Runaway Diesel Linde Forklift

[E-bmw]

E-bmw said:

eyesOpen said:

I'm not going to cause a runaway on purpose just so that I can see that suffocating the engine works. It is widely known this works already.

What on earth makes you think you need to "cause a runaway" to try your emergency stop?

It doesn't need to be "running away" for the suffocation to work, it just needs to be running!

Yes, it is widely known that suffocating an engine works but have you got the right stuff to do it, can you do it safely, can you reach it in a hurry, you need answers to all of these questions in a controlled situation first.

As has been said already you really need to know you can do it before using it again, get it tested & have the right bit/bits immediately to hand before using it again.

You have dodged a bullet already, don't push your luck!

[GreenV8S]

eyesOpen said:

If you'd read my post you'd see that is exactly what I did in preparation. Ready to access and block air intake quickly. I'm not going to cause a runaway on purpose just so that I can see that suffocating the engine works. It is widely known this works already.

I didn't see that you had done that. Do you think a piece of plywood over the intake is going to seal well enough to stall it? It might, but I wouldn't assume it without testing. Until you know you have a reliable way to kill it, any time you start the engine you are risking a terminal runaway.

[xjay1337]

Best way is a co2 extinguisher into the intake.

Or stuff loads of towels in there.

[eyesOpen]

Hadn't occurred to me to strangle the normal idling engine, thanks for that suggestion. Even if you were a bit of a tool about it. What do you know, strangling the engine works.

Also thanks for the CO2 extinguisher suggestion. I had one of those at the ready too, but was already confident about strangling so that was my second choice.

Thanks for all the useful replies and the stories and video. Sorry to all those who have ants in their pants or other limiting conditions in that region.

[Lucas CAV]

Maybe I have missed something but surely the obvious answer is to find a diesel engineer (an experienced one) to give it a good look over.

This will be much safer than ideas about continuing to use it undiagnosed.

[mk1turbo16v]

Some of these machines had the hydraulic pump driven from the timing gears, if the pump seal is leaking it fills the engine sump with hydraulic oil.
It wont smell like diesel and can be hard to diagnose.
Change the engine oil and check the hydraulic oil level carefully and monitor the levels.
Steve.

[66mpg]

So far we know that the oil level in the sump is rising, possibly due to fuel leaking in. Could be a faulty injector, as suggested, and worn rings allowing the excess fuel past instead of exhausting it as white smoke. If the engine is that worn you may have valve stem oil seals that have become hardened and brittle. Too much oil in the sump may lead to oil backing up in the head rather than finding its way back to the sump. So now you have the conditions for a runaway: oil in the head able to leak into the cylinders and be burnt as fuel even after the fuel supply is cut off.

If I'm on the right lines you may be facing a big bill to recondition the fuel system, replace the rings and the valve stem oil seals. It may be time to look for a replacement engine.