Exhaust Smell

[Just Plain Jeff]

Hang in there with me on this one.

It's my contention that the smell of the exhaust of a diesel engine is one way to determine how well the engine is running.

Here are some observations: Our 8V92 had the sweetest smelling exhaust; it seemed as if it ran like a Swiss watch. On startup, even if you had no other senses, you could identify the exhaust smell as an 8V92. The Series 60 also has a distinctive odor.

Now a few days ago, I was over at an RV dealership where there were a bunch of other coaches, mostly plastic. These were CAT and Cummins-powered coaches and the exhaust smell was distinctively different; indeed it smelled, 'raw,' suggesting that those engines were not as efficiently combusting the fuel. There was no apparent smoke coming from these mostly new coaches, but the particulate seemed to be less combusted, if that makes any sense.

So, for those of us who live for 'diesel smoke in the morning,' an 8V92 or a Series 60, as the nose goes, seem to do a much better job. What doesn't make sense in all of this however, is that my truck, which has a Cummins, smells more like the Detroits than the motorhomes. It does have the Hitman's custom 5-inch exhaust system on it, if that makes any sense.

All this makes me wonder about EGR standards and particulate emissions. If not all engines emit the same quantity of particulate/gallon, for example, creating standards for all diesel engines seems to be somewhat of an exercise in bureacracy (if particulate smell is an indicator). In statistics, that's called an Alpha error: Making an observation on a single case which applies to all members of a group.

What say y'all?

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

Hang in there with me on this one.

It's my contention that the smell of the exhaust of a diesel engine is one way to determine how well the engine is running.

Here are some observations: Our 8V92 had the sweetest smelling exhaust; it seemed as if it ran like a Swiss watch. On startup, even if you had no other senses, you could identify the exhaust smell as an 8V92. The Series 60 also has a distinctive odor.

Now a few days ago, I was over at an RV dealership where there were a bunch of other coaches, mostly plastic. These were CAT and Cummins-powered coaches and the exhaust smell was distinctively different; indeed it smelled, 'raw,' suggesting that those engines were not as efficiently combusting the fuel. There was no apparent smoke coming from these mostly new coaches, but the particulate seemed to be less combusted, if that makes any sense.

So, for those of us who live for 'diesel smoke in the morning,' an 8V92 or a Series 60, as the nose goes, seem to do a much better job. What doesn't make sense in all of this however, is that my truck, which has a Cummins, smells more like the Detroits than the motorhomes. It does have the Hitman's custom 5-inch exhaust system on it, if that makes any sense.

All this makes me wonder about EGR standards and particulate emissions. If not all engines emit the same quantity of particulate/gallon, for example, creating standards for all diesel engines seems to be somewhat of an exercise in bureacracy (if particulate smell is an indicator). In statistics, that's called an Alpha error: Making an observation on a single case which applies to all members of a group.

What say y'all?

Well I like the smell of my Chevy over your Cummins! It sounds better too! JJC

[Petervs]

Now you are just blowin' smoke!

Give me a break already, the smell you are used to smells the best, and the chemical formulation of some other guy's diesel is going to be a little different just because he bought it in a different place and crude oil from some other hole in the ground was used to make it.

It is just like drinking water. The water at your house, or the bottled water you buy at home always tastes the best because that is what your taste buds are calibrated to. Go somewhere else and you drink water it always tastes bad.

Stop breathing exhaust fumes, it is killing brain cells, and get back to work polishing the stainless!

Peter vS
94 Marathon XLV

[Joe Cannarozzi]

I say-I hope you make sure no one is looking before you go around sniffing tail pipes.

I say-What it makes you feel in the seat of the pants is a better indicator than what your smelling at the tail pipe.

x-power from x-mpg This is the question. The guy behind me can deal with the tail pipe.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

OK, I'll add to this insanity.

I don't have a nose as sensitive as JPJ, but on a backhoe I used to own the exhaust upon start up was completely different than the exhaust when it was warmed up.

I think JPJ ought to quantify these smells and make a chart.

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

OK, I'll add to this insanity.

I don't have a nose as sensitive as JPJ, but on a backhoe I used to own the exhaust upon start up was completely different than the exhaust when it was warmed up.

I think JPJ ought to quantify these smells and make a chart.

If "BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER" then ODOR MUST BE IN THE NOSE OF THE SMELLER ?

Which reminds me guys order your St Valentine's Day roses. They're worth it.

JIM

[Jon Wehrenberg]

"Which reminds me guys order your St Valentine's Day roses. They're worth it."

What a suck up! Save your money for diesel fuel and LEDs.

[Just Plain Jeff]

By Jon: I think JPJ ought to quantify these smells and make a chart.

Actually that's not a bad idea. It would be a Chi square, comparative, but not predictive.

on a backhoe I used to own the exhaust upon start up was completely different than the exhaust when it was warmed up

The road to Truth begins with a single believer. i sense the beginning of a movement here.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

I'm behind you on this one, Camper Boy.

[Jerry Winchester]

What will Camper Boy smell when he starts burning Bio Willie or grease oil in the coach?

And to further Jon's backhoe analogy, after traveling 1400 miles with Mike, tacos smell pretty good when you start up, but don't smell as sweet after the engine warms up

Then he asks me (as we drive along 15 miles of continuous dairy farms south of Las Cruces), "Dude, is that you?" That's what happens when you travel in the country with a city boy.