Using the engine brake will not wear out your engine. The pistons are going up and down, the valves are opening and closing regardless of wether you are using an engine brake or not.
Looking at it another way an engine that is operating at say 400 HP will only have maybe 300 HP of braking power using an engine brake. So when braking there is actually less force being exerted on the engine components than there is when it's being put under a full load in normal operation.
You can also look at it still another way. When you downshift the trasmission in a vehicle you are actually doing the same basic thing a true engine brake does. By that I mean your turning the engine into a large air compressor. In the case of downshifting the engine is being sped up due to the gearing and as a result is sucking in more air than it typically would at the same speed in any other situations. By taking your foot off the throttle the engine is doing nothing but compressing air and getting nothing in return because of the lack of fuel. With an engine brake it does the same thing by making the engine compress air without any power in return. The difference in what's happening, basically, is the Jake opens the exhaust valve and allows the setup to brake more efficiently than it would otherwise.
Ultimately the engine isn't gonna experience any more wear by using the Jake than it is not using it. The biggest thing you face with it is the tendancy for guys to shift down too far and overspeed the engine, and that's what's going to cause the damage. On the other hand the service brakes are going to wear every time you use them and every time you can use the engine brake instead your extending their life......But that's just the way I understand things based on both driving a truck with a Jake as well as having installed and worked on other trucks with them......
We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today. [ About Us ]
Today's Featured Article - An AC Model M Crawler - by Anthony West. Neil Atkins is a man in his late thirties, a mild and patient character who talks fondly of his farming heritage. He farms around a hundred and fifty acres of arable land, in a village called Southam, located just outside Leamington Spa in Warwickshire. The soil is a rich dark brown and is well looked after. unlike some areas in the midlands it is also fairly flat, broken only by hedgerows and the occasional valley and brook. A copse of wildbreaking silver birch and oak trees surround the top si
... [Read Article]
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy
TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.
