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Multifuel engine life

jimk

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Beware. I posted most of this in Engine Information Please thread last night. It was intended for here. I cleaned it up a bit but looks rather rambiln. David did say "Let the discussions continue....."

Maximum speed (w/Maximum Payload and Towed Load) - 45MPH (page 1-17)
Maximum speed (w/Maximum Payload only) - 56MPH (page 1-17)

The reduced speed when fully loaded w/trailer may have more than one reason. While the authority/ designers may be trying to protect the engine they may also factor in that fact that a fully loaded combined vehicle is much more difficult to control.

I think TM's need to keep text brief so as not to 'overcomplicate' the issue. They prob. also are assuming a worst case situation. The may also figure the drivers may, more often than not, be young and inexperienced.

As for running at 2600rpm all day:
These were built for hauling loads for relatively short distances, perhaps in combat, probably more often than not on poor roads( if any). When the army needs to send stuff cross-country they use the commercial freight system w/trucks better suited to the purpose.

As a group we all seem to have a different agenda. Some might be found taking lawn chairs and a cooler down 8 lane I-95, in 80+mph traffic, on the way to Aberdeen... Can the Ld/LDT/LDS take it? Sure. Will it cut it's lifespan? Sure. But many can afford this as it still may take 2 lifetimes to wear it out. Those here that run cross country may wear theirs out a bit sooner but that may be OK as there will be some great stories for the grandkids...

Here is the truck I drove today, a non-typical commercial tractor trailer. I say non- typical because this spend half the day as a city pedal truck and the other half as a road unit. It is a no frills, no sleeper, small engine, work truck. The engine is the modern version of the ubiquitous Mack 673. It is a 05' Mack Vision - engine EM7-317(?) - engine is 728ci, turbo , intercooler, 278,000miles (currently), will run to ~1million miles. ~9mpg(?)loaded or empty.

Redline (dash) - 2200rpm
Visor info - Operating range 1100-1800rpm, do not exceed 2100rpm
No-load governed speed -2100rpm
Max rpm in gear:
1st-4th - 2000rpm
5th - 1925rpm
6th - 1725rpm
7th - 1425rpm (64mph max)

Looking at these numbers you can see on the big roads the engine runs at very low speed. This maximizes both fuel economy and engine life. The engine is geared to run just past torque peak so any additional load(grades) will cause it fall towards peak torque.

This is why commercial truck engines are different, and why they last longer.

Those here running multi-fuel at 2600rpm (or above) are probably doing so because it's inconvenient and expensive to have a custom made low ratio high gear set made (is there one?). Then, the task of installing it. New gearing, or perhaps a different tranny, may be what is really needed. JimK

p.s. additions:

Torque rating of a similar EM7-250 (an 02'' was last one I checked ) was 1040lb*ft at 1200rpm (though all these seem to be turned down from there).
Mack called these 'High Torque Rise". Torque builds fast at 1000 and is mostly in by 1100. It does rises a tad more, ~1200 is the peak. Above that torque fades slowly as rpms rise.

corrections:Correct the current miles 278K (not 250K) and Manufacturer's stated (visor) operating range 1100rpm - 1800 (not 1000-1800). 7th 1425rpm (not 1475)
 

OPCOM

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JsonS, was that gear set for the transmission?

I'd like to speak to the possibilites. I am undoubtedly one of the laziest people here and also have a frugal streak, so I can probably suggest the easiest way to accomplish an objective. I'd present my choices in order of preference:

Most M35 multifuel have the Spicer 3053A transmission. Listing rations from 1st to 5th gear:
Spicer 3053A
6
3.31
1.89
1
0.85

There is a rare version of the Spicer 3053, the "B" model as asked about and discussed in this thread:
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&p=124231&highlight=3053b#124231
and http://www.garbee.net/~cabell/transmission.htm


Spicer 3053B
4.5
2.5
1.5
1
0.75

The difference would be about like going from 58 MPH with 1100x20's, you would get about 65 MPH (at redline, folks!). Not sure if there is enough room in the transmissioncase for a more radical ratio, but it would not seem to be necessary. It would be much nicer to keep the RPM to about 2300. That would be about 51MPH for the -A and 58MPH for the -B. 58 is plenty fast enough in a deuce, if you ask me.

Can only 5th gear be changed, or would it take the whole set? - and where to get gears. It's also been said that 5th gear on the Spicer is a weak link. I don't know. Some folks say 5th is noisy. Mine is, -that is, it whines and sings, but there has never been a problem with it.

[]

The M35 air sift Tcase could be a possibility. The front and rear driveshafts come off basically the "same" lower gear shaft. There is a countershaft with the hi/lo gears and an upper "input" shaft with the hi/lo gears and a shift fork and synchro. I wonder if it is possible to change the "HI" ratio to something more favorable. The gears seem to have complex shapes, look more costly.. One thing for sure -the TM shows alot of pressing gears on and off.

[]

differentials? That would be the most expensive way. Besides having to take three axles off and disassemble them !! Inman Truck Service offered to do this for me, starting at about $10K.. They searched and found no better ratios for the differentials. -One of the guys there used to work on Deuces in the Army.

[]

In closing, I ask if the suggestion of an add-on overdrive unit after the transfer, for the rears only, would be suitable? Is it necessary to have 6x6 on the highwat ay 65MPH? Probably not unless you are into drifing. :)
 

ARMYMAN30YearsPlus

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The reason I bought my duece first was because of the reliability they gave me as a platoon leader and company commander in truck companies. I have seen them kept in the maintenance bay during cold cold cold Fort Devens nights to go around and start every M915 in the motor pool. They hauled the ammo and food for every field exercise and plowed more snow than I ever expected them to clearing the roads on Devens. We built gun trucks out of them and on one convoy at Fort AP hill the duece even broke over an OPFOR roadblock made of fallen trees this sent a number of OPFOR scrambling for their lives as the duece bore down on their firing positions. We did always load them up on the M 872 trailers if we had to go a long way since the old M915's had 400 Cummins and 16 speed Cat trannys that gave them a very high top end. (had a whole serial pulled over in Connecticut and they were issued $148.00 tickets each. I did purswade the officers to write the tickets against the drivers military licence so they would not get points) These memories made me lay out the cash to buy my duece and the best thing about it is after 37 years of service it still starts better than any other vehicle in our family fleet including the wifes mini van. Long live the Multi-fuel and thanks to all of you who are keeping yours running. I just saw a movie over here called Coronado it features a duece with a 5 ton air filter doing some incredible things in the Central American jungles, I only complained when they showed it stuck in 5 inches of mud.
 

spicergear

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cranetruck said:
...if you can restrict the airflow, perhaps an engine braking feature is also possible....like the throttle on a gas engine...never heard of restricting intake airflow on a diesel....
Yeah, just the idea of vacuum not just an intake 'pull' above the pistons on a diesel makes me nervous. Look at some older diesel connecting rods...lots of meat in the rod with a wimpy rod cap. Turbo diesels especially aren't designed with any need for the mass in the rod cap. It's all basically upward pressure except being stroing enough to just pull the piston down while the intake charge is bing pushed in on top of it.

Exhaust brake (not confused with jake) is particularly up a diesel engines alley as it keeps the pressures all on the up stroke.

There are intake stops for pulling trucks but that's in no way over the road it's only to stop a runaway engine from slinging parts into the world.
 

m-35tom

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i have about given up on the gear shop that said they could make the .71 od gears, but have found a shop very near to me in baltimore who said no problem to every question i gave them. i have an appointment with them tomorrow to discuss makeing some sets. on a note closer to this thread, bob roland at memphis, who has been building multifuels for longer than most of us can remember, says that it is very reliable if you never exceed 2650 rpm. makes sense to me.........
 

jeli

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It was a bit chilly last night when I fired mine up to move it. Once again it popped right off. The first thing I thought of was how these will start with little to no help in sub zero temps. Back in the line company the only things that would start below zero were a 5 ton multi and 10 ton. In Northern Wisconsin that meant a lot. The 5 ton did have a bad habit of eating turbo's.
 

tokarev

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I get mine on wendsday

Great thread for a newbee who is picking up his first Multifuel next week. One question about down shifting to slow down - is this a bad practice or is it OK as long as you dont over rev the engine.
 

dieselolds

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I've always like the Multifuel - and still do.

The foremost thing to remember here is that, per other documents I've recently uncovered, many of these trucks were given NO regularly scheduled preventative maintenance. This was in large part because there were far too many trucks, and far too few mechanics, and far too much cargo to move. Any truck that could move was dispatched, and only those trucks immobile were given attention by the mechanics. Even leaking radiators were not sufficient reason to deadline vehicles at this time.

The trucks were also often grossly overloaded, and operated in conditions that most of us really cannot comprehend. Frames frequently broke due to overloading and operating at speeds too fast for the road condition - the later being defined in the documents as speeds over 20 mph. Think about the condition of a road that will break a five ton frame at 30 MPH!! A chain was usually snaked across the hood of five tons so that the left fender could support the right, which was prone to breaking off due to the load imposed by the air cleaner. Fuel tanks were often chained to the frame for the same reason. Oftentimes grades were such that by the time the summit was reached trucks were in first gear and low range - and wishing for deeper reduction. And remember, these were ON ROAD operations! Somehow I suspect the "how do I increase top speed" question that so often comes up on this forum do not often arise in Vietnam.

I doubt that any powerplant would give satisfactory service in these conditions. The Multifuel was relatively new and unproven at this time. The -427 had already been deemed unsuitable due to block and rod failures, and was being replaced by the LD-465 by the time the report above was published. The head gaskets were redesigned (twice) before arriving at the successful gasket we have today. I'll have to research the valve issue a bit later on.

None of the builders of the Multifuel classified it as a heavy duty diesel. Continental, the designer, as I recall, referred to it as a light duty diesel.

Best wishes,
David

I think the plate on my White multifuel says somethings like "Medium, Heavy duty diesel engine"

Regards John
 

Ord22

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the multi of today is a good engine. the problem is lack of maintenance. this why they out with cummins. more durable, powerful and torquee. it was really for a medium duty application use. i'll take multi anyday!!
 

m816

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Regards to David, I posed a question regarding timing marks for the LDS1a465 multifuel engine. Could yuo please give us a run down on the other marks we see on the harmonic balancer?
 

Kevin C

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Since this is a thread about the multifuel's engine life, what's the longest anyone has ever ran one? If maintained well, I don't see why a gigantic, nearly 500 cubic inch diesel engine, that's not even producing 150 Horsepower, wouldn't last that long.

Today's technology is a lot different, but there are 30 some cubic inch inline 4 cylinder sportbike engines producing nearly the same amount of power as a Deuce's engine, at 13,000 RPM, that'll easily last 35,000+ miles in between rebuilds. It seems almost ridiculous to not get 200,000+ miles out of a Deuce.
 

clinto

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Since this is a thread about the multifuel's engine life, what's the longest anyone has ever ran one? If maintained well, I don't see why a gigantic, nearly 500 cubic inch diesel engine, that's not even producing 150 Horsepower, wouldn't last that long.

Today's technology is a lot different, but there are 30 some cubic inch inline 4 cylinder sportbike engines producing nearly the same amount of power as a Deuce's engine, at 13,000 RPM, that'll easily last 35,000+ miles in between rebuilds. It seems almost ridiculous to not get 200,000+ miles out of a Deuce.
There is a thread on SS somewhere about who has the highest mileage deuce. Might take a while to find it, but it's out there.
 

Kevin C

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Make sense to me. I think I will drive my deuce about 2,000 miles a year. I will probably die before the engine does and I'm 29 years old.
I'd certainly expect it to. That's only 120,000 civilian use miles if you drive it until you're 80. Well, I don't think you'd be beating it as much as they did in the jungles of 'nam. Maybe. LOL.

There is a thread on SS somewhere about who has the highest mileage deuce. Might take a while to find it, but it's out there.
I'll try to find it. I hope it won't be a super high maintenance truck when I buy a Deuce. I only have a 2 car garage, that isn't big enough to fit a 9+ foot tall Deuce, and not a very extensive collection of tools. I do however have a 40+ foot asphault driveway that runs along side my house, so I don't think it'd be too bad to work out there. Better than laying under the truck in mud, back in the woods.

Should run decent in my care, I'm never going to run it hard. Maybe help a few people move, do a little bit of scrapping here and there, drive around town for fun. Mainly the fun part though, the reactions are probably hilarious. :)
 
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