The Detroit Diesel 2 Stroke Lubrication Debate
- Thread starter bigdig4
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They were more concerned with cold starting and not oil consumption. Quite different than an over-the-road trucker that had to add four quarts of oil at every fuel stop.
Yes, you are correct. Cold starting was the primary concern
I have noticed most stationary units call for a straight SAE40 oil because the assumption is the unit is in a heated structure that is not to say a 15w40 wouldn't be just as good. I wouldn't sweat running either.
That has nothing to do with the grade either mono or multi.
Who mentioned using an ND oil? That would be foolish.
Ya why would you even?
valid argument thanks
What about the ND oil?
Bigdig4, from 1978 until about Y2K I spent most of my work life dyno'ing, repairing or rebuilding 6V and 8V71's as well as 6V92's... basic Detroit recommendation for those engines was an SAE 30 or 40 monograde oil that carried Milspec 2104b... they didn't even care about the C rating... in the later years fleet I worked at switched over to 15w40 just because the Detroits were obsolete and the 4 stroke portion of the fleet became the majority and I dont remember us having any issues using 15w40 in the 2 stroke Detroit's. FWIW most of them use so much oil I suspect it doesn't matter.. if you are truly a 2 stroke Detroit guy you will enjoy this picture of history I still have in my toolbox and if you are new to them you will ask me what this stuff is.
either way those are what I consider the best sounding diesel engines ever built..Attachments
Every height gauge available in there!
My grandfather would get called back to the shop years after he retired to tune the Detroit's in the dump trucks since there wasn't anybody left who knew them. I'm pretty sure he didn't have those fancy tools, though, and had learned to do it by ear.
We used to cut the ends off the valve/injector push rod tool and weld them back together into a L. You didn't have to swap the tools and you could flip it with one hand. I only had two injector height gauge tools. One for brown tags and another for all the others. Don't think I ever used the other injector gauge, just the one for brown tags....I still have in my toolbox and if you are new to them you will ask me what this stuff is.
I have some special ones for the CAT 3406 (with Jakes) in the tool box too. And the timing pin.
for the most part I think I mostly used the 1.460 and 1.470... never even used them from the Kent Moore set in the picture.. used the other 2 I bought... I ran the dyno for a couple years, ended up setting and checking injecotrs and the rack every day..
really, you can set the injector height with a caliper, if that is all you have.. the governor you can just use a wrench and a pliers... that special kit I have there has never been used, either... its like new but 40 years old.
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Ahhhh 2 stroke DD! The best things to turn diesel fuel into music and leak as much oil as they burn. Wonderful things really. You either get it or you don't.
I was there when we divi'ed up his tools after he passed and I'm pretty sure if you couldn't buy it from Sears he didn't have it, lol
I just retired from 34 years in the school bus industry as a mechanic. 71 series laying sideways under the floor in the middle of the bus and rear engined 6V92 units. Always use straight 40 unless it is well below freezing. We were a little below freezing in the coldest part of winter and the Detroits would always start with a flick of the switch, no questions asked. The Cummins and Cats on the other hand were a bit grumpy in the cold even on multi vis. Never had a lubrication related failure. Oil consumption was far higher if someone screwed up and put the 15 40 in a Detroit. Detroits only leak oil from two places...
Pipe plugs and machined surfaces.
Pipe plugs and machined surfaces.
Ha! So basically you're saying they leak everywhere.
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