UnderstandingtheMackMP8

FromthepersistenceanddeterminationofRudolf
Dieselevolvedthegreatestinventionforthetransportationindustry,thedieselengine.Whocould
haveeverimaginedthatsomanydifferentmanufacturersoftheseengineswouldhaveevolvedfrom
onedesign?Iguessthesamecouldalsobesaidforthegasolineengineaswell,but,regardlessofthe
manufacturer,haveyoueverstoppedtothinkhowmuchthedieselenginehasevolved?
First,itwasthequestformorepower,thenthefocuswenttopowerwithefficiency,andnowpower,
efficiencyandemissionsareallrequired.Emissionshasalmostbecomeasubjectwerealreadytired
ofhearingabout,butthemanufacturersgothroughnumeroustrialstokeeptheirenginescompliant
withgovernmentcleanairstandards.
EspeciallyinaClass8truck,itsinterestingtoseechangesthathavetakenplacethatcanbehiddenin
plainsight.

TheMACKMP8isa13liter(800CID)engine
withelectronicunitinjectors,acooledExhaust
GasRecirculation(EGR)system,aDiesel
ParticulateFilter(DPF)systemandtheHolset
VariableGeometryTurbocharger(VGT).The
engineweighsapproximately2560lb.dry.Its
designincludesaonepiececylinderhead,a
singleoverheadcamshaft,threerockerarmsper
cylinder,unitinjectorsandnopushrods.
Monosteelsteelpistonsaremadeinonepiece.
TheMackMP813literengine(anditsVolvocounterpart,theD13)atfirstglanceseemstobevery
similartoanyothermoderndaydieselpowerplant.Itusesthestandardemissionsdevicesincluding
theEGRsystem,DOC(DieselOxidationCatalyst),DPF(DieselParticulateFilter),electronic
injectionandVGT(VariableGeometricTurbo).But,behindthescenesaresomeinterestingdetails

thatmaketheengineunique.Fromcolorsoftheengineandappearanceofthevalvecoveralongwith
labelsandfilters,severalfeaturesdistinguishtheMP8fromotherenginesevenwithintheMackline.
OnthefrontoftheenginetherearetwopolyVbeltsthatdrivetheaccessories.Theouterbeltdrives
thecoolantpumpandfanhub.ThesecondbeltdrivesthealternatorandA/Ccompressor.Thisisno
differentthanotherdieselenginesexceptforthefactthatbehindtheaccessoriesonthefrontofthe
enginethereisnogeartrain.Onmostdieselengines,behindthebeltsthereisafrontcover,which
housestheenginesgeartrainlinkingthecrankshaft,camshaftandaccessorydrives.OntheMack,the
geartrainhasbeenmovedtotherearoftheengine.Thiswasdonetoimprovetheflowofcoolingair
aroundthefrontoftheengine.Onthebackoftheenginethetiminggearsarebackedbyasteel
platethatisboltedtotheblock.Thereareninegearstotal,whichhelpmaketimingmoreprecisealong
withreductioninnoiselevels.
Thecylinderblockiscastironjustasisthecasewithotherdieselenginesbutformorerigidityand
noiseandvibrationreduction,astiffenerplatewasaddedtothebottom.Whenremovingtheoilpan
youcanseethestiffenerplateandwhenremovingthestiffenerplatethemainbearingcapsare
exposed.
Therearesevenmaincapsmadeofnodularcastiron.Eachcapismarkedforitsspecificlocation
startingwithNo.1atthefront.
MaincapsNo.4andNo.7arenotmarkedandhaveaspecificpurpose.MaincapNo.4housesthe
thrustwasherstocontrolaxialmovementofthecrankshaftandmaincapNo.7istheattachingpoint
attherearoftheblockfortheoilpump.
TheconnectingrodsareforgedsteelandmadebyfractureprocesswithfourM12capscrews.The
pistonsareonepieceMonosteel.

TheMackMP8alsohasasomewhatcomplex
lubricationsystem.Itssystemcomponentsaresimilartoothermanufacturers,butthefunctionsofthe
lubricationsystemareoftenoverlookedandmaynotbefullyunderstoodastowhattakesplaceinside
theengine.TheoilpumpismountedtotherearmainbearingcapNo.7andisgeardrivenbythe
crankshaft.Oilflowsthroughthepumpintothreefilters,twoofwhicharefullflowandtheothera
bypass.Onceoilpassesthroughthefilters,sixvalvescontroloilflowthroughthelubricationsystem.
Thesixvalvesare:
1.ReducingValveMaintainsconstantsystemoilpressure
2.SafetyValvePreventsexcessivepressureduringperiodsofhighviscosity
3.OilCoolerThermostatValvePreventsoilfromenteringtheoilcooleruntilwarmedtoaset
point
4.OverflowValve:FullFlowFilterAllowsoiltobypassfilterifitbecomesclogged

5.OpeningValve:PistonCoolingPreventsoilfrommovingtothepistoncoolingjetsuntilthe
systemreachessetpressure
6.ControlValve:PistonCoolingRegulatesoilflowtothepistoncoolingchannels.

TheMP8slubricationsystem
featuresastrainerandpickuptubethatleadthe
lubricantintothepump.Fortheaxleforwardoil
pan,thestrainerismountedonashorttubeheld
inplacebyabracketattachedtothedistribution
housing.Fortheaxlebackmodel,alongtube
withoutthebracketissupplied.
OneuniquefeatureoftheMackMP8lubricationsystemisitsCCV(CrankcaseVentilation)system.
ThoughtheCCVsystemhasbecomeastandardemissionsystemonallmakesofenginestoprevent
crankcasevaporsfromescapingtotheatmosphere,mostdieselenginestodayhaveatubefromthe
valvecoverthatcarriesthecrankcasevaporstoafilterhousing.Thefiltercapturestheoilmistfrom
thevaporandtrapsitinafilterthatisservicedaboutevery100,000miles.Thevaporisthen
reintroducedintotheintaketractwherethevaporcanbereturnedtotheenginetobereburned.
FortheMackMP8,theCCVsystemconsistsofaturbineseparator.Themixtureofoilymistand
gasestrappedinthevalvecoverandtimingcoverdrainontothetopofthecenterofaturbineandrun
downontoseveraldiscsrotatingwithintheturbine.Separationoccursasthemixtureisflungoutward
bytheturbineandstrikesthewallsoftheCCV.Thedropletsofmistformintoaliquidanddrainback
intotheoilpanalongwiththeoilthatdrivestheturbine.Thevaporsarethenfreetoexitthroughan
openportthatisatthebottomoftheengine.Asroaddraftpassesthetubewhiledriving,thevapors
aredrawnintotheatmosphere.
Fuelsystem
Unlikemostemissionizeddieselstoday,theMackMP8enginedoesnotutilizeacommonrail
injectionsystem.Mostdieselenginesusecommonrailinjectionasawaytocontrolmanyfueling
strategiesforabetterandmoreefficientburnandtobringdownemissionsbutitisverycomplex
andstillpronetomanyproblems.TheMackMP8utilizeswhatisknownasunitinjectors.Unlike
commonrailsystemsthathaveseparatecomponentsfordelivering,pressurizingandinjectingthe
fuel,theunitinjectorcombinesallofthesefunctions.
Theunitinjectorusesadoublesolenoidknownaspumpandnozzleandislocatedinthesamehousing
oftheinjector.Theunitinjectorisheldinthecylinderheadbyayoke,whichattachestothecylinder
headwithabolt.Dependingonmodeyear,oneofthreedifferentstylesofyokeswereused.So,ifyou
areservicingtheinjector,itisrecommendedthattheyokeholddownboltbereplaced.Makesure
whatyokeisontheengineandgettheproperlengthreplacement.

Thefuelpumpattachestothepowersteeringpump,whichisturnedbythereargeartrainofthe
engine.Thefuelisfilteredbothbeforeenteringthepumpandwhenleavingit.At600rpm,thepump
delivers14.5psiofpressureandat1200rpmaround43.5psi.Fuelenterstheheadandisdeliveredto
allsixinjectors.

Therearefourphasesoftheinjectorcycleofoperation.
FirstisknownastheFillphase.Insidethetopoftheinjectorisaplunger.Theplungerispusheddown
bytherockerarm,whichismovedbythelobeonthecamshaft.Theplungermovesupintheinjector
asthecamshaftrotatesandtherockerarmisonitswaytothecamshaftbasecircle,thefuelvalveis
openallowingfueltobedrawnin.Fillingcontinuesuntilthepumpplungerreachesitsupperposition.
Nextthespillphasebegins.Asthecamshaftrotates,therockerarmpushesthepumpplungerdown.
Fuelflowsthroughafuelvalvethroughholesintheinjectorandintothefuelgallery.
Thenbeginstheinjectionphase.Astherockerarmcontinuestopushdownontheplunger,thefuel
valveclosesandinjectionoccursallowingfueltoexitthenozzle.Theinjectionphaseendswhenthe
fuelvalveopensandpressureinsidetheinjectordropsbelownozzleopeningpressure.
Finallycomesthepressuredropphase.Thefuelvalveopeningandclosingiscontrolledbythedouble
solenoid,whichiselectronicallyactuatedbytheECM(EngineControlModule).

Therearefourphasestotheinjectorcycleof
operation.Theseinclude:
Fillphase,Spillphase,Injectionphase,and
Pressuredropphase.
Withineachofthesefourphases,thepump
plunger(1),fuelgallery(2)andinjectornozzle
(3)worktogethertopumpfuelthroughthe
engine.
Thefuelvalveopeningandclosingdeterminestheamountoffuelperinjectionstroke.Eachinjectoris
labeledwithatrimcode.Whentheinjectorisreplaced,thenewtrimcodehastobeprogrammedinto
theECMforthecylinderitisreplacingforproperfuelmanagement.Coppersleevesareintheinjector
boresofthecylinderhead.Enginecoolantcirculatesaroundthecoppersleevestoactascooling
jacketstocontrolinjectiontemperature.

Importantthingstorememberwhenservicingtheengineincludenotmachiningthecylinderheadfor
simplecleanup.Thiswillchangeinjectordepthandaffectemissions.Thiswillalsoupsetthetiming
gearbacklashinthereargeartrain.Also,donotgrindtheinjectorcoppersleeves.
Whenremovingthemaincapsofthecrankshaft,makesurethattheyareinstalledbackinthecorrect
position.Thesamethingapplieswiththerodcapsastheyarefracturemanufactured.
Whenremovingandinstallingthecylinderhead,makesuretousethealignmentscrewsandwashers
onthesideoftheheadandblocktomaneuvertheheadwhileloweringitbackontothecylinderblock.
Becausetheheadgaskethaselastomersealingrings,iftheheadisloweredontothegasketandthen
slidintoplace,damagetothegasketmayoccurandresultinimpropersealing.

Eachcylinderhasfourlobesofthecamshaftthat
operateit.Makesurethattherockerassemblyiskeptintheorderfromtheengineinwhichitis
removed.