Idling

BaiJiu

BaiJiu

Active member
I have a question about idling, With the small diesel engines in our RTV's is it better to keep them idling or shut them off while doing chores throughout the day, I am talking about winter here. I feel like I should keep the diesel warm but I know it is not good to idle gasoline engines as they will foul plugs and valves.
 
Kanook

Kanook

Active member
Just my opinion but I tend to leave my little diesels idling in the winter if I,m not going to be more that 10 or 15 minutes. If its minus 15 or 20c I like to reenter awarm cab. Those fella's driving those long haulers that visit the truck stop on the TransCanada Highway just west of here never shut those rigs down when they stop for a coffee....'course they aren't driving RTVs.
 
BaiJiu

BaiJiu

Active member
Thanks Kanook, that's what I do as well, all my experience with diesel engines has been to keep them warm, I just never had the RTV experience and wanted to see what other were doing. When I am working my tractor during the winter I never shut it off.
 
M

Mark.Sibole

Well-known member
In the winter i leave it idleing unless its more than 30 minutes during summer when doing fast chored i leave it idle but longer chores i turn it off.Working construction all my life and operating diesels idleing dosnt hurt them and its easier on the starter.At work machines run 12 to 14 hours a day non stop and last for years.
 
K

King

Member
I never shut mine off its usually out in a field and that way I know I can get home but it has never not started just what I do
 
BaiJiu

BaiJiu

Active member
Thanks guys I am going to continue to let mine idle, I like to know my lubes are up to temperature when I am working a machine.
 
R

razerface

Member
i leave mine running sometimes,,,don't know the minutes. It depends on what i am doing,,,and when it crosses my mind the hour meter is running too long for nothing.
 
B

bczoom

Senior Member
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
OK, I'm the oddball. I normally shut mine down, especially in the summer.

I know they don't burn much fuel but I find I try to work faster than I should or want to in whatever it is I'm doing while the RTV sits and idles. Once I shut it down, I then go at a more appropriate pace.
 
BaiJiu

BaiJiu

Active member
Thanks Zoom I always shut mine down in the summer as well but in the winter for short periods of time I let it idle, particularly if I am dropping off hay/straw or feed. On really cold days my temperature needle hardly moves off the peg so I feel like the RTV isn't really getting up to temperature and I hesitate to shut it off.
 
B

bczoom

Senior Member
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
Yes. In the winter I'll let it idle but shut it down if it's going to be more than 5 minutes or so. I don't believe the engine is going to change much in temp (cool off) in those 5 minutes.
 
TWO GUNS

TWO GUNS

Senior Member
Site Supporter
Unless I am going to get right back into the RTV, I will shut down.

Now, there has been times when leaving a field, going into the woods blood trailing. Leave running for sound, to zero in for the return. Some of these woods are so thick, like a covered jungle. Palmetto over your head, vegetation, etc ...
Wounded deer and hogs zig - zag so much when bleeding down. Just makes the return so much faster and easier.
 

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BaiJiu

BaiJiu

Active member
Two guns I would be afraid to shut mine off in that stuff if it was camo colored. Beautiful greenery though.
 
TWO GUNS

TWO GUNS

Senior Member
Site Supporter
BaiJiu said:
Two guns I would be afraid to shut mine off in that stuff if it was camo colored. Beautiful greenery though.
Click to expand...

..... and may I add, that is not the thick vegetation. That is why when I go on a blood trail. I leave the rifle in the truck and drag out my .45.
Rifle barrel gets hung up on vines, limbs, etc >>>> slows one down.
I've killed a many of wild boar hogs with the .45, by just walking up on them.
And also, the .45 has saved my life many times, when they (hogs) have charged doing their best to kill you...... The .45 have saved me and many other men a few times on other things also....

...... two guns
 

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RealtreeRTV

RealtreeRTV

Member
Anything over 5 or 10 minutes, I shut it off and here's why.

Don't worry there won't be a test later.

Most diesels especially the older ones, didn't stay hot enough at idle for complete combustion partly due to overcooling. Without complete combustion they would start puffing smoke and could even start misfiring. This incomplete burn would cause glazing on cylinder or liner walls, which takes hours off of an engine.
The newer motors are better in this regard and maybe there is no problems with the RTV maintaining temp but I still don't let mine idle for to long especially when it's cold out.
Years ago we would encourage our drivers and operators to bump the idle up if they didn't want to shut their engines off.
In fact the newer (computer controlled) OTR trucks have idle shut down features on them that if enabled will shut the engine off if the throttle sees no movement in a preset time. This is for several reasons: incomplete burn, emissions and economy. The driver can override this feature by bumping the idle up, usually with the cruise control buttons that double as a type of hand throttle.
While many diesels might not be harmed by prolonged idling, they sure weren't designed for it, they were built to work and they don't work at idle.

Starters are cheaper than engine work.

Hope this helps.
 
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BaiJiu

BaiJiu

Active member
RealtreeRTV thank you so much for this post, I think I am within your limits but I was always concerned about causing long term problems resulting from idling.
 
TWO GUNS

TWO GUNS

Senior Member
Site Supporter
RealtreeRTV said:
Anything over 5 or 10 minutes, I shut it off and here's why.

Don't worry there won't be a test later.

Most diesels especially the older ones, didn't stay hot enough at idle for complete combustion partly due to overcooling. Without complete combustion they would start puffing smoke and could even start misfiring. This incomplete burn would cause glazing on cylinder or liner walls, which takes hours off of an engine.
The newer motors are better in this regard and maybe there is no problems with the RTV maintaining temp but I still don't let mine idle for to long especially when it's cold out.
Years ago we would encourage our drivers and operators to bump the idle up if they didn't want to shut their engines off.
In fact the newer (computer controlled) OTR trucks have idle shut down features on them that if enabled will shut the engine off if the throttle sees no movement in a preset time. This is for several reasons: incomplete burn, emissions and economy. The driver can override this feature by bumping the idle up, usually with the cruise control buttons that double as a type of hand throttle.
While many diesels might not be harmed by prolonged idling, they sure weren't designed for it, they were built to work and they don't work at idle.

Starters are cheaper than engine work.

Hope this helps.
Click to expand...

Realtree,
I do agree with you 100%.
YOU ARE CORRECT ON YOUR STATEMENT !!!!


....... TWO GUNS
 
C

cov62431

Member
Good info realtree, we get welding machines in our shop constantly that are "loaded up" from excessive idleing. The guys in the field will use them as generators (mostly 110v) to power their tools, which doesn't put the load on the motor that welding would. Thanks for the informative post.
 
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