this is my first diesel. 04.5 cummins. its completely stock but not for long. i cant help but wonder why its so quiet compared to other 24v cummins that are also stock. engine noise is what i'm reffering too. other 24v engines idle so much louder than mine and actually sound more powerful even though they arent. what gives? i have over 20 yrs experience with gas but have made the switch to diesel and i like it so far. definitely a different animal but i am eager to learn. thanks in advance for all the replies i will be getting about various topics in the future.
Well the way I understand it is the main difference and actually about the only difference between the 1-2 gens and the 3rd gens is the fuel injection. With the older model (non-common rail) the fuel injection into each cylinder happens all at once and that makes a good loud whack, and those engines were direct injection. With the common rail the injectors are electronically controlled so there are multiple injections each time the one cylinder fires, slowing down the process and really effectively quiting as well, I believe there is also a pre combustion chamber in the newer engines which gets the fire burning a little slower, again so its not just one hard knock thats heard. Some more of the noise too was the high pressure fuel flowing from the injection pump to each individual injector. Hopefully this helps you out and if anyone else has a better description please, I too am all ears. Brian-
