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diesel engine life

H

HUSKY

Member
with proper care / maintainance how long will a diesel engine last ??? (hours) how can you tell its going ???? i realize every engine is different but, im looking to see how long they will last generally !!!!!!! thank you
 
In theory, forever. If designed properly, like Deere. Almost everything that will wear out is replaceable and the engine can be brought back to original factory specs.
 
Currently, I think 10,000 hours is an achievable standard. Bought a used JD 4020 in 1973 with 2400 hrs, needed an OH. Bought a 4430 in 1980, sold it at over 11,000 hrs, first engine, used a pint of oil in 100 hrs, but I changed oil/filter every 100 hrs. Currently, have a 4450 MFWD with about 9K, 4240 with about 8500 hrs....neither one uses oil....both first engines. Chg oil/filter every 100 hours.
 
I personally think changing engine oil in a JD engine every 100 hrs is a waste of oil & money. I change the engine "OIL" on my JD 4255 every 250 hrs since I bought it in Feb of '93. It has 10,758 hrs on the clock and uses very little oil between changes. It always had JD Torq-Gard plus 50 oil put in it.
 
Being a diesel does not have direct correlation to long life. The fact is that more diesels were built for HD use and therefore more built to endure that heavy use with stronger parts. There are HD gas, LP and NG engines that have equal durability.

Also - diesel engines make less power per cubic inch that gas - so they tend to be bigger to make equal power. I'm talking about when factors are equal. Same bore and stroke and same aspiration. A diesel often makes 10%- 20% less horsepower and torque.

Many diesels had short lifes. Like late 70s Oldmobile 4.3 and 5.7 diesels? Some diesels were built from gas engine platforms and were LD. Isuzu 1.8 and 2.2, Volkswagen 1.6 but did OK in light use. The Ford-IH was built from a HD gas engine and did fine as a diesel with heavier use.

Many well built medium-duty diesels like a Cummmins 5.9, Ford-IH 7.3 or 445 often see 300,000-400,000 miles with no major engine tear-downs. Many farm tractor diesels are good for 10,000 engine hours between rebuilds.

HD diesels are often built to last 1,000,000 miles.
 
Just overhauled a 2394 case with 13,500 hours that was original. It was in bad shape by then tho. My last truck with the 15 litre cummins had 1,000,000 miles and 22,000 hours and was in good shape yet.
 
Know of tractors with over 15,000 hours that are still going and know of some new tractors that didnt make 100,so question is hard to give a correct answer.Same as pickups or cars there are some Cummings Diesel and Ford 7.3 with many miles.
 
You start looking for an overhaul at 5-6000 hours, hope to make it farther.

You have bragging rights if it hasn't been opened up at 10-13,000 hours.

Some will need to be opened up at 3500 hours to balance out the averages. Those you grumble about.

Paul
 
I have a friend that's an engineer for Caterpillar. He says Cat heavy equipment engines are expected to go a minimum of 10,000 hours between rebuilds.
 
The Cummins B3.3NA in my Branson is rated for 300 hr change intervals. So 250 isn't that bad and not too long ago the suggested interval was 100. I think I found that in my 1000 series Ford service manual.....'60's vintage tractors. Lubricants have come a long way since then.

Mark
 
That isn't perzactly what Tx Jim said. Although I knew what he meant, I decided to have a little fun. (;>))
 
(quoted from post at 10:34:37 11/24/13) That isn't perzactly what Tx Jim said. Although I knew what he meant, I decided to have a little fun. (;>))
Click to expand...

Bill
You're welcome to have a little fun on me if you choose to do so but remember this old saying

"He who laughs LAST laughs BEST" :wink:
 
Clean air, clean fuel, clean oil , use a block heater instead of ether and don't lug the guts out of it. Just about any engine will outlast most owners or the chassis.
 
That's about right for the year average. When I plan a trip I figure about 55mph, but that don't include idle time. I idle very little, this summer it was 6 nights and I'll add a couple this winter when it's -10 or lower.
 
Tx Jim at that rate you would be on your 43rd engine which would be a record.Just kidding as us older gentlemen think better than we type especially a one finger typist like myself.It seems like I cant find any nice tractors to buy maybe you know of one.I did buy a nice 6430 but they are easy to find but harder to sell.
 
(quoted from post at 13:12:51 11/24/13) Tx Jim at that rate you would be on your 43rd engine which would be a record.Just kidding as us older gentlemen think better than we type especially a one finger typist
Click to expand...

Larry
It's apparent my proof reading is WORSE than my hunt & peck typing. Now I know why "Bill(Wis)" was harassing me. I will go back and edit my mistake(one of the many advantages of Modern view) :wink: :lol: :wink: :lol:

Sorry I don't know where any good buys on JD tractors are located.
 
Soooo, how did you make your original post go "poof" and replace it with the one above? I didn't think you could teach "old dogs" new tricks. (;>))
 
I'm not sure when they changed but older tractors measured hours by PTO hours, they registered an hour when the PTO was at maximum for an hour. I don't know exactly the way it worked . Newer tractors measure real time hours. I've got a 4630 Ford that has about 3500 PTO hours but may have twice that many clock hours. My IH 826 has over 15000 PTO hours and who knows how many clock hours. My Terex backhoe has a little over 2000 clock hours.
 
(quoted from post at 19:00:41 11/24/13) Soooo, how did you make your original post go "poof" and replace it with the one above? I didn't think you could teach "old dogs" new tricks. (;>))
Click to expand...

Bill
I use Modern view which has an "edit feature" that I can go back and change my mistakes. I like Modern view better than Classic view because the "replied to threads" move to the top of the page similar to the way cream does on whole milk. I don't hardly ever use Classic.
 
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