I found out today the Cat 3126 in the work truck (see sig) has steel topped pistons. This explains how it can stand sustained 1,000+ degree post turbo EGT's without melting. Good thing too, because it's hard to stay below that when working hard below 2000 RPM. It also explains the lower max RPM than our 230 HP Cats. I assume now the limiting factor for EGT is the turbine wheel, anybody know what it can take before it melts? Cat said 1,167 degrees was "expected" at peak torque, but they wouldn't give me a clear limit on how high the "safe" range extends. Can anybody give me a clue? I want to rig a video camera under the hood sometime, I bet the manifold gets white-hot on a long hill!

 

There was a website for modifying semi truck engines where the guy highly recommended a ceramic coating on top of the pistons to resist the effects of heat. Have you seen it?

http://www.dieselinjection.net/BRUCE...beginning.html

 

Yep, he's talking about coating aluminum pistons to handle more heat. This Cat has aluminum pistons with steel tops. I don't see them melting first. So what I need to know is, how much heat can the turbine take?

 

maybe not white hot, but sure a nice cherry color

 

True...aluminum melts at a lower temp than steel.

 

<bump> Anybody know anything? Monty?