We have to thank BangShifter John Eken for the tip on this video featuring a multitude of runaway diesel engines. From BMWs to front end loaders, and locomotives, this video captures the nightmare scenario of a diesel engine running in an out of control fashion on its own engine oil. As you can imagine, failing to get this situation stopped by choking out the engine results in a pretty poor outcome when the oil pan, which is acting as the fuel tank runs dry.
How does this happen? In two stroke engine it can happen if the motor “sneezes” and then begins to run backwards. When the engine runs backwards in this application it literally turns the exhaust into the intake and everything get worse from there. In a four stroke application, the turbo can suffer a seal failure which will cause it to start sucking the oil out of the pan that should be used to lubricate the charger.
The bottom line is that because diesels do not have a throttle like gas engines, they will run as hard as the fuel supply will let them to run. With no metering and a whole bunch of oil heading through the engine, they go like absolute hell until they expire. How do you stop it? Shut off the airflow to the engine by any means necessary. it is a little intimidating in some situations to run up on an engine running as hard as it can and seeming as though it may explode at any second, hence the confusion shown my many people in this video.
Watch the plumes of smoke, the locomotive shooting fire, and all the rest of the messes featured in this video. Wild stuff!
