turbo owners: caution in transport

[big bubba]

Both the K salesman & the service dept cautioned me (from experience) that when transporting a tractor w/a turbo, be sure to plug the exhaust in transit. Apparently when moving (with engine obviously off) a vacuum is created in the exhaust pipe thereby spinning the turbo w/o lube. dusts the turbo bearings. they had 3 units go down before cluing on this. Just a heads up as turbos are more frequent now, and owners haul their own bb

 

[DamonH]

That makes absolutely no sense mechanically. An engine is an air pump, not a hollow tube. I don't think I buy that.

 

[big bubba]

We're talking turbo which sits close to the manifold, basically a induction unit w/fins that will spin with turbulence. perhaps more informed members of the forum can explain thanks bb

 

[Deerlope]

That makes absolutely no sense mechanically. An engine is an air pump, not a hollow tube. I don't think I buy that.

Do as you wish but it does happen. When we trailered heavy equipment in the Army we always covered the stack for the turbo reason.

 

[DamonH]

We're talking turbo which sits close to the manifold, basically a induction unit w/fins that will spin with turbulence. perhaps more informed members of the forum can explain thanks bb

I know exactly what it is and where it is, but if you plug up one end of a straw and attempt to blow through it, no air goes in the straw. Same thing with the exhaust system, air doesn't make it all the way back through the intake, so how does it spin the turbo?

 

[DamonH]

Do as you wish but it does happen. When we trailered heavy equipment in the Army we always covered the stack for the turbo reason.

Honestly I don't trailer enough to make a difference, I'm just curious how that is possible.

 

[big bubba]

vacuum

 

[RavensRoost]

If all intake and exhaust valves were closed, then the "straw" theory seems right.

Would seem you only need one exhaust valve open and one intake valve open, full or partial, to spin the turbo with "wind" down the stack and out the air cleaner while trailering.

Correction: I guess you would need an intake and exhaust valve open/parially open in SAME cylinder.

RavensRoost

 

[Reg]

I think its a crock.
Not THAT MUCH suction across the top of an exhaust, certainly not THAT MUCH air able to enter via......
Well, lets see; an open inlet AND exhaust valve (on the same cylinder) the air filter.
Enough to spin up a turbo ?
and Oh BTW, the other end of that turbo shaft has to push the compressor around ?

It MIGHT move, it certainly ain't gonna spin up and unless it is a total POS design the residual oil should be adequate.

Sounds like another urban myth born of a stupid army regulation that nobody understood or was able to argue with, so just did it because it was required to be done.
OTOH, sand and dust storms might be reason enough to cap military vehicle exhausts ANYWAY, turbo or not, on a trailer or not.

 

[N80]

The exhaust on my (non-turbo) kubota faces nearly forward.

But I'm with the others, if the system is closed there should not be enough air flow across the turbo to turn it sufficiently fast enough to cause problems.

Someone test it. Go out and blow in your exhaust pipe. See what happens. At best you won't be able to blow in it at all, at worst you'll get a face full of diesel soot.

I do know for a fact that water down an exhaust can get into the cylinder and cause major problems.....but that's a whole other matter.