save my iron either.
Cutting fuel isn't stopping a runaway.
Works on a two stroke stuck at full fuel
Wow----serious stuff.-------------I never worked anywhere that it was stated a employee {should} be a hero--for a inanimate object.
My runaway was a D353 in a D9G. No big deal at all and not at all life threatening, just crank the compression release lever and it stops. Never had the chance but wonder if the jakes would do the same? Seen some video's of idiots trying to destroy a Detroit they seem to take the overspeed just fine and not fling parts, just slow down from the excess heat etc. Had a friend that lost a leg in an oil field runaway, a clutch blew.
C02 fire extinguishers work fairly well depending upon displacement. One Cat dealership I worked for had a strict policy about it. Any fuel system or turbo charger required an emergency shut down plan & prep.
I’ve only had a 6-71 runaway on me. One we pulled out of the weeds to be checked out for a repower. I just pulled the fuel hose out of the 5 gallon jug I was using. I’ve yet to see one violently self destruct in person but I know it’s a real thing. Anything I’ve ever started fresh I always leave a way to snuff it out but I’d also stand back and let one scatter itself if I couldn’t safely (reasonably anyway) somehow shut it down.
I'm ignorant in such things... What in the world are you guys talking about? A machine won't turn off and increases in RPM until some of them explode? I think I can safely assume that cutting power to the machine not working is a cause but I don't understand why that would happen? I guess like a old-school crank car or tractor it is creating it's own power?
Diesel engine runaway. So normally diesel engine speed is controlled (and limited) to its normal operating range by the governor, which automatically controls the supply of fuel to the engine’s injectors. In a runaway situation the normal governor control is not in effect. Can be for a number of reasons, often a result of a governor or fuel system malfunction. Two stroke detroits were especially famous for it when the rack would stick or not be set correctly. A diesel engine can also runaway if the engine oil becomes its fuel supply as well. Cutting the diesel fuel supply in that case may be very well not stop it A rarer type of runaway is if another fuel source is inhaled by the engine. The Texas City refinery explosion is thought to have been caused by a runaway engine in a truck running on refinery gasses The usual method of a stopping a runaway is to kill the air supply. A shutdown flapper or holding a metal plate over a turbo inlet, or even discharging a CO2 extinguisher are three popular methods. Removing the fuel supply is another method, such as closing a supply valve or beating a fuel filter off with a hammer The good news about runaways is that in this day and age of electronically managed engines they are much rarer
Mechanical injectors have a range of no fuel to full fuel and the governor will pull them back to limit rpm, if that doesn't happen typically because the rack gets stuck it's a runaway and the engine rpms will go 4000+ till something breaks. A common engine oil runaway is a failed turbo seal causing the engine to drink it's own oil. If you ever buy an aftermarket air filter dont buy one with bolts so you can take it off and clog the intake with rags. Natural gas will run away the engine and you can't stop it unless you choke the intake, in the oilfield we will shut the engines off then bleed off gas. I have also given a minor runaway by cleaning with gasoline by the air intake, the gas fumes will raise the rpms quite a lot.
Any diesel engines working in the oilpatch have to have a positive air shut-down valve . Roda-Deaco seem to be the popular ones here. I would assume that applies to NG or LPG engines too
I have never seen a air shutdown valve except the factory two stroke kind, but we don't get that much gas around here. My service rig has a pretty accessible air intake hole, but anybody else is probably too dumb to stop it. Actually everyone is probably too dumb to use a air shutdown valve
on a bigger engine there is probably some serious air volume pulling in,no t- shirt working there. i have heard of dudes reversing the filter on the seal type. seems dangerous, the built in flapper deal gets my vote
You got to stand your ground on a runaway. Take control back and fight for that engines survival. Have a huge hairy sack your woman can be proud of that makes her feel safe. Inhale that smell of victory to its fullest because your a man! Now, excuse me while I stand wayyyy.over there
So on the subject of clogging up the air intake… I bugged a training engine for a class last year. C15 with a radial seal round air cleaner element Among the other bugs we put in I put a trash bag around the air cleaner element The engine still started and ran. Black smoked like hell due to insufficient air flow. Sucked the air intake elbow (rubber) in and collapsed the air cleaner element. I wouldn’t rely on reversing the air cleaner too much as a plan of action. Plus we have seen other cases where the element has been accidentally reversed during service and the engines still start and run, just poorly.
Local vo-tech school about 8 years ago now---instructor---a real savvy guy was instructing the class with a demonstration of how to shut down a runaway on a wide open 3406B. Using a clip board----it instantly shattered sucking the pieces in exploding Mr. Turbo. * Fortunately no one was injured-------The next time I ran into him at NAPA store---------- I asked {How's Floyd R. Turbo Today} after the Johnny Carson character.
We recently picked up an Isuzu powered Godwin water pump it has a Shocker Pass positive air shutoff system.
New a man years ago on a AC dozer that sat on the intake of a runaway , one as$ cheek had a hell of hicky . Said he thought the dam thing was going to suck him in .
Yeah I can believe it---knew a old Trailways mechanic that bragged about doing something just as stupid. He was so enamored with the blood boil on his huge gut {that developed from pressing his gut to the intake snout} which had to be drained several times till it healed leaving a round purplish mess, he had the Detroit arrows tattooed around the mess. He just loved raising the shirt from his sagging belly to show everyone at the local watering hole. * Short a few bricks.
I wasn't really thinking and used my hand to stop the 3 cylinder Perkins in my tractor. However it wasn't a runaway. It was just idling so didn't take much to stop it. A friend had the shut off arm backwards after fixing a leaking throttle shaft. I tried to kill it in gear but it didn't want to quit quickly enough. I think it had something to do with it having a multi-power transmission. Thankfully no damage to my palm. I'll know better if I ever have to do it again. It wasn't a panic situation at all, I should have took a moment to find a board to put over the intake.
We had a ton of those Shockers on equipment up north. Everything with a diesel engine needed a posi-air or the mines wouldn't even let them in the gate if they noticed. Some of those Shockers will run off the CAN BUS now too.
I just did that a bunch of times on my little Perkins, the rack Linkage was binding and not installed correctly
Thanks for the explanation guys!
I have had to start a lot of engines that had been setting a long time. I always removed a air intake hose and had a board to cover it. I have told this before but i did a inframe on a 3406. I didnt know everything there was to know about putting a pin in the rail of the injector pump . I had problems before and told my boss i didnt want to but he had me remove all 6 plungers ? I got ready to start it and told my helper if it runs away and i for some reason cant get the board over the turbo for him to do it. He was behind the wheel and started it. It took off as i was going to the turbo i saw him out of the corner of my eye jump from the cab and run away. We redid it and was trying to start it . The boss had the driver come in so as soon as it was running he was going to go on a trip with it. It wouldnt start the driver got in it and it started and run ok . I ask what he did and he said he held the gas peddle down ? It always started before buy just turning the key. The drive went on his trip and came back and said that truck never ran that good before. Some thing wasnt right about the plungers and rack in the pump but it ran several years like that.
Force feed it ether, don't wait for it to explode make explode, just wear a hard hat with face shield & dog training armor.
As a lad I worked at Sears in the service department. Those little tecumsehs in the common mower have a little oil pump, and they will keep running on practically no oil. We'd get a mower back on maintenance agreement that was burning oil and smoking, and sometimes we'd tie it to the loading dock rail, bend the governor wire and let er rip. We tied it off so it did not flip off the dock when it tossed the rod.
Had an old Craftsman lawnmower I used to rip around on as a kid. Original Briggs threw a rod so we ended up putting a little 3.5 hp Honda in there for $50. Few years later it caught fire. Saved it but the air vane governor burnt off. Was messing around with it and I discovered I could control it just fine with the governor linkage. So I rigged the throttle cable over to the governor linkage. Had a lot of fun sending it to probably double its rated RPM for about a week until the transmission piled up. I was popping wheelies and just abusing that thing. I actually flipped it right over backwards and was chasing it while holding the steering wheel, trying to shove it back over onto all 4 wheels.
Chicken!