Idle Fuel Consumption

[fsmyth]

We certainly do not see the temps that you do in Texas, but I do remember some sub-zero.
In my youth, I drove big winch and pole trucks that did not run often, but had to run quickly
after a call (big wreckers). When it got that cold, we would simply cart out a couple of the
little kerosene torpedo burners used to heat the shop, stick 'em under one side of the truck
and block the other side with cardboard or plywood. Heated 'em up in about 15 mins. max
(one Peterbuilt, one Kenworth, and an old Diamond Reo). Ran the heaters on diesel when
they were not used as shop heaters.
<ALS>

 

[WisdomWarlord]

Sorry to revive an old thread but recent events have raised new questions.

2 months ago I was fighting with a now solved fuel supply problem. During the fight, I gave it a shot of ether... but didn't disable the glow plugs. The engine bucked back hard. That caused a disturbing noise that I now know is a broken tooth on the flywheel. I have driven it daily for the last 7 weeks and it's running great, but now it sounds really bad and is just a matter of time before the flywheel is so chewed up it won't start at all.
To buy me more time, this last week I have started it in the morning and not shut it down until I get off and back home, 9-12 hours later. I drive between 70 and 125 miles a day, and get a very consistent 12-13 mpg.
Based on my fuel use this last week, and the amount of time I'm actually idling, I'm not burning more than a quart an hour at idle. This number has also been very consistent.

So my question now is, do I need to worry about washing down cylinders, binding rings in pistons, diluting my oil, or plugging injectors at this rate of fuel consumption at an idle?

Please don't take this as being contradictory, I'm just asking based on my real world observations of my own truck.

Thanks.

 

[TWeatherford]

Occasionally I have idled down some long grades, some 10-15 miles long, using my sf-5 to slow me down and giving it no throttle. This is in summer, and when I do give it throttle at the end of the grade it blows enough white smoke that I don't think I'd let it idle for an extended period. It's not a direct correlation, but these engines simply don't keep warm at idle and won't have complete combustion. It may survive it, but can't be good on it.

 

[WisdomWarlord]

I'm looking for smoke when I pull away from a stop and there isn't anything more than a whisper, and that's it. I'm expecting to see signs of fuel loading, looking for them, and it just isn't there. If I need to, I'll gladly run it at high idle. It may raise my fuel cost but right now I can't have the truck down for long enough to drop the transmission and replace the flex plate. But I don't see any evidence that I'm loading up on fuel at all. Am I missing something?

 

[firehawk]

You should be fine, but always make repairs asap. I have seen these diesel trucks run all day on a farm, most of it idle between loading and unloading. Waiting til failure will inevitably cost more and be far less convenient. The poster that blows white smoke after a downhill grade sounds like the engine is sucking in oil.