Emd Airbox

toddstrick posted:

Hello,

I have been working on a GP9 the last weeks and the airbox needs cleaned. Its full of oil and sludge plus it oozes oil out of the airbox drains. I have not found any reference to how to clean it. Any help would be great.

 

Thank You

Todd

EMD issued a service bulletin (Pointers article, or maybe a Modification Recommendation) during the early turbocharged engines era (1960s?). If you have access to EMD Service publications, you might try searching there.

My first recommendation would be, find out where all the oil and sludge is coming from. Are the rings all glazed over? Are all power assemblies "souping"? When was the last time the engine was used, and received a good heavy loading?

For cleaning, you can always washout the airbox with Kerosene, or mineral spirits, or diesel fuel. I also remember seeing the UP steam clean exceptionally dirty airboxes, with saturated steam guns. Naturally it is critical that ALL the airbox drains be fully open and draining, for such cleaning operations.

Added note:  You could try visiting RYPN and request Preston Cook, you was an Instructor in the EMD Service School, to provide the specific document information on Airbox Cleaning. Preston is a wealth of information, with a memory like a steel trap! I no linger have all my Service Publications, as I gave them to the Chief Mechanical Officer of the Heber Valley Railroad.

This one?

No 7580 is at another railroad.

Thanks Hotwater,

The gets used almost every weekend, but idles most of the way downhill and never gets heavily loaded on the way back. My guess would be the engine idled almost all the time, since carbon traps were packed solid and inside the stack have build up also.

Todd

This Geep, 7236 same PRR heritage 

toddstrick posted: 

Thanks Hotwater,

The gets used almost every weekend, but idles most of the way downhill and never gets heavily loaded on the way back. My guess would be the engine idled almost all the time, since carbon traps were packed solid and inside the stack have build up also.

Todd

That is the root cause of your souping problem. The poor engine well eventually "idle itself to death".