We decided to spiff Project 300 up a little.      

   This old work truck is getting spoiled (1987 Ford F-250 6.9L 2wd regular cab 8 foot box). ATS turbo kit, brakes, high quality seat cover, you name it. Recently I just installed this Diesel Power emblem that I got from Third Planet Energy.

They do custom letters so you can put whatever you want. 

Since we've moved the office to El Segundo, CA Project 300 is responsible for getting me to work. If it should fail I will have to take public transportation. I love the idea of public transportation for other people just not for me. Before I was able to walk to work and if the truck was inoperable no problem. Now the pressure is on.  

Future mods include a water methanol kit, propane, hydrogen, and a CD player with speakers.

I also plan to add a new block heater from ShopDiesel.com

The ABS hydraulic unit from RockAuto.com went in with no problems and my brakes work great now.

Right now my biggest complaint is with the clutch. It chatters from a dead stop in first gear. I would like to start in 2nd gear but it feels gutless. Still the drive is not too bad. I avoid the highways.   

Check out the new rig... Just kidding!

I picked up this ’98½ 24-valve for a friend of a friend last week and put the first 200 miles on a completely rebuilt Cummins dwelling under the hood. Of course, it was a five-speed (NV4500) and four-wheel drive—my kind of Dodge. But, with one Project 24-valve already in our stable I can’t get too attached to another VP-44 Ram, for now.

Speaking of ’98½ to ’02 Dodge’s, Project 24-valve will be getting a new exhaust manifold from PDI and an intake horn for Christmas this year. What are you getting your truck for Christmas???

    Every town has wastewater and now every town can have cheap fuel.  

    Check out biocrude then invest in it and collect money. If I had money that's what I would do.

The rumor mill has predicted that many 6.0L Power Strokes and LB7 Duramax’s will find their way out of warranty, and into smaller, more affordable diesel shops in the coming months/year…

Knowing several 6.0L owners approaching, or just now breaching the 100,000-mile barrier, I’ve noticed their doubtfulness in keeping their trucks. Some have had issues with these problem-child engines and some have not, but all parties seem to be concerned with their truck going “the distance” or not.  

My question is, would you be looking to unload (and/or take a hit) on your 6.0L Ford or LB7 GM, or prepare to stick it out and go for the long haul?

PS: Are extended warranty’s worth the time of day?

With the arrival of some of Rust-Oleum’s rust reformer, flat black rust preventative, and gloss black rust preventative, I’m searching for a truck that’s been the unfortunate victim of rust damage…

More importantly, I’m looking for a truck that’s still drivable, and worth salvaging. If I can’t find anything too nasty down here in SoCal, I’ll re-do my frame and axles (see photo). Last year we must’ve pulled 10 pounds worth of rust off of my ’97s frame!

It’ll be a time-consuming process with a lot of prep work involved, but it’s definitely worth the end result.

Just what is says: the mud hole is coming. A native SoCal’r and me are sick of all the dry landscape down here, so we’re digging a massive hole, and dumping lots of water into it...

It should be a slimy, fun mess to play around in, and will put our 305/70R16 Mickey Thompson Baja MTZ’s to the test. After that, and because it’s so close to Glamis and other desolate, dune-like areas, we’ll try our hand in the sand. Look for a write up in the March issue.

    I was feeling a little home sick for the great north woods so I looked for some loon sounds and videos on youtube. Check it out it reminds me of the people on the forums.    

I know its not Friday but it feels like it. I got to get everything packed up and stories done cause tomorrow I'm off.  I have about 500 pounds of tools in my office. My file cabinet made an excellent tool chest.  Our new building is going to be sweet a garage instead of a parking ramp to work on stuff. Then on Sunday I'm going to Virginia to get some seat time in a VW Jetta TDI Cup factory prepped racecar (its basically a stock Jetta and that's sweet its like the old days of NASCAR).

"The plan is to offer a few different track events. The tech and drive team will prep participants on the track and safety and then start things off with taxi rides, so guests can have a chance to see the course from the right seat. Next up will be accompanied laps where the instructor will sit in the right seat and will offer new drivers a chance to take a turn with a pro giving them tips along the way .  After this there will be a lead follow session with the instructors leading a group of drivers around the track and finally those who are qualified will get free session laps on their own."

I wonder if I'll qualify. My poor ego if I don't.

  I think biofuels will bring those old days back. Check out VW's new press release.

News Release Issued: November 12, 2009 6:04 AM EST
2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Champion headed to Europe in 2010
Megenbier to compete in the Bio-Clean Natural Gas powered Volkswagen Scirocco Cup next season
Herndon, VA (Nov. 12, 2009) – After dominating the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup season, Timmy Megenbier has announced that he will travel to Europe to race a full season in the newly-announced Volkswagen Scirocco Cup in 2010. The 2009 Jetta TDI Cup Champion hopes to continue his climb of the motorsports ladder by competing against some of the top young drivers in Europe next season.

Volkswagen Motorsport announced the creation of the Scirocco Cup, which will replace the ADAC Volkswagen Polo cup for 2010. The series will share race weekends with the European DTM series and feature Bio-Clean Natural Gas-powered Scirocco “R” models. The switch to the new fuel reduces CO2 emissions by up to 80 percent and creates the world’s most eco-friendly one-make racing series.

“The chance to race in Germany earlier this season was an opportunity of a lifetime for me, as it gave me a chance to see how my skills compare to drivers in Europe,” Megenbier said. “The racing there is definitely different than what we have in the U.S., so it’s going to require some racing style adjustments on my part. However, I think that the more that I can expose myself to different racing environments, the better I’ll be in the end. Volkswagen is serious about young driver development, and my participation in the Jetta TDI Cup this past season has really prepared me very well to be able to explore new opportunities in motorsport. To now continue to race with the Volkswagen brand is a very powerful statement of their commitment and support for young drivers.”

The Melrose Park, Illinois native won the 2009 Jetta TDI Cup Championship on the strength of three wins, eight podium appearances, two pole positions and 41 laps led. When the checkered flag fell at the final race of the season at Road Atlanta, Megenbier held a 29-point lead in the final standings. Earlier this season, he also had his first taste of European racing when he traveled to Germany to compete as a guest driver in the Polo Cup races at Oschersleben. After encountering problems in the first race, he finished seventh in the second, and the experience sparked his desire to travel abroad to compete.

“One of our main goals with the Jetta TDI Cup series is for it to serve as a springboard for our top drivers to advance into the higher echelons of racing,” said Clark Campbell, motorsport manager, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “To have our 2009 Champion Timmy Megenbier now make the move to Europe for 2010 further demonstrates not only the level of competition here in the US, but also proves the unique global Volkswagen series concept continues to create exciting new opportunities for young drivers.”

Volkswagen is currently accepting driver applications for the 2010 season at www.vwmotorsportusa.com. Potential driver candidates must be between the ages of 16 and 26 as of January 1, 2010 and hold a passport from the U.S., Canada or Mexico. In addition, drivers entering the series for the first time must not have competed in any professional racing series regardless of location. Applicants must submit their application along with a season entry fee of $45,000 by December 11, 2009 in order to be considered as a candidate. The entry fee will be fully refunded to those not chosen as a 2010 series driver.

From the driver applications, up to 125 candidates will be selected to attend the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup final driver selection event that will be held February 7-9 in Las Vegas. This final event will determine the final 25-driver lineup for the 2010 season. The final driver selection event includes three days of professional driving instruction, autocross competition, track time in a Jetta TDI Cup car, physical fitness training, a sponsorship development workshop, marketing and media training, and Volkswagen brand familiarization.

About Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup
The SCCA Pro Racing Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup was launched in 2008 as way to introduce clean diesel technology to the U.S. market and develop the best of motorsport’s up-and-coming talent. During the season, young, up and coming drivers (between ages 16-26) compete on road courses around North America in identical factory-prepared clean diesel Jetta TDI’s. Each driver competing in the series earns a Pro Racing license from SCCA at the conclusion of the season. In addition to more than $50,000 in prize money at stake during the season, the series champion receives Volkswagen factory career advancement support with a value up to $100,000.

The Jetta TDI Cup car is powered by a 2.0-liter, 170 hp, four-cylinder TDI clean diesel engine mated to a six-speed, double-clutch, automatic DSG transmission. The car is only slightly modified from stock with Pirelli racing tires, race suspension and brake components, drivers racing safety seat, FIA roll cage and an on-board fire extinguisher system. Series sponsors include: Pirelli, Bosch, ViON, Castrol, Oakley, Red Bull, HYPERFUELS, Aggreko, defNder, Lamin-X, Meguiar’s, Sherwin-Williams, Chicagoland VW, Safety-Kleen, Ringer Gloves, Jim Russell Racing School and Trellis Earth.

Follow the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup series action on:
www.vwmotorsportusa.com
www.tditruthanddare.com
Volkswagen Online Newsroom: media.vw.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/VWJettaTDICup
Twitter: http://twitter.com/VWJettaTDICup

Volkswagen of America, Inc.
Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc. is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen is one of the world’s largest producers of passenger cars and Europe’s largest automaker. Volkswagen sells the Golf, New Beetle, New Beetle convertible, GTI, Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, Eos, Passat, Passat wagon, CC, Tiguan, Touareg and Routan through approximately 600 independent U.S. dealers. All 2009 Volkswagens come standard-equipped with Electronic Stabilization Program. This is important because the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has called ESC the most effective new vehicle safety technology since the safety belt. Visit Volkswagen of America online at vw.com or www.media.vw.com to learn more.

  
Loons Fighting

 Back to the loons. They are more like penguins and they have personalities like people. They can dive 200 feet below the water and snatch tasty walleyes. They have red eyes that let them see in the dark. They have a five foot wing span and a sharp beak. They can fly good and summer in Mexico. They are found in clean northern lakes that are full of fish in the summer and spring. They have four distinct  calls

yodel, hoot, wail, and tremolo and they use each one at different times.

Their achilles' heel is they can't walk on land. Sometimes they land on roads and they flop around.

Its cool when your swimming in the middle of a lake and one of these pops up next to you.

    Apptly named Toxco just had a major lithium fire at its battery recycling center. Once lithium starts on fire watch out.   

    I believe in Karma and I shouldn't gloat over someone elses misfortune but I don't want this to become everyone's misfortune. Toxco a Canadian company that recycles lithium ion batteries like the one in the Prius just had a major fire. Turns out a short in one of the batteries started a fire that couldn't be put out. The only metal I've ever seen burn was magnesium  I wonder if lithium looks the same? It took 4 to five hours and a half a million liters of water to contain the blaze. Imagine if battery vehicles take over we'll see a lot more of this especially in the third world.  


Toxco, Inc. Begins Fire Clean Up Operations
TRAIL, B.C., CANADA (November 9, 2009) – Toxco, Inc. has begun clean up operations from a
primary lithium battery fire that occurred in one of the plant’s permitted approved storage
building located at the BC site, on the evening of November 7, 2009.
The fire occurred during non operation hours and no one was injured by the incident. The exact
cause of the fire is under investigation, however Toxco and Regional Kootenay Fire Officials
concur that an internal short in one of the batteries in storage could be a likely cause of the
incident.
Property damage from the fire was limited to the battery storage building although sparks did
ignite bales of cardboard at a neighboring business that was extinguished.
”Our efforts have primarily been focused on the safety of everybody involved and after
consulting with representatives from the Ministry of the Environment, we are confident that
the fire will not result in any long-term negative impacts to the air quality and environment of the
surrounding area,” said Kathy Bruce, vice president of Toxco, Inc.
Bruce continued to say, “We wish to extend our sincere gratitude to the Kootenay Regional Fire
Services and neighboring fire services for their quick and effective response to this incident.
Senior members of our health and safety management team are already on the scene to assist
our Trail team and firefighters in the investigation. Additionally Toxco is pledging resources
necessary to assure a safe and expeditious clean up and we expect to have the fire debris
cleaned up over the next week.”
“While this is an unfortunate occurrence we support Toxco’s operation as a global leader in
lithium battery recycling” said City of Trail Mayor Dieter Boggs.
“At Toxco Inc. we subscribe to a rigid safety protocol with our first concern for the surrounding
community. We pride ourselves in our commitment to a safety regime and
environmental integrity,” Bruce added. “Our state-of-the-art remote controlled lithium battery
recycling processes are designed to keep personnel at safe distances from hazardous
situations. Although this circumstance is unfortunate, a full investigation of the cause is our first
priority.”
In business since 1984, Toxco Inc has become the most diverse battery recycling company in
the world. Our processes are all based on certified recycling techniques for material recovery.
Toxco's facilities are approved and permitted, operating under strict guidelines from provincial,
state and federal environmental protection agencies. Toxco recycles batteries from all over the
world including the United States and Canada and is considered a global leader in the field of
lithium battery recycling.
NOTE: Please check our Web site www.toxco.com for continuing updates.

source:
www.greencarcongress.com

    On the forums  007roberto just started a petition to get 1/2 ton diesel pickups in the USA. We should all sign this. 

    If we want more diesel pickups we need to make sure we ask for them.

 The squeaky wheel gets the oil.

Here is the link to the petition. It is painless to sign. I made it 49 signatures let's see what we can get it up to.

With the fuel side of the equation taken care of, we’ll be looking to match the right amount of air, and oil delivery…

First up will be an Adrenaline high volume high-pressure oil pump install and test. The Adrenaline was supplied to us courtesy of DieselSite. At this time, we’ll also be installing a new injection pressure regulator (IPR) and injection control pressure (ICP) sensor as a measure of good maintenance.

From there, we’ll be looking to seal the deal with an aftermarket turbo, which should help lower EGT and make more horsepower on the dyno. Then we’ll finally have peace of mind when we start towing with this old workhorse.

A lot of turbo options exist. Some things we’ll be considering are: lag time, maximum cfm, simple drop-in or (doing the dream job) going with a Super Duty-based, ball-bearing unit. Also, picking the right turbo will include going over the truck’s future plans and whether or not we want to try a bigger set of injectors without once again needing to upgrade chargers. The wheels are spinning…

    Local Motors is a new kind of car company where you the buyer helps design and even build your own vehicle.    

    Local Motors allows its buyers to help design and or build their own car.

My WTF photo folder is officially empty again, so if you’ve got something crazy to share, shoot me an email at: michael.mcglothlin@sorc.com. Feel free to include a storyline if you want, too…

Gotta love the old duct tape trick on the airplane, the Van Gogh style paint brush job, and classic compact disc gas cap cover (although I would prefer to see duct tape rather than scotch holding it all together).

Have a great weekend.

On a beautiful, 60 degree dry day over at Westech we put the 300 hp mark behind us with our ’97 Power Stroke…

Ambient air conditions were ideal for a chip shootout today, and each aftermarket chip that was custom tuned for our 7.3L Power Stroke had its way with the SuperFlow dyno over at Westech Performance. Look for a detailed write up on what we liked about each chips’ performance characteristics in the February issue.

THE RESULTS
Brian’s Truck Shop: 324 hp at 3,000 rpm
DP-Tuner: 314 hp at 2,600 rpm
Total Diesel Performance: 313 hp at 2,700 rpm
Elite Diesel Engineering: 307 hp at 2,800 rpm

*Most TORQUE:
Total Diesel Performance: 709 lb-ft at 2,150 rpm

I'm going to Virginia later this month to check out the new Volkswagen diesel race series. Here's how you can too.

Besides demolition derbys this is probably the cheapest form of motorsport today.Has anyone seen a diesel truck in a demo derby? Anyways another thing it has going for it is its environmentally friendly since the vehicles get great mileage, run on biofuels 5% (I think), and are quite.

Earlier post.

Here is the press release of the new  2010 Jetta Special Edition:

Jetta TDI Cup 'Street' Edition Racing Into Dealer Showrooms Soon
HERNDON, Va., Nov. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Volkswagen of America, Inc. today announced the Jetta TDI Cup "Street" Edition will be available in dealer showrooms January 2010. The concept debuted in Las Vegas during the 2008 SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) show. Following the SEMA show the concept was displayed at TDI Cup races throughout the country, where it was well received by enthusiasts and consumers alike.

"Since our inaugural TDI Cup series in 2008 we have received numerous inquiries as to whether or not we would offer a TDI Cup replica vehicle," said Mark Barnes, Chief Operating Officer, Volkswagen of America, Inc. "We're thrilled to announce that a special edition Jetta TDI Cup Street Edition will be available in dealer showrooms early next year. What makes this special edition so unique is that it features the optional, race inspired, TDI Cup body kit package combined with our clean diesel engine. The Jetta TDI Cup Street Edition is one exceptional special model that is as fun-to-drive as it is to look at," added Barnes.

The similarities between the TDI Cup race car and the "Street" Edition equipped with the optional TDI Cup Edition Kit are apparent at first glance -- the TDI Cup "Street" Edition Kit features the front bumper, side skirts and rear valance that are found on the TDI Cup race cars. The enhancements to the TDI Cup "Street" Edition go well beyond cosmetics. All "Street" Edition Jetta TDI's feature larger brakes with red calipers, sway bars and European sport tuned suspension from the performance oriented GLI.

The TDI Cup "Street" Edition is powered by the award winning 2.0-liter clean diesel engine that produces 140 horsepower and an impressive 236 lbs.-ft. of torque. The engine makes use of an advanced electronically controlled turbocharger and common rail direct injection technology, and can be mated to either a six-speed manual transmission or the highly acclaimed DSG® transmission.

Other standard upgrades on the Jetta TDI Cup "Street" Edition include sport seats with Interlagos cloth, and a leather-wrapped, multi-function steering wheel that features paddle shifters when equipped with the DSG transmission. Completing this dynamic special edition is a set of 18 inch Charleston wheels with performance all-season tires. This special edition starts around $25,000--staying true to the brands mantra of offering affordable German engineering that is a whole lot of fun to drive.

The Jetta TDI Cup "Street" Edition, like the Jetta TDI, Jetta SportWagen TDI, Golf TDI and Touareg TDI qualifies for an Advanced Lean Burn Technology Motor Vehicle Federal Income Tax Credit. The tax credit on the "Street" Edition is $1,300.

Like all 2010 models, the Jetta TDI Cup "Street" Edition also comes standard with Volkswagen's Carefree Maintenance Program, with this program there are no charges for the scheduled maintenance described in the vehicle's maintenance booklet for the length of the New Vehicle Limited Warranty -- three years or 36,000 miles, whichever occurs first.

This link will bring you to VW's TDI Cup site and you can enter to become a driver in the series. There is a $45,000 participation fee for 2010 season. 

Plus On another Topic Greencarcongress.com just posted...Jeep Wrangler diesel with start/stop technology for 2010. Also diesels go from 9% to 14% of total sales. Also...

"Chrysler will adapt Fiat diesel engines to Chrysler applications. Starting on Euro5-compliant engines, Chrysler will introduce a new generation of common rail with the Multijet2 injector. The Multijet2 injector uses a new balanced servo valve, and delivers higher accuracy in fuel injection quantity control, resulting in up to 3% lower CO2 emissions and up to 20% lower NOx emissions. Noise and driveability are also improved. After-treatment technologies will allow the engines to meet 2015 European and US emissions limits, Ferrero said." Fiat also has multiair technology for diesels.

Also on greencarcongress.com

The Cyclone steam engines are going to be built in China. There is a letter of intent anyway. That means cheap steam engines for trucks and homes.

For the better part of a year I’ve been testing out several custom chips for the 7.3L Power Stroke…

And now a trip to the dyno will conclude the testing. Although I wasn’t particularly interested in how much horsepower each chip could lay down on the rollers, I know that is an important aspect to showcase to our readers. Throughout the testing, I evaluated each chip on its driving characteristics (especially its mannerisms on the street on the hottest setting), tune uniqueness, how the truck started, idled, managed EGT, and allowed the transmission to shift. I also took note of each chips smokiness, or lack thereof, under full, partial, and light throttle. It’s been fun, but as stated, tomorrow ends the testing.

Here are the chips I’ve been evaluating:
-Total Diesel Performance: six-position chip
-DP Tuner: F5 16-position chip
-Brian’s Truck Shop: six-position chip
-Elite Diesel: six-position chip

Anyone who works on his or her own truck knows that sometimes things don’t always go as planned…

Just because you get a new go-fast goodie in the mail doesn’t always mean it’ll bolt right up without a hassle…or some finagling.

This was the case with our head stud install job on our latest 6.7L Cummins project vehicle. With all the head studs in, the rocker box (between the valve cover and the top of the head) wouldn’t clear one of the studs and its nut at the rear of the number 6 cylinder. So, a little custom dye-grinding took place to make it work.

This is why (on any DIY job) it’s nice to have a “master mechanic” around to help out and improvise. It’s a good thing we had one of the best helping us out last weekend.

PS – because our ’09 Dodge Ram 2500 only had 11,000 miles on the odometer we opted to install the studs one at a time. The recommended torque sequence was 77 lb-ft, then 86 lb-ft, and a final 96 lb-ft pass.

After a long weekend of installing a modified CP3, fuel rail pressure relief valve and head studs, our 6.7L is ready to hold some serious power…

Now not only is the tranny no longer a weak link, but neither are the factory head bolts. Our plan is to install a set of twin turbos next. With an AirDog fuel system feeding a modified CP3 from Industrial Injection and 80 hp injector nozzles, the truck is plenty smoky utilizing the stock VNT turbo, so we know we’ve got plenty of fuel to make use of. In fact, with this kind of fuel on tap, we think a rather large set of twins will be in store for a future article. Stay tuned…

If you've been following "Project Rust Bucket" throughout the past year or longer, you've seen its horsepower steadily rise, all the while trying to keep things (somewhat) budget and real world.

Right now, we're in the final stages of the build with our good buddies from J&H Performance, which will include a new wastegated turbocharger, downpipe, intake, fuel system, and porting, o-ringing, and studding the head.  The throttle linkage will be modified for more travel (more fuel) and we're going to run a larger nitrous line.  Our best numbers so far are 312 on fuel and 449 on nitrous, and we're looking to break 350 on fuel, and 500 on nitrous.  We're still up in the air on whether or not to install a 14mm pump head, and we're also up in the air about getting it painted.  Look for dyno numbers on the new setup in a few months.

I couldn’t wait to show this off any longer, so here it is…

With rain falling once again here today, it only drags out the harvest season even more. So, what do board farmers that can’t get into the fields do in central Illinois? They put contraptions like this together!

Goodbye salamander heaters, hello propane-powered turbine heaters.

Starting with a turbocharger off a C12 CAT engine (over-the-road turbo, I assume), an air cleaner off an old semi serving as part of the plumbing, 5-inch stack off a pickup for an oil reservoir, and an oil pump, the project turned out alright for someone cursed with idle hands for a day.

The owner of this modern day work of art also brought along a 30 – 40 gallon LP tank for plenty of fuel supply.

The demonstration made my day.

This is what it’s all about in the modern, electronically controlled transmission era…

An aftermarket transducer adapter harness. On our 6.7L’s NADP Heavy Hauler transmission, it intercepts the factory line pressure signal, and ramps it up for firmer shifts. Of course, our new performance 68RFE has superior clutch packs and friction disks inside, but gone are the days of drilling holes in your valvebody to firm up, relax, or smooth out shifts.

NADP also provided us good information about Clutch Volume Index (CVI), which is the measurement of the amount of fluid required to fill the clutch and stroke the piston for each shift. CVI is also a measurement in time of how long it takes to complete a shift. The TCM monitors all of this and times how long it takes to compress the clutch pack (to change the gear ratio) while accelerating.


PS- Should we call our new project vehicle ”Project 6.7L” or should it be labeled something else?

    Hydrogen has a lot of possibilities and watching it burn is more hypnotizing than a campfire.  Remember the electrical engineer who went on TV and said HHO kits were all junk. Turns out he's switched sides.   

   Here is Xtreme HHO's website.

They use titanium coated plates instead of stainless steel which can leach. Here is their message:

The hydrogen fuel cell is an important innovation that is getting the attention of vehicle owners who are interested in reducing the cost of fueling their vehicles. A hydrogen fuel cell can be created in many ways. Our design uses electricity from your vehicle battery, to split water (H20) into its component gases, Hydrogen and Oxygen. Typically, this occurs in a 2:1 atomic ratio of 2 H2 + O2 which is the same proportion as water. The resulting gas: Oxy-hydrogen is also referred to as HHO or Brown's gas (named after the famed Bulgarian scientist, Yull Brown). This gas is three times more powerful than normal gasoline, yet it burns with the chemical stability of water. All this takes place under controlled circumstances in the combustion chamber. Besides improved fuel economy, many drivers have also reported increased horsepower and smoother, quieter engine operation. The vehicle also produces cleaner emissions.

Oxy-hydrogen will combust when brought to its auto-ignition temperature. For a stoichiometric mixture at normal atmospheric pressure, auto-ignition occurs at about 570 °C (1065 °F). The minimum energy required to ignite such a mixture with a spark is about 0.02 millijoules. At normal temperature and pressure, oxy-hydrogen can burn when it is between about 4% and 94% hydrogen by volume.

When ignited, the gas mixture converts to water vapor and releases energy, which sustains the reaction: 241.8 kJ of energy (LHV) for every mole of H2 burned. The amount of heat energy evolved is independent of the mode of combustion, but the temperature of the flame varies. The maximum temperature of about 2800 °C is achieved with a pure stoichiometric mixture, about 700 degrees hotter than a hydrogen flame in air. When either of the gases is mixed in excess of this ratio, or when mixed with an inert gas, like nitrogen, the heat must spread throughout a greater quantity of matter and the temperature will be lower.

Hydrogen systems can be configured to produce HHO gas on-demand either (a) through an on/off switch or (b) for as long as your vehicle's engine is running. This HHO produced is then channeled through the intake manifold into the combustion chamber to mix with gasoline. By doing so, the combustion rate of gasoline is greatly enhanced, and burns cleanly and completely.

With a trip over to Scheid Diesel’s Effingham shop this morning, we made 360 hp…

Not bad with only an intake, free flowing 5-inch turbo back exhaust, 80hp injectors and an AirDog. NO TUNING.

The first run yielded 354 hp, then we let the truck cool down a little and made the 360 hp pull, and the truck also laid down 944 lb-ft. Exhaust gas temperature never exceeded 1,350 degrees and the stock turbo pushed 28 psi.

Next week we’ll return to the dyno with a 175hp tune from H&S, a modified CP3, and ARP head studs installed. We’ll be looking for at least 500 hp—or as much as the turbo will allow us!

The truck drives real nice at this level. I’d have one if it wasn’t for the $50,000 price tag. Nevertheless, it should be one fun project.

Oh yeah, mileage is about 16-19 mpg so far.

   
Are there any aftermarket companies willing to sponsor this worthy cause? 

Here is an exceptional Readers' Diesel that was sent to me:

 
#1 Years of diesel experience?:   I purchased this 02 Ford F250 7.3L 4x4 new but I also drove an eighteen-wheeler for over one million miles back in the eighties.

#2 How you use your vehicle?:

I'm a full-time missionary and part-time bounty hunter for abducted children.  We often use this truck for remote area missions helping poor children.  We do this primarily in the back country of the Copper Canyon area in Mexico.  We often travel to dangerous areas of Mexico and several of the modifications to our F250 were done to deter or defend against kidnappings, carjackings, and robberies. 

My favorite modification?:

The Fab Fours bumper not only looks cool but it's intimidating and this helps in deterring the bad guys in Mexico from messing with us.  For this reason the Fab Fours bumper is my favorite mod.

Favorite diesel story?:

The Fab Fours bumper not only looks cool but it has already helped us by intimidating the bad guys that tried to force us to stop on a remote desert highway in Mexico this past March.  They came very close to a close encounter with the massive bumper.  They got out of our way just before we took them out!  The train horn and power steps are also part of our defensive modifications on this truck.   

Details:

2002 Ford F250 Super Duty 7.3L 4x4
Odometer: 92,000

Owner: Brad Bieganski
Lake Forest, CA

Engine 7.3L
Air Intake: AFE Cold Air Intake Stage II
Exhaust: Banks Power Elbow & 4-inch Monster Exhaust Turbo-Back
Programmer:  Innovative Diesel SCT X3 Custom Tuned
Suspension:  5.5" FabTech Lift/ Double Shocks, And Traction Bars
Tires and wheels:  American Racing Wheels, Toyo Open Country M/T 35 x 12.50 R17


Other:

Power Steps & Bed Step (Amp Research)
Train Horn (Nathan P3)
Onboard Air System (Viar)
Custom Hood (Cervini's)
Grill Insert  (Putco)
Winch Bumper  (Fab Fours)
M12000 Winch  (Warn)
Roll Bar (Sterling Equipment & Mfg. ***

Visit Kingdom Flight and watch the "Mariquita Rescue" video. It's amazing what minivans can do.

Brad told me they just received a donated 02 Ford Excursion (7.3 of course) and needed some parts and donations for the orphanage.  God willing it will happen. 

Below is the list of things we've done to our F250 and hope to do to 
the Excursion.

Thanks!

Brad


The list of desired modifications for the Excursion are as follows:

Suspension lift. Upgrade to heavy-duty off-road suspension with 
beefier leaf-springs, dual shocks, steering stabilizer and traction 
bars.
  $3800

Over-sized wheels and off-road tires:
$1600

Retractable power-step running boards.  Note:  The power step running 
boards retract when the doors are closed and could help in deterring 
carjackings in Mexico.
$1100

Front winch bumper.  Note:  The winch bumper is 1/4" plate steel and 
while it is an excellent bumper to securely protect the enclosed winch 
from theft, it is even more valuable to us for it's potential 
battering-ram capabilities in potentially dangerous situations in 
Mexico.
$2500

12,5000 l.b. winch.
$1500

In -dash GPS unit
$1000

The above items are listed as off-road necessary items for extreme 
road conditions.   The below items are performance related items and 
most are for cooler engine and transmission operational temperatures, 
better performance, and higher fuel mileage.

Transmission, Turbo, and Boost gauge installation. Note: A must for 
monitoring critical engine and transmission temperatures while off-
roading.
$600

Aftermarket high-capacity transmission cooler pan and synthetic high 
quality oil.  Note: High transmission temps are common in extreme off-
road situations without this modification.
$500

4" turbo-back exhaust and power elbow modification.  Note this 
improvement lowers EGT's (exhaust gas temperatures) substantially 
while improving mileage and horsepower.
$1600

Cold-air intake system.  Note this improvement also lowers EGT's  
while improving mileage and horsepower.
$500

Electronic engine tuner and diagnostic programmer. Note: this is a 
necessary items for reading diagnostic trouble-codes for remote 
repairs and is also used for electronically tuning for maximum 
performance.
$400

Aftermarket air-intake hood.  Note:  This modification increases air-
flow for the engine lowering overall engine temperatures.
$1000

On- board air system.  Note:  Enables on-board compressed air for 
power tools for remote mechanical repairs and provides an air source 
for remote tire repairs.
$400


Grand Total: $16,500

This is what I get to drive around while I’m back home kick starting the magazine’s new 6.7L project…

Aren’t central Illinoisans hospitable?

Yesterday our slightly modified ’09 2500 Mega Cab was outfitted with NADP’s Heavy Hauler 68RFE transmission. We’re currently racking up as many city driving miles as possible to break in the new slush box.

After about 20 miles of stop and go driving (yesterday), the TCM learned and began shifting smoothly through all the gears. Now the task at hand is just ensuring we break the transmission in the rest of the way. We plan to make big power with this thing, so babying our new tranny is a must—for a few miles, anyway.

Out on the road, the 6.7L is a beast! No doubt, the stock tires won’t last long once we can put the petal to the floorboard. Under moderate acceleration (albeit, wet roads here in Illinois), the truck spins off the rear BFG Rugged Trails with ease if you’re not careful.

We’ll be getting this mule on the dyno soon and give you feedback on what a set of 80hp Dynomite Diesel injectors, AirDog fuel system, free flowing exhaust, and S&B air intake do on the rollers. Stay tuned…

    Check out this video and see how to make power with biomass.    James Watt is cheering from the grave. 

    Cyclone WHE

One thing nice about the Cyclone is that it can be powered by a small APU that burns diesel fuel. So let's say you own a cement truck and the city is on you for idling too much. Just turn off your internal combustion engine and switch on your external combustion engine. It can power the hydraulics needed to spin the mixer. Your Cyclone might be a bit bigger.  Also you would have your air conditioning too.

Diesel Power Cyclone Article

 "if you have 7hp of electrical energy to produce hho gas you can make a lot of gas. a properly designed cell can produce 1 liter per minute of hydrogen for every 130 watts. 7hp is 5250 watts, so you would be able to produce somewere around 40 lpm which is too much hydrogen injection for most consumer based diesel trucks. with 40 lpm I think the diesel injection timing would need to be messed with. you can put 80% hho injection in a diesel if you change the timing. I have never done that but I hear it possible."

Info from:

hydrogenjunkie.com

Another interesting note:

The MPE Performance hydrogen generator you've seen in the adds of Diesel Power is now online.

MPE Performance

Also I have a kit coming from Diesel-Hydro.

For more information check out:

hydrogengarage.com