Double Yellow's Company Driver to Independent Thread

my grandpa woulda said you need to open it up and clean it out zoom zoom

my boat diesel mechanic would start the boat after 2 days and a 1000 parts laying around the bilge
then open it up to 2000 rpm 10 seconds later
I'd be skeered to death he would LOL
at least he was still there if it blew up

 

Lol Pete....sure we didn't have the same Grampa? And one of my best buddies&my older brother who have been building &rebuildin both truck diesels&motorcycle race engine for about a combined million years....let a brand new engine idle long enuff to get oil pressure up...then bring it up about 1/2throttle till there's some heat in it...then hold it WFO...claim if its right it'll be fine if it ain't it'll break sumthin right then and there....only seen one(Harley nitro race motor)come apart&never one o their cats...but I gotta walk outta the shop...makes me nuts....lol

 

No, its not a "KR myth." Soot acts as an abrasive in the oil, and allowing a high soot condition to persist will decrease the life of your engine. 2% comes to mind, but my memory of this is probably unreliable. However, as I recall, you should find some words on the subject if you poke about the Polaris website.

 

My thinking may be flawed, and if it is, please correct me. But, I wouldn't attribute the majority of soot count to come from valves out of adjustment. The majority of the soot in the oil comes from the blow by and oxidation from the motor and heat. Normally loss of fuel milage and louder valve train noise is a better indicator of the valves needing adjustment.

 

I'd think your results on the latest analysis are fine, especially considering your excellent fuel economy. An unexplained drop in fuel economy or jump in soot from what you're seeing now might point to the need for an overhead, but in general, I'd leave well enough alone. Mechanics can screw up an overhead, so having them mess with an engine that is doing well because it hits an arbitrary mileage point could be inviting trouble.

 

Sometimes a sample report can be off. I had a spike in soot that was flagged one time. Report said to run as usual and if the spike was there the next time there could be a problem that needs addressing. I think it was attributed to excessive idling. Which in my case probably caused it. In yours you probably don't idle much.

 

There's only one way to know for sure the overhead is set right ! This is a Cummins ISX CM871, but he gives good explanation and tips you can apply to Detroit.

 

Soot in the oil can point to a lot of different things, valves out of adjustment, poor quality fuel, excessive idle, rings getting worn, leaks in hump hoses or air to air, dirty air filter, carbon deposits on injector(s), one or more injectors over fueling....