Narrative:

Departed ZZZ after several delays: first delay, aircraft leaking fuel and required maintenance. Second delay, loading of aircraft with displaced freight. On climb out out of FL280 (captain flying) I noticed egt on #4 was above maximum. I pointed this out to the captain and we reduced power to bring the egt back to below limits. Prior to this reduction, I could hear the engine surging. We informed ATC that we would be returning to ZZZ as we were directed to do so by company. While descending, we noted egt increasing and oil temperature increasing. I implored the captain to shut the engine down as temperatures would only increase as we descended. He finally capitulated and I informed ATC that we performed a precautionary shutdown on #4. We did not declare an emergency as this is not predicated in our training. We also had no need as we had no other problems. An uneventful landing was made at ZZZ. In a conversation with another captain he asked me if we turned the performance monitoring computer. We had not. This captain told me that engine surging is symptomatic of performance monitoring computer failure. We were at that point able to consult the abnormal checklist for performance monitoring computer failure. It was not noted that engine surging was symptom of performance monitoring computer malfunction. Inclusion of that would be helpful.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC8-71 ON CLBOUT AT FL280 DIVERTED DUE TO #4 ENG HIGH EXHAUST GAS TEMP IN OVERTEMP INDICATION. CAUSE UNKNOWN.

Narrative: DEPARTED ZZZ AFTER SEVERAL DELAYS: FIRST DELAY, ACFT LEAKING FUEL AND REQUIRED MAINT. SECOND DELAY, LOADING OF ACFT WITH DISPLACED FREIGHT. ON CLBOUT OUT OF FL280 (CAPT FLYING) I NOTICED EGT ON #4 WAS ABOVE MAX. I POINTED THIS OUT TO THE CAPT AND WE REDUCED PWR TO BRING THE EGT BACK TO BELOW LIMITS. PRIOR TO THIS REDUCTION, I COULD HEAR THE ENG SURGING. WE INFORMED ATC THAT WE WOULD BE RETURNING TO ZZZ AS WE WERE DIRECTED TO DO SO BY COMPANY. WHILE DSNDING, WE NOTED EGT INCREASING AND OIL TEMP INCREASING. I IMPLORED THE CAPT TO SHUT THE ENG DOWN AS TEMPS WOULD ONLY INCREASE AS WE DSNDED. HE FINALLY CAPITULATED AND I INFORMED ATC THAT WE PERFORMED A PRECAUTIONARY SHUTDOWN ON #4. WE DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER AS THIS IS NOT PREDICATED IN OUR TRAINING. WE ALSO HAD NO NEED AS WE HAD NO OTHER PROBS. AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG WAS MADE AT ZZZ. IN A CONVERSATION WITH ANOTHER CAPT HE ASKED ME IF WE TURNED THE PERFORMANCE MONITORING COMPUTER. WE HAD NOT. THIS CAPT TOLD ME THAT ENG SURGING IS SYMPTOMATIC OF PERFORMANCE MONITORING COMPUTER FAILURE. WE WERE AT THAT POINT ABLE TO CONSULT THE ABNORMAL CHKLIST FOR PERFORMANCE MONITORING COMPUTER FAILURE. IT WAS NOT NOTED THAT ENG SURGING WAS SYMPTOM OF PERFORMANCE MONITORING COMPUTER MALFUNCTION. INCLUSION OF THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.