AH64ID wrote:
trail-explorer wrote:
A diesel engine (very high compression braking in 1st gear) will compound the problem.
Diesel engines have very low compression braking, it's why they have exhaust brakes, and compression release brakes, and hydraulic retarders.
New diesels have a little more compression than older ones due to EGR valves, but still nothing like a gas engine.
Exhaust brake use on ice is a BIG no-no, but I don't think the 2010 Ford's had it as a selectable option.
Diesel engines have roughly twice the compression of gas engines. So which is easier to turn the engine over?
The diesel trucks and tractors that we have hold a load back on a hill much better than our gas engines. That has been my experience with all the gas vs diesel engines I have driven or ridden in. and that is without using any special engine braking features.
Yes diesels will have exhaust brakes,Jake brakes and other devices to help the trucks hold a load back, but it certainly isn't because they have lower compression than a gas engine.
AH64ID Check out what your own truck's compression ratio is. CTD 5.9 24v has 16.3:1 to 17.2:1. How high does a gas engine have? 9.0:1 to 10:.1.
