Thread: turbo timers

Originally Posted by BigJon

How do you let an engine idle prior to startup?

Ummm

get a big mate out the front on the crank handle to turn it over while the fuels turned off then when the oilpressure has come up and been up long enough to lubricate everything turn on the fuel?

ok bad paraphrasing, but you get the idea..

What they are trying to say, and said badly, is that you don't just fire it up and drive off ,hammer down. Start it and let it idle for a minute before getting on the pedal, so that there is good oil flow through the turbo shaft and bearings before the turbo revs or heats up..

I actually like the idea of the oil accumulator with with a check valve and flow control valve. If you dont have the turbo timer already fitted and were thinking of paying to have it fitted Id save the money and get one of those kits..

Bugger using an actuator to do it, grab a small accumulator from something like an old abbey crane, its about the size of a football and should provide about 1 minutes worth of oil flow after shut down... but you will probabley need to add some more oil to the sump to account for the fact that you are going to lose about 1-1.5l of oil into the accumulator while the engine is running

Some insurers won't cover you with a turbo timer fitted - most class it as an "engine modification" and it either voids cover or increases your premium. When I was shopping for insurance for a vehicle with one only Allianz didn't have a problem.

I used dump cylinders from wrecked front end loaders because they were there, free for the taking. I fitted a coil spring around the rod in the rod end of the cylinder and the open end became the oil reservoir. When started, engine oil under pressure filled the cylinder against the resistance of the coil spring, which, on shutdown, then forced the oil back into the sump through the still spinning turbo shaft and bearings. Cylinders can be any position from vertical to horizontal and fitted to the car virtually anywhere there is space, even under the car some distance away from the engine. These mods were done to highway prime movers using Detroit 8V92TA engines. Cost was negligible as I got the cylinders for nothing. You do need to top up the sump after the initial fill of the cylinder. These gadgets are commercially available and one brand that comes to mind is "Nical".

Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm

When started, engine oil under pressure filled the cylinder .................................................. .....................These gadgets are commercially available and one brand that comes to mind is "Nical".

A mate had one of these fitted to his Jackeroo back in the mid 80s for my money it does all you would need - even looking after things if you stall the engine, someting a turbo timer can't do.

Mind you I just prefer to take it easy for the last km or so, by the time I've lifted the garage door and idled in everything should be sweet.

Martyn

wouldn't gauges be a better option than a timer, the way i see it is the timer shuts the engine down at a pre set time which is not linked to actual temps inside the engine, yep i do agree that the longer it idles the temps will go down but having gauges and waiting till they indicate lower temps would be better

i'm pretty sure in alll states it illegal to leave an unattended car running, umm says me who does it regularly when i stop at a corner shop to grab a paper or drink

i'm about to fit an EGT to my 300tdi, it will be interesting to see if i change my shut down proceedure now that i will be able to watch my exhaust temps

what happens if the timer fails when you leave your rig in the long term parking at an airport and your going away for a week

two of my mates have them fitted and use them on every shutdown

a friend of mine recently parked her car near her work and left the TT to do its thing. Came back out 8 hours later to find the car happily still idling. She had got chatting as she left her car and being so used to leaving it idling on the timer, didnt think twice. She'd left the keys in the car and had never turned it off!

Re earlier post on engine/egt temperatures being more relevant than a pre set time cutoff.....wouldn't the key temperature be the turbo bearings/housing?