G'mornin' Folks,

I just read this entire thread.....amusing isn't the half of it.....

I, too, live in West Virginia....and we sure do have our hills.....WV would be a diesel owners paradise, if we had more gas stations that served diesel!!

As I remember, from my schooling daze, a diesel engine runs best at 90-95% load. As was stated earlier in the thread, load isn't speed. Running your auto at high RPM, even in lower gears, is not truely load......it takes a good hill, headwind, trailer, or the parking brake engaged (not recommended) to put an automotive diesel under load......a trunk load of bricks may help here....

Before I retired, if we had to run the ship's main engine at reduced loads due to bad weather, fog, heavy traffic, etc.....we would bring the engine up to full throttle every couple of hours, if possible.....
After a long period of maneuvering, as in up the Mississippi to N'awlins....upon departure, we would run at reduced speed for a bit and water wash the turbochargers...we had factory installed connections for this operation.....then run up to full throttle, and keep her there until an hour before arrival at our destination....this could be days or weeks at 95% rated load....

SB

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Diesels:
'85 300D, "Max, Blue Benz", 155K, 27.0 MPG
'84 190D 2.2, "Eva, Brown Benz", 142K, 40.2 MPG
'77 240D (parts car)
'67 Eicher ES 202 Tractor "Otto" (2cyl, Air Cooled, 30HP)
Gassers:
'94 Ford F-150, "Henry", 170K (300 Six) 17.5 MPG
'85 190E 2.3, 148K....Parts Car
'58 Dodge W300M Powerwagon (Flat Fenders) Less than 10 MPG