diesels

[mwkellner]

I just was reading another place on this site and there was mention of two stroke diesels. I have never given this much thought before (and I don't know much about diesels). Are diesel engines found in cars trucks 4 stroke? If son then what is a common application for a 2 stroke diesel? Is there a significant increase in power from 4 stroke to 2 stroke diesels like in a gas engine? I am just curious and know that y'all can tell me more than I ever dreamed of. thanks -- Martin

 

[glennster]

i think most all diesels in cars and trucks now are 4 stroke. the detroit diesel was a real common truck engine at was a two stroke motor. they ran good, and made a lot of power, they werent the best emission wise. in the olden days, (couple years before my time) they also has a semi diesel engine. pretty common in europe. simple engine, usually had a hot bulb or starting papers to fire the fuel. the hot bulb was heated with a blow torch and then you rolled the motor over to get er goin. marshall tractors were one. they would run on all kinds of light oil products, not very efficient, but cheap to run.

 

[Anonymous-0]

hatz diesels were two stroke.

 

[Chris Vangel]

These days you normally see two strokes in older busses,construction equipment, and alot of fire trucks. The only ones I have seen are Detroit 8V-92"s and 6V-92"s. They have to have a blower on them in order to breathe, sometimes there are turbo"s and blowers. That"s all I know about them since they don"t come into the shop anymore where I work.

Elk.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Many locomotive diesel engines were two strokes up until the 1990s (think of them as being VERY large Detroits). Power to weight ratio was a bit better. Modern 4 stroke locomotive engines are much better now, due to computerized controls and AC drives, Most of the old 2 stroke diesel and DC traction motor technology has been put on the shelf for good. Emissions regulations also helped bring this about.

 

[Anonymous-0]

All the older Detroits were 2 stroke. This included the 53 and 71 series as well as the 92 series engines. There may have been more models as well. I think the very first diesels made were 2 stroke and GM used that theory for making their early engines. Dave

 

[Anonymous-0]

DEE-Troits are screamers!!! Used to work on a rock crusher with the V-16. Two V-8s back to back with a common crank. Range of 900-1100 HP. Went through 160 gallons of fuel in 8-10 hour shift. Amazing how it could start in MN Dec with some ether!

 

[Charles (in GA)]

John Deere 435 (hope I got that right) has a two cylinder Detroit two stroke in it. Very unusual tractor, doesn't sound like a JD at all.

Charles

 

[Bob M]

With only a couple minor exceptions (the Toro-Flo truck V6 and Olds V8 car engines) General Motors produced only 2 stroke diesels from the mid 30's thru the 1980's. Literally hundreds of thousands have been produced.

Detroit's 53, 71 and 92 two stork powered everything from little gensets to OTR trucks/buses to huge off-road mine dumps. They were also popular for marine propulsion and for stationary applications. Likewise GM's locomotive division (EMD) produced only 2 stroke locomotive engines well into the 1990's.

It is the 2 stroke's higher emissions and slightly lower fuel economy ultimately forced it's demise.

2 stroke advantages include smooth (albeit noisier) running, quicker acceleration and sometimes lower weight for a given power output. Offsetting this is the two stroke's generally poorer torque rise. Means a Detroit won't "lug down" and pull quite as effectively as similar sized 4 stroke diesel.

 

[buickanddeere]

Here is a modern and hairy chested two stroke diesel for you. amazing fuel efficiency too.
http://people.bath.ac.uk/ccsshb/12cyl/

 

[mwkellner]

I guess I just assumed all diesels were 4 stroke. I know what happens when you assume. thanks for helping me learn something new today.

 

[JDemaris]

The first "diesel" invented was a two-stroke-cycle engine - by a British guy named Clark. It wasn't until years later that Rudolph Diesel made his first compression-ignition engine (four-stroke-cycle). As another poster already mentioned, GM bought the original design to make the Detroit Diesel series.