Kevin Rutherfrauds $200000 Signature glider truck has complete engine failure!!!

The answer no one will accept is operator error, everyone wants it to be PP or KR's fault. I believe they lugged it to death. Maybe start a poll so everyone can vote for their theory.

Someone smarter than me wrote this:

Running a diesel engine under high load at low rpm results in too much fueling (overfueling) in the combustion chamber, with raw fuel being sprayed onto the cylinder walls and piston crown without ignition (it cannot ignite unless it has been atomized with the intake air). Some of this fuel is drawn into the crankcase and dilutes the crankcase oil with raw diesel fuel, some of it is cooked onto various metal surfaces, and some of it is burned off as almost raw carbonaceous soot particles. Extended periods of this will overheat the engine causing a myraid of problems due to the concentrated overheating of portions of the combustion chamber where the raw fuel molecules are burned off. Also, it puts severe strain onto the main bearings of the crankshaft and will lead to premature failure as the boundary lubrication provided by the crankcase oil is exceeded by the strain of the mechanics of the lugged engine, causing metal to metal contact.

Other Bearing Failure Clues
Shiny areas will be seen on the back of the bearing due to its rubbing back and forth. In some cases, discoloration may be seen where oil has worked its way between the two surfaces and burned.
Overloading may be caused by vehicle operator error. Excessive idling can result in an oil film that can’t support the load needed.
Engine lugging can distort either (or both) the crankcase or crankshaft, affecting either (or both) the connecting rod and/or main bearings.

 

True, Oscar. He will most likely come out unscathed regarding any litigation.
My previous reference to it was limited to just the manner KR & PP will 'discover' all the answers to why the engine was an anchor, at best.

 

A more cynical soul than I could argue that today's little rambling mea culpa was for nothing else but to put the blame for this at the feet of PP, while making it look like he wasn't going to throw them under the bus. And as you pointed out, leaving him squeaky clean, a victim himself.

 

Was looking through some of that FB stuff, the truck owner commented his "new mechanic" would be at the MB booth at MATS if anyone wanted to stop by, I take it he and PP are getting divorced. Lot of interesting comments on there.

 

Exactley. I'd be all over my signature truck that fell on its face at 100k miles.

 

I agree with you somewhat on that but an electronic engine is much more forgiving than the old manuals. And even though it's electronic and almost idiot proof, I would never hammer on my motor down at peak torque rpms, pulling heavy loads up steep grades all the time. It's just crazy. It probably makes a motor that would last 1,000,000 miles need an inframe at 600,000. This motor was so screwed up from the get go that it couldn't make it 100,000 miles regardless how hard they were on it. But really as none of us were ever inside the truck to see exactly how it was driven how can we say 100% it had to be driver abuse? It apparently had overheating issues for a long time. Does it really matter? Truth be told there is plenty of blame that can go around to all 3 parties here.

 

This is the best thread on TTR in months.

 

All of this could be true, Old Man. But that doesn't account for trapped particles from dirty assembly, nor the lack of the MicroBlue rods and mains. Remember too, that the corrosion in the coolant passages was by far the most likely cause of the cooling issues (although one time to 220 isn't exactly catastrophic overheating.)

So while running the engine at that low of rpm may well have contributed to the engine's demise, there are plenty of other issues that need answering, i.e. the protrusions and the dirty assembly.

 

My understanding that over fueling doesn't really happen in an electronic engine. Remember, lugging is relative. To get better performance and mileage, you wouldn't want to pull a 12.7 below 1300, but really lugging wouldn't be until 1000. As far as idling, these guys were in it for the fuel mileage, and they have an apu. I thought like you at first, but they don't have a PP box, so the fuel should off when they are lugging it. I'll put this one on PP.

 

Dirty assembly or particles from gauled out bearings?