Why Do Diesel Engines Runaway? What Is A Diesel Engine Runaway?

What is a Diesel Engine Runaway? What is an Engine Overspeed? This video discusses what they are, what causes them, the damage they can do, and how to stop them. @AdeptApe on Venmo or [e-mail] on PayPal for donations, thank you so much for supporting the channel!
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[@TheHippieGunner]

A runaway diesel is like the Stone Age terminator. It’s not alive, it doesn’t have fear or remorse, it won’t stop until it’s dead.

[@stumccreadie1287]

Even THEN it rebuilds itself 🤟🏻

[@nano-gq9tv]

No it can stop my dad stopped his tractor in 30 seconds

[@jefrebugni4064]

@@nano-gq9tv “it won’t stop” obviously you can stop it by cutting the airflow off

[@jefrebugni4064]

@@nano-gq9tv all he was saying was it won’t stop itself

[@nano-gq9tv]

@@jefrebugni4064 oh ok I git it know thx man

[@LTBROYT6A]

I am a retired Baltimore City Fire Department Captain, often times when we responded to calls with Diesel engine compartment fires, and could not shut the engine down, we would discharge a Carbon Dioxide fire extinguisher into the air intake and it would displace the oxygen and shut down the engine. It worked every time. Barry Broyles

[@honkhonk8009]

its kinda funny how old people always write comments like its mail lol.

[@user-zg9nl8gl2g]

@@honkhonk8009 Yeah I’ve seen that happen a lot lol

[@chickenpotpie4045]

@@honkhonk8009 It's just how older people write, even my grandparents "sign" each text they send lol I don't particularly understand the reason they do it, but they all do it.

[@mannycalavera121]

@@honkhonk8009 or you could just have some respect and appreciate the wisdom

[@samazd4015]

Nice

[@appletree8441]

A run away engine is generally caused by its parents cracking down on its bad behaviour.

[@operator8014]

Well maybe if it's parents weren't a couple a SQUARES, it wouldn't seem so bad! KAREN!

[@kdogcurry]

Get it.. cause squares don't roll! Haha

[@_getfood]

LMAOO

[@devintariel3769]

You can't exactly throttle them. That's abuse.

[@u.p.woodtick3296]

lol👍

[@timrussell1559]

Had a Nissan U.D with an inline turbo charged 6 cylinder towed in to my shop because of a no-start condition. Cranked it over and it started right up and went full bore red line instantly. It would not respond to the rack linkage and was screaming so loudly my ear drums were about to burst. I knew it was seconds away from grenading and was torn between the feelings of trying to save a 30 thousand dollar engine or dying from the flying shrapnel when it came apart. I grabbed the air cleaner assembly and luckily was able to rip it loose from the 4 inch diameter tube it was attached to. The first thing i saw lying close by was a small piece of plywood so i quickly grabbed it and shoved it as hard as i possibly could flat up against the intake pipe. The engine started to slow down a bit but would not seal enough to kill it. Another employee ran over and together we pushed so hard on that piece of wood that the engine finally died out before we broke it into 2 pieces. That situation was 60 seconds of pure terror that i hope to never experience again. A mans heart can only take so much!

[@shauncry1917]

Great story thank u for story.

[@christophers6886]

Such a nightmare. Lives are genuinely on the line with shitty situations like this.

[@pdmustgtd1013]

@@christophers6886 We've been told walk away from could kill you

[@adoreslaurel]

Seems like a good idea to incorporate a butterfly like in an old carburettor car with a twist knob that can be turned to cut off the air.

[@adoreslaurel]

@@punchtheundead3127 Well I would if it was my motor, has it really been tried?

[@martinstreeworks3310]

One of the surest safest ways to be 100% ready for any type of runaway situation is to have a 10LB CO2 fire extinguisher plumbed directly into the intake boot or intake manifold and if a runaway situation ever happens just simply pull the pin on the extinguisher and squeeze the handle, engine will come to a stop very quickly with zero damage as long as it did not over speed.

[@powerofone1645]

Great idea, should come standard fitted from the factory.

[@Yukanhayt-Mhenow]

You are on to it!

[@mehosadikovic6958]

But you are taking away performance from the car 💀

[@mehosadikovic6958]

Just have it on you

[@nervouswreck392]

My engine tried to run away but I caught it and spanked it good! It never tried to run from me again ‼️

[@ot810]

No use to run i know where it lives.lol

[@nervouswreck392]

@@ot810 LMAO ‼️

[@garyautobody4413]

Lol

[@esfitnesspro2455]

Spanked it good? Was this funny in your head before you typed it?

[@JDogggg69]

I guess it won't go Harriet Tubman on your ass again

[@mikeag]

Me: studying cyber security Google: how about learning about runaway diesel engines Me: Interesting. Yes, I think I will.

[@Hugo-py2ce]

Hahaha👍

[@zacc9193]

you never know, it could be a cyber attack on the cars ecu causing full fuel. there’s a youtube video where these guys spent 4 years trying to hack into a 2014 grand cherokee and eventually they got it! i’d give it a look

[@mikeag]

@Zach Hein haha, yeah. I've seen that and a few others. However, that's like taking four years to drill the locks on a local bank vault with un-hindered access and no cops coming (and no money inside hahaha). It works for that one car, but isn't duplicatable to any other vehicle including other 2014 grand Cherokees. CAN-bus encryption and vehicle unique security lockouts make it dang difficult to modify things that shouldn't be touched. There are a bunch of thieves (mafia) running around with off the shelf hardware stealing cars by momentarily rebroadcasting the signal from the owner's key, but that's not hacking in ANY way shape or form. It seriously isn't any more complicated than a voice recorder for radio waves. (It's called an RF replay attack) Plus it's pretty much a one shot thing, once the car is off, they can't restart it without grabbing more code frames from the fob, which they don't have obviously. Smart thieves will grab enough frames for several minutes of key spoofing, but that's risky to hang around for that long.

[@Ronnocbot]

Literally me!! I'm supposed to be doing cybersecurity (IS-141) homework right now lol

[@michaelbenoit248]

On new diesels they make today since there’s no rack to stick open when the turbo seals blow out the engine is feeding hot oil past/through the worm turbo bearing & essentially going wide open on oil until either the engine looses air or fuel/oil or the engine sizes up from oil starvation.

[@rhawk2424]

Fun fact: most diesel engines run away in an attempt to get farther from their ex wives, or destory themselves in the process.

[@bobt8578]

Diesel engines don't run away... The mechanics do.

[@lsswappedcessna]

For good reason, too. maybe they can't plug the intake in time.

[@kj4ilk]

there needs to be a switch that when it runs away you flip it and it shuts the fuel line at the gas (diesel) tank and a flap covers and locks into place that way if it runs away it will starve it

[@duanehartleb5262]

Lmfao

[@alijahworthy4148]

Nice you

[@stonearches2883]

kjilk simble A fuel disconnect doesn’t work because there is enough residue fuel inside the pump itself to run the engine long enough for damage to happen. Blocking the oxygen intake is the way to kill it. That’s why trucks have the air filter outside the engine compartment. Access is quicker. I remember in school the instructors told us to use the log book to block the intake. They also told us that if we tried to block it by stuffing our field jacket into it that we’d see a diesel engine eat a field jacket.

[@markarntson5039]

As a retired army diesel tank mechanic, I would like to add that, from experience, having a choke cable to an intake plate is a good idea. Also the majority of my experience of diagnosing runaways was a fault in the cooling system. Water pump failure, drive belt... so keep an eye on oil consumption and engine temp. "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

[@micahkinton]

Thank you for your service

[@electric7487]

In some cases, a Planck mass of prevention is worth a quadrillion solar masses of cure.

[@philstaples8122]

The best runaway I ever saw was of a Chieftain tank, it has a 19-litre ( around 750 hp (1,200 cu in)) vertical six-cylinder opposed-piston 2 stroke and supercharged ( 3 lobed roots blower ) diesel engine. The squadron had just pulled out of a hide in a forest and it was twilight, I was told to stop and come up on the turret to watch, anyway the engine was revving so high it sounded like a Harrier jump jet then there was a massive explosion and flash and the back decks of the tank were thrown off, the engine had destroyed itself. Very impressive

[@podulox]

"The best runaway I ever saw was of a Chieftain tank" ^^^YOU WIN! (Best one I ever saw was a Renault Trafic van..!)

[@adolfshitler]

@@podulox I saw a Transit "I think" go runaway about a week ago. Outside a local school whilst the kids were going home. They were all laughing at it! Destroyed in 90 seconds.

[@NeedForSpeed.2004]

Man I hate it when my Diesel engine runs away. They’re a pain in the ass to catch

[@jessehebing9254]

Hah

[@jaysmith1408]

Especially if it took your only truck with it

[@V8AmericanMuscleCar]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@jessicaembers924]

I used to drive a 71 International Transtar with a 6-71 Detroit Diesel engine, and it had a hand pull emergency cutoff valve in the cab that would stop all air flow into the engines intake. I don't know why they didn't All have that, they definitely should have. Especially them old 2 stroke Detroit's, they were notorious for run-away.

[@learoast]

671’s ran away more than any diesel in history.

[@ralphwaters8905]

A CO2 fire extinguisher shot into the intake would stop any combustion engine.

[@W--ko9ms]

@@DonovanBryant92so? If you only allow CO2 in it will starve the engine of oxygen (duh) and it will die out.

[@jepulis6529]

donovan you fucking dumbass

[@badboy99987]

@@DonovanBryant92 I think you mean glo plugs instead of spark plugs not injectors.

[@pancakeking78]

What did Donovan say?

[@jepulis6529]

he said it wouldn't work because a diesel engine combustion ignites from compression and not spark plugs, which does not change the fact that it needs oxygen too

[@lexioncombine9403]

30 + year diesel mechanic. Best failure I've ever seen. Boat got tugged to our Morgan City dock. Said they needed two engines. Odd request, that two engines failed. Once in the hull, we saw why. The starboard engine threw a rod and kicked the starter through the port engine block. Both were sister 399 CATs.

[@brandon2076]

wow! "If i'm going down, i'm taking you with me!" lol

[@OldSchoolZ-wy2yx]

@@brandon2076 "This thermal detonator will blow us all to bits!"

[@thereckchanic4709]

I’ve seen this in the oilfield as the Diesel engine was was in a run-away mode even though the ignition was turned off. It was all because the engine was sucking in oilfield gas into the intake. They eventually installed a 3500 dollars butterfly valve on the intake to protect the engine.

[@rajasimanta]

KZbin ... Was watching how to cook steak and after an hour, this ... Didn't have no dinner, but learned something I'll probably never need in my life

[@beetlebayley5237]

I drove a 2,4 Toyota diesel once. When you went faster than 80 km/h it started accelerating by itself. The problem was worn rings. Sucked the oil from the sump. Every 100 km it used half the engine oil...

[@heinzletzte.6385]

This was likely a damaged turbocharger. When the gap in the oil bearring gets too big, the turbocharger spills oil into the intake. Thats also why it only happens above a certain speed, because below that speed the turbo doesnt fully spool up.

[@linuxusrs7248]

@@heinzletzte.6385 bin gerade dein hundertster Abonnent geworden.

[@heinzletzte.6385]

Oh danke, hatte sogar schon mal 130 Abonnenten. Aber bitte nur abonnieren, wenn der content gefällt (welcher zugegeben manchmal ziemlicher trash ist), nicht nur wegen meinen Kommentaren. Ich will nämlich Niemanden enttäuschen.

[@heinzletzte.6385]

nicht bös gemeint aber das ist immer ärgerlich wenn welche deabonieren lol

[@linuxusrs7248]

@@heinzletzte.6385 normalerweise abonniere ich sowieso nur, wenn mir der content gefällt 😂

[@rickyrobertson8064]

I was a tank mechanic on the M60A3. 1790ci 2cycle V12 LINCOLN. Every GROUND-HOP had to be preceded by two round boards fasten with short pieces of chain to the INTAKE DUCTS. I witnessed a RUNAWAY it was terrifying a brave soldier pressed his chest to one side while convincing someone to do likewise!

[@The_blindpizzaguy1300]

When I was in high school we had a bus that was just on the edge all the time. The thing was scary to ride on because it ran a little higher than it’s governed speed. And what was worse was The bus repair garage never did anything to fix it. And I didn’t actually experienced this, but my senior year my bus driver was leaving a stop light and his vehicle ran away on him, and he had to stall as he was going around the corner so it didn’t catch on fire. The next year after I graduated they decided to replace that old bus with a new one.

[@luashelton9320]

In the 1980's I experienced a 2 cycle Detroit running backwards... But I was absolutely gobsmacked when a DD15 Detroit did it ---and did so very suddenly at idle. Shocking how fast it sucked the accelerator to floorboard, exhaust roared out the air intake, and the engine blew up just as I killed it in gear. This happened much faster than that old 2 cycle did. The DD 15 was a well maintained , low mileage engine that was used only on light loads and was never allowed to run at too high rpm , nor too low.Warranty had expired 21 days prior to this catastrophic failure. Detroit headquarters wanted the engine back asap, to do autopsy on it. They sent a new engine for free, and I think even footed labor cost on a local Detroit affiliate shop . (Company owned truck).Glad i was'nt an owner operator!

[@zachj3483]

A backwards running motor? That's crazy!

[@XavierAncarno]

Thanks for sharing your amazing story.

[@mariegoldstein6687]

Every 2 stroke is able to run backwards, 2 strokes have no valves, that means everything stays normal, intake stays exhausts stays exhaust. Your story is a lie or it wasn't a 2 stroke.....

[@heinzletzte.6385]

2 stroke diesels have intake ports in the cylinder wall and an exhaust valve in the cylinder head. Both are open at the same time at bottom dead center. Because they make no vacuum they need a supercharger to push the air through. So they dont need the space below the piston, thats why they have an oil sump. When the engine runs backwards, the supercharger sucks the air through the intake ports and fresh air enters through the exhaust valve, thats why they smoke from the intake. Also the oil pump runs backwards, thats why it probably died.

[@harrickvharrick3957]

@@mariegoldstein6687 You are either contradicting yourself, or formulating it badly. And you might want to read Heinz LETZTE's explanation, that precisely fits the story as told - cause you're not making sense either.

[@glennchartrand5411]

Most runaways are caused by the engine running on its own oil. -If the turbo seals go out... -If the crankcase gets too hot the oil will boil and the fumes get sucked into the intake. -If the fuel pump starts leaking into the crankcase, the oil thins, gets hot , the engine starts running on the fumes coming out of the crankcase. -Clogged air filter, there is so much vacuum in the intake you start sucking oil around the intake valve seals and piston rings. Then there is my all time favorite, brand new engines running away because the builder used way too much parafin based assembly lube.....first time the engine got hot under load it would boil the paraffin out and the fumes would overrev the engine. I've only seen one runaway caused by a bad governor or fuel system, but I've seen dozens of runaways caused by the engine consuming its own oil. With synthetic oil becoming more common , I'm seeing fewer examples but it still happens .

[@berserk7111]

Unless I've been misinformed , It is my understanding that a hot Detroit 2 stroke will occasionally runaway "after" the fuel is shut off. If this is correct and it is from oil fumes or leaking oil, do you have any idea why it would happen "after" the fuel is shut off? If the oil is hot enough to produce enough fuel vapor to over rev the engine with the fuel valve off then I would think it should runaway prior to closing the fuel valve.

[@glennchartrand5411]

@@berserk7111 the governor compensates for the extra "fuel" provided by an oil leak , so at first you dont notice anything, but once the oil leak gets big enough to actually run the engine , then it wont turn off. Which is why Detroit Diesels had a flapper you could close to starve the engine of air. Detroit Diesels consumed so much oil that when they were being used in semi's every highway had a thick black stripe down the middle of the lane.

[@berserk7111]

@@glennchartrand5411Thanks, I did not consider the governor. I''ll need to research how it works On the DD. The first time I realized how much these things really slobber was when I looked at my field from a higher vantage point and saw a thick black squiggle line like someone used a giant felt tip marker all over my field. It took me a second but then I remembered I had driven my f250 with a 4-53 earlier in the tall grass. The drivetrain and undercarriage is completely covered in oil. Thanks again for the reply. Very much appreciated.

[@WideWorldofTrains]

Original Video of the Train here kzbin.info/www/bejne/jaewnWuCit-EpM0

[@williesmith985]

I worked on offshore supply boats in the oilfield and we'd keep huge blankets in the engine room in case of a runaway to smother the engine. I've experienced one runaway on a 1692 Marine Detroit Diesel but I was able to shut it down before it destroyed itself. It's a little scary standing over the engine trying to shut it down while thinking of all the stories you've heard of pistons coming through the side of the block

[@brendanmeadors3099]

Cats and dogs living together mass hysteria! Thumbs up to the little Pete Venkman line in there love your work Josh

[@rm3141593]

Great to recognize some Ghostbusters quotes!

[@nobenznofun9139]

Hey I'm not a trucker but I drive a Mercedes E class station wagon, which features a 3.0 l V6 Diesel. Love your channel Josh, absolutely great stuff on Diesels! I really appreciate it. It is especially hard to find such a channel since most car enthusiasts focus on gas only!

[@trobery86]

I was always taught if that ever happened to any of our older equipment to quickly take my shirt off and stuff it in the intake.

[@mkatsarakis9963]

It will work but your best bet is to spray c02 into the intake/turbo

[@CriticoolHit]

The person who told you this just wanted you to take your shirt off. They gave everyone else a tennis ball.

[@vincentrobinette1507]

@@CriticoolHit A tennis ball is a great idea, as long as the air intake horn is perfectly round, and smaller diameter, than the tennis ball!

[@FatTracksMusic]

@@CriticoolHit You win comment of the year.

[@JohnMaxGriffin]

Use your hat or the rag in your back pocket. Taking your shirt off could be too slow

[@AlexJeffDust-RenAzuma66]

I like that this isnt a clickbait video and is straight on the point like not many videos these days

[@michaelbrown8545]

Have watched a 3406B run away after the air fuel ratio control was installed incorectly forcing the rack to full fuel. Can remember hearing the engine crank for ages from across the shop, when it fired it started slowly and started to wind up after a few sec we could all tell there wax no stopping it, after a minute the valves started bouncing causing flames around 5 foot long from both stacks at this point it sounded like something possessed, the guy doing the job had long since fled the scene by this time, another fitter climbed up in the cab found a high gear and stalled it out on the brakes. Cheers mate🍻

[@jockellis]

People who lived near the Okefenokee Swamp during both steam and diesel eras told me - as a reporter - that diesels caused way more forest fires than steam. Seems that when they were on a pass track near the swamp they would be idling and depositing carbon on the exhaust stack. When the engineer increased rpm the exhaust would blow out carbon which would still be hot enough to ignite nearby underbrush.

[@josephagnello9335]

EXCELLENT VIDEO !!!!!! Thorough,tight,consice.. Professionally done!!!!!! HEAVY-HAUL off-road. Working on-sight hauling oversize loads in gravel pits and construction/land DEVELOPMENT sights. I had this happen many times with The 1974 Autocar,CAT 1693 bulldozer engine,425s,500s, and Cummins. 1693 blew a piston through cylinder wall;Cummins . . . . TURBO FIRE. Thank you,again for this very informative video.

[@tiredleeches771]

Damn good explanation, I've always wondered what actually happens when a diesel runs away. You hit the nail right on the head, nice video

[@davidmoran4471]

My father had been a diesel machinist on military ships main propulsion, they had steel shutters on the air intake to shutdown a runaway, he said that the engine would pull hard enough that it buckled these steel plates. I remember seeing these engines as a kid, big dudes, like 2 stories tall and 40 to 50 feet long sitting in the warehouse.

[@jamessherman396]

Great video. When I first started driving trucks in the early seventies in Winnemucca NV I drove an old Kenworth with a V-12 detroit. It gets really cold in the winter time and that detroit was a real pig to get started so I always had to use ether if it had sat overnight. One early morning I was trying to get it started and when it finally did it just kept revving higher and higher. I pulled the fuel shutoff and it only slightly slowed so I pulled the emergency air shutoff and the cable broke. Since this was a cabover I couldn't get to the intake to try and block it and I didn't think to use the fire extinguisher so needless to say it ran at what sounded like 10,000 rpm for a few minutes before it stuck some pistons and finally stopped. I tore it down to see if I could fix it but it would have cost more then it was worth. I put a 335 cummins it in and drove it for several more years.

[@heinzletzte.6385]

lol sounds like every prevention mechanism failed at the same time

[@gentbar7296]

very surprised piston parts didnt shoot out of the block like armor piercing amo... like what happen to us

[@gentbar7296]

@@heinzletzte.6385 LOL

[@gabrielv.4358]

@@gentbar7296 Yes

[@goliathprojects7354]

*"Seth MechanicFarlane"*

[@unknown1creature]

😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@wade-potato6200]

Cleetus MechanicFarland

[@brianvirnelson1668]

Your comment is most excellent.

[@aristica1]

Seth MechFarlane

[@tedstrong3990]

I was thinking that too

[@jamesexploringonline872]

Thanks for the info, it happened to a mates once, the very first thing that came to mind was to block the air, others around were panicking, keep in mind as you said when an engine goes to full open revs it became a dangerous situation. Again thankyou for your time and efforts explaining what goes on.

[@kevintucker3354]

It’s own oil as a fuel source

[@insulterify]

It's like drowning in your own blood 😢

[@3patriot716]

Had this happen, Too much oil in crankcase

[@JackRussell021]

The point of using a fire extinguisher to stop a runaway is to shoot a bunch of CO2 into the intake, which takes away the oxygen. I have heard of locomotive engineers using this trick.

[@rondohunter8966]

Retired trucker. Never had that problem personally but have witnessed it. Understood the basics from talking to mechanics and drivers. But this explanation is very good and seems accurate to me.

[@bayboss510Nugguh]

PROBLEM SOLVED 2:48 Hotdogs in the engine. I'm a genious they should pay me.

[@lindenhopkins8790]

A Leo you have to spell your words right before you can be considered a genius🤣😂😂😂😂😂

[@gnuportexe4657]

Linden Hopkins 😂😂😂😂 its a part of the joke shut up

[@bayboss510Nugguh]

Linden, SHUT UP LOL. You needed a comma after "Leo" , Genius.

[@lindenhopkins8790]

A Leo so what

[@lindenhopkins8790]

A Leo does it hurt you

[@madjack1748]

Hey. I'm curious if you could give insight as to how a diesel engine can run backwards... Story time: I was bringing a load of gravel to a customer in a 1986 Kenworth which was equipped with a Cat 3406B 400HP model.. Because of a steep turn on the driveway I managed to stall the truck in 2nd or 3rd gear.. What happened next will stick with me forever, the truck KEPT RUNNING! Albeit with a very delayed throttle response. I started to notice every time I depressed the throttle pedal, smoke would come out of the Air Filter housing but it wouldn't make any power. Mind you by this point I had the truck in neutral and I was trying to figure out what was wrong with it. Eventually I shut it off, restarted the engine and it ran fine after that. Only later after telling the story to some friends and fellow drivers did I hear about "dieseling" an engine. Apparently with older mechanical engines if they "lugged down enough" and stalled they could start running backwards. I'm curious if this situation is video worthy or if you have any thoughts about it. Also great video! Cheers from Canada, buddeh.

[@stanpatterson5033]

The old 2-stroke jokes used to be famous for that. 53-series, 71-series. I never saw it happen on a 92-series, but I'm sure it has happened. Some of the old trucks, you'd have to pull out a handle to physically cut off the fuel and stop the engine. With the old Detroits, if you pulled out the handle, and then at the right time, let it go, sometimes the motor would kick back to life, in reverse. It would puke smoke and stuff out the air inlet. You wouldn't want to let it go on too long though, as the oil pump would also be pumping in reverse, which wouldn't do your engine a lot of good.... I'm sure I might have "stalled out" a time or two, and stomped down the clutch at that perfect moment, and the stupid thing sputtered back to life running backwards. Then you have to deliberately snuff it out and restart it, which might draw attention to you in the form of a horn honk, finger pointing, laughter, etc.

[@layeredchip3220]

Wow that’s weird. I have absolutely no clue how that could happen.

[@michaelbrown8545]

Most early diesels can run backwards as the cam profile would alow the valves to stay open longer on the close ramp. New engines have a very steep close ramp on the cam to shut the valves quickly preventing combustion in reverse rotation. Cheers mate 🍻

[@MidnightMechanic]

Stan Patterson is that why Detroit 2 cycle engines aren't in trucks anymore? lol Holy crap, double the combustion cycles, double the odds of the engine running backwards!

[@Gen3tx]

One of our old dump trucks was 2 strike Detroit and if you rolled down a hill backwards you could start it by releasing the clutch and the motor would be reversed. Actually came in handy on job with almost a 3/4 of a mile back in with the extras gears you got

[@BOBHANNA01]

Had a road call on the freeway for a dt466 smoking a lot, pulled off charge air hose from turbo it was oil soaked, I told them seals in the turbo had gone and they should have this truck towed due to amount of oli they went cheap told driver to drive back. I still had the hood open driver starts up truck it idileed for a second then went into orbit, had a clipboard in my hand and blocked air intake, man it was scary though.

[@madjack1748]

Best option is always stop airflow.. Just don't get your hand sucked into the turbo.

[@Nathan-pw7do]

Heard a n14 that had lost a turbo and the guy didn't clean out the cac, it took off with the hood shut and no load. It stopped after it dropped a valve on every cylinder. Dude really saved some$ on that one lol

[@thomassantilli2188]

I've been there !

[@kutzbill]

My friend had an aluminium clip board with an area on the back that was concave, (or convex, depending which way you looked at it,). He had just reworked and old 238 Detroit and on start up, rack rail got stuck and it was wide open. He had the clipboard and threw it over the intake, and the engine actually pulled the clipboard in a small dome shape. He retired a couple years ago, and he still had that clipboard.

[@ZeffTroll]

Just a recommendation from a professional firefighter/instructor; we teach to use CO2 fire extinguishers to shut down runaway diesel engines. Carbondioxide (CO2) extinguishers are the ones that can freeze your hand to the nozzle cone so you must use gloves. They displace the oxygen eliminating combustion. We direct the nozzle of the CO2 extinguisher directly at the intake of the diesel motor. Being a gas it will pass through all particulate filters and snuff out the potential combustion of any type of fuel in a confined environment. Remove the oxygen remove the combustion process.

[@1929modelagirl]

Well explained I have never had a runaway in the 40+ years I've driven but I have seem the results twice. Not pretty. And both drivers said it was absolutely terrifying. And spendy. Thank you

[@nameofthegame9664]

I had a run away on a Volvo FH12 because of turbo failure. Luckily my buddy was fast thinking and showed a bunch of rags into the air filter house and it caused the engine to starve and stop.

[@channghiem5012]

I enjoyed you’re ghost busters reference, cats& dogs living together!

[@DubiusTheWolf]

I remember when I was 14 or 15 we put a used diesel engine in our Land Rover which at first wouldn't start since it had been sitting for a while and then went running away pretty much right after it started. Horrifying experience! We managed to make a ball of rags and gloves we had handy big and firm enough block the air intake good enough to stop it rather quickly. No harm done to the engine. It had a stuck injection pump so we just put the pump of the old engine on it and it was good to go. Like all of your informative videos, please keep this wonderful work up!

[@markfortin421]

Thank You for the very thorough explanation of a "runaway" diesel and how to stop it. I've wondered for some time, the cause, and I think you nailed it. My other question concerned "Turbo Diesel" Runaways, but if you use logic, the cause is basically the same, except in the turbo instead of the engine. Thank You!

[@matthewwalker6401]

Thanks josh great video !!!!

[@stevebond727200]

Thanks. Very interesting and thank you for the clean language. Very professional. I know the old radial engines on aircraft had ocassional runaway props. I believe that was a governor issue where perhaps the propellers went to flat pitch and over sped which lead in some cases blades off and catastrophic airframe damage.

[@Trevor_Austin]

Virtually any aircraft with a constant speed unit can suffer from a propellor runaway.

[@CF-rx7hx]

Always a pleasure.👍. Thank you.

[@slammersam924]

Very knowledgeable. Thanks for the informative video.

[@StrangeDuck]

Ive seen a train going down the tracks with fire coming out the exhaust on the top. not sure if it was a runaway or not. but it looked cool

[@stanpatterson5033]

Fire out the exhaust stack is an indication of over-fueling. Normally, over-fueling presents as simply excessive (black) smoke, but if the machine has been working really hard, and if the exhaust is very hot, the unburnt excess fuel will actually begin to burn inside the exhaust, and when the stream emerges outside of the exhaust pipe, it meets the fresh ambient air, so the oxygen infusion as it's leaving the stack helps ignite the mixture and it presents as a visible flame. Yeah, looks cool, not really a problem other than to indicate that it's time for some shop maintenance. In some extreme cases, there could be instances of fire out the stack if the turbocharger was experiencing a failure where the lube oil being pumped to the turbo's bearings, manages to get past the seals on the hot side of the turbo, and ends up puking oil into the exhaust stream. This would present as quite a wild and excessively sooty, smoky blue-white exhaust, and if left unchecked, could begin to consume the lube oil from the engine. Modern locomotives would have a sensor that would indicate low oil level in the crankcase (or low oil pressure in critical areas), and would lead to a governed shut-down, if the engineer did not notice or act, the engine's management system would shut it down to prevent self-destruction. In a runaway situation, if the engine is getting its "fuel" from lube oil getting past the piston rings, or from turbo bearing seal failure on the "cold" side (compressor side, forcing oily air into the intake), there is no way for the engine to stop itself until it runs out of this "fuel" supply, or someone blocks off the air supply, or if it simply "grenades" itself from overspeed or lack of sump lubrication to the rest of the engine. Stopping air supply to a locomotive would be a tall order, as the openings for air intake are huge, and the danger of the object getting sucked right in would be quite high.

[@ranchertrapperdieselbuilds3632]

"Cats and dogs living together " "chaos. lol love it

[@AndyHayes1]

I know this is an older video but then again so am I. Great video dude. Good job explaining for the average joe to understand.

[@notaspy3751]

I'm not even a diesel technician and i watched this full video. Yay, now i know what a runaway is!

[@JH-tn9kk]

I’ve seen two runaways happen when I was running heavy equipment. Both involved 657E Scrapers. The first one was in the forward engine. On the other scrapper a few months later on another job site. A competitor company had a rear engine run away on their 657E. Both incidents. The engines took off to a loud roar. Pumping huge columns of cool out the exhaust and BOOM! Big black mushroom cloud. The operator of the forward engine runway jumped out and ran. The second. The operator sat in his cab watching it go terminal.

[@HUBBABUBBADOOPYDOOP]

It's fairly easy to get a junkyard throttle body from a gas engine, permanently plug any vacuum lines, and attach it in the air flow path (after turbo). Hook up a cable with a pull knob, inside the cabin, like a "choke" (which is what you're doing).

[@travispoettcker1078]

Really terrific explanation my dude, cheers and keep up the great work !

[@tempusfugit9009]

i should have watched this guy before my hour long binge of runaway comps. haha. good stuff thanks for your time.

[@flip66five]

Runaways are fueled by oil not diesel 95% of the time...

[@felixbeutin9530]

diesel is an oil

[@peterf.229]

usually from a blown turbo, but not always. And ironically they still can suck in diesel fuel as well

[@felixbeutin9530]

@Corn Fed DIESEL IS AN OIL Dammit the engine can burn both diesel and oil

[@vincentrobinette1507]

@@felixbeutin9530 True, he should have been more specific: He should have said "crankcase oil".

[@Jupiter__001_]

@@vincentrobinette1507 Or turbo/supercharger oil, or valve oil. Lubricant oil in general.

[@idunneedachannelffs]

thumbs up for the ghostbusters quote

[@PeterSwinkels]

Nice video. Very informative. Thank you.

[@reedsilvesan2197]

Hi Josh, really like your channel. Here's my thoughts on the subject. With a truck engine, with a runaway we need to limit the engine speed, that's the killer. We can do this by putting the truck in neutral, kill the cruise control, activate the Jake brake, let the clutch pedal out. The engine should now limit the RPMs to around 1200 or less as the Jake doesn't know the fuel source, it only knows it has to activate with the increase of RPMs, thus a makeshift rev limiter has been initiated. This will prevent engine damage, and will give us the vital time we need to safely shut off the air by pulling the air boot and plugging the intake.

[@TalenGryphon]

Tennis balls work too apparently. A science teacher at a school I worked at had a Mercedes 300D wagon that ran away on him due to some manner of rack failure. Being a science teacher he quickly thought about the fire triangle and jammed a tennis ball into the intake. Ultimately he saved the engine, and only later noticed the red lever labeled "Stop" on the side of the engine After watching this, if I ever wind up with any diesel rig of my own I'll def install some manner of air cut-off system

[@gordonlawrence4749]

carbon dioxide or nitrogen flooders work too.

[@rileynewton17]

I have a 300D and i had no idea what that STOP lever was. Thanks man!

[@robertmcenery4344]

The STOP lever is attached to the rack. It pushes it below the governor controlled idle position to bottom out and kill the engine. A mechanically injected diesel runs without electricity, it requires a positive force to shut it down. Mercedes used a pneumatic servo to operate that lever, similar to their door lock actuators. For marine/industrial applications, Murphy Controls makes a safety stop actuator that incorporates a 30lb spring to push on that STOP lever if the power to the solenoid (holding it back while the engine is running) is cut.

[@zachtoburen]

Oh shit...I have one of those...

[@generalkayoss7347]

Or just install some sort of auto shutoff for the fuel pump if the engine reaches a certain RPM. Runaway diesel problem solved.

[@greecoboost]

5:27 Loved the "Ghostbusters" reference!

[@jimf3932]

Very informative Ape! Thanks for such a good video!

[@teamdrummond6915]

Very well-explained. Thank you!!

[@deusexaethera]

I know diesel engines don't require throttle valves to control engine speed, but it certainly seems like it would be helpful to have a throttle valve anyway, even if it was only used as an emergency cutoff and left in the full-open position the rest of the time.

[@cbmech2563]

Older Detroits had a flapper in the intake that works if you get before it's too much over redline, otherwise it will suck the seals out of the blower and run on that. At that point a co2 extinguisher is probably the only possibility.

[@alex2143]

Sounds like added complexity to mitigate a really rare situation.

[@emmabruce187]

I heard about another way diesels can runaway when I was reading about the deepwater horizon disaster. On oil rigs they use big diesel generators for power. During the drilling accident a whole load of natural gas started to escape and spread around the rig. The gennys then sucked the gas/air mixture in through the air intakes and this caused them to run away. At that point you could totally shut off the fuel and they would keep running away - they’re getting everything they need through the intake. It all happened so fast there wasn’t much the crew could do. Eventually one of the diesels exploded igniting the natural gas around it causing a huge fire and destroying the rig.

[@NiceMuslimLady]

Happened at that one oil refinery. The diesel pickup truck was parked with the engine running. When the fuel started coming out the top of the blowdown drum and ended up around the truck, the vapours started getting into the intake and the truck started reving and running away. When the engine came apart it probably was what caused the whole place to blow up.

[@peterf.229]

@@NiceMuslimLady maybe however the bigger issue is that they improperly ran the refinery and allowed the gas to come out of the top of the blowdown drum which would have found another source to make the vapors explode. there were people thatsupposedly survived and heard the truck revving.

[@NiceMuslimLady]

@@peterf.229 Yes, the pickup truck was heard revving at the refinery before it blew up. Eventually, the vapours might have found another source to blow up on and it might have actually been an even worse explosion. Even tho it wasn't actually said, I can see people hearing the truck and just going "Oh no! RUN!" and running away, knowing what could be coming next...BOOM!!!

[@EATSLEEPDRIVE2002]

You’re thinking of the Texas City oil refinery, bub

[@keeganmyers7627]

Deep Water Horizon

[@jackedup8790]

Great video. This is crazy. I never voiced it but I was thinking just today. What makes a diesel runaway and it shows up in my KZbin suggestions. Now these phones can read my mind.

[@TheBirdandEagle]

Again an excellent video. Thank you.

[@rhedinrage1601]

Gonna make a second comment too :D Many of the modern Diesels, as in 2019 that I've test driven or owned seem to have an inbuilt debounce making the RPM take longer to come down or really high end ones rev match between gears, lower end ones have a tendency to surge as the cars management draws more power for A/C or something like that. As someone mindful of mechanical failures, modern cars make me very paranoid.

[@russellgaskin7995]

I had an old 2.2ltr Hilux engine do this. It had worn valve guide seals and valve guides. It would suck the engine oil into the cylinders and run away with lots of blue smoke. You would get a loud clatter and way it would go. Had to break hard in top gear to stall it. You can do this with this engine as they don't have enough power to pull the skin off a rice pudding!!!!!

[@joeyparttridge9811]

I’m a river boat engineer. Specifically EMD engines. It rarely happens with EMDs. Has an over speed trip that stops injector function at RPM over a pre determined value. Only problem with that is if the over speed trip springs get weak it’ll shut down or die under a load. So maintenance is key and I can’t stress this enough…..top end inspections, top end inspections, top end inspections! EMDs are amazing engines! Americans work horse and they are brilliantly designed!

[@joeyparttridge9811]

And by the way…. An emergency fuel shut down is ALWAYS a good idea!

[@MichaelMerten]

Great video. Thanks for the lesson.

[@ehud87]

I worked on a lot of 2 stroke Detroits in the late 80's that were notorious for run aways.I always had a C02 fire extinguisher close by.

[@Chiefamongsinnerz]

Cats & Dogs living together, MASS HYSTERIA!! 😂😂😂 Who ya gonna call......... Ghostbusters!!!

[@meady170]

Big diesel fan and your video has helped me understand what’s going on keep it up butty ✌️🎄

[@JoshGrayHHH619]

I laughed pretty hard at the Peter Venkman "Ghostbusters" line you threw in around 5:25. Ha!

[@AdeptApe]

No idea what you are talking about, Bill Murray is the best.

[@JoshGrayHHH619]

100% agree! A true legend.

[@pgtmr2713]

Weird thing is he sounded like Akroyd saying it. What the American public doesn't know is what makes them the American public.

[@johnwilson2284]

Bill Murray stripes

[@jennifercapps105]

@Hello Josh how are you doing

[@marshalllhiepler]

Don't get all worked up, over a run-away diesel. I've had a couple diesel engines run away in the past. But, they always came back, a few days later.

[@nineisalso6237]

I’m pretty sure your very lucky as a runaway is a sign that shows you something is wearing pretty fast and you need a new fuel tap

[@Jrez]

If you love it let it go, if it is really yours it'll come back.

[@mikefoehr235]

I bet they were all Canine Diesels...maybe even Vin Diesel

[@jahimuddin7380]

They usually just walk around the neighborhood and come back by supper.

[@johnmartin2079]

Thanks brother for your time

[@ksale22]

Thank you man you are very good at explaining things!

[@justinbiddle5048]

We had an ISX run away a few years ago after a turbo failure. We wanted to drain the CAC, boss man wanted to start the truck. There’s still a spot on the ceiling in our shop!

[@volvo09]

management decision.... haha

[@howtowithelizabeth7513]

What a dumbass I hope he learnt to listen in that kind of situation instead of rushing things

[@ahhheh8957]

Him: "Okay?" Me: "Okay."

[@MrKrayzf8]

Very good information on finally understanding the problem.

[@Toppradd]

Very informative and well explained.. tnx

[@deztructo123]

You can stop a run away with a bucket of water. But this is best done on something you don't own.

[@link1094]

Runaways are great to talk about; but they're a whole different story when you're up close. Solid video.

[@The1belal]

Very informative, thank you

[@3ziz1981]

I am learning a lot from your channel. Thank you so much sir 🌹

[@capnchip]

I taught diesel for John Deere at a tech college. These vids are great! And, for once, there is NOT that standard aggriveting -a 44 stupi

[@xnopyt13]

Go to the highest gear and dump the clutch while firmly braking?

[@cameronhli9639]

Yes. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gXqaiZWoltCisNU

[@gentbar7296]

maestro

[@heinzletzte.6385]

On a 2l car thats the way to go. But in a brig truck you might break something.

[@xnopyt13]

Heinz LETZTE. Doesn't feels like something can brake tho

[@BadIdeas101]

You can do that...once

[@TheKurtsPlaceChannel]

Very nice video. Thanks for posting and have a nice day too.

[@RobotsCanDoAnything]

Thank you for your work. I have learned so much from watching your videos.

[@2006ryde2006]

Had a Volvo L70D at work runaway when something came apart in the injection pump and jammed the rack full open. It was up to 2700rpm when the mechanic came and got me. By the time we got to it, it was still climbing going up to 2900. I drove it in a snowbank in high gear, curled up the bucket, shoved the arms down, cut if full left and it was still idling. An electrician was at work, he was driving by when he saw the other mechanic rip the pre-cleaner off and blocked it off with a 1/2” thick piece of rubber, it brought it down to less than 60rpm, it had at least a full second between the cylinders firing . He yells “what are you guys doing?” I yelled “it’s runaway, it won’t shut off!” He yelled back “Pull the plug wires off dumbass!!”...

[@joshmccormick7534]

Haha pull the plug wires good luck with that one

[@WeaponsGG]

LMAO PLUG WIRES DONT DO SHIT 🤣🤣

[@swillswill]

Heck with the plug wires. Just smash the distributor cap!!!! It works for me every single solitary individual actual time, and then some!!!

[@jimmesc]

So, just exactly who was the dumbass ? ? LOL

[@robertbenoit5374]

PLUG WIRES ON A DIESEL? That's interesting.

[@madjack1748]

When I worked in the Alberta oil fields, any truck or powerplant on site with a diesel engine HAD to be equipped with an air shut off valve, basically you hit the switch and a butterfly valve in the intake closes, removing air from the engine. This was in case of a gas leak or some type of prehistoric fume getting sucked into the intake of a tanker, vac truck, drill rig or whatever and cause a diesel to runaway and blow up...... Which would result in a lot of paperwork... Come to think of it, I saw a mechanic use a Gasoline soaked rag start a "Mercedes" MBE4000 that had shut off after running out of fuel once...

[@speed150mph]

Munnz forget the paperwork. If you have a gas leak big enough to cause the engine to runaway, and you don’t get it shut down before it explodes, chances are the sparks and flames are gunna set off the rest of the fumes that are now across your lease and the whole lease goes boom lol

[@madjack1748]

speed150mph which comes with a lot of paperwork.

[@jonnylee5191]

Gasoline soaked rags start a diesel that's ran dry better than anything I've seen

[@rtel123]

The first thought that came to mind. Unbelievable that engine makers would try to save pennies by not putting emergency air cutoffs controlled from the cab on EVERY engine.

[@luashelton9320]

Fascinating story Munnz! About oilfield requirements.... All these stories from you guys are fascinating , and I'm learning a boatload from you all.... Fascinating too is when a driving school student tries to run back to a truck that's on fire , and he's running back towards the truck hollaring "My logbook! My logbook's in there!" And we grabbed him by his shirt collar and stuffed him in a ditch just as the big "boom!" explosion shot flames 20 feet tall. His eyes got HUGE!. Scary stuff., when you realize you could be asleep in the bunk during stuff like this

[@db5202]

Thank you, excellent content!

[@SoulPurposeGarage]

Thank you for sharing this knowledge. I had some assholes trying to tell me diesel runaways dont exist, shut the key off, put it in nuetral etc... I sent them here 👍

[@poiuytrewq8ff]

there is dozens of runaway diesels on youtube

[@GavinY]

Don't throw the fire extinguisher in! DISCHARGE it into the air intake, that will snuff out the air and stop the engine. Obviously a CO2 one will do no damage as it's only a gas, but I suppose any other flame retardant will also work but messy clean up

[@charliesanders1346]

If you have a standard ABC extinguisher then blow it into the air filter intake. It will clog the filter and choke the engine out. This isn't great on the engine but it sure beats blowing up the engine.

[@GavinY]

@Camp Cookery that's not how powdered extinguishers work, the solid powder smothers the flame. That's why co2 is better

[@MrWombatty]

Clogging the filter will not guarantee that it'll prevent air entering through any leaks in the plumbing between filter & head, but if you're running out of options you have to try anything as long as it isn't risky or unsafe!