ForConstructionPros.com

You probably have at least a dozen engines that you use for your business throughout the course of a week. Keeping them in top working condition is key to maintaining a profitable and reliable business. The following tips, used in conjunction with your engine manufacturer's recommendations, will help your diesel engine run long and efficiently.

Intake System. "Outside contamination through the air induction system on the air intake is probably the most common failure that we see," says David Couick, Engine Power Source, a major engine rebuilder and distributor.

Diesel engines use more air than gasoline engines do. For this reason, air filter maintenance is a top priority for diesel engines. Generally, air filters for diesel engines are larger and require changing more often than those on gas engines. In addition, your air filter needs to be of the correct size, installed properly, and not torn or compromised.

"Believe it or not, we do see a fair number of engines that are operated with either the wrong air filter element installed or in some cases operated with no element, causing unfiltered air — dirt — to enter the combustion system. This leads to premature and very rapid wear to the piston rings, cylinders, and intake valves," Marv Spurlin, national service manager, Deutz Corporation, explains.

As Steve Dunning, service engineer at Kubota Engine America, notes, over-servicing an air filter can be bad, too.