A good source of info when I first got my 6.2 and was at the beginning of my swap was the Haynes diesel manual that covers the Chev and Ford diesels. I kept that book in the 'throne room' for a few weeks and would read and re-read stuff till I started to understand it.
They're very simple engines, first of all there is no throttle at all. The injector pump controls rpm by adding more fuel or less fuel to each cylinder. On the intake stroke the valve opens and the cylinder draws in as much air as it can (non -turbo) and then compresses it a ton. This heats the air charge a lot...then at TDC (roughly) the injector pump sends a small pulse of fuel to that injector. A small mist of fuel is sprayed into the cylinder and the superheated air charge spontaneously ignites it. Power stroke and exhaust stroke are similar to gas engines.
Probably the most complex part of the diesel engine is the injector pump, which has to meter the fuel very precisely to ensure each cylinder is getting the same 'charge'.
All the turbo does for a diesel is stuff more air into the cylinder on the intake stroke. No worries about running it lean or rich or anything like that. If the balance between the amount of air the cylinder has versus the fuel charge becomes leaner (foot off the gas pedal), the rpm's just decrease. Add fuel to the same air charge and rpm's increase.
Compression ratio on a 6.2 diesel is approximately 21:1, which is how the air can become superheated enough to ignite the fuel spontaneously.
That is the basic idea as I understand it. Everything else we talk about is just the peripheral stuff like glow plugs, GP controllers, cold advance junk, etc etc.
No computer
No 'artificial' ignition system
No throttle
No spark plugs
Lastly, don't hesitate to ask the basic questions. I probably have the record for the most dumb newibe diesel questions here and I don't care a bit. I had to learn it somewhere and everyone here was very helpful and patient.
Rene
