lastcowboy32
Well-known Member
Just a question to ruminate on, not necessarily on restoring an engine, but more to the effect of what wears on an engine to need restoration in the first place.
So....lugging.
Just by the sound of an engine, I learned from my brother (who was 14 years older) to shift a tractor to keep the engine in a very narrow RPM band. If the engine lugs, shift down. If the engine revs, shift up.
I always assumed that this was the best thing for an engine, and I have passed this same method onto our three daughters, who can all drive standard cars. For instance, if they're driving uphill with our Kia; I tell them to pick a gear to keep the RPMs between 2500 and 4000.
People from other families and with other experiences do differently. For instance, my father-in-law. When he pulls out onto the road with a tractor and haywagon, he'll shift directly into road gear and dump the clutch. The tractor will start out almost puking...then sloooooooooooooooooooowly work its way up from about 400RPM to the 1500 or 1800 RPM that his throttle setting would dictate.
During the sometimes thirty or so seconds that it takes for the tractor to get up to speed, he'll just sit back, look straight ahead and drive as if everything is just fine. I'll be riding and thinking...shift down...shift down...shift down.
Am I just being compulsive about this? Or are there actual physics that would say that an engine is being worn down during these extended lugging periods???
PS...I'm not going to get on my father-in-law about this, no matter what. He's my "Pops", and I'm glad for his help on the farm. If it means a few more repairs here and there...no biggie. I am just wondering if there is actual fact behind what I learned by feel as a kid.
So....lugging.
Just by the sound of an engine, I learned from my brother (who was 14 years older) to shift a tractor to keep the engine in a very narrow RPM band. If the engine lugs, shift down. If the engine revs, shift up.
I always assumed that this was the best thing for an engine, and I have passed this same method onto our three daughters, who can all drive standard cars. For instance, if they're driving uphill with our Kia; I tell them to pick a gear to keep the RPMs between 2500 and 4000.
People from other families and with other experiences do differently. For instance, my father-in-law. When he pulls out onto the road with a tractor and haywagon, he'll shift directly into road gear and dump the clutch. The tractor will start out almost puking...then sloooooooooooooooooooowly work its way up from about 400RPM to the 1500 or 1800 RPM that his throttle setting would dictate.
During the sometimes thirty or so seconds that it takes for the tractor to get up to speed, he'll just sit back, look straight ahead and drive as if everything is just fine. I'll be riding and thinking...shift down...shift down...shift down.
Am I just being compulsive about this? Or are there actual physics that would say that an engine is being worn down during these extended lugging periods???
PS...I'm not going to get on my father-in-law about this, no matter what. He's my "Pops", and I'm glad for his help on the farm. If it means a few more repairs here and there...no biggie. I am just wondering if there is actual fact behind what I learned by feel as a kid.