Diesel Engine VS Gas Engine

Diesel Engine VS Gas Engine: Diesel engine principles are pretty straight forward for the experienced mechanic but what about regular everyday people who have never taken the time to find out more about a diesel engine vs gas engine and how they both work? I am going to explain in layman's terms the basic principles of a diesel engine and the differences vs gasoline engines.




WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A DIESEL ENGINE AND A GAS ENGINE?...a quick overview.





The first thing you should know is a gasoline engine and a diesel engine are totally different. A gasoline engine is constructed much lighter than the heavier built diesel engine and runs on an air/fuel mixture combined with a high energy spark that is timed to ignite the air/fuel mixture inside each engine cylinder at the precise time creating power and torque [turning force] which drives your vehicle.

A diesel engine uses high compression [intake air that is compressed] into a very small space inside each cylinder causing extreme heat! This is called 'Heat Of Compression' which ignites a very fine high pressure mist of diesel fuel that is injected into the cylinder at the exact time.

Gasoline engine needs a high energy spark to run while a diesel uses:
'Heat Of Compression'

THE FOUR STROKE PRINCIPLE

Every engine today runs on FOUR STROKES or FOUR CYCLES- both these terms mean the same. Here is how the four stroke diesel engine operates. The four strokes are: INTAKE-COMPRESSION-POWER-EXHAUST. The pistons, valves and injectors work together in each cylinder in a set sequence over and over.


INTAKE STROKE:
Intake valves in the cylinder head open allowing pressurized air to enter each cylinder while the piston is travelling downward.{the pressurized air supply is made possible by the TURBOCHARGER which pushes air into the intake system giving the diesel engine a boost of air to keep up with instantaneous injection of fuel

COMPRESSION STROKE:
When the piston starts to make it's way back upward the valves close which traps the intake air in the cylinder which allows compression to take place, the HEAT OF COMPRESSION is reached when the piston reaches the top of the cylinder, the diesel fuel is then injected into the cylinder at the precise time.

POWER STROKE:
After injection takes place an explosion occurs in the cylinder because of the combination of heat and atomized diesel fuel. This causes the piston to be forced downward which produces torque and the horsepower required from a typical diesel engine.

EXHAUST STROKE:
After the power stroke the piston moves upward once again while the exhaust valves open allowing the previously ignited gases to escape to the atmosphere out the exhaust system.
As mentioned before each cylinder goes through this exact sequence over and over in a set firing order.

For instance, a 6 cylinder diesel engine has a firing order 1- 5- 3- 6- 2- 4 This is the order that each cylinder goes by, following the 4 strokes mentioned above. This sequence has been engineered to allow the diesel engine to run smoothly with no imbalance.

In my opinion there is no comparison: The diesel engine VS gas engine debate could go on forever but I'm sold on diesel engines for there strength and reliability.

Thomas Buses - Allison Transmission Wiring Modification

Thomas Buses are driven by an Allison MD 3000 Series Automatic transmission. This 1995 Saf-t-liner model had no power to the operators trans shift pad. The shift pad is also the Trans ECU [electronic control unit] so as I have said before always check the source , in this case the batteries.

There was a power feed open between the batteries and the rear control box at the engine compartment. I was able to limp the bus home by jumping battery power to the terminal board inside the control box which goes to directly to the operators cab supplying battery power to the shift pad/ECU.

This is obviously how I determined the open from the battery to the control box/terminal board [standard wiring on all Saf-t-liners]. The code for this fault is 35-00 [push both arrows on the shift pad at the same time with key on to retrieve code {under normal circumstances}

The control box at the engine compartment houses the engine intake heater components, lights etc. as well as the main battery power to the front electrical control box below the driver's side window.





My plan is to totally bypass the trans battery supply circuit from the battery to the ECU. Here you can see I've already cut the wires [larger #8 guage pos. and neg. wiring come from the battery while the smaller #10 guage pos. and neg. wires are running up front to the ECU]




This is the terminal board I mentioned earlier, factory wiring with spade connectors that connect the battery feed wiring to the trans. ECU wiring.

The first picture [top] shows the #8 pos. and neg. wires hooked up and running directly to the trans ECU. This will eliminate the extra #10 wires shown in the rear control box.


In the drivers cab the rear cover has been removed for easy access to the back of the trans. ECU. The upper plug can be removed and inspected for battery power. Both pos. and neg. #18 wires [2 each] run into this plug directly from the battery. The #8 wire is downsized under the dash to accommodate the smaller wiring into the ECU plug-in.



The 12V source from the battery is shown here with no connections in between. With a Digital Multimeter you can check for a battery voltage and a good ground.






So now you know when you have a shift pad with no reading [key on] the first thing to check is the battery voltage.

I hope this has helped you become more familiar with Thomas Buses equipped with Allison MD 3000 Series Automatic Transmissions.

Advantages of LPG and CNG in Diesel Engines

The vast majority of diesel engines in service today use solid injection and the information below relates to that system. In the diesel engine, only air is introduced into the combustion chamber.

The air is then compressed to about 600 pounds per square inch (psi), compared to about 200 psi in the gasoline engine. This high compression heats the air to about 1000 degrees Fahrenheit. At this moment, fuel is injected directly into the compressed air.

The fuel is ignited by the heat, causing a rapid expansion of gases that drive the piston downward, supplying power to the crankshaft. In Diesel's manuals, he described the supply of compressed gas into the cylinder to promote the final burn. It is now possible to fumigate the air intake with a small quantity of LPG/CNG.

The now air-gas mixture is compressed as above, and when the diesel ignites, the small quantity of gas ignites as well, causing a more rapid and more complete burn of the diesel. Most diesel engines waste between 30 and 15% of the diesel fuel, so by burning the near total amount of diesel consumed on each stroke, the mechanical effect is to improve the torque curve by as much as 28%.

The net outcome of applying gas into diesel is improved fuel economy via better torque at the driving wheels resulting in fewer gear changes, and greatly reduced exhaust emissions.

Advantages of the diesel engine are numerous. It burns considerably less fuel than a gasoline engine performing the same work. It has no ignition system to attend to. It can deliver much more of its rated horsepower on a continuous basis than can a gasoline engine. The life of a diesel engine is generally longer than a gasoline engine. Although diesel fuel will burn in open air, it will not explode unless compressed.

Some disadvantages to diesel engines are that they are very heavy for the horsepower they produce due to the required heavy design, and their initial cost is much higher than a comparable gasoline engine.

Recommended: Diesel Engine Repair Manuals

School Bus Apparel-Bus Driver Shirts & Novelties

School Bus Apparel


For all those early, dark and cold mornings this is one way to thank your favorite bus driver for his or her dedication. A lot of people don't realize how much effort and responsibilty it takes to be a school bus driver.




Bus Driver Shirts


First you need a Class 2 Air Ticket and then you have to pass the school district driving test on all models of buses in the fleet. When a School bus driver fills out the daily pre-trip inspection report and signs it, they are stating that their bus is safe to operate.




Novelties School Bus



The biggest hurdle is crowd control, when you have up to 80 students in your bus that you have to supervise along with driving the highway to various destinations.




School Transportation Gifts




Driving different road conditions also add to a bus driver's level of responsibility, so my hat goes off to all you school bus drivers out there who make it their mission to get the kids to school safely everyday. School Bus Apparel is a nice way to say ThankYou!

Thomas Buses-How To Replace A Signal Switch

Thomas Buses have a signal switch that is very easy to replace. Most of the time the switch does not cancel properly which is a pain for drivers who have other things to look after and don't want to be constantly reaching for the the signal switch to manually turn it off after every corner.
The Thomas School Bus Saf-t-liners are similar with many similar components, the signal switch design did not change for many years.

Remove the upper and lower covers on the steering column. The upper cover is easier to remove when the steering column is tilted all the way down.






Use an allen wrench to remove the 2 signal switch screws holding it to the column.

Here is a top view of the upper screw being removed. As you can see the access to the signal switch is very easy.







Unplug the 2 wiring harnesses to the signal switch, they only fit one way.

Important Note:

One thing that you should watch for is to make sure the wiring running down the steering coluumn has enough slack. I've had problems where the signals do not work or short out on the column because of not having enough extra wiring to accommodate the tilt steering column movement .

The signal arm is held in the switch with a catch and can be removed by pulling on it aggressively until it releases from the switch.

Reverse this procedure and now you know how to replace the signal switch on Thomas Buses.

Cummins Engine Repair- ISC Engine Code 434

Cummins Engine Repair not only involves mechanical but electronic repairs as well. The ISC model has an ECM that sends and receives messages that controls every performance aspect of this engine. The main source of power is the battery that depends on wiring that feeds the Cummins ECM sufficient voltage to run the engine systems.
Pictured is the laptop shot of an active code #434 a power interruption that derated the engine to a crawl. Derating protects the engine from sustaining high speeds and rpms which would cause more severe damage. This ISC Cummins Engine is in a 1999 Thomas School Bus Saf-T-Liner. With an active code you can retrieve it with the diagnostics switch [on the dash] & ignition switch turned on. The code will beep each number with a pause, in this case 4 beeps 3 beeps 4 beeps with a pause in between each #.

A closer look [click on photo to enlarge] shows numerous fuses on the positive feed wire to the Engine ECM [electronic control module]. Our code information is telling me there is a power problem so "the first thing to check is the Source."

Using a digital ohmmeter check the fuses for continuity and clean all the connections.

Note: Before this maintenance step I could not get a reading on my laptop, there was a communication error between the engine and the "Cummins Insite" software.
After cleaning all the connections and testing the batteries the communication problem was erased and the code disappeared.

There is a variety of 7.5 and 10 amp fuses inline with battery to ECU supply power. I traced the wiring back along the frame as well to check out any other possible problems. The rule of thumb in this situation is to check connections and wiring closest to the environment and work your way up the line.

Using a Snap-On Micro Vat Battery Tester I concluded that all the batteries were in good condition. This tester does a very quick assessment of battery condition and also tests starting and charging systems quickly.

The Conclusion to this problem was simple, servicing the battery connections which had enough resistance to cause the #434 code to occur. It makes sense since the ECM reads Voltage at a very sensitive level.

After an extensive road test the code did not come back and this experience was a good one telling me [and you the reader] to always check the simple things first!

Now we're ready for the next challenge with Cummins Engine Repair.

Recommended: Diesel Engine Repair Manuals

Cat 3116 Engine-Repairing Common Engine Oil Leak

The Cat 3116 Engine has a common oil leak that is very easy to fix. The first step is to remove the steering pump which is driven off the air compressor. The next step is to remove the rear housing from the air compressor, it's held on with 4 nuts on studs, there is a square o-ring that seals the rear housing to the main compressor body. The Compressor is a "Bendix 850 Model" which is a 2 stage [2 cylinder] unit.



The Cat 3116 Engine oil pressure guage and air compressor oil feed lines run off the housing pictured here bolted to the engine block which is connected to the main oil pressure gallery. There is an o-ring seal between this housing and the engine block.





This 2nd block is the air compressor rear support block that has an o-ring seal as well. This block also serves as an oil drain for the 3126 model which has a oil pump above that supplies high pressure oil to the HEUI system [Hydraulic Electronic Unit Injectors].




Pictured here is the oil pressure manifold housing removed. The heat is absorbed by these 2 o-rings and they become very brittle causing an oil leak. Diesel Engines run from the "heat of Compression" so you can bet the engine block is smokin' hot! when operating temperatures are met.





The manifold housing o-ring has been replaced and is secured with 2 M8 Metric bolts. These 2 areas are a common oil leak in both the Cat 3116 Engine & 3126 Diesel Engine .






Recommended: Diesel Engine Repair Manuals

Cummins Engine Repair-Adjusting Valves ISB

1. Valve adjustment on a Cummins Engine Repair is the final step. Engine position is very important because the intake and exhaust valves must be in the closed position.

Rotate the engine clockwise [looking from the front] until #6 cylinder rocker arms are both rocking. When you're on the correct stroke the exhaust valve will be moving into the closed position, then once it closes keep rotating the engine until the intake valve JUST starts to open. You are now on #1 Compression Stroke & ready to adjust 1/2 of the engine valves.

Note: The crossheads pictured here on top of the valve stems [#5 & #6 Cyl] are located with the elongated contact surface towards the exhaust manifold. The Rocker arms are held down on aluminum cradles with one retaining bolt and torqued to 27 ft. lbs.

Cummins 24 Valve Turbo Diesel Valve Adjustment Specs.

With the Engine on #1 Compression Stroke.

*Adjust #1 #2 #4 Intake Valves to .010 inch.

*Adjust #1 #3 #5 Exhaust Valves to .020 inch.

*Rotate Engine One Full Turn. #1 Cylinder Valves will rock like #6 did previously positioning the engine on #6 Compression Stroke.

*Adjust #3 #5 #6 Intake Valves.

*Adjust #2 #4 #6 Exhaust Valves.

It's not hard to adjust valves on a Cummins 24 Valve Turbo Diesel once you get the hang of it. All you have to know is how to position the engine correctly, the valve settings and some basic tools. That's it for now on Cummins Engine Repair.




Recommended: Diesel Engine Repair Manuals