Diesel...The "Other" Power

by Andrea L. Algar
Motorheads Performance

Guy and I don't work on or service diesels, other than our own equipment, but we do have an appreciation for how diesel engines have advanced. My memories have always been of small European import cars spewing choking diesel when the light turned green, leaving a large film of ugly black all over the rear of the car, or of following a diesel truck and needing to turn off the A/C so I wouldn't choke or feel nausea come over me.

Interestingly, when I joined Guy Algar in founding our classic car repair shop, I learned a lot about diesel engines, and grudgingly developed a respect for them. Since then, in an effort to quench my endless thirst for knowledge, I've done a bit of research on diesel engines, and thought I'd share the interesting story.



Inventor Rudolph Diesel
Photo by: howstuffworks.com

Turns out that the diesel engine was named after Rudolf Diesel, a German who was a refrigeration engineer by trade. Back in 1893, he developed a fuel injected compression ignition engine, now known as the 4-stroke, which was created to power factories and large ships. But, many men had been on a quest for improving our methods of creating power, and there had already been many major achievements prior to this that probably prevented Diesel's invention from developing and integrating faster for use in cars and trucks.

As early as the Civil War, men had a vision of engines that worked more efficiently than the steam engines that had been in use in America. While revolutionary and extremely productive, there was so much more to come.

What else had already happened? In 1860 Jean Joseph Etienne Lenoir, of Belgium, patents a two-stroke gasoline engine which was sold to power machinery. In 1862, he put one of his engines on a vehicle which reportedly ran at 1-1/2 MPH, however he did not manufacture or sell his engine for use in cars.

In 1872 the Brayton Ready Motor was developed utilizing gas, but it too was made for stationary applications only. In 1876 Nikolaus Otto patented the four-stroke engine in Germany, and the engine was later made to run by his engineer Gottlieb Daimler, who later went on to develop his own system. In 1885 Daimler built a hot tube ignition system to get the engine speed up to 1000 rpm on his wooden motorcycle. Earlier that year, Karl Benz had created a  motorized tubular framed tricycle. And, in 1888, William Steinway, (as in Steinway & Sons piano fame), talked to Daimler about manufacturing in the US. They partnered in a collaboration, creating the Daimler Motor Company which by 1891 produced petrol engines for tramway cars, carriages, quadricycles, fire engines and boats in a Hartford, Connecticut plant. In 1901 the Olds automobile factory opened in Detroit, producing 425 cars utilizing a 3 hp engine.

But best known for his pioneering work for mass producing and revolutionizing the automobile industry, Henry Ford had an engine running by 1893 but it was 1896 before he built his first internal combusion engine, and many more years and several failed ventures before it was successfully put into mass production for cars. It was not until 1908 that Ford began producing cars under that name calling them the Model T and producing 10,660 cars. Also in 1908 William Durant formed General Motors.

J. Frank Duryea (right) with Charles Duryea
Photo courtesy: Wikipedia

But it was brothers Charles and Frank Duryea who actually created the first gasoline powered car to be used on public roads in the U.S. In Springfield, Massachusetts in 1893, they made their first run, reportedly using a horse drawn buggy that they had installed with a 4 HP, single cylinder gasoline engine, friction transmission, spray carburetor and low tension ignition. Sitting mostly unsed, the car was put into storage in 1894 and stayed there until 1920 when it was found and presented to the United States National Museum.

So, understanding how the gasoline engine developed from the earlier use of steam engines that powered almost everything, helps see why the use of diesel took so long to develop. It took almost 100 years for diesel engines to scale down to the size where they could power cars, lawnmowers and almost every type of gardening equipment imaginable. Initially, they were large, bulky and in vehicles, very slow-moving. In the last few decades however, diesel engines have evolved into powerhouses that are fast. Modern diesels in late-model pickups can produce power that you find in fuel-injected, turbocharged gasoline engines!


Diagram courtesy of: automobilehitech.com

Diesel engines differ from gasoline engines only in the way that they make spark. Diesel engines use the hot air created by compression inside the cylinders to create combustion. Gasoline engine combusion is created by the spark plugs. Diesel, in 1893, saw that high compression could lead to high engine efficiency partly because compressed air concentrates the oxygen (essential for burning fuels), therefore it would create a more powerful explosion. This basic concept of what has become known as the four-stroke diesel engine has seen little change in the 119 years it has been in production. What has changed, especially in recent years, is the add-on, power-boosting performance products such as turbos that have turned these workhorses into musclebound cars and trucks that are more fuel efficient and have much cleaner emissions.



Photo by: blog-city.info

Recent competitions like the Diesel Power Challenge (which is what prompted me to write this article), show that diesels can certainly appeal to those who like horsepower!

Top trucks in the competition included a Chevy Silverado with a 6.6L triple-turbo Duramax which produced a 11.1 second 1/2 mile run at 128 mph, cranking 1329 hp and 2,455 lb-ft of torque at the rear wheels! Also a strong finisher was a Ford Super Duty with a 6.4L, compound-turbo producing 900 hp at the wheels.  If you'd like to see some of the competition action from all of the teams, visit DieselPowerChallenge.com.

I'm sure, sometime in the near future, Guy and I will be getting a call or two from someone who wants to hot rod their ride with a powerhouse diesel. If they can swallow the high price of diesel fuel these days! Happy hot rodding!

REFERENCES & More Information on Diesel Engines: 
http://www.howstuffworks.com/diesel.htm
http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bldiesel.htm
http://hhopower.wordpress.com/diesel-engine-overview/
http://www.blog-city.info/en/rudolfdiesel.php?Page=4
http://www.dieselpowermag.com/tech/general/0810dp_cummins_isx_diesel_engine/photo_04.html
http://www.hk-phy.org/energy/transport/vehicle_phy01_e.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel_engine
http://www.holset.co.uk/mainsite/files/index.php
http://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/history_diesel.htm
http://www.goadvice.com/GreenDCoop/DieselHistory.htm
http://cars.about.com/od/dieselvehicles/a/What_is_diesel.htm

VIDEO HISTORY of Diesel Engines:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiiqiiTDj0A

VIDEO How Diesel Engines Work:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9yS2xdPJSU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ro4LUNTfXS0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSrIceBDrRM (vintage cartoon!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3gMTqaNwlE (vintage cartoon part 2!)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andrea L. Algar is co-owner of a classic car performance and restoration design shop in Leesville, Texas. Motorheads Performance specializes in repairs, maintenance, performance upgrades and restorative work on cars and trucks from the 1920’s through 1970’s. Her husband Guy L. Algar is a Mechanical Engineer with over 25 years experience. He holds 5 ASE Certifications from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and has been working on old cars and trucks for over 37 years. Together they share their passion for old cars and trucks with other enthusiasts from around the country.