it has been said that a detroit air door mechanism can fail, yes they can if they are not perodically checked and serviced
every detroit mechanic is trained to verify the operation of the air shutdown before he attempts to start the engine after
any sortof work on the overhead or govenor.
i still maintain that a 1.5 id ball valve which is a 1/4 turn type of valve could be used with a spring to close, solenoid to open
and make for an easy to fabricate and positive air shutdown device.
i really wonder how many of you have enough hair on your ass, to actually walk up to you engine in a runaway scenario,
i have had to walk up to runaway diesels, and i am here to tell you it is not something you do without talking to god all the while.
i cannot imagine having to reach anythere over the engine while in a runaway mode, to fiddle with anything, when a trip of a
switch would cut power to the solenoid and allow the air to be shut off to the engine, that switch could be mounted anywhere
at a safe distance away from the machine,
even if you have the hair, think of you wife and kids, or other loved ones, do you want them to have to walk up to a ticking bomb to
diffuse it?
perhaps someone should send "mythbuster" a 6/1 so they can set it up to do a "runaway" in their test facility and show on tv the reality
of what one is dealing with under this scenario.
at the very least put a ball valve in the intake that you can close by moving the lever by hand!!
bob g