Stopping a runaway 5.9L (no drive shaft)

[MojaveJoe]

OK. So I want to start and test run my 5.9 with 48RE attached, but no drive shaft.
Ive heard that diesels can sometimes fail to stop upon ignition key being turned OFF. :--)
So Im wondering if there is a sure fire way to shut down a diesel engine that continues running when key turned off?
Ive heard: shove a rag in the intake, or cut wires to rail mounted elect fuel pump.
What's the easiest and safest way?

Also I will start it in Park.
Is it possible for me to run the 48RE thru the gears and then back to Park with no drive shaft, and no way to slow down the output shaft?

Any and all advice and experiences welcome.

 

[Tuesdak]

Shut the air off. This will even stop an engine running off it's own oil. This requires a plywood board and a good location to do so.

No, not in front of the turbo. You likely destroyed the Charge Air Cooler in the rollover so it could leak enough air to keep it running.

Pull the intake horn and have a brave helper ready to drop the board over it in case of a runaway. Make sure they don't use their hand or pinch a finger off. The vacuum would injure their hand badly if it didn't suck their now broken hand in.

Cutting lift pump wires won't stop a runaway engine.

A rag will get sucked through the intake and trash the turbo while the engine continues to run. The CAC will stop the debris. On the intake itself the sucked through rag will do significant engine damage and may not stop the now damaged engine.

If the engine does run away and you can't stop it get away from it and stay away from it for awhile as the cooling system could explode after the engine finally stops. Note I think this cameraman would miss the money shot.


Shifting the transmission out of Park will have it spinning even in neutral - shut off the engine and let it spin down before shifting back to Park or you can ruin the parking pawl.

 

[AH64ID]

If it runs with the key off on a HPCR it is going to be, most likely, from ingesting engouh combustible fluid thru the intake... such as oil from a compressor seal. The only way would be to block the airflow to the engine but don't suck a rag into the turbo.

Is the front driveshaft attached?

 

[MojaveJoe]

Can't beat advice from experienced people. Thanks loads guys. You may have saved my bacon (turbo etc) :-laf

Plywood air stop in-hand I hope to test run the engine today or tomorrow. It idled down after the rollover so I don't expect a runaway. Best to be prepared.
Yes the front drive shaft is good. I will try and switch to 4wd High before I start it.

 

[Motorhead]

The OLD two stroke Detroits, you always had either a thick phone book or as mentioned above, a piece of plywood big enough to cover the blower intake. Old Detroits were notorious for having the rack stuck wide open if they sat un run for years. I had a 1980 VW diesel and when the rings went away on it, It would do a OIL run, runaway. Only way to stop it was hitting the brakes and slow it down til it stopped.
Do you have a YOKE plug to put into the tail shaft housing?

 

[Motorhead]

Shifting the transmission out of Park will have it spinning even in neutral - shut off the engine and let it spin down before shifting back to Park or you can ruin the parking pawl.

I like the very end when the guy thinks it is all over and it looks like the radiator or a hose lets go! You hear " OH JESUS" Might of had to change his under shorts after that!

 

[MojaveJoe]

Yoke Plug? OK...Im game.....what is it and what does it do? I talked to my transmission builder this AM and he said I could run the trans at idle thru the gears but not to go back into park. Turn engine off in neutral. Also to watch for oil coming out of the front and the tail shaft.

 

[Motorhead]

A yoke plug goes into where the drive shaft would go as a temporary way to keep the trans oil from flowing out the tail shaft. If you shift into gear, the transfer case will turn. If you have a two piece driveline then I think the yoke stays on the transfer case? My '07 has a one piece driveline and slides into the transfer case.

 

[BD-Hector]

the way they do it in the oil fields is with a BD Positive Air shut off or our NEW E-pass.

www.dieselperformance.com/index.php/product/index/187P

www.dieselperformance.com/index.php/product/index/332P

 

[MojaveJoe]

Started my engine today, in Park, and it purred like a kitten at idle. (No throttle linkage to change rpms) Pulled the automatic shift lever thru R into Neutral. No Noise. Then cycled trans slowly thru D,2,1 then back up 1,2,D,N. No noise but could hear and feel the trans spinning at low speed (idle).

Then, from N shifted electronic 4WD switch into 4 Hi, heard a gravelly grinding sound then a crunch, then quiet. Could feel the front drive line trying to pull the truck forward (no rear drive shaft).
Ran trans down then back up the forward gears, stopping at neutral. Again changed it to 4 Lo, but heard nothing, still feeling the front drive line pulling forward. Back to N and turned off key. Engine shut down immediately like normal.

No engine or trans oil leaks.

So Iam fairly sure the engine is 100%, but the trans not so sure. Dirt and gravel could have gotten thrown at the trans case openings while it was rolling in the desert, and I did note that the upgraded transfer case support I installed to the skid plate seemed to show the trans moved to the rear about 1/4".

Additional collision note: When semi hit my LR wheel it likely stopped the wheel rolling and put a lot of torque on the alum drive shaft which cracked the rear most weld and the one piece shaft immediately fell out of the tailpiece, perhaps before the first roll? It's a fact the LR wheel does not turn now and likely grenaded the diff as the RR wheel barely turns.

SO is my transmission most likely damaged?

What's my engine worth at 209,000 miles but clean running. Who buys engines like this?

 

[Motorhead]

The noise you are hearing with the transfer case with the rear shaft off sounds normal. I can say with my '07 stick shift and with the front hubs disengaged, it will grind some if I change ranges in neutral. Man.... You are lucky to be alive! Your poor truck!

 

[Tuesdak]

I just paid $650 for a used head that needed an additional $750 in head work as well as new $prings. The Cummins parts are expensive even used.

The driveshaft came out of the transfer case and it's sealed from the auto transmission. So dirt maybe in the transfer case, but, not the transmission.

 

[SierraRam]

A CO2 fire extinguisher sprayed into the intake will prevent a run away with no potential damage.

 

[Mathes308]

In a pinch you could hold your hand over the intake horn, the vacuum won't hurt you.
I wouldn't put my hand near a turbo inlet though, in case a finger goes in.
Board or piece of sheet metal, frying pan, etc works best.
A CO2 fire extinguisher would be best, by displacing the oxygen she will shut down.
Thank goodness these things are tanks.

 

[MojaveJoe]

Talked to my transmission rebuilder this AM. He concurs. Initial 4wd engagement grinding sounds likely due to no rear drive shaft. He was not sure what the loud clunk afterwards is from. Im thinking once the transfer case gears engaged the transmission hit the stopped front driveline. With no rear driveshaft to stop the rotation, something had to stop the rotation (?) To me the clunk sounded almost identical to my AC compressor engaging when first turning on the AC.

Iam going with the idea engine and trans are both 100%. Now waiting for the insurance settlement number, to make a decision about buying back the truck.

Thanks for the additional input guys And, yes Ive heard about the Halon fire extinguisher trick. Luckily engine shut down quickly and normally, after 2 minute idling run.

 

[MojaveJoe]

Built Ram Tough.........the strength of the roof on my truck clearly saved me a BIG HEADACHE or likely worse. I would just like to thank the Dodge engineers for designing a roof capable of supporting the entire vehicle upside down.

 

[Motorhead]

FWIW... With ANY diesel, hopefully you never get it close to a VAPOR GAS leak such as natural gas or propane. If the concentration is high enough, they will run away by injesting the vapor.

 

[JR]

The OLD two stroke Detroits, you always had either a thick phone book or as mentioned above, a piece of plywood big enough to cover the blower intake. Old Detroits were notorious for having the rack stuck wide open if they sat un run for years. I had a 1980 VW diesel and when the rings went away on it, It would do a OIL run, runaway. Only way to stop it was hitting the brakes and slow it down til it stopped.
Do you have a YOKE plug to put into the tail shaft housing?

We used to have an old Galion peanut at the yard to load steel with. It had a 4-53 in it, and it had a knife gate upstream of the charger for manual shutdown. It was at the rear of the cab and all the operator had to do was step out and reach in and slam it shut.

 

[sandmanxx]

A real CO2 extinguisher used/dumped into intake should also shut a stock engine down in a matter of seconds. Just don't be shy using it! Even thou I may never need one - I am putting one on my truck instead of a butterfly valve setup.