Since CNG is compressed at 3,600 psi there are safety concerns a user needs to know about.

    First of all the condition of the tank must be perfect. It can't have any scratches or imperfections. If the vehicle has been in an accident it should be discarded. The expiration date must also be checked and the the tanks should be inspected.

Also the lines must be properly run, secured, and connected. 

For more information about CNG check out CNGCHAT.com

Here is what could happen:

http://johnstodderinexile.wordpress.com/2007/05/27/checking-in-on-cng-accidents-will-happen/

Well, now that we have Dodge’s first diesel pickup and an ’87 Ford IDI, maybe we should start looking for some early Chevy with 6.2L power…

Then, we’d have a ¾-ton from each manufacturer in our collection. Heck, we could even start a classic diesel museum! I’m sure they would love that in the Peterson building’s parking lot.

Personally, I’d like a K20 with the SM465 four-speed manual… Ironically, Fred Williams from 4 Wheel and Offroad has one, in our lot. I wonder if he would give it to us? Although, it doesn’t have any visible rust, which seems to be a theme we’re going with so far on our IDI and, of course, with “Project Rust Bucket.”

So, the search officially begins… I’m sure we can find another dirt-cheap diesel that someone would love to have hauled off of their property. We’ll see.

After some researching, I am proud to say that Ferruccio Lamborghini did not invent the sport of tractor pulling. We did. So, it’s officially official: Sled pulling is as American as it gets...

After the 25-30 horsepower tractors from the Holt and Best companies were introduced around the early 20th century, impromptu motorized pulling events soon followed. It wasn’t until 1929 that the first “documented” organized tractor pull took place–one in Bowling Green, Missouri, the other in Vaughnsville, Ohio. By comparison, Lamborghini (yes, the exotic sports car founder) began organizing tractor pull events around Italy in the late 1940s.

Originally called the sledge, area farmers would load a flat steel pan with stones and concrete, and then attempt to pull it a whopping 10 yards. Moving the dead-weight sledge 10 yards, in any direction you chose, was considered a full pull. Things sure have evolved since then, haven't they?

    Last weekend I became the proud owner of this gem.      

    What I like about this 1987 F-250:
1. ZF 5-Speed manual transmission.
2. No electronics on the engine. This will make alternative fuel experimentation easier. Possible fuels include hydrogen, bio, vegetable oil, cng, propane...but I am open to anything that will combust. Plus I would like to use waste heat to make the tires spin.
3. Regular cab with bench seat.
4. No rust.
5. Classy Ford two tone paint scheme.
6. Regular box.
7. Full floating 10 1/4 rear axle.
8. It was cheap $300.
9. Smog exempt.
10. WWII pilot stickers on fender signifying "?"
11. No rust did I mention that? Yes. But I'll say it again. Amen

What I don't like:
1. A quart of water came out when I drained the oil.
2. It hasn't started but batteries are on the way.

Random Thoughts:

1. This truck doesn't have a turbo. I wonder what a good setup looks like?

2. What would you do to this truck?

3. I bet I will feel like Uncle Jesse from the Dukes of Hazard when I drive this truck. It might need a gun rack and an old man seat cover. 

4. It was funny to hear the neighbors chear when the tow truck arrived to take this (to them eye soar to me masterpiece) truck away. 

A 1,000-1,200 mile round trip is in store for the weekend…

Aside from trying to get more than 12.9 mpg out of this ’08 Harley Davidson edition Super Duty, we’ll be weighing this beast and mildly tow-testing it on our drive home Sunday. I’ll leave it up to associate editor Jason Sands to clarify exactly what we’re pulling. All I can say is: “Ah-hem-gas-powered.”

On another note, we’re considering a way to cover some of the hurricane Ike cleanup in Texas.

Showcasing diesels delivering supplies, hauling off waste and basically people helping each other in recovering and rebuilding part of the lone star state seems to be the least we could do. Hopefully this idea will come to fruition, and become a reality.

KNOXVILLE, TN - September 29, 2008 - Pilot Travel Centers, the nation's largest retail operator of travel centers with more than 325 owned or licensed retail interstate locations in 40 states, today announced plans to be the first to carry diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) "at the pump" for selective catalytic reduction (SCR) equipped trucks.  The Company's initial rollout plans call for the fluid to be economically available in bulk at more than 100 Pilot Travel Center locations nationwide beginning in mid-to-late 2009.

Pilot's decision to offer diesel exhaust fluid "at the pump" will maximize affordability and convenience for truckers and is one of the final infrastructure elements to be put into place for truck fleets and owner-operator customers planning to use SCR emissions control technology to meet 2010 emissions standards. The Company's commitment ensures supplies of the fluid will be conveniently available during normal fuel fill ups by truck drivers anywhere in the country, and will help to lead the way for new 2010 SCR-equipped trucks to run at near-zero emission levels.

Virtually all of the heavy-duty engines in volume production today, that will continue to be sold after the new standards take effect, will utilize SCR to comply with the standard, optimizing fuel consumption and drive-ability for their owners.

In addition to offering diesel exhaust fluid "at-the-pump" at more than 100 locations, all Pilot Travel Centers will carry pre-packaged top-off quantities of the fluid for SCR-equipped trucks.

"By working with Detroit Diesel Corporation and Daimler Trucks North America, as well as other OEMs, we've begun to learn a lot more about SCR and the infrastructure needed to support this beneficial new technology," said Mark Hazelwood, executive vice president.

"Pilot once again will be the leader in the travel center industry by providing a network that will carry the DEF product," Hazelwood added.  "We believe this product will create efficiencies for trucking companies which will, in essence, increase their MPG's and save them money.  This product offering also helps Pilot to continue its Pilot "green" initiatives and commitment to becoming the first environmentally friendly travel center network."

Headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, Pilot employs 14,000 nation-wide. The chain is owned and operated by Pilot Corporation, also based in Knoxville, and Marathon Ashland Petroleum, based in Findlay, Ohio. The Company, which reached revenues in excess of $13 billion in 2007, was founded more than half a century ago in Gate City, VA. Pilot was recognized by the National Retail Federation in 2007 among the top 100 U.S. retailers and in 2006 opened its first international location in Tilbury, Ontario, Canada.

Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR)
Today, the use of SCR in Class 8 heavy duty trucks has shown that the technology can reduce NOx emissions by up to 90 percent. SCR also helps to reduce the carbon footprint of vehicles through greater fuel efficiency and resulting reductions in CO2, relative to other NOx reducing technologies. When used in combination with diesel particulate filters, the technology helps to reduce criteria pollutant emissions to near-zero levels.

Diesel Power's Take: Let's face it, the era of clean diesels is upon us, and the infrastructure to support it is rapidly expanding. However, whether SCR maintenance for light-duty diesels will be done by owners or at the dealership remains to be seen.

    Gary Brown of Byron, Georgia is who you need to contact if you want a diesel tractor engine in your truck or car.

    Gary Brown is a self-employed businessman and farmer who has come up with a solution  to high fuel prices. His company called Shade Tree Conversions gives the information needed to make your vehicle get 50 mpg. The parts needed are plentiful since old tractors aren't in such demand as they used to be.

According to Brown combine engines fit nicely too.

Jason Thompson and I found this tow-truck mo-docking across the sand at Pismo Beach a few weeks ago… It’s an early 90’s F-800 powered by either the 6.6L or 7.8L Ford/New Holland inline-six, and spends its weekends pulling anything and everything out of the dunes. Or, recovering what’s left of a “jump-gone-bad” vehicle. The truck meant business when we ran into it, as it was in the process of hooking onto a 30-foot camper buried up to its axles.

The operator was kind enough to let us snap some photos of the rig later that day, and he told us he keeps pretty busy year-round. Hmmmm… I wonder where he was the day this guy (second photo) got his Duramax buried darn close to the Pacific (Photo Courtesy of SOCAPS)? Who knows, maybe he did show up. For this poor guy’s sake, I hope he did!

If you know where Peoria and Moline, Illinois are, you know what we’re talking about…

Would a tour of Caterpillar’s headquarters and proving grounds in Peoria and John Deere’s world headquarters in Moline interest you?

Maybe we could plan on attending a 797 (world’s largest off-highway truck) buildup in Decatur, Illinois, and celebrate its 10th Year anniversary? Provided that a build will even be in progress, as they’re only built-to-order.

Maybe we could sit-in on a few classroom sessions in the Caterpillar Dealer Service Technician Training Program at ICC in Peoria? Or maybe check out the John Deere Tech Program at Lakeland College in Mattoon, Illinois?

What do you think?

    If it goes boom it will power an internal combustion engine.  

    Safety first check out this post from HHOHuntsville.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/livehazelgreentraffi

Safety rules:

1. Everything in your cell should be made from stainless and should not short out.

2. Cell should be made of a proper material able to withstand abuse.

3. A bubbler between the cell and engine should be installed along with a one-way valve in order to eliminate the possibility of an explosion going all the way to the cell.

4. Your cell should have a pressure release valve built in.

5. Your electrical system needs a fuse, relay, on/off switch, 12 volt ignition source, EFIE (electronic fuel injection enhancer/goes to oxygen and other sensors to trick the engine's computer, PWM (pulse width modulator)controls amount of electricity going to the cell, and amp/volt meter.

6. Properly dispose of the chemicals which form in the cell. The cell can produce lethal gases depending on electrolyte don't breathe them.

Recently I tested a Joe cell type electrolysis machine on my Jeep. From what I've since learned I am lucky I didn't blow up. Beyond that there is no way my setup would've worked on a computer controlled vehicle. Live and learn. Here is what I know so far.

There are three different types of cells. 1. Wet cell-This is the most common type. Basically stainless steel is given a + and - charge then submerged in water mixed with an electrolyte to control the liquids electrical resistance level. A "Joe" cell is a type of wet cell that uses tubes instead of wire or bolts. The system on the Dodge is a Stanley Meyer wet cell design.

2.The second type is called a dry cell. It uses stainless steel plates separated with a rubber gasket. The plates are +, - ,and neutral. Only small amounts of water go into the cell the rest is held in a reserve tank.  The picture of this setup has the box like cell. It belongs to Mike Shaheen of hhoconnection.com for other dry cells check out:

       www.fireinthewater.com         www.energybuilders.net

3. The third type is called an Ausi style. I think its from Australia. Alberto Aschidamini from Hydrogen Solutions on Demand demonstrated his setup on his motor home. He is pictured with his son. This cell brings in small amounts of nitrogen (found in the air) through the electrically charged tube. HHO gas comes out. I don't understand how it works. I don't really understand exactly how any of this works but its fun to experiment.

Still the best one I've seen is

autogreenpower.com

It boils water in the muffler then sends the steam straight into the engine. You get a hydrogen pop plus waste heat energy.

Do you live in one? Or are you unfortunate?

It seems that Salt Lake City is one of America’s biggest hot-spots for diesels. Home to Industrial Injection, Twisted Diesel Conversions, the Diesel Power Challenge, and (a lot) of lifted diesel trucks sold at local dealerships, it seems like a shoo-in for one of the top cities.

Hemet, California seems to be a hot spot for diesels, at least the closest one to us at Diesel Power. And, although it isn’t a city, the entire state of Ohio seems to be a hot bed for diesels. Of course, Cummins’ main headquarters being located there (Columbus) doesn’t hurt things. Any time you live in a place where a sled pull is scheduled every day, which is the case in Ohio for the entire month of September, I’d say that’s a diesel hot bed.

Is your town a prime spot for diesels?

Driving to work today in L.A. traffic, I realized how much I appreciate my 7,400 pound truck keeping up with traffic, with ease…

After the conclusion of our budget build last week, in which my ’97 Power Stroke received a host of modifications, I now find myself out in front of traffic, a first for me. Not that I didn’t notice all the extra power last week, but today it really hit me.

I’m sitting at a stop light, running late with a half-full coffee mug (I only managed to finagle a little coffee from my maker) with the fuel gauge on “E,” but found myself smiling as I looked at the clock. I had left 5 minutes behind my daily morning schedule, and made it to work early. Now I don’t find myself chugging along behind L.A. Mass Transit busses or garbage trucks. So here’s a thanks to a few of the companies (and their websites) that cater to getting old body style Ford’s up to speed:

Total Diesel Performance: www.totaldieselperformance.com
Beans Diesel Performance: www.beansdieselperformance.com
Swamps Diesel Performance: www.swampsdiesel.com
Elite Diesel Engineering: www.elitedieseleng.com
Innovative Diesel: www.innovativediesel.com
Hypermax Engineering: www.gohypermax.com
Xtreme Diesel Performance: www.xtremediesel.com
Diesel Innovations: www.dieselinnovations.com

    Will new vehicles be made of fabric instead of steel and plastic?

    BMW recently introduced this extraordinary concept vehicle that uses fabric for the body. I wonder if this is the first time since the covered wagon this technology has been used?

Bill Senefsky wrote in the Jan. 08 issue the Scout III concept had the, "entire body panel areas made from vinyl." So maybe the Scout was just way ahead of its time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTYiEkQYhWY

They say the entire body can be skinned in one hour. At shops I used to work at we could do a fender in that time ,if we hussled. 

I gave this idea some thought today after coming across this photo…

It’s been a while since an H1 Hummer has graced the pages of the magazine. So, does anyone want to see H1’s or Alpha’s in the magazine? We wouldn’t mind doing a feature on a 6.5L H1 with some mods. While it may not impress many performance-wise, it might be interesting to showcase the kind of terrain these things can tackle, be it mud, rock, sand or hills. Maybe we could even get ahold of one

and get Heath Diesel Performance or SS Diesel Supply to help us out with a before/after 6.5L performance build…

I’ve only had the pleasure of being in one dyno room in my lifetime, and it was pretty clean. By clean, I mean no explosion, burn, or flying part scars. But why?

I wonder if the particular dyno room I visited was in a facility that didn’t push engines to the point of failure? Maybe it was because they weren't prototype engines, they modified existing ones.

I’ve heard several horror stories from Caterpillar dyno rooms. Talk about a heckuva rush, to be in charge of throttling the destruction of a brand new engine! Failure is just as important as success in the Research and Development world, and allows for improvements and learning. Arguably, more will be learned due to failure than from success, and not just engines…

The big yellow company also tests brand new equipment by rolling them down hills! Imagine that job for a moment, you get to tumble a multi-million dollar piece of equipment off a cliff, and, basically investigate what happened. Like, what broke first? What broke the easiest? What held up? Will the engine turn over? How mangled is the cab? Could an operator have survived the impact? Can the machine be salvaged for parts?

Sign me up.

Doing my usual due diligence scanning the web for pertinent blog or forum material for my sites, I came across the announcement of Mazda's brand-new 2.2L turbodiesel the company is rolling out for the European market. The specs on this jewel made me salivate, and made me even more jealous of those lucky Europeans. 182 horsepower, 295 lb./ft. of torque, and 42 miles per gallon.

Yet in a cruel tease, the press release also said, "the engine will be gradually rolled out for markets worldwide." Which is code for "We haven't decided whether or not we're going to offer it in the U.S., but if we do, it'll be in about 3 years."

Essentially, I currently have only one option for a diesel car right now. The VW Jetta. Yes, Mercedes offers its Bluetec line, and BMW is about to offer a 3-series and X5 diesel in the U.S. But $50k+ is a little out of range for this working stiff.

If this engine is offered in the next-generation Mazda3 or Mazda5, I would not hesitate a second to buy one. I might even get it over a Mazdaspeed model. Hard to believe, but true. I've sampled just enough of these new-style diesels to be hooked. The combination of power and economy of these newer diesels is remarkable. So what's the hold-up from offering them in the U.S.?

Well, it seems there's a pervasive perception that American consumers are largely ignorant of the virtues of modern diesels, and some customers still have a negative perception of them. Many automotive marketers believe hybrids have a decisive edge in the battle of public opinion, and despite the added cost and weight, hybrids are superior to clean diesels.

My counterpoint would be that there isn't yet a critical mass of diesel car models available in the U.S. for people to have an educated opinion of clean diesel cars. The $50k+ Mercedes and BMW models are beyond the reach of most Americans, and the VW is the only moderately-priced diesel on the market currently.

So us diesel car fans find ourselves in a Catch-22 of sorts. There aren't enough diesel cars on the market for people to get a really good idea about this new technology, yet companies won't commit to selling diesels in the U.S. until there's a high enough perceived customer demand. Supposedly Honda and Acura have some i-DTEC models in the wings about to hit our shores, and a Nissan Maxima diesel may be coming for 2010. So will '10 be the breakthrough year for diesel cars? We can only hope.  

I recently came across one of the newest forms of fuel-saving strategies in the trucking industry. It’s called STEP, which stands for Shore-power Truck Electrified Parking...

I believe it began in 2005, and was coined a “low cost alternative” to letting your truck’s engine idle all night. The system offers drivers grid-based electricity and allows them to access the Internet, watch cable television, and heat and cool their rig.

By using Shore-power technology (at any truck-stop where it is offered), drivers take an active role in both conserving fuel and cutting down on air pollution. According to The History Channel, 1.7 billion gallons of diesel are burned from idling tractor-trailers every year.

But, the fact that the average truck stop in the U.S. takes in $7.8 million in revenue each year makes me wonder if there is a cost built in to using a truck stops’ electric alternative? Heck, maybe an over-the-road driver is out there right now reading this blog? If so, please enlighten me… How much does it cost you to hook your rig up to this electronic alternative? And, how much does it save you?

   Turning water into fuel.         

A  Safety Note: HHO is dangerous do the research before getting started.

http://www.energybuilders.net/safety.html

Are you mechanically inclined? If so there are many opportunities for you to make money installing and tuning electrolysis machines. I recently put a simple unit on my gas Jeep but did not see great results. There were two problems. The first was it was mounted too close to the engine so the unit overheated and started leaking. To fix this I cut the machine apart  (to see what was going on in there) and will put it back together in a different way.  The main thing is I have the proper stainless steel to make a new one (stainless is expensive).  The second problem was I didn't do anything with the Jeeps electronic engine controls.  With the introduction of the hydrogen into the combustion chamber the engine runs hotter so the engine dumps more fuel. I need to trick the engine.

I would like to use the engine's waste heat to make electricity to run the hydrolysis machine. Water is a highly dense energy source.

Sources:

water4gas.com

h20hybrid.org

United States Department of Energy Hydrogen, Fuel Cells, and Infrastructure (doe.gov)

hydrogen.gov

"Fuel From Water" by Michael A. Peavey

autogreenpower.com
(this system features a different approach it boils water in the muffler and then sends the steam to the engine, the steam breaks into hydrogen and oxygen, no electricity is used.)

    Canada helps Ford build diesel engines, Florida scientist stores CNG in a sponge and more sled pulling photos from California.

    1. News reports say Ford is going to build small diesel engines for cars and light pickups at its recently closed Essex engine plant in Canada. Conservative Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper pledged 80 million dollars if Ford was willing to come up with the other 600 million. 30 years ago the liberal Pierre Trudeau made the same offer to Ford.

Source: canada.com, Chris Vander Doelen, The Windsor Star

2. Miami University chemist Hong-Cai Zhou discoverd a sponge called Porous Coordination Networks 14 (PCN-14) that sucks up methane and stores it compactly. This would be better than a tank of CNG.

Source: www.miamistudent.net ,Ben Garbarek, Miami Scientist Discovers Material for Storing Methane

3. Here are some more pictures from Lancaster, California. I wonder if a Jeep could sled pull. It would be fun to try.

While preparing an end of the year section for the December issue we’ve decided to run a “10 Best” section for 2008. So, we’re wondering what 10 trucks you thought were the best?

Any feature we’ve done in 2008 is up for grabs, so send us your 10 favorites that you think are most worthy.

So far, I’ve voted for the “Double Overtime” feature that associate editor Jason Sands wrote for the February issue, Jeff Deans’ sled-pulling, CNG-powered, 38mpg-having Duramax featured in both the August and September issues, and the Dodge “BFT” featured in the March issue. As I write this however, features like the Banks “Sidewinder” truck, Scott Vorhees “Big Bad Dodge” and the Cummins-powered Dodge Power Wagon, written by editor David Kennedy come to mind.

Let us know what we're missing. Better yet, tell us what 10 trucks belong in this end-of-the-year section…

I think we’re finally ready to kick some gas, as all of our first-gen Power Stroke’s aftermarket parts have come in…

Judging by the amount of boxes, I would venture to guess it’ll take us more than a day to install everything. If all goes well though, we should gain 140 horses (minimum) over stock. Yesterday our Power Stroke laid down some “less-than-stellar” numbers on the dyno, but hey, it’s stock so it’s okay, right? Ten short days from now we’ll more than likely see our baseline rear-wheel dyno numbers go from the 100’s into the mid-200's, or possibly 300.

Obviously, I can’t reveal (exactly) what aftermarket companies we decided to go with until the article is published and is featured in the December issue. But, until then I plan to hint around as to what you can expect in that article. We think it’s a perfect budget build article for someone on a limited budget who managed to saved up his/her pennies for a few years. Or someone looking for a reason to spend that income tax refund they worked so hard for. Stay tuned…

    Here are some pictures from Lancaster.

    What a great show.

I saw this sign posted at the Antelope Valley fairgrounds this weekend in Lancaster, CA. The sign correlated to Scott Vorhees’ “Big Bad Dodge,” Tom Colesanti’s "All Nighter" and Nick D’Amico’s Duramax...

All three trucks were parked and on display just outside the Antelope Valley fairgrounds grand stands. Myself, the rest of Diesel Power’s staff and the pullers themselves owe a lot to this sign. Without it, and the trucks being on display, I’m not sure the grand stand would’ve been as full as it was Saturday night.

Judging by the attendence, I’d say sled pulling definitely has a place on the west coast. And, now that I live out here, I wouldn’t mind being able to travel to a pull every weekend to cover it, and find feature-trucks in the process.

I hope the popularity of sled pulling keeps going strong out here on the left coast. If the sport continues to grow who knows, maybe it will even bring the 1500hp trucks from the Midwest out here to do battle. Only time will tell, but if you have a healthy diesel truck and want to see what it can do with some serious weight behind it, be sure you make it to the area sanctioned events next pulling season. You might just get hooked for life!

The Steyr Monoblock combines the block and cylinder combustion chamber in one casting.

The Monoblock design allows this engine to have a coolant jacket where the traditional headgasket would be. As an added bonus the combustion chamber does not have to be clamped together with bolts which distort the roundness of the cylinders. A drawback would be not being able to get the valves out as easily.

The cam shaft housing of the Steyr is like a normal head split in half with the combustion chamber portion being cast as one with the block and the part that houses the cam, valves and unit injectors being removable. The unit injector found in many vehicles today is produced by Bosch etc, but is Steyr's design and patent.

These engines are found in the U.S. in marine applications it would be cool to get one in a Jeep, pickup, hotrod, golf cart etc.

Big day today. Well, a fun one anyway…

Our ’97 Power Stroke gets to go to Inglewood Transmission’s shop for a Trans Go shift kit install. In the process, the owner, Mike Loverich, can evaluate our torque converter and our E4OD’s overall condition. We hope for the best, as our F-350 has led an easy life thus far with very few heavy tows or drag races, and no sled pulls under it’s belt (so far).

As part of our upcoming budget build, we will have to hope that the Trans Go will help pro-long our tranny’s life, especially with the injectors, chip and exhaust we plan to throw on as well. Stay tuned for that in the December issue where we will reveal exactly what products we chose and why…

P.S. - We're opting for the Trans Go Tugger kit for the sake of towing home our competitor (Bronco) after it blows up trying to make half the power the Power Stroke will.