Well I am not sure that they are NOT affiliated with Yanmar but you can take or leave their advise. It is just another opinion.
http://www.yanmarhelp.com/index.htm
http://www.yanmarhelp.com/index.htm
Running a Diesel at Idle
- Thread starter JK_Boston_Catalina310
- Start date
- Status
Yes, they themselves say they are not affiliated with Yanmar. And yes, it is another opinion. The distinction between the two is quite important to someone who stumbles onto your post and subsequently, that site thinking 'well, if yanmar says it, it must be true'...
many diesel engine makers build the same engine for different purposes and apply different rating to those engines. For example an engine in pleasure boat service may be rated at 50 hp @ 3300 RPM with a 25% duty cycle the same engine in work boat service may be rated at 30hp@ 2200rpm with a 60% duty cycle and again at 20hp@ 1800 rpm and a 100% duty cycle with correspondingly longer anticipated service life in each case.
So out of all this...
...I don't feel too bad about running my genset for a couple of hours to charge up my AGM house bank versus the much more expen$ive Yanmar main engine. The shop that sold and installed my genset warned me against "using it to charge the batteries or to run the microwave". I trust this guy, but I also understand how urban legends can overwhelm reason.
...I don't feel too bad about running my genset for a couple of hours to charge up my AGM house bank versus the much more expen$ive Yanmar main engine. The shop that sold and installed my genset warned me against "using it to charge the batteries or to run the microwave". I trust this guy, but I also understand how urban legends can overwhelm reason.
Jesse,
Let's keep it simple. When charging without using the engine for propulsion, I run at 1500 anyway.
That ain't "idle" which I define as 800 to 1000 anyway.
Not so hard.
2736 engine hours in an '86 boat and engine.
Let's keep it simple. When charging without using the engine for propulsion, I run at 1500 anyway.
That ain't "idle" which I define as 800 to 1000 anyway.
Not so hard.
2736 engine hours in an '86 boat and engine.
To me idle is having the throttle completely shut. Anything above that is not idle.
Another point that seems to be missing here is the difference between stationary (constant speed engines like generators and pumps), auto, truck or equipment and marine diesels. Each of these applications can have a completely different set of rings, injectors, pistons, sleeves and oil pumps for the same engine block. A car or over the road diesel engine operates at various rpms through a gear box, whereas a marine diesel normally operates at a set speed for most of it's operational life.
Most diesel engines do not maintain the same oil pressure at idle as they do at several hundred rpms above idle, nor do they move as much cooling water. Therefore, if your diesel idles at 800 rpms, you might run it at 1000 or even 1200 to get the oil pressure up to normal operating oil pressure and cooling. It does not need to be under load, but it must have normal operational oil pressure and cooling if running for more than a few minutes.
You cannot equate diesels operated ashore with the diesels operated on a boat because of the differences in ancillary equipment.
So watch your oil pressure gauge and determine for yourself at what rpms your diesel will run (at idle or whatever you wish to call it) with proper oil pressure.
Another point that seems to be missing here is the difference between stationary (constant speed engines like generators and pumps), auto, truck or equipment and marine diesels. Each of these applications can have a completely different set of rings, injectors, pistons, sleeves and oil pumps for the same engine block. A car or over the road diesel engine operates at various rpms through a gear box, whereas a marine diesel normally operates at a set speed for most of it's operational life.
Most diesel engines do not maintain the same oil pressure at idle as they do at several hundred rpms above idle, nor do they move as much cooling water. Therefore, if your diesel idles at 800 rpms, you might run it at 1000 or even 1200 to get the oil pressure up to normal operating oil pressure and cooling. It does not need to be under load, but it must have normal operational oil pressure and cooling if running for more than a few minutes.
You cannot equate diesels operated ashore with the diesels operated on a boat because of the differences in ancillary equipment.
So watch your oil pressure gauge and determine for yourself at what rpms your diesel will run (at idle or whatever you wish to call it) with proper oil pressure.
- Status