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Do you "cool down" your equipment?

9K views 33 replies 24 participants last post by  clydebusa 
#1 ·
Hey guys, i have a 25 year old guy working for me this year, running my Kobelco sr35, Taki TL130 and a 650J.....he NEVER lets stuff cool down just stops and turns of the key with no cool down time at all....sometimes I start a piece, and the throttle is still wide open. He has been operating for about 6 years, and is amazing in the TL 130 and the dozer, but this bugs the he** out of me. I have always been taught to let the equipment cool down for a few minutes before shutting it off. Especially with turbo charged equipment.
I always give my iron time to warm up and cool down....

Thoughts?
 
#27 ·
Helll if he is working for you and you want the engines cooled down before turning them off, then that's what should happen. If you want him to dance around the machine 3 times before shutting it off, then so it shall be written. Personally if its the machines been working hard, I let it cool down before shutting it off. What can it hurt, to let it idle a few extra minutes.
Yesterday i got on my mini X.....i was about to turn the key and fire it up, when i noticed that the throttle was still wide open from the last time he was on it. :hammerhead:
 
#28 ·
Helll if he is working for you and you want the engines cooled down before turning them off, then that's what should happen. If you want him to dance around the machine 3 times before shutting it off, then so it shall be written. Personally if its the machines been working hard, I let it cool down before shutting it off. What can it hurt, to let it idle a few extra minutes.
I agree. It's your equipment so it shoulc be run your way.
 
#29 ·
This is straight off Banks web site. I will ad that on the Turbo drag cars we run the engine is shut down quite often at the end of a full pass when going through the finish line and the turbos will be red hot and glowing.

You have to let a turbo-diesel idle for two minutes before you shut it off.

FACT
This is a current myth that has a basis of fact stemming from many years ago. It also has a kernel of truth regarding today's turbocharged gasoline engines that operate at higher peak exhaust temperatures than turbo-diesels. In the early days of turbochargers, the turbo shaft was supported by a babbitt bearing that could seize, or even melt, if the engine was shut off immediately after sustained boost conditions where the turbocharger would "heat soak". A two minute cool down at idle allowed the turbocharger to dissipate any remaining spinning inertia, and the oil circulation cooled the bearing and prevented oil "coking" in the bearing area. Turbochargers haven't used babbitt bearings for over 30 years, and today's oils resist coking. Synthetic oils won't coke, period. With a turbocharged gas engine, it's still good insurance to let the engine idle for 30 seconds to a minute to allow the turbo or turbos to dissipate any inertia and to cool the bearing area to prevent oil coking, especially if the engine has been worked hard just prior to shut-down. Of course, using quality synthetic oil eliminates this potential coking problem.

Today's turbo-diesels are a different story. There is really no reason to "cool down" a turbo-diesel these days, but you won't hurt anything by doing it either. You can still find people who swear you have to do it, but the myth is fading. Maybe they just like to sit and listen to the radio.
 
#30 ·
Per 2014 Kenworth truck manual with Cummins engine. As soon as the truck has built proper air pressure you are free to put it in gear and go. As soon as you can safely come to a complete stop and set the parking brake on the truck you are free to shut it off. Now obviously if it is 0* outside you may want to warm the truck up a bit, and obviously you don't shut a machine off at wot...
 
#33 ·
I always warm up and cool down. My Kobelco 135SR has the warm-up feature to help get the hydraulics warmed up, that helps a lot in cold weather. In the summer I still let it warm up a little, i might grease up or walk around and look the site over. When cooling down, might grease up, pick up shovels sweep the floor, wash windows....what ever....but the equipment gets a few minutes to cool down.
 
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