Detroit 2-53 advice

[2DASEA]

I've got a 2-53 onboard for light plant and compressor. The unit has been completely rebuilt by p.o. But then sat awhile. I got it started yesterday, but it wanted to run away. Throttle set at lowest possible. Had to shut air off to kill it. Something must be hanging up in the govenor control. I've never played with one of these but there must be an expert out there who has. My thoughts are to pull of the valve cover and see if i can see if anything obvious is going on in there..... Thoughts?

 

[skipperdude]

Did it runaway?* As in wide open* A runaway engine uses it's oun lubricating oil to run on. the only way to stop it is to stop the air.

So could it be a stuck throttle? broken governor? broken throttle cable?or a runaway?

Little more info* if you please

SD


-- Edited by skipperdude on Sunday 29th of January 2012 08:04:22 PM

 

[Island Cessna]

My bet would be a stuck or disconnected fuel rack. The 2 stroke Detroits have individual injectors for each cylinder, and the fuel rate setting for each is accomplished by a tube rotated by the governor under the valve cover, with an arm to operate the fuel rack for each injector. Take the valve cover off and you will see the rotating tube, the arms, and the injectors with a rack on each engaging with the arm on the tube. Either the tube or one of the racks is probably stuck. With the engine off you can move the whole system freely by hand without fear of damage. It should move freely, and both injector*fuel racks should move together. Check that the rod connecting back to the governor is connected.

Google "detroit diesel fuel rack".

Bill

 

[FF]

Purchase DA BOOK.

You will need it for more than what is probably just a stuck injector.

Also buy the tool for setting the injector , and 2 spare "jumper struts" , which are just steel tubing with fittings mounted.

Be SURE!!! to only use CF II rated lube oil probably std 40 weight.

NO multiviscosity oil or 15W 40 or similar.

Your engine will drink a bit more fuel and leak a bit more oil than a "modern" lawn tractor take out , but will operate 3 to 5 times as long.

IF you take care of it.

 

[2DASEA]

Thanks for the replies, I have the manual so this shouldn't be too hard to sus out. My instinct was to see that the racks were moving freely, so I'll do some reading and have a look under the valve cover.This is my first 2 cycle, so I'll need to familiarize myself with the fueling. It seems a lovely little motor and beautifully simple in it's design. Sounded good on start up, but kept winding up, rev's pegged and going faster and faster. Alarming! Didn't see the shut off valve on the intake in all the excitement,so scrambling came up with a nearby first aid kit in metal box that I held over the intake until she died.I imagined such destruction in my engine room,not to mention my person,had the flywheel decided to start wandering around in there!!!!

 

[2DASEA]

FF wrote:
Purchase DA BOOK.

You will need it for more than what is probably just a stuck injector.

Also buy the tool for setting the injector , and 2 spare "jumper struts" , which are just steel tubing with fittings mounted.

Be SURE!!! to only use CF II rated lube oil probably std 40 weight.

NO multiviscosity oil or 15W 40 or similar


Your engine will drink a bit more fuel and leak a bit more oil than a "modern" lawn tractor take out , but will operate 3 to 5 times as long.

*

*


IF you take care of it.

*Hey FF, Whats the reasoning behind the No multi viscosity oil?

 

[2DASEA]

Well, finally got around to messing with my Generator. Got the valve cover off, tried to move fuel racks back and forth but no go. I grabbed the rod that actuates the racks with some pump pliers, gave it a gentle turn and got it to move. back and forth a few times loosened it right up. Closed everything back up, hit the starter, and she runs perfect!

 

[skipperdude]

There you go.

Perfect.

SD

 

[psneeld]

2DASEA wrote:FF wrote:
Purchase DA BOOK.

You will need it for more than what is probably just a stuck injector.

Also buy the tool for setting the injector , and 2 spare "jumper struts" , which are just steel tubing with fittings mounted.

Be SURE!!! to only use CF II rated lube oil probably std 40 weight.

NO multiviscosity oil or 15W 40 or similar


Your engine will drink a bit more fuel and leak a bit more oil than a "modern" lawn tractor take out , but will operate 3 to 5 times as long.

*

*


IF you take care of it.

*Hey FF, Whats the reasoning behind the No multi viscosity oil?

*I'm dying to hear also...there's so many opinions on multiviscosity... I can't seem to decide either way.

I do know of a pair of detroits with 20,000 or more on them that were in a crew boat and now a small tug boat that seem just fine with the 15W40...

 

[Sisuitl]

.... and a third curious about this multi-viscosity thing.

The senior mechanic at the shipyard gave me hell for using 15w-40 in the 6V-71. I've never had a chance to find out his reasoning. The manual says it's o.k. for our operating conditions.

However, while I've spent my life hacking up fish he's been been taking diesels apart so I went back to SAE 30.*

 

[Nightcap]

Mono grade oils have better boundary lubrication than multigrade oils. Because the Detroits are loading the crankshaft journal for every revolution the oil needs to have the ability to "stick" to the bearing surfaces. A 4 stroke engine has the ability to recover the oil film on the bearing surfaces during the non loaded (suck, squeeze) cycle.
Multigrade oils main benefit is viscosity stability over a wide range of operating temperatures.
Oil technology has possibly advanced to the stage where multigrades are OK in a 2 stroke

 

[FF]

"Hey FF, Whats the reasoning behind the No multi viscosity oil?"

DA BOOK,

Detroit forbids it , in their two strokes ,although its OK to use 30wt at lat 50N in winter , rather than the usual CFII-40 wt.

A troll on the DD site will show photos of the massive wear from poor choice of oil .

I understand the CF II has a lower ash content , required by the twice as often firing cycle .

The 4 stroke Ser: 50 and 60 use 15w 40 , but they are not a 1936 design.

 

[2DASEA]

My Buddy worked for the railroad for many years and said they ran nothing but multi- viscocity in the many 2 cycle diesels they used and never saw a problem.*

 

[Nightcap]

Commercial applications (often constant duty) are a lot more forgiving than recreational applications. This is reflected in the much longer overhaul intervals typical of commercial engines. They may have been running multi oils for operational reasons (wide temperature changes). Mr Detroit, Mr Cummins and Mr Yanmar etc. put huge $$$ into R&D and second guessing them can have its perils.
Gotta run and bleed a 671 for the commercial operator (clogged filters, engine stopped and had no idea how to bleed the system) and get a recalcitrant Cummins running (I told the owner the engine was shot to hell) Any decent mechanics want to come to Vanuatu, work their butts off in paradise and earn seriously good, tax free $$?