I got this email the other day and decided to share it in hopes of getting Randy Hatcher back on his wheels.

The email:

Year :1989 Ford F-350
Owner :  Randy Hatcher
Hometown : BFE, West Virginia
Engine : 7.3L IDI
air intake : K&N , owner fab cold air
Injection mods : reworked injectors, rebuilt inj pump modified ,owner crafted water/meth
injection
Exhaust : 3-1/2 flow through muffler
Transmission :ZF 5 -speed Hayes heavy service clutch
suspension : mostly stock, upgraded bushings
wheels and tires ; uniroyal larado
axle ratio : 3:50
odometer ; 260,000 miles
fuel economy : 20 to 24 mpg , with up to 4,000 lbs. payload
other : this was a VERY nice truck, for only $6,000 . Unfortunatly here in Wva
the insurance company does'nt have to pay what the vehicle is worth , just what
they find advertised in a paper ,whether it's drivable or not. I haven't been able to pick up and read your great mag since I was almost killed ,Dec. 11, 2009. I just can't stomach seeing all those nice trucks knowing I'll never be able to build another one.My truck was totaled by a honda civic driven by an idiot that had taken too much of his meds. Lesson : always have an estimate of your vehicles worth updated yearly or after major upgrades.

Continued a few days later:

I'm sending some more pics ,The left frame rail is sitting on the ground. That's the driveshaft in the forground. the left front tire is now where my feet were, shoved into the passenger compartment. The air cleaner is under the dash , which has been pushed back over a foot.If you look close you can see my water/meth injector. The engine seems to have survived as did the trans. Even though I was wearing my seatbelt, the steering wheel hit me leaving a very large gash on my chin and throat. I broke my hands, probably when they slipped off the wheel and broke the windshield. The man that hit me was doing at least 55mph. He was driving a Honda !! It'll be a long time before I can work on anything , I still have to have surgery on my right hand. Thanks for the shout back , keep up the good work !!   Randy from Wva.

Over the weekend I put a light load behind my ’97…

And it towed better than I ever thought it would. I’m proud to say that, even back in the day, Ford’s engineers were great at isolating the load from the driver with its trucks. I barely felt like anything was back there, and the added power helped a bunch—it ran cool and had no problem getting up to speed. I couldn’t imagine towing anything heavy with a bone stock 7.3L.

Even more surprising was how well my ancient Tekonsha Voyager XP brake controller worked. I think I’ll keep it.


PS: I thought about loading Project 24-valve on the trailer to keep readers guessing about what we’re doing to it next, but it was too wide to clear the fenders on the trailer.

We spotted this VW “caddy” pickup last weekend…

I believe someone said it was owned by Brandon Overmeyer. Remember these? They were known as Rabbit pickups in North America. Anyway, it had a hood stack, was a diesel, and blew a little smoke. So we liked it.

I don’t know if it had the 1.5L diesel or the 1.6L turbodiesel in it, but it was a cool pit vehicle for sure. Beats the heck out of an 80cc ATV or 50cc dirt bike as a pit cruiser.

Something catches our eye every year at the Scheid Diesel Extravaganza…

Actually, tons of things catch our eye at this event. Check out the header (above) Woodruff Diesel fabricated for Cory Atley’s billet-blocked, Ohio Cat pulling truck (featured in January ’09). This must’ve taken some time, and what a work of art. It sends exhaust through several feet of Schedule 40 piping before reaching the turbine sides of both massive turbos. This year, Cory decided to mount the chargers out front in the weight box to do two things: try something new and unique, and to get even more weight forward of the front axle.

Cory’s father, Carl, enjoys the same setup on his ’10 Ford-bodied Super Stock truck named Lethal Injection (it wears a John Deere paint scheme), but his atmospheric charger’s inducer measures 5-inches! It also benefits from cool intake temps thanks to one of its dozen water injection events occurring pre-turbo (below).

And as you may or may not know, the billet Cummins block is repairable (which is one of the reasons you can justify its initial cost). However, over the last couple years, the Atley’s and Woodruff Diesel have found that the welding done to repair the blocks has, in some instances, made matters worse (the welds would expand along with the engine during heat cycles). So now they stitch the block back together by cutting out the section in question, pressing a new piece of steel into its place, and securing it with dowels.

I met up with the Avion team sponsored by Goodyear and their Assurance Fuel Max tires as they made their way through the fast and mean LA traffic. Last I heard they were averaging 117 and120's mpg with the 799cc Mercedes diesel.

This information is from Avion:

The car has been designed to be manufactured in small volume using recycled components from the automobile recycling yards. Utilizing standard engines and drive trains installed in the Avion's light weight and aerodynamic body we can achieve significant improvements in fuel efficacy and performance making the Avion both fun to drive and while getting great mileage. In our testing the car we were able to achieve 80 mpg At 70 mph and an astonishing 114 mpg at 55 mph driving from Eugene OR. To Portland OR.

The chassis is a monocoque 6061 aluminum with steel space frame on either end. The engine is transversely mounted behind the passengers making the car a transverse mid engine configuration. A lightweight composite body is attached and riveted and bonded making a very stiff and lightweight structure. The cars are hand built and more labor intensive than high volume production. Extensive use of composites, Aluminum and lightweight design are used through out the car to achieve our target weight. Construction is more closely related to small airplane construction than steel stamped automobiles. We utilize all available technology in construction as laser CNC, vacuumed bagged cored composite construction and the latest in composite materials like carbon fiber, Kevlar and "S"-Glass.

The car is standard with four-wheel disks, independent suspension, and rack and pinion steering systems.

The body was designed to reduce drag and wind tunnel derived and tested. It requires only 3 to 6 horsepower to maintain highway speed and this gives the car a top speed over 100 mph.

August 2010 will mark a new milestone for Avion Cars. The Avion will be driven
from Blaine, Washington near the Canadian border to San Ysidro, California near the
Mexico border – a distance of some 1,400 miles without refueling. The drive will start
on Sunday August 29 and finish on Wednesday September 1.
The Avion will be powered by a 67 HP diesel engine and carrying 18½ gallons of fuel.
Craig Henderson, Avion’s builder who will be driving the car, says that if all works out
according to plan, there will be fuel left over at the end of the drive!
For this enterprise, Goodyear Tires is providing sponsorship and the Avion will ride on
Goodyear Assurance Fuelmax tires. Goodyear will also arrange for media publicity
coverage. Publicity events enroute are planned for Portland Oregon, Sacramento
California and Los Angeles California.

Original Avion Specifications - 1986 (except engine and transmission)

Builder: Craig Henderson

Designer: Bill Green: I talked with him today at the event. He teaches at Virginia Tech.

Avion: Mid-Engine, 2 Passenger, High-Tech Sports Car.

Brakes:
Type: Girling/Neal balance beam
Front/Rear: Disk

Chassis/Body:
Type: Aircraft alloy aluminum monocoque center section, Tubular steel front and rear spaceframe.
Body material: Carbonfiber/S-glass hybrid.

Dimensions and Capacities:
Wheelbase: 92.95”
Track F/R: 62/62
Length: 63.5”
Height: 43”
Ground Clearance: 5.5”
Curb Weight: 1550 lbs
Fuel Capacity: 11.0 gal
Drag Coefficient: Cd=.27

Drive Train:
Transmission: 6 Speed from SmartCar

Engine*:  799 cc Mercdes click link for Specs

Interior:
Seats: Leather adjustable
Dash: Oiled Rose Wood
Trunk Volume: 14 ft. cu.

Mileage:
Highway: 100+

Sound System:
6-way speaker system
AM/FM stereo with power amp

Standard Features:
Sun Roof
Semi Gullwing Doors
Light Weight Polycarbonate Tilt Steering Wheel
Concealed Halogen Headlights

Steering:
Type: Rack-and-Pinion
Turns Lock-to-Lock: 3.3

Suspension:
Front: Independent, Long & Short Arm, Coil Springs, Anti-Sway Bar
Rear: Independent, Chapman Struts, Coil Springs, Anti-Sway Bar

We put our new ’11 Super Duty on the dyno yesterday for some baseline numbers…

And contrary to what I was hoping to accomplish, only the 390hp, 735 lb-ft version could be tested (the high output update from Ford had not yet been released). With the help from the folks at Randall’s Performance and their SuperFlow, we made a best pull of 349 hp and 667 lb-ft.

However, the new 6R140 TorqShift plays by different rules than we’re used to seeing. With no 1:1 gear available, we were forced to run the truck in Fourth and Fifth gear (Fourth is 1.15:1 and Fifth is 0.86:1) to see what the differences were.

In Fifth, and with 30 percent load, the truck laid down its highest numbers (349 hp and 667 lb-ft). However, its lowest numbers weren’t much lower: 340 hp and 635 lb-ft in Fourth gear and 25 percent load.

With the 3:55 axle ratio, our runs in Fourth gear spanned from 42 mph to 75 mph, and runs in Fifth gear ranged from 52 mph to 95 mph. Running the truck in Sixth would be out of the question, as it’s governed from the factory at 97 mph. Check out the dyno graphs below. Our torque curve explains why these trucks pull like freight trains. Peak horsepower is achieved at 2,800 rpm and the torque flat lines from roughly 1,850 rpm to 2,850 rpm. Cummins-like?

First Run: 4th Gear, 25% Load, 42-75mph

Highest Power Run: 5th Gear, 30% Load, 52-95 mph

 I plan on taking pictures and possibly driving the Avion a 100+ MPG diesel car going from Canada to Mexico. They'll be coming through Southern California on Wednesday.

I got this E-Mail today:

About the journey:
 
Craig Henderson is breaking a fuel efficiency record of 113.1 MPG (it's his record) by driving from the tip of Washington down to Tijuana on one tank of diesel. How is he doing it?  He built a custom car back in the 1980s that could get over 100 miles to the gallon (the car has a 18 gallon fuel tank).  The car can still achieve that MPG and to prove that ridiculously-high fuel economy is still attainable and cars these days can be built to get that kind of mileage, he is setting out on this quest for maximum fuel efficiency. The car is built from some recycled parts and uses some pretty crazy technology.  
 
Here's a link to his website www.100mpgplus.com the car looks like it's a sports car, but out of Back to the Future.
 

This car is not electric or a hybrid just an efficient diesel engine with a lightweight chasis.

(This car is outfitted with Goodyear Tires Check out the Press Release)

I've been in contact with the team all day today and will update the blog as I get more information. Maybe we should start a convoy of highly efficient and clean diesel vehicles? 

New Goodyear Tire Offers Significant Fuel Savings for Consumers
AKRON, Ohio, February 2, 2009 – With uncertainty around fluctuating fuel prices, North American drivers have an opportunity to save at the pump – Goodyear’s new Assurance Fuel Max tire.
Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max offers a breakthrough in fuel efficiency combined with all-season driving confidence. Compared to the original Assurance tire, Assurance Fuel Max provides 27 percent less rolling resistance, which equates to a 4 percent improvement in highway fuel economy.
In essence, this greater fuel efficiency means drivers can potentially save 2,600 miles worth of gas over the life of the tire.**
“In response to today’s economic environment and fluctuating gas prices, drivers everywhere are trying to use less gas.  It’s all part of a larger consumer trend toward spending money more wisely,” said Joey Viselli, Goodyear brand director.  “With the new Assurance Fuel Max, Goodyear is offering a fuel-efficient solution, but with great wet and dry traction.”
For further evidence of the well-rounded performance of the Assurance Fuel Max, Goodyear backs the tire with a 65,000-mile tread life limited warranty.
A key element is a fuel-saving tread compound that helps reduce energy loss as the tire rolls, so less gas is required to keep the tire rolling.
The Assurance Fuel Max features a Wet Tread Zone with Dual AquaChannel Grooves.  It helps evacuate water away from the treadface for great wet traction.  Plus, Zig-Zagging Micro Grooves and Center Tread Notches help grip the road in rain or light snow.  The Dry Zone, with strong shoulder blocks, helps enhance handling and grip for confident maneuvering on dry pavement.

(more)

Several sizes of Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max are shipping now, with full availability of  27 sizes – to fit about 80 percent of the auto tire segment – by April.  This includes models such as the Pontiac Grand Prix and Chevrolet Impala, minivans such as the Chrysler Town & Country, and even hybrids such as the Toyota Prius and Chevrolet Malibu.
Goodyear is one of the world’s largest tire companies.  The company employs about 70,000 people and manufactures its products in more than 60 facilities in 26 countries around the world. For more information about Goodyear consumer tires, go to www.goodyeartires.com.
 

    I saw this post on the forum.

Here is the post: 

Hey guys,

Over on PSN, we're having a "Grudge Match" of sorts.

Me (theSLEEPER) vs. Matt (TexasMedic)

We're both Veteran Army Combat Medics, he has a
Cummins 6.7, and I have a PowerStroke 7.3, and we're
planning on racing in Crandall on October 10th.

We're selling T-shirts, and looking for sponsors/donors. 
One says "Team TexasMedic", and one says "Team SLEEPER"
 I'd really like if you guys would get one! They're cool looking!

Here's the kicker.

All proceeds after covering the cost of the shirts are
going to be split between the Wounded Warrior Project

http://forums.dieselpowermag.com/70/8341033/power-stroke/thesleeper-vs-texasmedic-for-charity/index.html

And the Fisher House Foundation.

http://forums.dieselpowermag.com/70/8341033/power-stroke/thesleeper-vs-texasmedic-for-charity/index.html


The sponsor(s) will be placed on the back, center.

Let me know if you guys are interested please!

Only $20 bucks! And you get a cool shirt and

you support our soldiers!! 

Another huge turnout and some great sled pulling results are in the books…

Here are the pulling results from the 2010 Scheid Diesel Extravaganza.

2.6 Class:
1.  Sugg           334.60    feet    ’97 Dodge 3500
2.  Leis             334.16    feet    ’05 Chevy 2500
3.  Jones           327.18    feet    ’05 Dodge 2500
4.  Stivers         326.54    feet    ’98 Dodge 2500
5.  Peak            325.61    feet    ’05 Dodge 2500
6.  Musselman  324.27    feet    ’95 Dodge 3500
7.  Troyer         318.83    feet    ’05 Dodge 2500
8.  Gibson         318.39   feet    ’06 Dodge 3500
9.  Zapien         316.99    feet    ’04 Chevy 2500
10.McElfresh    313.49   feet     ’03 Chevy 2500

2.8 Class:
1.  Hallien        335.08 feet    ’97 Dodge 2500
2.  Smoot         327.03 feet    ’97 Dodge 3500
3.  Mosley        323.08 feet    ’99 Dodge 2500
4.  Webb          323.05 feet    ’97 Dodge 3500
5.  Stephens     322.09 feet    ’03 Dodge 2500
6.  Muhs          322.08 feet    ’98 Dodge 3500
7.  Meadows    321.03 feet    ’95 Dodge 2500
8.  Smith          319.05 feet    ’00 Dodge 2500
9.  Crow           316.00 feet    ’05 Chevy 2500
10.Gillfillan      313.08 feet    ’03 GMC 2500

3.0 Pro Stock Class:
1.  Kusilek        334.00 feet    ’07 GMC
2.  Haisley        331.72 feet    ’95 Dodge
3.  Cole             330.47 feet    ’98 Dodge
4.  Tarr, Rod     329.58 feet    ’96 Dodge
5.  Ingram         325.83 feet    ’96 Dodge
6.  Burkholder   322.51 feet    ’97 Dodge
7.  Whalen         322.47 feet    ’02 Dodge
8.  Tarr, Dalton  317.90 feet    ’97 Dodge
9.  Jones             309.59 feet    ’06 Ford
10.Armstrong    308.67 feet    ’06 Chevy

Modified, Super Stock Class:
1.  Kellogg            305.10 feet    ’97 Dodge
2.  Stacey              283.10 feet    ’06 Chevy
3.  Atley                281.01 feet    ’10 Ford
4.  Miller, Calvin   280.06 feet    ’02 Dodge   
5.  Miller, Ben       269.02 feet    ’08 Ford
6.  Watson             253.02 feet    ’06 Dodge
7.  Crowder           236.06 feet    ’08 Dodge

This summer is definitely flying by, and it’ll be over before you know it…

If you haven’t made it out to any events this summer make sure you hit up one of these before things start to cool down for the year, literally.


August 27-29:
Scheid Diesel Extravagazna, Terre Haute, Indiana

August 28:
Elite Diesel Nationals, Pueblo, Colorado

September 3-4:
Weekend On The Edge, Salt Lake City, Utah

September 18:
Diesel Truckin’ Nationals, Englishtown, New Jersey

September 18:
4x4 Jamboree: NADM Invitational Sled Pull, Indianapolis, Indiana

September 25:
NHRDA World Finals, Topeka, Kansas

October 10:
Texas Diesel Roundup, Crandall, Texas

The weather looks nice and clear the rest of the week and into the weekend for the annual Scheid Diesel event…

We’re heading to Terre Haute tomorrow evening. It should be a good climate for sled pulling, dynoing, drag racing, and gawking. This will be the fifth year in a row that I’ve attended, and I will never miss it. If you like sled pulling come out Friday and Saturday. If you like drag racing come out on Sunday. And if you like all of it, come and hang out all weekend. The schedule of events is below.

Scheid Diesel Extravaganza: List of Events 2010 (scroll to bottom)

If you ever have the opportunity to haul a competition vehicle on a curtain side, do it…

Billy Zimmer’s Pro Stock puller gets transported to and from events this way. If it’s late when you get home (which it often is) the truck can be sprayed down and cleaned up without backing it off the trailer and loading it again. Plus, you can side load stuff like pit bikes, vehicles, tools, and other what-have-you’s without trekking up the ramps to fetch them.

It's a nice setup.

I got this message from a TDI enthusiast whose 1.9L Jetta delivers 220 hp and 400 lb-ft to the front wheels. He also gets 50+ MPG on the highway. I'd like to do more with VW diesels in Diesel Power maybe have a section dedicated to them every month. We've featured a Jetta before but I agree we should definitely do more. Kind of sucks my 6.9L doesen't make that much horsepower although I bet my torque curve is flatter (as I kick the dirt and look away in shame).

    The message in its entirety:

Jason,

Thanks for returning my email.... Here is a list of modifications and the pictures are attached. Hope to hear from you soon.

Nothing would be possible without the blood, sweat, and tears of the following TDI experts.

TDI CLUB (www.tdiclub.com) VW/Audi TDI enthusiasts community: This website single handedly has the most TDI diesel information in the world. This site is where I met everyone who had to do anything with my car.

Jason Dignardi: (Friend and TDI guru in Port Jervis, NY).... There were countless nights at the shop working on my car until 3am. He built 90% of this car in the tiny shop. He custom made the exhaust, installed everything from the turbo, to the FMIC, to the headlights, to the injection pump, lift pump, suspension, as well as doing all repairs on the car.

Chris Hill @ Kraftwerke Autotechnic in Boston, MA (www.kraftwerke1.com) The man who built up the engine internals. He got the pistons ceramic coated and compression lowered to 18.7:1, instaled the upgraded connecting rods and got them rifled (small oil nozzle in each).

Wild Bill @ Coughlan Machine in Norwood, MA (www.coughlanmachine.com) He builds 300hp to 1425hp marine/race/drag motors along with porting and repairing cylinder heads for a living. This particualr head that he custom ported for me was dyno tested and gained 25hp alone.

Geoff @ Colt Cams (www.coltcams.com): Supplied the stage 2 grind cam for the tiny 1.9 liter diesel.

Scott Dewitt @ Advanced Automotion in Corpus Christi, TX (www.advancedautomotion.com) I sent him my leaky transmission and he gave it a new lease on life with cryo-treated gears and shaft, a Pelonquin LSD, and brand new syncros, bearings, seals, etc.

Peter Noble @ ID Parts (www.idparts.com) Supplied most of the new parts that went into this car... everything from the turbocharger to the suspension.

Jeff Robertson @ RocketChip Tuning (www.rocketchip.com) This man custom tunes diesel vehicles all over the globe. He is one of the most highly regarded chip tuners for these little diesels. He created the RocketChip Stage 6 rocket race tune that winds this little motor up to 6000RPM (stock redline is 4600RPM). You must have a fully built motor to even qualify for the stage 6 tune.

Aaron @ Bora Parts (www.boraparts.com) Custom built a DC stage 4 clutch for me that can hold 575ft/lbs at the crank

MY LOCATION: Neversink, NY 12765
Daily driver: Yes for the most part. I have a 2nd Jetta TDI that I drive in crappy weather and a Jeep Liberty for hauling and snow storms. (I plan on replacing the Jeep with a Cummins powered RAM in the future BTW)

The car: 2003 VW Jetta GLS TDI Diesel w/150K miles.
Engine: 1.9L TDI (Turbo Direct Injection) inline 4 cylinder.
MPG: 43 just driving around the mountains. 50+MPG on the highway
Range: 650-800 miles on a single tank
HP: 220 at the wheels (a stock 1.9L TDI dynoes 83hp at the wheels)
Torque: 400+ at the wheels (a stock 1.9L TDI dynoes 140 ft/lbs at the wheels)
1/4 mile: (estimated) mid 13's
0-60: 5 seconds in 2nd gear.
Car weight: 3000lbs

Chip Tuning:
- RocketChip stage 6 rocket race tune  (6000 RPM)
Compressor:
- Garrett VNT1752 hybrid turbocharger (also known as the 17/22)
 This turbo is tiny but spools super fast and runs 28PSI!
Fuel Delivery:
- Fratelli Bosio RACE520 injector nozzles
- 11mm Injection Pump (stock is a 10mm pump)
- PD LiftPump
Airflow:
- 2.5" RacePipe (EGR delete)
- PD150 Intake Manifold (manifold off the Euro PD150 TDI)
- 3" Old Man Intake (goes from the airbox to the turbo)
- VR6 Airbox/MAF  (larger MAF sensor housing)
- 3 Bar MAP sensor (allows more boost)
- FMIC w/2.5" pipes (ebay kit rated for 30PSI)
- 2.5" turboback hand built custom exhaust
Drivetrain:
- Built 5spd w/cryo-treated gears
- Pelonquin Limited Slip Differential
- DC Stg 4 clutch
Engine internals:
- Colt stg. 2 Cam
- Integrated Engineering connecting rods (rifled w/race bearings)
- Ceramic coated pistons bore stage 2
- Ported Head stage 3.5
- ARP head studs
Gauges & misc:
- Boost Valve controller (controls turbo surge)
- McNally Digital Boost/EGT Gauge
- A-Pillar Pod for gauge
- Panzer Skid Plate
Suspension:
- Bilstein TC Sport shocks/struts
- Koni Sport Springs (2" drop)
- Custom Rear Sway Bar
Wheels/tires:
- ASA 18X8's w/Kumho Excsta tires
- Winter 15X6‘s" w/Bridgestone Blizaks
Custom exterior lighting:
- Black E-code Euro headlights w/fog
- Smoked Tails
- LED bumper fog lights
- Clear side markers
Other random modifications
- Interior trim kit
- Window tints
- Rain guards
- Sunroof visor
- “Badgeless” Euro Grill
- Window decals
- Custom bagdework

Plans for the future: a GTB2260VK turbocharger, custom exhaust manifold, W/M injection, Re-tune.

Believe it or not Jason, there are faster TDI's out there in North America snd Europe. People with bigger turbos and heavier fueling, W/M injection and nitrous. There are some TDI CLub members that have over 250WHP 500ft/lbs.... It's just that we never see much of built TDI's in Diesel Power. I want to thank you again for considering my Diesel VW pocket rocket for a feature.

Next Tuesday (August 31) we plan to dyno our newfound ’11 F-350, scramble to a local Ford dealer and receive the 400hp/800 lb-ft calibration, and get right back on the dyno...

We’ll be keeping an eye on fuel economy too, as we’ve heard the high output version may sacrifice mileage some. Hopefully it will only be a minimal loss, but either way, we’ll report our findings as we get them.

So far, the 390hp version feels just like the other 2011’s we’ve tested: light on its feet, responsive, and is currently getting 18 mpg empty. We also found out that they’re governed to 97 mph from the factory  ☺

 I'll be attending the 1st Annual Elite Diesel Nationals at Pueblo Motorsports Park in Colorado this Saturday. There'll be Diesel Drag Racing, Sled Pulling, a Show N' Shine, and Burnout Contest. Gates open at 9 am and the action goes until 4 pm. The Dirtymax and Aaron Rudolf are expected to attend along with others.   

Pueblo Motorsports Park is located near the intersection of Hwy 50 West and Pueblo Boulevard in Pueblo, Colorado. Hope to see you there!

From the South
North on I-25 to Pueblo, Colorado
Exit 101, West Highway 50 Turn left
Turn Left on Pueblo Boulevard
Turn Right into Pueblo Motorsports Park

From the North
South on I-25 to Pueblo, Colorado
Exit 101, West Highway 50 Turn right
Turn Left on Pueblo Boulevard
Turn Right into Pueblo Motorsports Park

From the East
West on US Highway 50
Take the CO-96, CO-47 exit (keep right)
Turn Left on Pueblo Boulevard
Turn Right into Pueblo Motorsports Park

From the West
East on US Highway 50
Turn Right on Pueblo Boulevard
Turn Right into Pueblo Motorsports Park

NR-Ceramic Pistons from NIAMA-REISSER are said to have 15 percent less mass than OEM pistons with rings. This translates into an engine that revs higher and faster with less vibrations and emissions and of course more power. Starting the first week in September customers will be able to request Piston Retro-Kits for their engine. Once there is 100 to 150 orders production can start. I hope to try a kit in my 6.9L IDI. 

This is what the inventor Heinz-Gustav Reisser has to say about the NR-Ceramic Pistons:

Benefits:

The overall mass per piston is reduced by x> 15%. This in turn reduces engine vibrations and decreases the time it takes your engine to rev up, as well as potentially increasing your maximum engine rpm due to reduced vibrations. The reduction in time to get the engine to a certain rpm or revving up the engine would also cause a reduction in fuel or an increase in fuel economy, due to the fact, that the engine has become more dynamic.

Furthermore, the emissions have been reduced due to tighter tolerances in between the cylinder liner and piston mantel. Despite having no compression rings, the overall compression ratio –in cylinder compression-  will have increased after installing the NR-Ceramic Pistons, while not having changed the basic OEM combustion chamber ccm or cmm.
 
Finally, the engine life expectancy is dramatically increased for there are no longer metal components touching/contacting each other in the cylinder bore. The piston is machined from an engineered composite material which has self-lubricating properties.
 
Ultimately, it is no longer a requirement to have steel cylinder liners to insure a low wear behavior of steel or stainless steel rings on the all steel sleeve. In recent times, efforts have been made to work with aluminum engine blocks that are not fitted with steel sleeves. To insure the functionality of these applications, currently plasma ceramic micro-coatings have to be applied on the aluminum bore to protect the same from the friction of the contacting steel piston rings.

The low thermal expansion coefficients of the engineered composite material prevent power losses or thermal losses, due to a decreased frictional coefficient during normal operating temperatures.

Today we’re taking delivery of our latest project vehicle…

A 2011 F-350 powered by the new 6.7L Power Stroke. The truck came from Woodhouse Ford in Blair, Nebraska, and a couple members of its staff drove the truck some 430 miles to us. How’s that for customer service?!

Anyway, as I make my way over to the shop to take a look at it, I’m formulating a plan for the truck. Because it will be the original version of the 6.7L Power Stroke (with 390 hp and 735 lb-ft), we’ll get it on the dyno immediately, then receive the 400 hp/800 lb-ft update from Ford, and dyno again to see what the real difference is. This should prove whether or not all the hype about the high output version is warranted.

From there, we’re going to hit the local drag strip for more data gathering.

Now, what to name it?

Kevin Cole’s second-gen Dodge has proven to be a force to be reckoned with in the ITPA’s 3.0 pulling class this year…

I just watched him steal the show at the Illinois State Fair last night. The first truck to pull, he set the unreachable distance at just under 322 feet. The closest any other truck (of the 11 that pulled after him) got to him was the 308-foot mark. But, it wasn’t the first time Cole has cleaned house. This is the third time he’s put 15 feet on the rest of the field.

In fact, in the 17 pulls he’s made it to this year (in the ITPA schedule), he has 9 wins and 7 Second Place finishes (that means only one pull where he finished out of the top 2!).

He’s definitely got something figured out—and I’m sure a lot of it has to do with the Hart’s Diesel-built Cummins under the hood. It’s nice to see the truck performing so well, as it’s definitely a different animal than it was in 2009.

The Pro Stock 3.0’s should be an interesting class to watch at this year’s Scheid Diesel Extravaganza.

Video of Cole's pull can be seen here, courtesy of the Justison pulling team.

If you’re in the Utah area come the first week of September, make sure you check out this event…

Put on by Edge Products, and dubbed Weekend on the Edge, the event begins Friday September 3rd with drag racing at Rocky Mountain Raceway. Saturday September 4th calls for a dyno competition, and will be followed by a nighttime sled pull put on by the National Association of Diesel Motorsports (NADM).

In addition, you can register to win all kinds of performance parts from event sponsors. All you have to do is register for the drawing, which will take place at the sled pull event on Saturday.

The event flyer with full schedule can be found here

Over the weekend, I got a sneak peek at a common-rail Cummins-powered Ford that will be pulling in 2.6, 2.8, and even some 3.0 classes in Kentucky…

Common-rail engines with stand-alone ECU’s may be the best way to go in the future, especially for guys that need more rpm to run with the P-pumped and Duramax trucks. In it’s test-hook, this truck left the line at just under 6,000 rpm.

It will also be a welcomed way of life for pullers that like a truck with good pit manners. With one small dose of ether for the initial startup, it didn’t need any more drugs to fire back up in the pits. In addition, it was 99 percent smokeless prior to pulling.

Of course, with all of the tuning advantages of an electronically controlled diesel, you can fiddle with the calibration and have yourself a loping, raspy truck that hazes at idle and is reminiscent of a 12-valve if you want.

As with anything though, the downfall (or the lack of growth in this area) may be due to cost. You’ll see more on this truck in the coming months.

    The VanDyne SuperTurbocharger featured in the September issue of Diesel Power was selected by Cummins for use in the DOE SuperTruck program. I hope the ISB gets the same treatment as the ISX.

Here is the PR Newswire press release from today:

VanDyne SuperTurbo Chosen by Cummins for Advanced Waste Heat Recovery System for DOE Super Truck Program

FORT COLLINS, Colo., Aug. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- VanDyne SuperTurbo, Inc. announced today that it has signed a contract with Cummins Inc. (NYSE:CMI) to develop more fuel-efficient Class 8 trucks using VanDyne SuperTurbochargers. The agreement is part of the Super Truck program, a cost-sharing initiative between the Department of Energy (DOE) and the private sector.

Under the agreement, Cummins and VanDyne together, will work to develop a VanDyne SuperTurbocharger for a Cummins engine. This American-made technology captures waste heat in the exhaust and adds it back on top of the engine's power. Thereby the technology increases both fuel efficiency and horsepower in internal combustion engines. If successful, the agreement may result in VanDyne SuperTurbochargers going into high volume production in the future.

"It is an honor to be working together with Cummins on this DOE initiative," said Ed VanDyne, founder and CEO of VanDyne SuperTurbo, Inc. "As an American company, we're proud to have developed this groundbreaking technology that we believe will be a major contributor to saving money in the trucking industry, while helping save the planet."

Cummins was awarded $39 million under the SuperTruck program to specifically develop more fuel efficient Heavy Duty Class 8 trucks. The goal is to improve vehicle freight efficiency by 50 percent through advanced and highly efficient engine systems and vehicle technologies that meet prevailing emissions and safety requirements. Every facet of energy consumption of a Class 8 tractor and trailer will be addressed through the development and integration of advanced technologies.

The VanDyne SuperTurbocharger works by combining a turbocharger with its own CVT transmission to increase fuel efficiency and horsepower while reducing CO2 emissions. Additionally, the SuperTurbocharger is a product that has the low-end torque of a supercharger, even higher power than a turbocharger, together with the efficiency gains of turbo-compounding, all in one device.

"Exploration of the VanDyne technology is an exciting complement to Cummins technologies portfolio to provide greater vehicle fuel economy and improved driveability," said Don Stanton, Principal Investigator for Cummins Super Truck program. "Our collaboration with VanDyne SuperTurbo exemplifies Cummins commitment to provide innovative engine technologies to meet fuel efficiency demands of the trucking industry."

"By investing Recovery dollars in next generation fuel efficient trucks here at home, we're not only creating new job opportunities now, but helping lay a new foundation to keep American auto manufacturers competitive in the 21st century global marketplace," said Vice President Joe Biden. "Through strategic public-private investments like these, the Recovery Act is helping lay the groundwork for an expansion of our clean energy economy."

The Super Truck program is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act designed to ensure innovation and technology development in America at both small and large companies.

VanDyne SuperTurbo was spun out of Industrial and Aircraft company Woodward Governor Company (NASDAQ:WGOV) in September of 2009.

"Our technology allows manufacturers of internal combustion engines to meet their CO2 reduction targets without changing that much in their vehicles," said Ed VanDyne. "We also have the ability to support future engine platforms in hybrids to further improve total vehicle energy efficiency."

VanDyne SuperTurbo, Inc. is a technology company specializing in the design, development and production of SuperTurbochargers for the global automotive market and for heavy duty engine manufacturers. A SuperTurbocharger is a transmission driven turbocharger, which can function as a supercharger or a turbo compounder that recovers waste heat that is added to engine power.

Make sure you check out the 2011 Heavy Duty Truck Shootout on Pickuptrucks.com…

We were able to help with their shootout this year, as well as perform our own analysis of each ’11 model truck tested.

As for me, I don’t think you can go wrong with any of the Big Three’s current diesel offerings. There is something great to be said about each one of them. And of course, there are things we disliked about them as well.

Make sure you get a copy of the October issue when it hits the stands on September 7th (9/7/10).

Within our coverage, we profiled each diesel truck tested (one ¾-ton and one 1-ton from each manufacturer) offering factory specs, what we liked and disliked, and concluded with the test results gathered during the Pickuptrucks.com shootout in Detroit, Michigan.

August 14th marks one of the darkest days in off-road racing history in North America.

During the MDR California 200 in Lucerne,CA a race truck in the 1450 pre-runner class went off the race course into a large group of spectators killing at least 8 and leaving more wounded.

From Race-Dezert.com August 15, 2010 by Klaus Rasch

http://www.race-dezert.com/home/august-14th-marks-darkest-days-off-road-racing-history-north-america-9652.html

Off-Road racing in the desert is held in open unpopulated desert areas common to the southwest of the United States. These areas are designated Off Highway Recreational Areas and are open to the public.  Last Saturday, MDR organized a night race as part of the their race series in Lucern, CA near Soggy Lake that attracted 87 entries and many spectators alongside the 60-mile race course.  This being on open public land, desert crowds gathered all along the course to watch the race cars go by.

Soon after the start approximately 2 miles into the race one of the race trucks went off the designated course into a group of spectators, coming to a stop up-side down.  Some people where trapped under the vehicle.   The spectators took quick action and slowed down following race cars and gave first-aid to those in need.  There were many spectators on-hand that had first-aid experience and they rushed to the scene without any hesitations most likely saving lives due to their actions.

Soon the CHP, BLM and Fire Department took over.  Multiple helicopters rushed injured spectators to nearby hospitals.

California Highway Patrol started a detailed accident investigation.  There are false reports on some media outlets that the driver had to flee the scene due to assaults from an angry mob.  This is not true and CHP released the driver free to go without any charges filed at the moment.

Desert racing over the years has adopted many safety standards such as personal safety equipment and technical inspections to all race competitors.  Crowds are advised to stay clear of the race course and often the race promotor marks safety lines alongside the race course spectators have to follow.

A safety wall or fence, common in other forms of motorsports, is simply unrealistic as races are held on large public lands.  How do you fence in hundreds of desert miles?

The entire off-road community grieves over the loss of human lives.  We are one off-road family and will hold together in this dark time.  There will be many questions, some answers and some solutions down the road that will make desert racing an even safer sport.

If you feel as helpless as we all feel right now but feel the need to reach out and help then please donate towards the California 200 fund fast-aid.org

Fast Aid is a non profit organization that has been in place to offer fast financial aid where it counts. FAST-Aid

http://www.fast-aid.org/california-200.html

Since we’re approaching the harvest season, I thought this one would fit into the WTF Friday scheme…

Corn is about 6-to-7 feet high right now in the cornbelt.

Have a good Friday the 13th. And a bad one if you’re superstitious (kidding).

Ford or Chevy?  Honda or Toyota?  NASCAR or Formula One? Debates that keep car guys up at night. Let’s settle this. We want opinions! Share yours in the eBay Motors People’s Picks Survey.

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