Engineering Explained Thanks for explaining this, never thought that it was the vacuum not the compression in gas cars. Just one question tho, when you put a car in gear to hold the vehicle on an inclination when engine is off, is it the compression that holds the car instead of vacuum in this case since pistons aren’t moving.
Engineering Explained actually i think it’s both the compression and power stroke in two different cylinders that created the force to hold the vehicle, since the cylinders at intake and exhaust stroke has open valves which would not create any pressure in this case to counteract the force.
On our heavy haul trucks (pulling two mountain doubles), we had compression brakes (not a Jacob brake) and we had brake savers. The brake saver consisted of an extra compartment filled with engine oil. It was part of the engine and set at the back of the engine at the output shaft. When applied by switch or an extra "Johnny Bar", it would air activate a paddle that would drop down into the extra 3 gallons of engine oil. It slowed the truck down quite a bit in combination with the compression brake. We were hauling 500,000 lbs. gross on private roads. Just thought I'd share.
@@nosoliciting024 Apparently it's only a marketing name/different name for a jacobs engine brake. Compression brake = compression release brake = jake brake.
@@ajidamarjati The original Jacobs Brakes (and yes that is the maker) held the valves shut inside the engine creating a back pressure, which slows the engine down and the vehicle. The compressions brake creates back pressure at the exhaust of the engine, which again slows the vehicle down.
I wish more drivers wouod understand the concept of engine braking. On a flat surface, physics and engine braking constantly want the vehicle to slow down. Normal braking isnt always needed to slow a vehicle (and engine braking helps preserve your brake pads). When approaching a stop sign or red light, you can simply let off the gas and the vehicle will gradually slow down (this can also help gas mileage as the fuel injectors shut down under deceleration when throttle is closed). Using your regular brakes unnecessarily doesnt allow the injectors as long as idle period bc the engine revs drop faster vs engine braking. The injectors will turn on sooner as you approach engine idle speed. Being able to proactively downshift magnifies engine braking as youre able to reduce vehicle speed more aggressively thru gearing and youre allowing the injectors more idle time as the engine revs slowly come down from a higher rpm (from the lower gear you just downshifted too). The lower gear puts the engine at a higher rpm increasing that vacuum which in turn slows the vehicle down more quickly.
+wayde philpot I wish people on the freeway understood this concept. For some odd reason people think brake lights= I need to slam on my brakes, when in reality you can simply let off the throttle and let physics slow you down. Saves traffic, time, and money (from brake wear)
+MrElpajita The weight of the vehicle keeps it rotating along with the mass of the flywheel. Most engines won't completely shut the injectors off but will open them for a much shorter time so that there is less fuel going in to the cylinders. As the car slows to idle or once you press on the gas to start going the computer sees the increased load and will start to turn on the fuel injectors for longer periods.
The "Jacobs" brake was invented by Clessie Cummins after he retired from Cummins Engine Co. He originally approached Cummins to use it, but they were not interested. So he went to Jacobs Manufacturing (The people that make Jacobs drill chucks) and they built the brake. The logo on the Jacobs brake is the same logo as on the drill chucks.
Really? I had to read the comments to understand where the term "jake" came from? Thanks to the Wizz. But tell me this ... it is not a switch right? .... just let off the gas, and the system does it (jakes) right?
@@scottmonfort You have to usually flick a switch on the dash to engage the Jake Brake then let off the accelerator then it does it's thing. Some have 3 settings off on or standby for the Jake brake the standby mode works when you take your foot off the accelerator pedal and disengages when you put your foot back on the accelerator. The on setting you have to flick the switch off before you can move forward. I may of got some of that wrong but that is how I understand how it works by riding with my father who use to drive trucks as part of his excavation company job well until the state of Vermont took his CDL away for his epilepsy even though at that time I was in my teens and never had I seen him have a seizure but they felt the need to take it away. They even tried to take his drivers license away but after my father said he was going to go on disability because of it they sent the drivers license back he was intending to drop his CDL but what pissed him off was having it taken.
@@02091992able mostly right, except they all have an on/off switch, when on, the jakes will usually only activate when APP is read as 0%, which is when the process wxplained in the video is carried out. Some systems are optioned with a 2 or 3 positon switch, 2 position switches activate either half or all cylinders (3 or 6 in the case of an inline 6) and 3 pos switches activate 2, 4 or 6 cylinders. Gives greater control over braking effect and with prolonged use oil temps can increase, so can be used to prevent that on long downhill runs with brake modulation
Would trucks be burned at the stake for witchcraft? If so, I feel it would be a punishment for both the truck, and the people watching since watching a perfectly good truck go to waste hurts my soul.
Wait. There is no switch mentioned in any of this ... just let off the gas (diesel) and the Jake system uses the compressed air to slow it down. NO SWICH RIGHT?
Very good explanation of this. One thing to add though is with modern electronic diesel engines the 'control' solenoid is no longer needed as the engine computer is able to simply control an electric over oil solenoid to the exhaust valve to activate the system which gives much more precise control than the old master/slave type system of days past. Some modern engines even use the VG valve in the turbo to compound the engine braking using both back-pressure and compression combined together to often give the engine as much or more braking power than it has propulsion power depending on the engine spec for HP.
False: a Jake brake is using your friend (Preferably Jake) as a brake by throwing him in front of the car :D It's simple physics, and is easy to do! The only problem is the maintenance cost :/
Yes, this is the exact reason why I no longer have any friends names "Jake". But since I do most of my trucking along the Texas/Mexico boarder, I've adapted to using the "Juan brake" it's quite effective and there is an abundance supply down here. 😂😂😂
Dude, I had a pretty good idea of how automobiles worked before I found your videos, but you've given me a whole new level of understanding. Thanks for what you do man.
+Yak Eru Yes, That's typically the performance muffler or even straight piped crowd. A Jake Brake sounds fantastic through 10" straight stacks Alot of cities, well, pretty much all of them, technically have bylaws against the uses of engine brakes within city limits because of them lol. thats one of the perks of the silly aerodynamic eco friendly truck I drive, Jake brake is so quiet i can use it everywhere and no one knows. Also driving a straight piped truck 11 hours a day (13 in canada) gets pretty old after the first week. its alot of noise.
The story of the Jake Brake is actually quite fascinating. It was not invented by Jacobs. The Jake Brake was independently invented by Clessy Cummins of the Cummins Engine Company and exclusively licensed to Jacobs. He was retired at the time, and he designed the valve system on paper at home, there by proving his brilliance as an engineer beyond any doubt. He wouldn't sell the patent to Cummins because of long standing bitterness about his pension and patent royalties.
BRILLIANT! I always wondered what was going on! I think we call that a compression release brake *retarder* here in Europe. You can hear the engine sound change (older diesels). I always learn something new with you, thank you so much! All the best, Rob
"Compression release" is a whole different thing. Long ago they were on engines to reduce "compression (ratio each revolution) while less effective starters tried starting cold engine (when oil was cold& difficult to pump by starter as well. Todays 12 volt gear reduction starters are FAR MORE EFECTIVE so compression release no longer are used cept maybe in extremely cold climates? Haven't seen one in decades. (did help start my tractor after leaving driving lights on one night in Weed, CA as I recall)
+James Tennier No, I mean the whole term "compression release retarder". I know what you mean: I have compression release on my Yamaha SR500 motorcycle - it's a little lever to open a valve so I can position at TDC to kickstart the 500cc single cylinder engine. Old diesels (eg cement mixers) had this too. All the best, Rob
Nice informative video. 2 stroke compression release is much simpler. I have a lever on my 4 stroke 1970 Ducati 450 Scrambler that opens the exhaust valve for starting. I also put one on my 2 stroke 1972 Bultaco 250 Alpina that used the crankcase compression to brake the rear wheel for muddy downhills or when the brakes were wet.
Back in the 1970s when I was a college student in Los Angeles, I drove Crown school buses. These two and three-axle buses were powered by either Cummins or Detroit Diesel inline 6-cylinder engines with a five or ten-speed Fuller non-synchro transmission. I sometimes used the Jake Brake going uphill to catch an upshift especially first to second or second to third gears. The Jake brake would help decelerate the engine to catch the upshift. I was king of the road with that Detroit 6-71 when I hit that Jake brake.
Gas engine; higher compression ratio+/- more "engine braking with throttle closed. 2) Diesel engine "exhaust brake" lets higher, (17.1 18.1) compression exhaust stroke, slam into a closed exhaust pipe gate valve or butterfly (type) valve depending on manufacturer... About the same on a long downgrade at less than "speed limit" as continual 8-10# of air pressure to properly adjusted brakes. 3) Jacobs brake was developed by an engineer at Cummins Engines many years ago. It works just as described. It has been mandated in many European countries as a "safety necessity" for many years. In the U.S. most every manufacturer includes them and has for several decades. (Old saying among us old truckers; "No Jake is no joke!" An aside: Several years of no engine brake on an Allis Chalmers powered Freightliner in the '70s. The Grapevine was my nemesis! Finally installed an exhaust brake as no Jakes were made for the AC and no longer smoked all the way to Bakersfield. True story.
James Tennier. That is interesting. I had never looked up the history of Jacobs Brakes. We had a 76' 4300 series International that came out of the factory with a 318 Detroit and true Jacobs brake. Had a lot of problems with them from what I can remember as a kid, so we had them removed. The truck was a flat lander and didn't really need them. When I first drove for CFI in the 90's, none of the fleet had compression brakes. We ran 48 states and Canada. Old school mountain method for downhill was one gear lower than the last gear you topped the hill in.
James Tennier The grapevine was a nemesis for many, be it semi or pickup and trailer driver ! 😊 Too many times did I get to the bottom with a STRONG amount of suction on the seat ! 😫 If you know what I mean !
something worth to note.. i just watched a video from Jacobs the company behind jake brake trying to understand how it works and i just couldn't follow nor understand. but this right here ur video i mean you explained it so good that a 7 year old will be able to understand. Thank You So Much!
Worth noting that simply downshifting a couple times and releasing both the accelerator and the clutch will also serve a similar purpose to the Jake brake, and is actually the method we're taught to use when road conditions get too slippery... unfortunately, early iterations of the Jake brake had a tendency to exacerbate the risk of slides on wet, snowy and icy roads, so a bit of conventional wisdom got written the blood of drivers: safest way to descend a slick, steep hill, aside from just not descending it at all until conditions improve, is to pick a less efficient gear ratio that favors more torque as opposed to more power
Very good explanation, as usual. Minor history correction: the Jacobs Engine Brake was actually invented by Clessie Cummins. It is manufactured by the very same Jacobs that makes drill chucks.
Makes sense. Whenever I let go of the throttle, I can see with my own eyes the vaccum/boost gauge move to the vacuum side and you can feel the car slow down. Always wondered what goes on in that event. Thank you. Nice job!
In Europe, when I took my truck license, I was told there was also another engine brake system called "the retarder" which is a oil turbine based braking system connected to the engine output shaft or driveshaft
+Leofred A company I worked for (US) had Hino brand trucks (Toyota's large truck and bus division) that had a retarder type of engine brake. Key feature user-wise is that it was not loud, so it could be used in areas that normally prohibit Jake brakes due to noise issues. They were actually pretty good trucks - virtually trouble free.
+Leofred I knew someone would mention these... Imagine a garden hose, water on... Engine is just moseying along. Now try to bend the hose to minimize water flow; really tightly now... Engine brake on. The difference is the "retarder" uses engine oil and directs it through a smaller orifice within an appendage to the engine/ transmission "connection" Decrease the flow and "braking action" occurs though it also heats the engine oil. Another aside: there are electrical retarders too but that is another story. Imagine a Prius "regenerating electricity to it's battery when throttle is released or brakes are applied...
It's insane to me that these designs actually work. I completely understand how they work. I'm just amazed at the design of engines, in general, and how so much is going on. We're talking about something that is spinning thousands of times per minute and where thousandths of an inch matter. Pretty amazing stuff. Anyway, this guy does a great job explaining this stuff.
THANK U SO MUCH, FIRST TIME HEAR OF ENGINE BREAKING AND IM SURE THIS IS THE FASTEST AND EASIEST CHANNEL I COULD HAVE COME TO TO UNDERSTAND THIS. ALL IT DOES IS USE THROTTLE BODIES TO CREATE A VACUM OR PRESSURE RESISTING THE PISTON MOVEMENT! THANKS SO MUCH AGAIN MAN, IM 13 AND LOVE MTOR MECHANICS AND HAVE BEEN SUBBED FOR ALMOST A YEAR NOW! LOVE UR VIDS MAN, KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK I WISH I HAD EMOJIS ON PC. LOL
I used to work on Detroit diesel 8V92 engines and I don't remember if the Jake brake was fully electronic or not on that engine using solenoids to open the exhaust valves. it has been a long while. I do remember, with a switch you could have one bank of the engine Jake Braking or both banks. a nice addition to this lecture would have been the exhaust brake, but great video as usual
Good explanation of engine braking! Technically "Jake Brake" is a brand name for a compression brake. Much like Kleenex (for tissues), Band-Aid (for sticking plasters), or Advil (for ibuprofen). Also, in modern diesels there is no combustion mixture during the compression stroke while "Jaking". Since the injectors are electronically controlled, the ECM does not send a signal for fuel injection during use of the compression brake.
+James Dean Youngs That's not a good thing actually. The Ford Explorer isn't equipped with an engine brake, so that 'braking' you experienced was due to internal friction of driveline components (like your transmission), which kills your fuel economy during normal use.
Good video, I do think the second example is called exhaust braking, because the plugged exhaust is actuating the brake effect. The third example, using the valves, is a true engine brake. Just a minor point, very informative video!
i drive an automatic is300 but i only use the manual mode. im constantly downshifting to help my brakes slow the car down. my question is, does this create any extra wear on the engine or transmission? my car obviously wouldnt let me shift into a gear that would harm it but it would create more wear wouldnt it?
Thank you for explaining this. It is the first time I got even a basic understanding of the Jake Brake even though I have looked for an explanation in other places in the past.
EE you should do a video on "braking in" new engines or rebuilt engines. The do's and don't 's and the reason behind the different methods and why it should be done. BTW excellent work on the videos. KEEP IT UP!!!
So to fully utilize engine braking when slowing down in an automatic transmission car you should keep the car in gear? and in a manual transmission car you should downshift as you brake?
Yup. In an automatic, don't put it in neutral. Some allow you to choose gears now and also rev match automatically. In a manual, you can stay in gear until you don't have enough torque and the engine begins struggling and put it into neutral. Another option is to downshift every gear. The last option is to block shift. The latter two options require you to know how to rev match.
***** No you don't have to downshift while you brake. You can downshift after you brake, unless you like doing heel-toe rev matching. As long as the rpm is above idle and the throttle pedal is not depressed, even in 6th gear @1500 rpm the engine will not use fuel.
+xXxMartin96xXx I tend to downshift to third and then brake to a stop. I find if I simply brake from 5th to a stop, I am using my brakes too much and missing out on the effects of engine braking.
the trucks with Jake's that are loud are usually trucks with "straight stacks" or trucks without a muffler. a truck with a muffler, especially newer trucks that have not had their exhaust system modified, ( muffler removed), are not unnecessarily loud and can be used in city areas. some towns and cities now have signs restricting use of only unmuffled engine breaks.
+Ron Fullerton yes sir you are correct , my c15 ( 500 caterpiller) with the factory dual 5" stack set up ( 379 Pete daycab which has a short system ) is quieter on jake than accelerating , the diesel pickups are actually louder with there mechanical noises ..
+Scott Grumpybastard I drive for con-way, and we have freightliners with Detroits. the ones with stacks are quiet when using the engine break, but some of the new ones exhaust underneath. and they are noisier when using the break. I do not use it on those units in areas I prefer to not arouse people.
Cummins had Jacobs make them because the board of his company said no, he wanted engine brakes so he could go faster on downgrades and break the coast to coast record.
Pretty good explanation of the Jake Brake, but when the master switch of the engine brake is turned on, the master & slave cylinders of the engine brake partially hold open the exhaust valves thru out the engine braking process. There are switches on the clutch & throttle pedals, that also temporarily shut off the engine brake, until the throttle or clutch is released, and the engine brake resumes engine braking, with the master switch on. Most engine brakes also have a 2nd, three position switch, which can be used to toggle thru the "desired" amount of engine braking. 2, 4, or 6 cyls (on a 6cyl engine). Hope this helps...
The Jake brake obviously works because it is compressing the input air, which heats it up, thus transferring energy into the air, and then pushing that hot air to the outside. In order to slow down a car, you have to do work. Kinetic energy has to be taken out of the vehicle and moved somewhere. Having a (partial) vacuum on the inlet manifold will exert a force on the engine, but there is no energy entering or leaving the manifold. Not so the cylinders. With a compression ratio of (say) 10, the air being sucked into the cylinder will be compressed around 10 times. Assuming an adiabatic compression, that would put up the air temperature from 300K to around 3000K. The heat transfer from the hot air to the cylinder head will be very good because the air molecules are hitting the cylinder head faster and faster and more and more often as the space above the cylinder contracts. As this air cools down during the expansion cycle the transfer of thermal energy from the cylinder head is not so good because the air molecules are hitting the surface less and less often and moving slower. You can do the same experiment with a bicycle pump. Just close off the outlet and pump away vigorously for a minute. You will notice that the pump warms up quite a lot (as will the pumper!), because the compression and expansion cycles differ in the way that the heat is transferred to and from the pump walls. The theory about the inlet manifold pressure slowing the engine is confusing force and energy. My chair is exerting a force on my backside to stop me falling to the floor, but there is no energy transfer. To move (kinetic) energy out of the car (braking) you have to do work.
You have a few misconceptions. Fist compression does not play a significant role in engine braking. There is actually not a significant amount of heat loss during the compression stroke because there is simply not enough time. Engines are also designed to absorb as little heat as possible from the cylinder. The compressed air pushes the piston down with almost the same amount of force that was originally used to compress it. Secondly, a closed throttle does in fact provide engine braking. You said that to remove kinetic energy from the car you have to do work. The part your missing is that the engine is doing work on the intake and exhaust stroke. It is moving air from one place to another, that requires work. Closing a throttle on the intake makes it harder for the engine to draw air in, likewise closing a throttle on the exhaust will make it harder for the engine to expel air from the cylinder. The work required for the engine to draw air in and expel it out is referred to as pumping loss.
@@Redtooth75 I have noticed that many car "experts" share your opinion. We will therefore probably not be able to agree on this issue. You say “It is moving air from one place to another, that requires work”, yes, but not much work. The outside of the car is moving much more air from one place to another, but that doesn’t slow the car down very much. BTW, engine braking also works very well in cars with a carburettor, where there is no significant force on the inlet manifold. How to explain that? It’s also the cylinders compressing air and warming it up that brakes them.
@@martinstent5339 so you are aware that experts and people who know what they are talking about agree with me, but you just think that you know more or something? Are you an engineer? Cause im pretty sure your just ignorant and refuse to accept evidence that proves you wrong.
At first I read "engine break in". Well, yes, plz, it would be awsome of you made a video of why we have to do break in new engines or after rebuilding. Thanks for all the awsome videos you make my friend! Many greetings from Greece!
Engineering Explained So for example.. I know that the compression ratio for my 69 mustang 351w is 9.5:1 But what does that actually mean? I did not really understand by watching the video. Is it like it becomes 9,5 times as small before it ignights? But what is really a high compression and what specifies a low one? Also what is the difference between NA and forced induction like a turbo?
+MultiTerpen The compression ratio isn't necessarily how small the cylinder can get before it ignites, but rather, how small the cylinder is designed to get in a regular cycle. In most gasoline engines, they use a spark to ignite the fuel when the cylinder is in its compressed state. However, in many diesels engines, they rely on autoignition, so the compression ratio in diesels *could* give an indication of how much compression you can get before ignition. Because in diesels, you rely on autoignition, you typically have higher compression ratios than on gasoline engines. When you add a turbo, however, some of the air that enters the cylinder is pressurized, so the autoignition point is at a lower ratio of compression. So to prevent premature ignition, turbo powered gasoline engines typically run have a lower compression ratio. Say for instance, you decide to add a turbo system to your inline 4 or straight V6 engine, which has a compression ratio of 10:1 but may experience knocking if the compression ratio was set to, say 15:1. Due to the turbo, the pressure of the inlet air will be higher. If the pressures increase 100%, then you can only compress the air 7.5 times before ignition. So the 10:1 compression ratio needs to be adjusted, or you should select a different turbo to prevent knocking.
+MultiTerpen Compression "ratio" is the factor by which air is compressed from the bottom of a cylinder to the top of the cylinder, during each "compression cycle." Example: assume your tachometer displays 6000 revs per minute. This would equal 3000 compression strokes (up). 3000 power strokes, (down), 3000 exhaust strokes (up) and 3000 intake strokes (down). Where both valves have or are closed at that moment. Near the end of compression stroke, 14 to 30or32 degrees of rotation before the piston actually reaches top dead center (of the crankshaft rotating the (rod) up & in turn pushing "up" the piston, either fuel is injected or (in a carbureted engine, fuel/air is "ignited" by the spark plug. There is a formula (Google, Summit Racing etc) that takes cylinder bore, piston (crown) stroke, head-gasket thickness and cylinder-head combustion chamber capacity in grams usually to determine the total difference between the amount of air in a sealed cylinder with the piston DOWN and the compression ratio in turn is referenced by the number arrived at when the piston crown is UP, at the very other end of it's travel. Octane of gasoline, propane, natural gas all have different numbers, depending on their propensity to be ignited by the spark plug. Diesels on the other hand, compress air to a greater degree, hence much higher compression ratio, and that air heats quickly;y when compressed and fuel under "high" pressure is litterly squirted into combustion chamber and explodes, driving piston down and rotating crankshaft... rather than burns (out in a flame front from the spark plug.) Sorry you asked?
James Tennier Thanks :D, but when it is like 9.5:1... Is the space inside the sylinder getting smaller by 9,5 times from when it is at the bottom to when it is at the top then? Is there a difference between saying compression and compression ratio?
I LOVE YOU!! And your channel! I work as a consultant, but always questioned being an engineer (went to an engineering school) and somehow each episode I just feel as if I am one or worked in something like this! AH thank you!
Apparently Cummins invented this system, but had to have an outside company (Jacobs) build it because of internal company disagreements. Great video, thank you!
Ok this makes sense as to why they are so loud. Since the explosion from the power stroke goes right out the exhaust, that's what you hear. Great explanation!
So there's no combustion when you let go of the gas pedal? The engine keeps moving because the wheels are moving? And the sound of the engine is purely mechanical?
With many modern engines, yes. Though it's possible to still burn a very small amount, depending on the setup. Ideally you would burn no fuel since it's completely wasted. The inertia of the car passes through the wheels/transmission to keep the engine running without fuel.
+Engineering Explained you actually still burn fuel on overrun because of tip-out driveability filters which act on brake torque to give it a smooth deceleration feel (this is done by injecting ever decreasing quantities of fuel to generate a bit of indicated torque). These filters are used pretty much throughout the industry because driveability has become one of the most important customer requirements.
Ethan Arpin you're compressing either way.... Think of it like this instead of fuel making explosions in your engine to make it move road is turning it. I'd say you're getting even less wear then when you're on throttle.
Correct ! it's a combination between the compression in cylinders, the the lack of explosion (because of no fuel), and the gear ration who stop the car, not the throttle body vacuum !
I really don't think that creating a vacuum is enough to slow down a car. It's more likely that compressing the air to 10+ bars without fuel injection is going to act as the engine breaking. So there is no need for exhaust valve to do that on a diesel. Simply when your foot is not on the accelerator the ECU will cut fuel. So the momentum of the car will drive the motor to compress just the air. That's why diesel engine have more engine breaking thant gasoline ones, juste because the compression is much higher in diesel engines.
This is not true at all. The vast majority of the energy used to compress the air will go right back into the engine during the power stroke, making the energy loss very minimal (even without fuel). It's critical to either create a vacuum, build backpressure, or release the potential energy stored at TDC for the compression stroke. There's a reason these devices exist.
+Brice Eychenne That's a good explanation. But obviously, there must be a flaw in that system for them to facilitate the exhaust valve mechanism. I think the reason why your explanation isn't actually put to practice is that the engine might not be able to compress that air to such high pressure due to the momentum and therefore stop the engine suddenly causing a 'stall'-like situation which is pretty dangerous.
+Engineering Explained Just explain then, why it's so hard to turn an engine over with a spanner? Is it the vacuum in the intake? No it's the compression.
davidrobert2007 True, but once you turn it over, it follows through effortlessly right? It's because the pent up energy during compression is released after reaching TDC, right Engineering Explained ?
Older trucks sometimes were ordered without mufflers and that is why the engine brakes were so loud. No mufflers is a cool factor to some drivers, other trucks just had crap mufflers. Newer trucks are mandated to have a DPF, a special type of filter that takes the place of the muffler and makes the soot from the engine go away and the gasses from the engine safer. Think Volkswagen and their recent scandal, it involved the DPF and the software in them. Anyway a truck with a DPF is very quiet and so are the engine brakes on the truck. I normally cant hear the engine brake on mine over the radio. I always use the engine brake even if the sign says no to, police dont care as long as you have a DPF or an older truck with a good muffler. Just unmuffled is a problem because it sounds like a gatling gun going off. For the record I am a licensed truck driver who also has a degree in criminal justice. Many cop friends have told me their views on engine brakes and they are all positive.
In addition to what Stewie said, compression brakes are much quieter than Jake brakes. And there is also the option of a retarder which is mostly silent.
This was a fantastic video as always. I love how you teach concepts that many people such as myself may not understand in ways that are easily understandable. I love this kind of stuff but am not a car guy, and the way you teach it makes it easy for anybody to understand. Keep up the great videos!!!!!!
Interestingly in the owners manual for the Mercedes OM444LA there is a description of an engine braking system that utilized both an exhaust brake and a butterfly valve on the intake side as well. The intake system was very robust, built of solid pipes with O-Ring sealed slip joints between each pipe segment. Without question rated to full vacuum.
+Sho Bud Actually the noise is a by-product of the driver using engines compression to reduce brake heat buildup. Smoking brakes are a sign that the truck may well be under less control than the driver might wish!
the old mack dyantard worked on a similar system,although it was meant to slow the engine rpm as the driver shifted through neutral to select a higher ratio when ascending a grade using the wide ratio transmission,this prevented the engine speed dropping too much before the trucks road speed dropped allowing the driver to still match transmission shaft speeds.
You have to know what's surrounding the explanation given here in the video to fully understand. I drive a semi tractor trailer truck so let me just give you an overview on more what it's doing. With some exceptions, on a diesel engine, you do not have a natural vacuum by design (in the video's first example) like a gas engine does that slows the engine down when you take your foot off the accelerator. Instead, air will continue uncontrolled into the engine when you take your foot off the accelerator, which transfers air pressure to the engine similar to both air and fuel but with less power because fuel is not being injected and ignited. Large trucks oftentimes have a compression release brake that is added to the engine called a Jake Brake in reference of Jacob's patented system. The Jake Brake opens the exhaust valves at a time when they would normally be closed - the time when air and fuel are usually being compressed in the engine and are about to ignite. When you take your foot off the accelerator, you are no longer adding diesel fuel into the engine but it's still getting uncontrolled air. As the air is nearly completely compressed, the Jake Brake opens the exhaust valve, letting out the compressed air so that the air pressure doesn't drive the engine. Instead, the friction of the engine and other sources of friction in the drivetrain slows it down because it's not being propelled by air compression. It can be oftentimes used in differently levels (anywhere from 1-4 levels) that determines how much engine braking is used. Whenever you hear a large truck - usually on the highway - make a loud "bop-bop-bop-bop" noise while it's slowing down, that noise caused by the Jake Brake and is the air pressure exiting the exhaust. The higher the level of Jake being used, the louder the noise. The reason it's so loud is because the action of the compressed air suddenly escaping the engine is similar to a gunshot. I hope this helps you to understand what this system is actually doing in the real world with reference to the video.
@@danieldeaseweitzelwalker well trained idiots, they have made of us...they have you believing all that crap... Once the compression is vented, (and a diesel is always compressing air), there is no air in that cylinder, and the piston starts down.. it has to pull a vacuum, until the valves are sucked open... That's the popping you hear, is the exhaust valves being sucked open.. Jake not working right? Replace the worn out valve springs, and it will work great again. A Jake shortens engine life.
Im confused about if you the throttle body closed and it created a vacuum wouldnt that mean the car would stop firing and you would here no noise from the engine when you took your foot off your petal? I feel like im missing something obvious.
Many contemporary emissions controlled diesel engines will actually have a throttle valve in the intake path, and sometimes in the exhaust as well. These are used to facilitate EGR flow, however they will also provide some engine braking under certain conditions. It is also worth noting that these throttle valves are controlled exclusively by the ECU. I do not know if they will be closed by default when coasting in gear; someone who knows more than I do about diesel engine ECU strategies would be better able to answer that. (Anecdotally, my 2011 diesel car engine brakes well enough when down shifting.)
+Tomas Prado engine braking uses no fuel, conserves brakes(puts less pressure on air brakes in semis and lorries) and slows you down. does that answer your question?
to engine brake in a bigger vehicle yes, but not really needed to in a smaller one like a coupe/ suv. the other guy just said that because you misspelled break instead of brake.
Great writeup Jason, but Passenger car diesel engine do not have any valves in the exhaust system. Some newer ones have a valve or valves in the intake manifold to create turbolences for better mixtures. When lifting the gas pedal, the injectors stop feeding fuel, but the wheels still turning the crankshaft.
+Ahto Andron I don't think he implied that all diesels have one of these braking systems. Larger pickup trucks and small delivery trucks have exhaust brakes where there is a butterfly valve in the exhaust. Larger commercial trucks use compression/jake brakes. Newer diesel engines have a valve or valves in the intake to improve emissions and/or to prevent shutter. Diesel engines produce a lot of NOx emissions which are caused by high compression. By reducing the airflow to the engine you reduce the effective compression and thus reduce NOx. Also when a diesel shuts down it can really twist car due to the high compression. If a valve closes off the intake when the engine is turned off this reduces the compression so the engine can turn over a few more times and come to a slower stop. This valve can also help prevent a runaway diesel engine.
Petrol engine braking is NOT from the vacuum. You prove this by going down hill in gear with the ignition shut off and open the throttle. This used to be called "compression braking" back in the day. You are using the engine as a giant air compressor. Standard diesel cars and trucks do not have a jake or exhaust valve system yet they still can engine brake by this same process.
+MrRexQuando i have driven 18 wheelers (diesel) and gas v8's the disesl had almost no engine breaking effect (there is some but not that much) without a jake we had to engage the cooling fan clutch that is because the air that is getting compressed only rebounds during the power stroke then it is pushed out the exaust while on the gasoline engine the intake stroke is pulling from a manafold with a closed throttle butterfly if you put a vacum gauge there you will measure about 30" of mercury the piston is using energy at that part of the stroke because of the differencial between the top (near vacum ) and the bottom (at crankcase pressure (near atmospheric) that energy is returned during the compression stroke but then again lost on the power stroke during the exaust stroke the valve opens and the vacum is lost by a inrush of exaust gasses and almost at once pushed back out during the exaust stroke now with the exaust valve closed the process repeats when the intake valve opens so there is more engine braking effect in gasoline engines than a diesel without additional equippment installed to provide this the engineer here is wrong about the heating effect with a gasoline engine it's more of a cooling effect but both take energy
crowmagg1 nope- again you can test this yourself with a gas-er. drive down a hill in gear with the ignition off. Opening the throttle increases the engines resistance. The vacuum effect is rubbish.
+MrRexQuando i do it every day when i ride my mtorcycle on some engines the effect is so strong they make slipper clutches to keep inexperienced riders from crashing both effects we discuss have braking effect but chopping the throttle is stronger and is enough to cause rear wheel lock-up and cause a low side crash experienced riders know to keep some throttle applied when in a turn to prevent this and yes i can cut the ignition any time there a switch for that right next to the throttle but when i do that i notice np extra braking effect with the throttle open i do notice there’s a little less
Really! He did that, I like that! I always figured it was someone in khakis but I figured they were green I think Jake wears Khaki colored khaki's so I think you may have the wrong Jake!
Some people here, are claiming, that in petrol engines, the engine braking is done by the compression stroke, not by the vacuum between the butterfly valve and the intake stroke. Some in other forums, have also said that if the ignition is set to off, it doesn't matter wether the butterfly is 100% or 0%, the engine braking is still happening. But here's my opinion. In petrol engines that are controlled by mechanical throttle body (a cable), is this: - Petrol engine (manual transmission) with a mechanical throttle body: 1.) When you drive 15mph and turn the ignition off and you stop pressing the gas pedal, your butterfly closes (a little amount of air is still flowing to the chambers) so a little vacuum is created. The car is being engine braked like Sir Engineering explained said in the video. 2.) Same setup, driving 15mph, ignition off, but pressing the gas pedal*: Butterfly is open, a lot of air is flowing to the chambers. Instead of getting a vacuum, something's happening at the compression stroke: It's pushing the heavy mass of air and it's engine braking the car. Those are explanations why some people say the butterfly valve's position doesn't matter. * In ideal conditions, for example if a car didn't have a battery to start the engine, you could roll it down a hill, in gear, and then pressing the gas pedal the engine should start. I've tried this with a little atv and it worked.
Yes, the resistance to the motion is not caused by the "power of a vacuum" as suggested in the video, read my post from 3 months earlier. The "power" of a vacuum is nothing compared to the 8-10atms of resistance caused in the compression stroke of most engines........and there is more at WOT.
+Ian Thompson Hm, I am guessing here (gasoline engine): Downshifting results in a higher RPM. Also, the vacuum gets built over time, until it's strong and actually causes a noticable breaking effect. So, only a small percentage of that vacuum-time is actually effecting breaking-time. I hope I am making sense here - Accountant and Author :-) Now, the higher the RPM, the greater the breaking time per minute - and that's why downshifting causes a greater engine breaking effect. Was that halfay right? :-)
+Christian Breitenstein In lower gears, the amount of air being moved and restricted, is a greater amount of air per mile traveled, thus the kinetic energy or speed of the vehicle, is more efficiently converted into heat which the engine can handle far better than can the easily-overheated brakes. Thus the braking effect is increased in lower gears. That is why automatic transmissions have those low numbers, 3, 2, 1, as those set a limit of the maximum gear that the automatic transmission should engage. Those selections are mainly for engine braking, but perhaps a slightly lower gear should also be selected for towing? Otherwise, just ever leave it in Drive or Overdrive if there is an Overdrive selection, for best fuel economy.
It is vacuum that causes engine braking in a gasoline engine, not compression. The piston is trying to draw air through a restricted port (intake). Connect a vacuum gauge to the intake manifold and you'll see 22"+ of vacuum with the throttle closed during deceleration. Since there is less than normal air pressure in the cylinder during the intake stroke, there's less than normal air pressure for the compression stroke, there is little compression to resist the piston to cause "compression braking". You can't compress a vacuum (even though it isn't a perfect vacuum).
Correct me if I'm wrong. I understand that the jake brake is used just in the trucks. And what about the fist option? Can we found it in all types of diesel engines or just in trucks? If so, how the engine braking works in normal diesel car? Thanks in advance for all answers!
Besides the jake's breaking, I think the other 2 engine breaking methods relay on the energy needed for the compression step of either cycle, which is big when fuel not injected. There is no vacuum anywhere! Please think about the thermodynamic view of the breaking method.
+Paul Malnol There is no vacuum in the sense that there is a complete lack of air in the piston, the vacuum in the gasoline case is the piston needing to forcibly pull air into the cylinder because the throttle body is restricting it.
Sorry, once I read that engine braking is due to creating a vacuum in the inlet I stopped listening. It simply is nonsense as it disobeys a fundamental law of nature/physics: the law of conservation of energy. On a long descent if we just used the brakes get very hot as we are converting gravitational potential energy(GPE) into friction/heat energy. If instead we use engine braking to maintain a steady speed during the descent the GPE still has to be disappated, last time I looked I didn't see any red hot inlet manifolds or throttle plates, the theory falls over right there. Where does the energy go, from the engine compressing air and transferring that heat to the engine block and out the exhaust. No, the energy used in compression is not 100% returned in the power stroke, the internal combustion energy is very inefficient - perhaps look up the carnot cycle. Also worthy of mentioning, a vacuum at best only applies 15psi of resistance to the pistons on the intake stroke, but as you all know, on the compression stroke, we can have from 100-200psi depending on rpm and cam profile........that is where the braking effect comes from. As some others have mentioned, try WOT when engine braking with the ignition switched off, it will actually cause a small increase in engine braking(reason as to why we test for engine compression at WOT), if the vacuum theory were the braking would disappear when this occurs, it doesn't........please desist in spreading these myths.
Jacobs Engine Brake is just the best known and the most widely used engine brake in north america but they did no invent the engine brake just designed a better mousetrap so to speak.
Thanks; this is something that I have never even bothered to ponder. You caused me to ask a new question by answering a question that I had never thot to ask.
Great video! I believe a jake brake is great to save brakes, specifically used in semi-trucks and because it gives better control for the tractor but the problem with Jake brake is that it increases fuel consumption slightly so fuel economy will be hurt a little bit..
Well when I'm barreling down a mountain grade in my rig I'd rather waste a little fuel than lay on the brakes and have them go out halfway down. Those run away ramps don't look like they would be too much fun to have to use. It's probably one of my biggest fears driving a semi.
8 лет назад
There's still one thing that is not quite clear to me. Basically, there are two situations when you drive in gear without pressing throttle. This is engine breaking (usually done in quite high revs) and just keeping engine running without fuel (simple economy like riding from slight hill). Let's say I talk about diesel engine. Usually without throttle engine will run just on air (no injection). Based on what you've said, it should also be linked with closing valve on exhaust. So is it common thing to have such valve or it's rather not used in modern engines? If it's used then how it will decide when it's time to close and open this valve? It's based on revs?
Questions: 1) If the compression is released into the exhaust system the same as when the engine is running normally, why the excessive noise? 2) I assume when the Jake brake is engaged the fuel injection is shut off at the same time? If not, this would be a big emission issue.
This was an excellent somewhat detailed basic explaination of the Jacobs braking system. I think most operators dont, know how the system operate. One point you did not cover is how when deactivating the system how the oil returns.
Smaller turbodiesels with vgt turbos without jake brakes can close the turbo vanes for engine braking and thus do not need an exhaust brake. You can control the vehicle speed with the vanes.
the first diesel engine braking he explained is call an exhaust brake because its using exhaust pressure. also i have never seen a diesel using both however it may have been done but be very rare. the second diesel engine braking he explained is called a compression release brake which is the conventional method. Jacobs also makes a third diesel braking system called a bleeder brake which is like a conventional engine but less effective and has to be with a VGT or an exhaust brake to be optimized. jacoobs also has a "2 stroke" engine brake which which is much more effective then the conventional
Yes, the Jacobs Company invented the "Jake" brake, the same company that invented the Jacobs chuck found on most drill presses, hand drills and most air tools. How'd you like to own that patent? You should talk more about the precise timing of the exhaust valve opening.
+iseslc there is nothing to explain. if you are on a manual gearbox - just put engine in gear 2 lower than it would be at that speed cruising and release the clutch. you can do rev matching to avoid sudden engagement or just release clutch slowly. during all this you don't apply any braking or accelerator (unless you are doing rev matching, then after putting car into lower gear just press accelerator till revs get to about 3-3.5k and then release the clutch). I drive in a city a lot and use it all the time. average fuel consumption (when used properly and safely) goes down by about 10-15% (my engine uses 0 fuel while in engine braking and ~1.5 liters/h on idle).
necrisuni I think it's because it would be harder to make a system which would prevent the (intake) valve from opening at the time it usually opens than making a system which just extends the time interval an (exhaust) valve is opened.
The problem with so-called "vacuum braking" is that there is still a partial vacuum above the piston at BDC of the intake stroke, relative to the crankcase, which will pull the piston upward during the compression stroke. So however much work the rotating assembly has to perform to pull the piston down against that pressure differential, nearly all of it is returned when the vacuum pulls the piston back up to TDC. For vacuum braking to be as effective as a Jake Brake, you would have to open the exhaust valve at BDC, to ensure that the work taken out of the system by drawing the vacuum is not immediately returned to the system.
Its amazing how many mechanics will argue to to the bone saying engine braking (on a petrol engine) is due to the engines compression. I also came to the conclusion engine braking must be from engine vacuum when the throttle bottle body closes. Since the compressed air acts as a spring, does the exhaust valve play a part here when it opens letting the vacuum escape creating some sort of retarding behaviour?
+Chris Doolan No it does not play a part Chris. As when the exhaust valve opens on a gas-engine,the intake valve is fully closed,so nothing is entering the combustion-chamber to create any more vacuum! :)
Chris Doolan Yes,correct Chris! In between the intake-valve closing,and the exhaust-valve opening,there remains a vacuum within the combustion-chamber,that aids in slowing the pistion-down within each cylinder! Once that exhaust-valve opens,that vacuum is released and the whole process,starts all over again within the combustion chamber!
It's not a perfect vacuum. Some air has slipped in the cylinder through the butterfly. So the exhaust stroke contains some air, it is not releasing a vacuum otherwise air would be travelling into the cylinder from the exhaust side and then it would have to go somewhere, out, the intake, which makes the whole thought experiment absurd.
Does the intake/exhaust brake cause more stress that will eventually cause reliability issues? I've also noticed some diesel pickups can be modified for an exhaust brake. But concerned about reliability issues.
+Jak 241 Most diesel mechanics don't recommend exhaust brakes with automatic transmissions because of torque converter lock-up stress, computerized transmissions get confused by the reverse in torque, etc. (not sure if any of this is true). A lot of commercial diesels with automatics concerned with breaking safety will have a EM (Telma) or Eddy braking system.
You are correct, the Jake "vacuum" brake, is horribly hard on pistons, pins and rods.. they have to be beefed up, which makes them heavier, costing you, fuel milage too.
I used to have a dirtbike with a decompression switch which opened the exhaust valve. I'd sometimes hold it in going downhill and act like I had a jake brake or hold the throttle open with the kill switch held and it kind of sounds like one.
Engine braking is very important when going downhill because 1) You reach down at lower speeds,thus less work for brakes 2) Your braking force(tire road friction) decreases downhill (is dependent on how steep the slope is),so soaring downhill in neutral may be lethal because you have no choice but to enter the coming corner(u turn mostly) at higher speed and the centrifugal force aids gravity to skid you out of your line . Thus its important to use engine braking especially for bikers 3) In neutral you are consuming fuel so it coming down in gear wont hurt your pocket too
Could you make a video about the O2 sensors and their importance? Like, how bad it is for a vehicle if some/all of them are not working properly. Thank you for your awesome content :)
There is two 02 sensors, one upstream, or be for the cat, and one down stream or after the cat. The one upstream is used the amount of 02 in the exhaust coming out of the engine. This info is then used be the car determine if the car needs more fuel, high amounts of oxygen in the exhaust, or less fuel, low amounts of oxygen in the exhaust. The down stream compared the amount of oxygen in the exhaust after the cat to the amount be for the cat to make sure it working correctly. If the down stream one fails you basicly just don't know if your cat is working correctly or not. If your upstream on fails the car not run right, you would get less mpgs, and you would lose horse power.
@@kingkevin267the rear sensor is also used to trim the fuel a little bit. It compensates for drift of the front sensor and the ECM can get an averaged accuracy of around 0.001 lambda using the rear sensor or about 10x more accurate than the front sensor alone.
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
Awesome explanation as always! It is amazing how much energy an engine uses when there is no combustion!
Nice !
+ChrisFix Haha should've know you watch EE :D
+ChrisFix Thanks Chris!
Engineering Explained Thanks for explaining this, never thought that it was the vacuum not the compression in gas cars. Just one question tho, when you put a car in gear to hold the vehicle on an inclination when engine is off, is it the compression that holds the car instead of vacuum in this case since pistons aren’t moving.
Engineering Explained actually i think it’s both the compression and power stroke in two different cylinders that created the force to hold the vehicle, since the cylinders at intake and exhaust stroke has open valves which would not create any pressure in this case to counteract the force.
I listen to you in order to practise my English. You speak very nice ! Thanks
*very well
+Brandon Shafer, or 'very nicely'
Sprieken sie duetsch ?
hablo español
+Gofrin Bicelis 我也是！
On our heavy haul trucks (pulling two mountain doubles), we had compression brakes (not a Jacob brake) and we had brake savers. The brake saver consisted of an extra compartment filled with engine oil. It was part of the engine and set at the back of the engine at the output shaft. When applied by switch or an extra "Johnny Bar", it would air activate a paddle that would drop down into the extra 3 gallons of engine oil. It slowed the truck down quite a bit in combination with the compression brake. We were hauling 500,000 lbs. gross on private roads. Just thought I'd share.
Compression Brake? Whats the truck brand?
@@ajidamarjati Almost all of them are compression brakes now. Cummins, Detroit, Catepillar, Mack, etc.
@@nosoliciting024 Apparently it's only a marketing name/different name for a jacobs engine brake. Compression brake = compression release brake = jake brake.
@@ajidamarjati The original Jacobs Brakes (and yes that is the maker) held the valves shut inside the engine creating a back pressure, which slows the engine down and the vehicle. The compressions brake creates back pressure at the exhaust of the engine, which again slows the vehicle down.
I wish more drivers wouod understand the concept of engine braking. On a flat surface, physics and engine braking constantly want the vehicle to slow down. Normal braking isnt always needed to slow a vehicle (and engine braking helps preserve your brake pads). When approaching a stop sign or red light, you can simply let off the gas and the vehicle will gradually slow down (this can also help gas mileage as the fuel injectors shut down under deceleration when throttle is closed). Using your regular brakes unnecessarily doesnt allow the injectors as long as idle period bc the engine revs drop faster vs engine braking. The injectors will turn on sooner as you approach engine idle speed. Being able to proactively downshift magnifies engine braking as youre able to reduce vehicle speed more aggressively thru gearing and youre allowing the injectors more idle time as the engine revs slowly come down from a higher rpm (from the lower gear you just downshifted too). The lower gear puts the engine at a higher rpm increasing that vacuum which in turn slows the vehicle down more quickly.
+wayde philpot Agree 100%!
I've nursed my worn brakes like this for awhile while I'm saving for a brembo upgrade 😂
+wayde philpot I wish people on the freeway understood this concept. For some odd reason people think brake lights= I need to slam on my brakes, when in reality you can simply let off the throttle and let physics slow you down. Saves traffic, time, and money (from brake wear)
+wayde philpot They even teach this in driving schools over here, arguing that you save some fuel and prolong the life of your brakes in the long run.
+MrElpajita The weight of the vehicle keeps it rotating along with the mass of the flywheel. Most engines won't completely shut the injectors off but will open them for a much shorter time so that there is less fuel going in to the cylinders. As the car slows to idle or once you press on the gas to start going the computer sees the increased load and will start to turn on the fuel injectors for longer periods.
The "Jacobs" brake was invented by Clessie Cummins after he retired from Cummins Engine Co. He originally approached Cummins to use it, but they were not interested. So he went to Jacobs Manufacturing (The people that make Jacobs drill chucks) and they built the brake. The logo on the Jacobs brake is the same logo as on the drill chucks.
I'm glad it became the Jake brake instead of cum brake xD
Really? I had to read the comments to understand where the term "jake" came from? Thanks to the Wizz. But tell me this ... it is not a switch right? .... just let off the gas, and the system does it (jakes) right?
@@scottmonfort You have to usually flick a switch on the dash to engage the Jake Brake then let off the accelerator then it does it's thing. Some have 3 settings off on or standby for the Jake brake the standby mode works when you take your foot off the accelerator pedal and disengages when you put your foot back on the accelerator. The on setting you have to flick the switch off before you can move forward. I may of got some of that wrong but that is how I understand how it works by riding with my father who use to drive trucks as part of his excavation company job well until the state of Vermont took his CDL away for his epilepsy even though at that time I was in my teens and never had I seen him have a seizure but they felt the need to take it away. They even tried to take his drivers license away but after my father said he was going to go on disability because of it they sent the drivers license back he was intending to drop his CDL but what pissed him off was having it taken.
Mr. Cummins gave his patent to his daughter and son in-law as a wedding gift. The son in-law was of the Jacobs family.
@@02091992able mostly right, except they all have an on/off switch, when on, the jakes will usually only activate when APP is read as 0%, which is when the process wxplained in the video is carried out. Some systems are optioned with a 2 or 3 positon switch, 2 position switches activate either half or all cylinders (3 or 6 in the case of an inline 6) and 3 pos switches activate 2, 4 or 6 cylinders. Gives greater control over braking effect and with prolonged use oil temps can increase, so can be used to prevent that on long downhill runs with brake modulation
That's pretty close to how I explain how a Jake brake works.
You flip the switch, witchcraft happens and then the truck sounds like a boss.
Would trucks be burned at the stake for witchcraft? If so, I feel it would be a punishment for both the truck, and the people watching since watching a perfectly good truck go to waste hurts my soul.
Wait. There is no switch mentioned in any of this ... just let off the gas (diesel) and the Jake system uses the compressed air to slow it down. NO SWICH RIGHT?
@@scottmonfort no, the jacobs brake has a switch to activate it.
I like your explanation better! WITCHCRAFT HAPPENS!
@@markflierl1624 yeah. Its witchcraft alright, she is sucking you to a stop..
Very good explanation of this. One thing to add though is with modern electronic diesel engines the 'control' solenoid is no longer needed as the engine computer is able to simply control an electric over oil solenoid to the exhaust valve to activate the system which gives much more precise control than the old master/slave type system of days past. Some modern engines even use the VG valve in the turbo to compound the engine braking using both back-pressure and compression combined together to often give the engine as much or more braking power than it has propulsion power depending on the engine spec for HP.
So, a jake brake is when a semi truck goes down a hill and makes that loud HHHHHHHHHFAHFILUHAUIEGFBAJKGBALIUHV sound right?
Best explanation ever!
Hahaha yes indeed!
thats not the sound it makes
🤣
nice joke with a jake brake
False: a Jake brake is using your friend (Preferably Jake) as a brake by throwing him in front of the car :D It's simple physics, and is easy to do! The only problem is the maintenance cost :/
Dammit! I wanted to make a very similar comment
Yes, this is the exact reason why I no longer have any friends names "Jake". But since I do most of my trucking along the Texas/Mexico boarder, I've adapted to using the "Juan brake" it's quite effective and there is an abundance supply down here. 😂😂😂
+Dunkaccino25 Trump makes THE BEST brakes.
+Engineering Explained I guess you can say, it Trumps all other brakes.
+Engineering Explained Donald Trump Owns Brembo Braking Systems?
Dude, I had a pretty good idea of how automobiles worked before I found your videos, but you've given me a whole new level of understanding. Thanks for what you do man.
As a Truck Driver, thankyou, I can now explain HOW it turns my motor into a giant 14.5 litre 6 cyl air compressor.
+Adrian Foekens 14.5 litre on 6 cyl? That's insane...
14.5 liters of beast, that's awesome, glad you enjoyed the video!
Whenever I engage the Jake brake on my Peterbilt, country girls throw their panties at my windshield.
+Adrian Foekens Is this why some trucks are doing such a huge noise when decelerating ?
+Yak Eru Yes, That's typically the performance muffler or even straight piped crowd. A Jake Brake sounds fantastic through 10" straight stacks
Alot of cities, well, pretty much all of them, technically have bylaws against the uses of engine brakes within city limits because of them lol.
thats one of the perks of the silly aerodynamic eco friendly truck I drive, Jake brake is so quiet i can use it everywhere and no one knows. Also driving a straight piped truck 11 hours a day (13 in canada) gets pretty old after the first week. its alot of noise.
The story of the Jake Brake is actually quite fascinating. It was not invented by Jacobs. The Jake Brake was independently invented by Clessy Cummins of the Cummins Engine Company and exclusively licensed to Jacobs. He was retired at the time, and he designed the valve system on paper at home, there by proving his brilliance as an engineer beyond any doubt. He wouldn't sell the patent to Cummins because of long standing bitterness about his pension and patent royalties.
BRILLIANT! I always wondered what was going on! I think we call that a compression release brake *retarder* here in Europe.
You can hear the engine sound change (older diesels). I always learn something new with you, thank you so much! All the best, Rob
+RobWhittlestone Man, that name is a mouth full.
"Compression release" is a whole different thing. Long ago they were on engines to reduce "compression (ratio each revolution) while less effective starters tried starting cold engine (when oil was cold& difficult to pump by starter as well.
Todays 12 volt gear reduction starters are FAR MORE EFECTIVE so compression release no longer are used cept maybe in extremely cold climates? Haven't seen one in decades.
(did help start my tractor after leaving driving lights on one night in Weed, CA as I recall)
+James Tennier No, I mean the whole term "compression release retarder". I know what you mean: I have compression release on my Yamaha SR500 motorcycle - it's a little lever to open a valve so I can position at TDC to kickstart the 500cc single cylinder engine. Old diesels (eg cement mixers) had this too. All the best, Rob
Nice informative video. 2 stroke compression release is much simpler.
I have a lever on my 4 stroke 1970 Ducati 450 Scrambler that opens the exhaust valve for starting. I also put one on my 2 stroke 1972 Bultaco 250 Alpina that used the crankcase compression to brake the rear wheel for muddy downhills or when the brakes were wet.
Blinker fluid leak. Please help
what car do you own?
+Colin Dowd Sell it immediately, I foresee big problems down the road.
+The Channel of Stuff if it's a BMW, there is no fix for that.
***** yeah there is..its called a trade in!
+The Channel of Stuff omg! You just killed me 😂😂😂
This is why im awake at 4am, when i actually should of went to sleep 23pm. Useful videos on your channel :)
Back in the 1970s when I was a college student in Los Angeles, I drove Crown school buses. These two and three-axle buses were powered by either Cummins or Detroit Diesel inline 6-cylinder engines with a five or ten-speed Fuller non-synchro transmission. I sometimes used the Jake Brake going uphill to catch an upshift especially first to second or second to third gears. The Jake brake would help decelerate the engine to catch the upshift. I was king of the road with that Detroit 6-71 when I hit that Jake brake.
Gas engine; higher compression ratio+/- more "engine braking with throttle closed. 2) Diesel engine "exhaust brake" lets higher, (17.1 18.1) compression exhaust stroke, slam into a closed exhaust pipe gate valve or butterfly (type) valve depending on manufacturer... About the same on a long downgrade at less than "speed limit" as continual 8-10# of air pressure to properly adjusted brakes. 3) Jacobs brake was developed by an engineer at Cummins Engines many years ago. It works just as described. It has been mandated in many European countries as a "safety necessity" for many years. In the U.S. most every manufacturer includes them and has for several decades. (Old saying among us old truckers; "No Jake is no joke!" An aside: Several years of no engine brake on an Allis Chalmers powered Freightliner in the '70s. The Grapevine was my nemesis! Finally installed an exhaust brake as no Jakes were made for the AC and no longer smoked all the way to Bakersfield. True story.
James Tennier. That is interesting. I had never looked up the history of Jacobs Brakes. We had a 76' 4300 series International that came out of the factory with a 318 Detroit and true Jacobs brake. Had a lot of problems with them from what I can remember as a kid, so we had them removed. The truck was a flat lander and didn't really need them. When I first drove for CFI in the 90's, none of the fleet had compression brakes. We ran 48 states and Canada. Old school mountain method for downhill was one gear lower than the last gear you topped the hill in.
James Tennier
The grapevine was a nemesis for many, be it semi or pickup and trailer driver ! 😊
Too many times did I get to the bottom with a STRONG amount of suction on the seat ! 😫 If you know what I mean !
cummins himself invented it after almost hitting a train testing a truck, Jacobs drill and chuck just made the ting cause the had the mills to do it.
Clessie cummins designed it after he retired
something worth to note.. i just watched a video from Jacobs the company behind jake brake trying to understand how it works and i just couldn't follow nor understand. but this right here ur video i mean you explained it so good that a 7 year old will be able to understand. Thank You So Much!
Thanks to Jake brakes I can drive in the Rocky mountains without catching my brakes on fire with my 80000 pound semi
Very good point
Worth noting that simply downshifting a couple times and releasing both the accelerator and the clutch will also serve a similar purpose to the Jake brake, and is actually the method we're taught to use when road conditions get too slippery... unfortunately, early iterations of the Jake brake had a tendency to exacerbate the risk of slides on wet, snowy and icy roads, so a bit of conventional wisdom got written the blood of drivers: safest way to descend a slick, steep hill, aside from just not descending it at all until conditions improve, is to pick a less efficient gear ratio that favors more torque as opposed to more power
Very good explanation, as usual. Minor history correction: the Jacobs Engine Brake was actually invented by Clessie Cummins. It is manufactured by the very same Jacobs that makes drill chucks.
Makes sense. Whenever I let go of the throttle, I can see with my own eyes the vaccum/boost gauge move to the vacuum side and you can feel the car slow down. Always wondered what goes on in that event. Thank you. Nice job!
+Joel Flores gas engines make vacuum at idle
Yeah, I can see that as well. What with the throttle being closed and all
In Europe, when I took my truck license, I was told there was also another engine brake system called "the retarder" which is a oil turbine based braking system connected to the engine output shaft or driveshaft
+Leofred A company I worked for (US) had Hino brand trucks (Toyota's large truck and bus division) that had a retarder type of engine brake. Key feature user-wise is that it was not loud, so it could be used in areas that normally prohibit Jake brakes due to noise issues. They were actually pretty good trucks - virtually trouble free.
+Leofred
I knew someone would mention these... Imagine a garden hose, water on... Engine is just moseying along. Now try to bend the hose to minimize water flow; really tightly now... Engine brake on. The difference is the "retarder" uses engine oil and directs it through a smaller orifice within an appendage to the engine/ transmission "connection" Decrease the flow and "braking action" occurs though it also heats the engine oil.
Another aside: there are electrical retarders too but that is another story. Imagine a Prius "regenerating electricity to it's battery when throttle is released or brakes are applied...
It's insane to me that these designs actually work. I completely understand how they work. I'm just amazed at the design of engines, in general, and how so much is going on. We're talking about something that is spinning thousands of times per minute and where thousandths of an inch matter. Pretty amazing stuff. Anyway, this guy does a great job explaining this stuff.
Was going to suggest you cover this topic, was interested to hear you explain it and you did not disappoint! Mint job
+XxCORNFEDxX Happy to hear it!
THANK U SO MUCH, FIRST TIME HEAR OF ENGINE BREAKING AND IM SURE THIS IS THE FASTEST AND EASIEST CHANNEL I COULD HAVE COME TO TO UNDERSTAND THIS. ALL IT DOES IS USE THROTTLE BODIES TO CREATE A VACUM OR PRESSURE RESISTING THE PISTON MOVEMENT! THANKS SO MUCH AGAIN MAN, IM 13 AND LOVE MTOR MECHANICS AND HAVE BEEN SUBBED FOR ALMOST A YEAR NOW! LOVE UR VIDS MAN, KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK
I WISH I HAD EMOJIS ON PC. LOL
Thanks for this video! I never realized that "Jake Braking" was an actual thing. I thought it was just a term, rather than an actual mechanism.
I used to work on Detroit diesel 8V92 engines and I don't remember if the Jake brake was fully electronic or not on that engine using solenoids to open the exhaust valves. it has been a long while. I do remember, with a switch you could have one bank of the engine Jake Braking or both banks. a nice addition to this lecture would have been the exhaust brake, but great video as usual
Good explanation of engine braking!
Technically "Jake Brake" is a brand name for a compression brake. Much like Kleenex (for tissues), Band-Aid (for sticking plasters), or Advil (for ibuprofen).
Also, in modern diesels there is no combustion mixture during the compression stroke while "Jaking". Since the injectors are electronically controlled, the ECM does not send a signal for fuel injection during use of the compression brake.
Very professional and unhesitating presentation. Seems like he knows his stuff.
Cool you should make more diesel videos!
I always assumed engine braking occurred from the amount of friction created by an engine. Learned something new! Thanks once again.
My old Ford Explorer, with the 4.0 V6 pushrod, always slowed itself down going down grades on the highway. I loved it!
+James Dean Youngs That's not a good thing actually. The Ford Explorer isn't equipped with an engine brake, so that 'braking' you experienced was due to internal friction of driveline components (like your transmission), which kills your fuel economy during normal use.
Mark LaPointe Oh well. Sold it two years ago for 300 bucks.
why are cars so cheap in the US?
CRGamingHD if it was sold for $300 it was a pos.
Mark LaPointe "comes with an engine brake"?
Have you watched the video...?
Good video, I do think the second example is called exhaust braking, because the plugged exhaust is actuating the brake effect. The third example, using the valves, is a true engine brake. Just a minor point, very informative video!
i drive an automatic is300 but i only use the manual mode. im constantly downshifting to help my brakes slow the car down. my question is, does this create any extra wear on the engine or transmission? my car obviously wouldnt let me shift into a gear that would harm it but it would create more wear wouldnt it?
Some on the clutch. There is very little wear on engine and transmission components while driving.
Thank you for explaining this. It is the first time I got even a basic understanding of the Jake Brake even though I have looked for an explanation in other places in the past.
plz make a video on trailing and semi-trailing arm suspension plz
EE you should do a video on "braking in" new engines or rebuilt engines. The do's and don't 's and the reason behind the different methods and why it should be done.
BTW excellent work on the videos. KEEP IT UP!!!
So to fully utilize engine braking when slowing down in an automatic transmission car you should keep the car in gear? and in a manual transmission car you should downshift as you brake?
+ckarsenal yep...
+ckarsenal No need to downshift when you brake, unless you want to practise heel-toe or rev matching.
Yup. In an automatic, don't put it in neutral. Some allow you to choose gears now and also rev match automatically. In a manual, you can stay in gear until you don't have enough torque and the engine begins struggling and put it into neutral. Another option is to downshift every gear. The last option is to block shift. The latter two options require you to know how to rev match.
***** No you don't have to downshift while you brake. You can downshift after you brake, unless you like doing heel-toe rev matching. As long as the rpm is above idle and the throttle pedal is not depressed, even in 6th gear @1500 rpm the engine will not use fuel.
+xXxMartin96xXx
I tend to downshift to third and then brake to a stop. I find if I simply brake from 5th to a stop, I am using my brakes too much and missing out on the effects of engine braking.
the trucks with Jake's that are loud are usually trucks with "straight stacks" or trucks without a muffler. a truck with a muffler, especially newer trucks that have not had their exhaust system modified, ( muffler removed), are not unnecessarily loud and can be used in city areas. some towns and cities now have signs restricting use of only unmuffled engine breaks.
+Ron Fullerton yes sir you are correct , my c15 ( 500 caterpiller) with the factory dual 5" stack set up ( 379 Pete daycab which has a short system ) is quieter on jake than accelerating , the diesel pickups are actually louder with there mechanical noises ..
+Scott Grumpybastard I drive for con-way, and we have freightliners with Detroits. the ones with stacks are quiet when using the engine break, but some of the new ones exhaust underneath. and they are noisier when using the break. I do not use it on those units in areas I prefer to not arouse people.
the Jacobs engine brake was invented Clessie Cummins {Cummins Diesel} the rights were sold to Jacobs { the inventor of the Vice Grip}
You are absolutely correct!
Jacobs invented vise grips?? I did not know that, thank you. very interesting
I'm going to stroke my beard - invented by Herbert Beard in the late 1800s.
If you bore your beard, you might get more torque out of it.
Cummins had Jacobs make them because the board of his company said no, he wanted engine brakes so he could go faster on downgrades and break the coast to coast record.
Pretty good explanation of the Jake Brake, but when the master switch of the engine brake is turned on, the master & slave cylinders of the engine brake partially hold open the exhaust valves thru out the engine braking process. There are switches on the clutch & throttle pedals, that also temporarily shut off the engine brake, until the throttle or clutch is released, and the engine brake resumes engine braking, with the master switch on. Most engine brakes also have a 2nd, three position switch, which can be used to toggle thru the "desired" amount of engine braking. 2, 4, or 6 cyls (on a 6cyl engine). Hope this helps...
What about in BMW's Valvetronic and other similar applications - how is engine braking done in those no-throttle-body designs?
The Jake brake obviously works because it is compressing the input air, which heats it up, thus transferring energy into the air, and then pushing that hot air to the outside.
In order to slow down a car, you have to do work. Kinetic energy has to be taken out of the vehicle and moved somewhere. Having a (partial) vacuum on the inlet manifold will exert a force on the engine, but there is no energy entering or leaving the manifold. Not so the cylinders. With a compression ratio of (say) 10, the air being sucked into the cylinder will be compressed around 10 times. Assuming an adiabatic compression, that would put up the air temperature from 300K to around 3000K. The heat transfer from the hot air to the cylinder head will be very good because the air molecules are hitting the cylinder head faster and faster and more and more often as the space above the cylinder contracts. As this air cools down during the expansion cycle the transfer of thermal energy from the cylinder head is not so good because the air molecules are hitting the surface less and less often and moving slower. You can do the same experiment with a bicycle pump. Just close off the outlet and pump away vigorously for a minute. You will notice that the pump warms up quite a lot (as will the pumper!), because the compression and expansion cycles differ in the way that the heat is transferred to and from the pump walls. The theory about the inlet manifold pressure slowing the engine is confusing force and energy. My chair is exerting a force on my backside to stop me falling to the floor, but there is no energy transfer. To move (kinetic) energy out of the car (braking) you have to do work.
You have a few misconceptions. Fist compression does not play a significant role in engine braking. There is actually not a significant amount of heat loss during the compression stroke because there is simply not enough time. Engines are also designed to absorb as little heat as possible from the cylinder. The compressed air pushes the piston down with almost the same amount of force that was originally used to compress it.
Secondly, a closed throttle does in fact provide engine braking. You said that to remove kinetic energy from the car you have to do work. The part your missing is that the engine is doing work on the intake and exhaust stroke. It is moving air from one place to another, that requires work. Closing a throttle on the intake makes it harder for the engine to draw air in, likewise closing a throttle on the exhaust will make it harder for the engine to expel air from the cylinder. The work required for the engine to draw air in and expel it out is referred to as pumping loss.
@@Redtooth75 I have noticed that many car "experts" share your opinion. We will therefore probably not be able to agree on this issue. You say “It is moving air from one place to another, that requires work”, yes, but not much work. The outside of the car is moving much more air from one place to another, but that doesn’t slow the car down very much. BTW, engine braking also works very well in cars with a carburettor, where there is no significant force on the inlet manifold. How to explain that? It’s also the cylinders compressing air and warming it up that brakes them.
@@martinstent5339 so you are aware that experts and people who know what they are talking about agree with me, but you just think that you know more or something? Are you an engineer? Cause im pretty sure your just ignorant and refuse to accept evidence that proves you wrong.
I am big fan of yours channel, nice clean explanation as always, Respect and Salute to engineering explained channel, God bless
+Tiger Sharma Thanks Tiger! :)
Awsome video.. never really realized that so much engineering has gone into diesel engine breaking.
+Melric Chico when you drive a 18 wheeler they start training without the jake those engines have almost no braking effect without them
Thanks for the info, btw... I'm a subscriber w/ notifications. So......
What I win?
You win love!
At first I read "engine break in". Well, yes, plz, it would be awsome of you made a video of why we have to do break in new engines or after rebuilding.
Thanks for all the awsome videos you make my friend!
Many greetings from Greece!
Can you explain compression? What does the numbers mean? What is a high compressions and what is a low compression? Please make a video on this :)
+MultiTerpen ruclips.net/video/nveqCMNTth0/видео.html
Engineering Explained So for example.. I know that the compression ratio for my 69 mustang 351w is 9.5:1 But what does that actually mean? I did not really understand by watching the video. Is it like it becomes 9,5 times as small before it ignights? But what is really a high compression and what specifies a low one? Also what is the difference between NA and forced induction like a turbo?
+MultiTerpen The compression ratio isn't necessarily how small the cylinder can get before it ignites, but rather, how small the cylinder is designed to get in a regular cycle. In most gasoline engines, they use a spark to ignite the fuel when the cylinder is in its compressed state. However, in many diesels engines, they rely on autoignition, so the compression ratio in diesels *could* give an indication of how much compression you can get before ignition. Because in diesels, you rely on autoignition, you typically have higher compression ratios than on gasoline engines.
When you add a turbo, however, some of the air that enters the cylinder is pressurized, so the autoignition point is at a lower ratio of compression. So to prevent premature ignition, turbo powered gasoline engines typically run have a lower compression ratio.
Say for instance, you decide to add a turbo system to your inline 4 or straight V6 engine, which has a compression ratio of 10:1 but may experience knocking if the compression ratio was set to, say 15:1. Due to the turbo, the pressure of the inlet air will be higher. If the pressures increase 100%, then you can only compress the air 7.5 times before ignition. So the 10:1 compression ratio needs to be adjusted, or you should select a different turbo to prevent knocking.
+MultiTerpen
Compression "ratio" is the factor by which air is compressed from the bottom of a cylinder to the top of the cylinder, during each "compression cycle." Example: assume your tachometer displays 6000 revs per minute. This would equal 3000 compression strokes (up). 3000 power strokes, (down), 3000 exhaust strokes (up) and 3000 intake strokes (down). Where both valves have or are closed at that moment. Near the end of compression stroke, 14 to 30or32 degrees of rotation before the piston actually reaches top dead center (of the crankshaft rotating the (rod) up & in turn pushing "up" the piston, either fuel is injected or (in a carbureted engine, fuel/air is "ignited" by the spark plug. There is a formula (Google, Summit Racing etc) that takes cylinder bore, piston (crown) stroke, head-gasket thickness and cylinder-head combustion chamber capacity in grams usually to determine the total difference between the amount of air in a sealed cylinder with the piston DOWN and the compression ratio in turn is referenced by the number arrived at when the piston crown is UP, at the very other end of it's travel. Octane of gasoline, propane, natural gas all have different numbers, depending on their propensity to be ignited by the spark plug.
Diesels on the other hand, compress air to a greater degree, hence much higher compression ratio, and that air heats quickly;y when compressed and fuel under "high" pressure is litterly squirted into combustion chamber and explodes, driving piston down and rotating crankshaft... rather than burns (out in a flame front from the spark plug.)
Sorry you asked?
James Tennier Thanks :D, but when it is like 9.5:1... Is the space inside the sylinder getting smaller by 9,5 times from when it is at the bottom to when it is at the top then? Is there a difference between saying compression and compression ratio?
I LOVE YOU!! And your channel! I work as a consultant, but always questioned being an engineer (went to an engineering school) and somehow each episode I just feel as if I am one or worked in something like this! AH thank you!
thank God for this video. i've always wondered what's up with jake braking!
Apparently Cummins invented this system, but had to have an outside company (Jacobs) build it because of internal company disagreements. Great video, thank you!
Ok this makes sense as to why they are so loud. Since the explosion from the power stroke goes right out the exhaust, that's what you hear. Great explanation!
This is what happens under normal power.. how can that stop you?
Can you explain muffler bearings? The ones on my sailboat are making strange noises
EXCELLENT and easily understood explanation! Thanks much! In addition to giving a great explanation, you are very pleasant to listen to.
So there's no combustion when you let go of the gas pedal? The engine keeps moving because the wheels are moving? And the sound of the engine is purely mechanical?
With many modern engines, yes. Though it's possible to still burn a very small amount, depending on the setup. Ideally you would burn no fuel since it's completely wasted. The inertia of the car passes through the wheels/transmission to keep the engine running without fuel.
+edguiterrez yep.
+Engineering Explained you actually still burn fuel on overrun because of tip-out driveability filters which act on brake torque to give it a smooth deceleration feel (this is done by injecting ever decreasing quantities of fuel to generate a bit of indicated torque). These filters are used pretty much throughout the industry because driveability has become one of the most important customer requirements.
+Engineering Explained does engine braking wear down your car at all? The compression doesn't seem like it would be good for those small parts
Ethan Arpin you're compressing either way.... Think of it like this instead of fuel making explosions in your engine to make it move road is turning it. I'd say you're getting even less wear then when you're on throttle.
@engineering explained;
in engine braking, the gear ratios also play a role, right?
I mean it's not only due to the vacuum in case of gasoline.
Correct ! it's a combination between the compression in cylinders, the the lack of explosion (because of no fuel), and the gear ration who stop the car, not the throttle body vacuum !
I really don't think that creating a vacuum is enough to slow down a car.
It's more likely that compressing the air to 10+ bars without fuel injection is going to act as the engine breaking.
So there is no need for exhaust valve to do that on a diesel. Simply when your foot is not on the accelerator the ECU will cut fuel. So the momentum of the car will drive the motor to compress just the air.
That's why diesel engine have more engine breaking thant gasoline ones, juste because the compression is much higher in diesel engines.
This is not true at all. The vast majority of the energy used to compress the air will go right back into the engine during the power stroke, making the energy loss very minimal (even without fuel). It's critical to either create a vacuum, build backpressure, or release the potential energy stored at TDC for the compression stroke. There's a reason these devices exist.
+Brice Eychenne That's a good explanation. But obviously, there must be a flaw in that system for them to facilitate the exhaust valve mechanism. I think the reason why your explanation isn't actually put to practice is that the engine might not be able to compress that air to such high pressure due to the momentum and therefore stop the engine suddenly causing a 'stall'-like situation which is pretty dangerous.
+Engineering Explained Just explain then, why it's so hard to turn an engine over with a spanner? Is it the vacuum in the intake? No it's the compression.
Oh now that EE has explained it, I feel quite silly trying to hypothesize a solution. My page didn't load when EE answered it here.
davidrobert2007 True, but once you turn it over, it follows through effortlessly right? It's because the pent up energy during compression is released after reaching TDC, right Engineering Explained ?
I wrote a 3 page essay using what I learned from this video, thank you!
Hahaha. Too bad it's wrong
The roar of engine braking is outlawed in some municipalities. How can that be mitigated to not create adversity for local businesses and neighbors?
Older trucks sometimes were ordered without mufflers and that is why the engine brakes were so loud. No mufflers is a cool factor to some drivers, other trucks just had crap mufflers. Newer trucks are mandated to have a DPF, a special type of filter that takes the place of the muffler and makes the soot from the engine go away and the gasses from the engine safer. Think Volkswagen and their recent scandal, it involved the DPF and the software in them. Anyway a truck with a DPF is very quiet and so are the engine brakes on the truck. I normally cant hear the engine brake on mine over the radio. I always use the engine brake even if the sign says no to, police dont care as long as you have a DPF or an older truck with a good muffler. Just unmuffled is a problem because it sounds like a gatling gun going off. For the record I am a licensed truck driver who also has a degree in criminal justice. Many cop friends have told me their views on engine brakes and they are all positive.
Delightfully interesting!
In addition to what Stewie said, compression brakes are much quieter than Jake brakes. And there is also the option of a retarder which is mostly silent.
This was a fantastic video as always. I love how you teach concepts that many people such as myself may not understand in ways that are easily understandable. I love this kind of stuff but am not a car guy, and the way you teach it makes it easy for anybody to understand. Keep up the great videos!!!!!!
they sound pretty cool on big trucks
Interestingly in the owners manual for the Mercedes OM444LA there is a description of an engine braking system that utilized both an exhaust brake and a butterfly valve on the intake side as well. The intake system was very robust, built of solid pipes with O-Ring sealed slip joints between each pipe segment. Without question rated to full vacuum.
+One Day It's a large 21.9L Turbodiesel v12 used for industrial purposes.
oooo thats y trucks make them noises
+Sho Bud
Actually the noise is a by-product of the driver using engines compression to reduce brake heat buildup. Smoking brakes are a sign that the truck may well be under less control than the driver might wish!
the old mack dyantard worked on a similar system,although it was meant to slow the engine rpm as the driver shifted through neutral to select a higher ratio when ascending a grade using the wide ratio transmission,this prevented the engine speed dropping too much before the trucks road speed dropped allowing the driver to still match transmission shaft speeds.
I'm actually more confused now having watched this
+Keith Fox Feel free to ask questions! :)
You have to know what's surrounding the explanation given here in the video to fully understand. I drive a semi tractor trailer truck so let me just give you an overview on more what it's doing. With some exceptions, on a diesel engine, you do not have a natural vacuum by design (in the video's first example) like a gas engine does that slows the engine down when you take your foot off the accelerator. Instead, air will continue uncontrolled into the engine when you take your foot off the accelerator, which transfers air pressure to the engine similar to both air and fuel but with less power because fuel is not being injected and ignited. Large trucks oftentimes have a compression release brake that is added to the engine called a Jake Brake in reference of Jacob's patented system. The Jake Brake opens the exhaust valves at a time when they would normally be closed - the time when air and fuel are usually being compressed in the engine and are about to ignite. When you take your foot off the accelerator, you are no longer adding diesel fuel into the engine but it's still getting uncontrolled air. As the air is nearly completely compressed, the Jake Brake opens the exhaust valve, letting out the compressed air so that the air pressure doesn't drive the engine. Instead, the friction of the engine and other sources of friction in the drivetrain slows it down because it's not being propelled by air compression. It can be oftentimes used in differently levels (anywhere from 1-4 levels) that determines how much engine braking is used. Whenever you hear a large truck - usually on the highway - make a loud "bop-bop-bop-bop" noise while it's slowing down, that noise caused by the Jake Brake and is the air pressure exiting the exhaust. The higher the level of Jake being used, the louder the noise. The reason it's so loud is because the action of the compressed air suddenly escaping the engine is similar to a gunshot. I hope this helps you to understand what this system is actually doing in the real world with reference to the video.
@@danieldeaseweitzelwalker well trained idiots, they have made of us...they have you believing all that crap... Once the compression is vented, (and a diesel is always compressing air), there is no air in that cylinder, and the piston starts down.. it has to pull a vacuum, until the valves are sucked open... That's the popping you hear, is the exhaust valves being sucked open..
Jake not working right? Replace the worn out valve springs, and it will work great again.
A Jake shortens engine life.
Simple instead of using your brakes just let you foot off the gas and the car will slow.
Im confused about if you the throttle body closed and it created a vacuum wouldnt that mean the car would stop firing and you would here no noise from the engine when you took your foot off your petal? I feel like im missing something obvious.
Many contemporary emissions controlled diesel engines will actually have a throttle valve in the intake path, and sometimes in the exhaust as well. These are used to facilitate EGR flow, however they will also provide some engine braking under certain conditions. It is also worth noting that these throttle valves are controlled exclusively by the ECU. I do not know if they will be closed by default when coasting in gear; someone who knows more than I do about diesel engine ECU strategies would be better able to answer that. (Anecdotally, my 2011 diesel car engine brakes well enough when down shifting.)
So, is it good to engine break or not?
+Tomas Prado engine braking uses no fuel, conserves brakes(puts less pressure on air brakes in semis and lorries) and slows you down. does that answer your question?
No. It's not good to break your engine. Using it to brake can be useful though.
+Andrew Barcomb yes, thanks
+timpaul paintballisbetterthanairsoft why is it not good?
to engine brake in a bigger vehicle yes, but not really needed to in a smaller one like a coupe/ suv. the other guy just said that because you misspelled break instead of brake.
Great writeup Jason, but Passenger car diesel engine do not have any valves in the exhaust system. Some newer ones have a valve or valves in the intake manifold to create turbolences for better mixtures. When lifting the gas pedal, the injectors stop feeding fuel, but the wheels still turning the crankshaft.
+Ahto Andron I don't think he implied that all diesels have one of these braking systems. Larger pickup trucks and small delivery trucks have exhaust brakes where there is a butterfly valve in the exhaust. Larger commercial trucks use compression/jake brakes. Newer diesel engines have a valve or valves in the intake to improve emissions and/or to prevent shutter. Diesel engines produce a lot of NOx emissions which are caused by high compression. By reducing the airflow to the engine you reduce the effective compression and thus reduce NOx. Also when a diesel shuts down it can really twist car due to the high compression. If a valve closes off the intake when the engine is turned off this reduces the compression so the engine can turn over a few more times and come to a slower stop. This valve can also help prevent a runaway diesel engine.
Petrol engine braking is NOT from the vacuum. You prove this by going down hill in gear with the ignition shut off and open the throttle. This used to be called "compression braking" back in the day. You are using the engine as a giant air compressor.
Standard diesel cars and trucks do not have a jake or exhaust valve system yet they still can engine brake by this same process.
+MrRexQuando diesel engines have no throttle plate it's always wide open
crowmagg1 Agreed! This is proof it isn't the "vacuum" that causes the braking. Its using the engine as a compressor.
+MrRexQuando i have driven 18 wheelers (diesel) and gas v8's the disesl had almost no engine breaking effect (there is some but not that much)
without a jake we had to engage the cooling fan clutch
that is because the air that is getting compressed only rebounds during the power stroke then it is pushed out the exaust
while on the gasoline engine the intake stroke is pulling from a manafold with a closed throttle butterfly
if you put a vacum gauge there you will measure about 30" of mercury the piston is using energy at that part of the stroke because of the differencial between the top (near vacum ) and the bottom (at crankcase pressure (near atmospheric) that energy is returned during the compression stroke but then again lost on the power stroke
during the exaust stroke the valve opens and the vacum is lost by a inrush of exaust gasses and almost at once pushed back out during the exaust stroke now with the exaust valve closed the process repeats when the intake valve opens
so there is more engine braking effect in gasoline engines than a diesel without additional equippment installed to provide this
the engineer here is wrong about the heating effect with a gasoline engine it's more of a cooling effect but both take energy
crowmagg1 nope- again you can test this yourself with a gas-er. drive down a hill in gear with the ignition off. Opening the throttle increases the engines resistance. The vacuum effect is rubbish.
+MrRexQuando i do it every day when i ride my mtorcycle
on some engines the effect is so strong they make slipper clutches to keep inexperienced riders from crashing
both effects we discuss have braking effect but chopping the throttle is stronger and is enough to cause rear wheel lock-up and cause a low side crash experienced riders know to keep some throttle applied when in a turn to prevent this
and yes i can cut the ignition any time there a switch for that right next to the throttle but when i do that i notice np extra braking effect with the throttle open i do notice there’s a little less
Op brother, thank you so much, now I'm fully cleared about jack brake...thank you.
The Jake Brake was invented by “Jake” from State Farm.
Really! He did that, I like that! I always figured it was someone in khakis but I figured they were green I think Jake wears Khaki colored khaki's so I think you may have the wrong Jake!
Some people here, are claiming, that in petrol engines, the engine braking is done by the compression stroke, not by the vacuum between the butterfly valve and the intake stroke. Some in other forums, have also said that if the ignition is set to off, it doesn't matter wether the butterfly is 100% or 0%, the engine braking is still happening.
But here's my opinion. In petrol engines that are controlled by mechanical throttle body (a cable), is this:
- Petrol engine (manual transmission) with a mechanical throttle body:
1.) When you drive 15mph and turn the ignition off and you stop pressing the gas pedal, your butterfly closes (a little amount of air is still flowing to the chambers) so a little vacuum is created. The car is being engine braked like Sir Engineering explained said in the video.
2.) Same setup, driving 15mph, ignition off, but pressing the gas pedal*: Butterfly is open, a lot of air is flowing to the chambers. Instead of getting a vacuum, something's happening at the compression stroke: It's pushing the heavy mass of air and it's engine braking the car.
Those are explanations why some people say the butterfly valve's position doesn't matter.
* In ideal conditions, for example if a car didn't have a battery to start the engine, you could roll it down a hill, in gear, and then pressing the gas pedal the engine should start. I've tried this with a little atv and it worked.
Yes, the resistance to the motion is not caused by the "power of a vacuum" as suggested in the video, read my post from 3 months earlier. The "power" of a vacuum is nothing compared to the 8-10atms of resistance caused in the compression stroke of most engines........and there is more at WOT.
You really didn't explain the common automotive form of engine braking and downshifting well... Look at all the comments.
+Ian Thompson Hm, I am guessing here (gasoline engine): Downshifting results in a higher RPM. Also, the vacuum gets built over time, until it's strong and actually causes a noticable breaking effect. So, only a small percentage of that vacuum-time is actually effecting breaking-time. I hope I am making sense here - Accountant and Author :-)
Now, the higher the RPM, the greater the breaking time per minute - and that's why downshifting causes a greater engine breaking effect.
Was that halfay right? :-)
+Christian Breitenstein Downshifting will also put you in a lower gear, meaning more braking torque will be applied to the wheels.
+Christian Breitenstein
In lower gears, the amount of air being moved and restricted, is a greater amount of air per mile traveled, thus the kinetic energy or speed of the vehicle, is more efficiently converted into heat which the engine can handle far better than can the easily-overheated brakes. Thus the braking effect is increased in lower gears. That is why automatic transmissions have those low numbers, 3, 2, 1, as those set a limit of the maximum gear that the automatic transmission should engage. Those selections are mainly for engine braking, but perhaps a slightly lower gear should also be selected for towing? Otherwise, just ever leave it in Drive or Overdrive if there is an Overdrive selection, for best fuel economy.
It is vacuum that causes engine braking in a gasoline engine, not compression. The piston is trying to draw air through a restricted port (intake). Connect a vacuum gauge to the intake manifold and you'll see 22"+ of vacuum with the throttle closed during deceleration. Since there is less than normal air pressure in the cylinder during the intake stroke, there's less than normal air pressure for the compression stroke, there is little compression to resist the piston to cause "compression braking". You can't compress a vacuum (even though it isn't a perfect vacuum).
Vacuum....sucks you to a stop
Correct me if I'm wrong.
I understand that the jake brake is used just in the trucks. And what about the fist option? Can we found it in all types of diesel engines or just in trucks? If so, how the engine braking works in normal diesel car?
Thanks in advance for all answers!
We break for nobody !!
+Ola Håkansson I can't breathe in this thing!
This guy is very detailed, reminds me of my old school automotive instructor at Honolulu Community College
The brakes went out on my engine once 😝
Besides the jake's breaking, I think the other 2 engine breaking methods relay on the energy needed for the compression step of either cycle, which is big when fuel not injected. There is no vacuum anywhere! Please think about the thermodynamic view of the breaking method.
+Paul Malnol There is no vacuum in the sense that there is a complete lack of air in the piston, the vacuum in the gasoline case is the piston needing to forcibly pull air into the cylinder because the throttle body is restricting it.
Sorry, once I read that engine braking is due to creating a vacuum in the inlet I stopped listening.
It simply is nonsense as it disobeys a fundamental law of nature/physics: the law of conservation of energy.
On a long descent if we just used the brakes get very hot as we are converting gravitational potential energy(GPE) into friction/heat energy. If instead we use engine braking to maintain a steady speed during the descent the GPE still has to be disappated, last time I looked I didn't see any red hot inlet manifolds or throttle plates, the theory falls over right there.
Where does the energy go, from the engine compressing air and transferring that heat to the engine block and out the exhaust. No, the energy used in compression is not 100% returned in the power stroke, the internal combustion energy is very inefficient - perhaps look up the carnot cycle.
Also worthy of mentioning, a vacuum at best only applies 15psi of resistance to the pistons on the intake stroke, but as you all know, on the compression stroke, we can have from 100-200psi depending on rpm and cam profile........that is where the braking effect comes from.
As some others have mentioned, try WOT when engine braking with the ignition switched off, it will actually cause a small increase in engine braking(reason as to why we test for engine compression at WOT), if the vacuum theory were the braking would disappear when this occurs, it doesn't........please desist in spreading these myths.
Excellent video my friend... Congratulations from Venezuela.
Jacobs Engine Brake is just the best known and the most widely used engine brake in north america but they did no invent the engine brake just designed a better mousetrap so to speak.
Thanks; this is something that I have never even bothered to ponder. You caused me to ask a new question by answering a question that I had never thot to ask.
Great video! I believe a jake brake is great to save brakes, specifically used in semi-trucks and because it gives better control for the tractor but the problem with Jake brake is that it increases fuel consumption slightly so fuel economy will be hurt a little bit..
No, youll be saving money. Instead of using fuel for the brakes
Better than running out of air.
Well when I'm barreling down a mountain grade in my rig I'd rather waste a little fuel than lay on the brakes and have them go out halfway down. Those run away ramps don't look like they would be too much fun to have to use. It's probably one of my biggest fears driving a semi.
There's still one thing that is not quite clear to me. Basically, there are two situations when you drive in gear without pressing throttle. This is engine breaking (usually done in quite high revs) and just keeping engine running without fuel (simple economy like riding from slight hill). Let's say I talk about diesel engine. Usually without throttle engine will run just on air (no injection). Based on what you've said, it should also be linked with closing valve on exhaust. So is it common thing to have such valve or it's rather not used in modern engines? If it's used then how it will decide when it's time to close and open this valve? It's based on revs?
Questions: 1) If the compression is released into the exhaust system the same as when the engine is running normally, why the excessive noise? 2) I assume when the Jake brake is engaged the fuel injection is shut off at the same time? If not, this would be a big emission issue.
This was an excellent somewhat detailed basic explaination of the Jacobs braking system. I think most operators dont, know how the system operate. One point you did not cover is how when deactivating the system how the oil returns.
+Johno Vegas usually by a port on the same valve/solonid that filled the system
Smaller turbodiesels with vgt turbos without jake brakes can close the turbo vanes for engine braking and thus do not need an exhaust brake. You can control the vehicle speed with the vanes.
the first diesel engine braking he explained is call an exhaust brake because its using exhaust pressure. also i have never seen a diesel using both however it may have been done but be very rare. the second diesel engine braking he explained is called a compression release brake which is the conventional method. Jacobs also makes a third diesel braking system called a bleeder brake which is like a conventional engine but less effective and has to be with a VGT or an exhaust brake to be optimized. jacoobs also has a "2 stroke" engine brake which which is much more effective then the conventional
Yes, the Jacobs Company invented the "Jake" brake, the same company that invented the Jacobs chuck found on most drill presses, hand drills and most air tools. How'd you like to own that patent? You should talk more about the precise timing of the exhaust valve opening.
Cool! Will you make a video explaining in detail how to do it (i.e. pedals, down-shifting, etc.)?
+iseslc there is nothing to explain. if you are on a manual gearbox - just put engine in gear 2 lower than it would be at that speed cruising and release the clutch. you can do rev matching to avoid sudden engagement or just release clutch slowly. during all this you don't apply any braking or accelerator (unless you are doing rev matching, then after putting car into lower gear just press accelerator till revs get to about 3-3.5k and then release the clutch). I drive in a city a lot and use it all the time. average fuel consumption (when used properly and safely) goes down by about 10-15% (my engine uses 0 fuel while in engine braking and ~1.5 liters/h on idle).
Senpai Nooberinho
Oh cool thx.
Excellent most straightforward explanation !! Thanks all the best for ya!!
What if intake is delayed to when the piston is in bottom position, wouldn't this way the engine use vacuuming AND compression at the same time?
necrisuni I think it's because it would be harder to make a system which would prevent the (intake) valve from opening at the time it usually opens than making a system which just extends the time interval an (exhaust) valve is opened.
You are on the right track my good man..that is how the Jake works, by pulling a vacuum...
@@987ntn vacuum is correct.. the popping sound of a Jake, is the valves being sucked open..
The problem with so-called "vacuum braking" is that there is still a partial vacuum above the piston at BDC of the intake stroke, relative to the crankcase, which will pull the piston upward during the compression stroke. So however much work the rotating assembly has to perform to pull the piston down against that pressure differential, nearly all of it is returned when the vacuum pulls the piston back up to TDC. For vacuum braking to be as effective as a Jake Brake, you would have to open the exhaust valve at BDC, to ensure that the work taken out of the system by drawing the vacuum is not immediately returned to the system.
Its amazing how many mechanics will argue to to the bone saying engine braking (on a petrol engine) is due to the engines compression.
I also came to the conclusion engine braking must be from engine vacuum when the throttle bottle body closes. Since the compressed air acts as a spring, does the exhaust valve play a part here when it opens letting the vacuum escape creating some sort of retarding behaviour?
+Chris Doolan No it does not play a part Chris. As when the exhaust valve opens on a gas-engine,the intake valve is fully closed,so nothing is entering the combustion-chamber to create any more vacuum! :)
+menom7 but wouldn't the vacuum equalise with atmospheric pressure via the exhaust pipe when the exhaust valve opens?
Chris Doolan Yes,correct Chris! In between the intake-valve closing,and the exhaust-valve opening,there remains a vacuum within the combustion-chamber,that aids in slowing the pistion-down within each cylinder! Once that exhaust-valve opens,that vacuum is released and the whole process,starts all over again within the combustion chamber!
It's not a perfect vacuum. Some air has slipped in the cylinder through the butterfly. So the exhaust stroke contains some air, it is not releasing a vacuum otherwise air would be travelling into the cylinder from the exhaust side and then it would have to go somewhere, out, the intake, which makes the whole thought experiment absurd.
wow this is really cool man, used a jake brake all this time never knew all this.
Does the intake/exhaust brake cause more stress that will eventually cause reliability issues?
I've also noticed some diesel pickups can be modified for an exhaust brake. But concerned about reliability issues.
+Jak 241 Most diesel mechanics don't recommend exhaust brakes with automatic transmissions because of torque converter lock-up stress, computerized transmissions get confused by the reverse in torque, etc. (not sure if any of this is true). A lot of commercial diesels with automatics concerned with breaking safety will have a EM (Telma) or Eddy braking system.
You are correct, the Jake "vacuum" brake, is horribly hard on pistons, pins and rods.. they have to be beefed up, which makes them heavier, costing you, fuel milage too.
I used to have a dirtbike with a decompression switch which opened the exhaust valve. I'd sometimes hold it in going downhill and act like I had a jake brake or hold the throttle open with the kill switch held and it kind of sounds like one.
Engine braking is very important when going downhill because
1) You reach down at lower speeds,thus less work for brakes
2) Your braking force(tire road friction) decreases downhill (is dependent on how steep the slope is),so soaring downhill in neutral may be lethal because you have no choice but to enter the coming corner(u turn mostly) at higher speed and the centrifugal force aids gravity to skid you out of your line .
Thus its important to use engine braking especially for bikers
3) In neutral you are consuming fuel so it coming down in gear wont hurt your pocket too
Could you make a video about the O2 sensors and their importance? Like, how bad it is for a vehicle if some/all of them are not working properly. Thank you for your awesome content :)
There is two 02 sensors, one upstream, or be for the cat, and one down stream or after the cat. The one upstream is used the amount of 02 in the exhaust coming out of the engine. This info is then used be the car determine if the car needs more fuel, high amounts of oxygen in the exhaust, or less fuel, low amounts of oxygen in the exhaust. The down stream compared the amount of oxygen in the exhaust after the cat to the amount be for the cat to make sure it working correctly. If the down stream one fails you basicly just don't know if your cat is working correctly or not. If your upstream on fails the car not run right, you would get less mpgs, and you would lose horse power.
Thank you :)
@@kingkevin267the rear sensor is also used to trim the fuel a little bit. It compensates for drift of the front sensor and the ECM can get an averaged accuracy of around 0.001 lambda using the rear sensor or about 10x more accurate than the front sensor alone.