Engine life vs rpm? Diesel engine

[Shadow_storm56]

How much does RPM effect an engines lifespan? The engines running my two main irrigation pumps (perkins diesel and international diesel) run at around 2000-2300rpm when running irrigation reels and guns. Usually not past 2200 but have pushed them to 2400 before. The engine may run for 14 hour periods at a time sitting at these rpms with only small breaks before going again. Oil pressure on both engines is 60-65. I know diesels are not huge fans of high rpm but still, it just has me curious how this effects the engines life span. Also all temps and fluids are good in these engines

 

[Super A]

I expect there's a spec on each engine. Most IH diesels I'm familiar with ran pretty high RPMs. For example the later model 1066 with the DT-414 I believe ran around 2600 full load. Most JDs ran around 2200.

If you do good maintenance and keep it in spec as far as RPM and load it should run a long time.

Al

 

[Shadow_storm56]

Sofar all I notice is they get much louder at high rpms.... Obviously this is expected and they both burn a bit more oil at high rpm. Both are pretty Similar, burn no oil at low rpm and some at high rpm. Both have safety kills so oil pressure and engine temp cannot go outside of safe ranges since it just shuts the engine off at that point. For the number of hours they run and the age of the engines the oil burning is not excessive and one I still think leaks it out very slowly and it's hidden by the water leaked by the pumps graphite shaft seal, other one is a bit smokey so likely is burning oil some. Glad to hear that the increased rpm won't hurt my engine life, were in a drought here so these pump engines only get breaks long enough to move pipes around and back to work they go. Both engines have relatively low hours (3-4k) but both are quite old.

 

[outdoors4evr]

Constant running is the best case scenerio for an engine. Cold startups are the worst things for an engine as the oil pressure builds after the start.

 

[Gary Dotson]

I think that as long as everything is running in harmony, higher RPM will not shorten the life expectancy and may extend it. Lugging them down is the most damaging on any engine, gas or diesel. In the past 30 - 40 years, farm equipment has transitioned to more powerful engines that get the job down with a power surplus, no more lugging, like we did our H's and M's.

 

[Shadow_storm56]

Constant running is the best case scenerio for an engine. Cold startups are the worst things for an engine as the oil pressure builds after the start.

It only runs during the growing season so they never get the cold winter startups.

 

[Shadow_storm56]

I think that as long as everything is running in harmony, higher RPM will not shorten the life expectancy and may extend it. Lugging them down is the most damaging on any engine, gas or diesel. In the past 30 - 40 years, farm equipment has transitioned to more powerful engines that get the job down with a power surplus, no more lugging, like we did our H's and M's.

Everything runs in Harmony except a small amount of oil gets in places it shouldn't and ends up as exhaust. Also was told though by many people and service techs that with the new enginees and their weird exhaust systems they do not want to be too underloaded or the system messes up. Not an issue for these old things though haha.

 

[tmays]

I used to construct irrigation systems(center pivot) years ago. Number one cause of total engine failure was not changing oil. Across all makes. JD, Cat, and Deutz and Cummins were the main choices for most farmers. The guys who did maintenance had no major problems.

 

[Shadow_storm56]

I used to construct irrigation systems(center pivot) years ago. Number one cause of total engine failure was not changing oil. Across all makes. JD, Cat, and Deutz and Cummins were the main choices for most farmers. The guys who did maintenance had no major problems.

I do matinance on everything, I can see why some really busy farmers could have trouble finding time because it can take a while to do your yearly matinance but still.

Heres my riddle that one engine gives me, "my oil goes away, but clear exhaust I do have, my compression is good so good rings I must have. If you run me under 2000 RPM I burn hardly a drop but you ramp me up to 2300 and my oil goes ...flop?" I thought a riddle would make it fun haha, I still have been trying to figure out for a couple years now why the perkins engine burns a fair bit of oil at rpms above 20-21 which I need around 23-2400 for big irrigation guns. I get the standard amout of vapor out the crank vent which gives a black spot over time because a small bit of oil mists out...but that wouldn't even amount to a cup in a year so it's not that. Like even from a distance whare it's much easier to see if exhaust is smokey it still is clear exhaust...no blue smoke no smoke at all. What makes even less sense is the fact I could run it at 20-2100 for like 200 hours and burn hardly any oil... Other pump burns some but it's smokey so it's not a mystery. Synthetic really helped it alot but it still loses oil at high rev, one day ill figure it out maybe.... It's a good thing I enjoy engines

 

[Shadow_storm56]

I used to construct irrigation systems(center pivot) years ago. Number one cause of total engine failure was not changing oil. Across all makes. JD, Cat, and Deutz and Cummins were the main choices for most farmers. The guys who did maintenance had no major problems.

Speaking of irrigation how do you deal with pressure loss going up hill?. It's like 60-80ft for alot of the farm and 100 for the top of the hill according to gps, that's from water source to destination. Theres lots of stuff down on the flat too but the stuff on the hill I lose psi so bad.... like 50psi from pump to hill top...maybe more somtimes. Gotta run my rpm up alot when I'm watering up there, you ever work on a situation like that when you worked on irrigation?

 

[tmays]

I used to construct irrigation systems(center pivot) years ago. Number one cause of total engine failure was not changing oil. Across all makes. JD, Cat, and Deutz and Cummins were the main choices for most farmers. The guys who did maintenance had no major problems.

Speaking of irrigation how do you deal with pressure loss going up hill?. It's like 60-80ft for alot of the farm and 100 for the top of the hill according to gps, that's from water source to destination. Theres lots of stuff down on the flat too but the stuff on the hill I lose psi so bad.... like 50psi from pump to hill top...maybe more somtimes. Gotta run my rpm up alot when I'm watering up there, you ever work on a situation like that when you worked on irrigation?

Never worked with them in the hills, only in the MS Delta. But usually in that case the salesman should’ve suggested a larger engine. Pump heads factor into that also. Did they do a survey to include elevation?

 

[Shadow_storm56]

I used to construct irrigation systems(center pivot) years ago. Number one cause of total engine failure was not changing oil. Across all makes. JD, Cat, and Deutz and Cummins were the main choices for most farmers. The guys who did maintenance had no major problems.

Speaking of irrigation how do you deal with pressure loss going up hill?. It's like 60-80ft for alot of the farm and 100 for the top of the hill according to gps, that's from water source to destination. Theres lots of stuff down on the flat too but the stuff on the hill I lose psi so bad.... like 50psi from pump to hill top...maybe more somtimes. Gotta run my rpm up alot when I'm watering up there, you ever work on a situation like that when you worked on irrigation?

Never worked with them in the hills, only in the MS Delta. But usually in that case the salesman should’ve suggested a larger engine. Pump heads factor into that also. Did they do a survey to include elevation?

Oh cool well yea we just bought a pump reccomended for the job, it'll do 150psi at 2400 or 2500 I can't remember. Problem is a gun works best at well over 100 psi and the hill makes that an issue.

 

[seanthenry]

Speaking of irrigation how do you deal with pressure loss going up hill?

I have not tried this but it might work. Look for a pressure tank similar to what people have when they are on a well so they do not need to run the well pump just to get pressure. You would place the tank up hill and let it build pressure then turn on the irrigation system. I don't know if that would work or if it would just add a restriction and make it harder to pump but one of the suppliers could answer that for you.

Alternatively you could place a sealed tank up hill like an old water heater and run a second pump to build pressure. The main pump would move water up hill at say 30GPM to the tank and the second pump would pressurize up to the 100-150psi but only push 25-30GPM. The tank is just to prevent from running the pump dry.

With that said I do not run an irrigation system so this is all arm chair farming.

 

[Shadow_storm56]

Speaking of irrigation how do you deal with pressure loss going up hill?

I have not tried this but it might work. Look for a pressure tank similar to what people have when they are on a well so they do not need to run the well pump just to get pressure. You would place the tank up hill and let it build pressure then turn on the irrigation system. I don't know if that would work or if it would just add a restriction and make it harder to pump but one of the suppliers could answer that for you.

Alternatively you could place a sealed tank up hill like an old water heater and run a second pump to build pressure. The main pump would move water up hill at say 30GPM to the tank and the second pump would pressurize up to the 100-150psi but only push 25-30GPM. The tank is just to prevent from running the pump dry.

With that said I do not run an irrigation system so this is all arm chair farming.

Haha It's a good ideas but were talking water flow rates of like ... 800-1200gpm. Different sort of setup haha but thanks for your input