If Diesel Were a Political Candidate Would It Be. a Red State or Blue State?

A friend sent me this story from Diesel Technology Forum, analyzing diesel not based on its viscosity or pour point but on an imaginary political scale. Yes, this blog post is delivered in a lighter vein, in an effort to balance the battles taking place during this hotly contested political season. Since everything else has become political, why not speculation on the political aspirations of Diesel. No, not Vin Diesel, mind you, just a personified version of our diesel oil. 

The article is titled Choose Purple: If Diesel Were a Candidate, Would It Be Republican or Democrat?

You can see where this is going when you read the subhead:

Diesel reaches across the aisle - to be both the economically powerful technology to get the job done today while advancing the clean air and greenhouse gas reduction benefits needed to be a sustainable technology for tomorrow. It’s a solid shade of purple.

The article begins by describing the political climate we're in: polarized. And the author describes what we're looking for in a leader today, in terms any diesel enthusiast might enjoy.

What’s needed in a leader? A steady hand with proven performance, reliable, able to do the job at hand - having enough power and durability to withstand the rigors of leadership, and of course advancing policies and ideas that make sense and lead us forward. 

In our Red state vs. Blue state posture, many would see Diesel as a Red state candidate due to its being a fossil fuel. On the other hand, Diesel's efficiency -- near zero emissions -- and its ability to consume renewable biofuels turns this Red candidate into a Blue one. When you mix red and blue, what do you get?

After a brief explication, the author sums up in this manner:

In the end, Diesel reaches across the aisle - to be both the economically powerful technology to get the job done today while advancing the clean air and greenhouse gas reduction benefits needed to be a sustainable technology for tomorrow.  It’s a solid shade of purple.

I thought the story was fun. You can read the whole of it here:

Choose Purple: If Diesel Were a Candidate, Would It Be Republican or Democrat?

As for me, I won't make an issue of who you vote for, only that you condsider BLUE...

as in Blue Flame. (VBG)

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Photo by Yuvraj Sachdeva on Unsplash

Champion Oil Offers Incentives to WDs

While Democrats and Republicans wrangle over the stimulus package details for small businesses, I thought it worth mentioning that Champion Brands announced some incentives for entrepreneurs and small businesses in the diesel market. Specifically, they've recently created a special  incentives program to become a Champion Warehouse Distributor (WD) or MWD selling Blue Flame Performance Diesel Engine Oils. 

According to the PR that was published in Engine Builder:

The newly released incentive is a low-cost buy-in at the WD level for smaller businesses that includes free freight, web location posting, press release, POP, banners, literature, MAP pricing, and a featured interview on the Champion Blue Flame Diesel Blog. 

Champion also offers a Master Warehouse Distributor (MWD) program that is available for larger sized businesses interested in wholesale distribution of Champion’s Blue Flame Diesel Engine Oils.

I like the bennies here. I also like the fact that they're not being passive about the economic doldrums caused by our pandemic. You can read the full story here at EngineBuilderMag.com.

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FWIW Dept: 
Have a technical question and you don't know where to turn? Ask Jake. Click on the ASK JAKE button here at the right. 

A Couple of “Weight” Questions to Ponder….

Question 1: How Much Does a Gallon of Diesel Fuel Weigh?  

One U.S. gallon of automotive diesel fuel at 76 degrees Fahrenheit and standard atmospheric pressure weighs 6.91 pounds. That’s equal to 110.54 ounces or 3.13 kilograms. 

The density of fuel can change due to heat and pressure, so this number may change slightly in different environments. Colder temperatures and higher pressures increase the weight of a gallon. It doesn’t, however, change too much under normal conditions, so most would agree that the weight of diesel fuel is at approximately 7 pounds per gallon.

This fuel, which looks clear or brown in liquid form, is made by distilling crude oil at high temperatures. Diesel molecules are large yet quite compact, packing more energy into every gallon. Compared to diesel’s roughly 7 pounds per gallon, the same amount of gasoline weighs only about 6.2 pounds. While diesel fuel can release harmful substances into the air when burned, it’s more fuel efficient.  

Question #2: Is the “The Weight” one of the greatest songs in music history?  

This 1968 song, widely accredited to Robbie Robertson of The Band, defies genre, and it doesn’t need one. The song is about a lone traveler’s encounters with several interesting characters in a town called Nazareth, while on a mission to send regards for a woman named Fanny. You can hear country and hear rock and hear blues and hear folk. More importantly, as you listen you understand and feel the journey it takes you on. 

The Weight is filled with really enjoyable instrumentals, biblical undertones and exchanges between the traveler and the town’s characters that leave one wondering. It is masterful storytelling paired with one of the more memorable musical sounds ever recorded.

* * * 

Here's the song itself. 

The album it appears on was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Diesel Engine Pros and Cons

I was looking at a September 2020 Truck Trend story by K J Jones. Jones had been editor of Diesel Power magazine which is now an online space in the Truck Trend Network. Jones has always been a diesel truck guy. For years he had a passion for Mustangs. Not a crime. I could tell a few Mustang stories myself.

Jones' fave diesel pickup is a 7.3L-powered OBS Ford dualie, which he has nicknamed Big White. Being an editor he probably never stops thinking about story ideas. Being a car guy, though, he enjoys turning a wrench as much as time permits. He also likes drag racing.

The story I found is titled Diesel Engine Pros and Cons, the same as this blog post. I won't try to steal his readers. You should go there when finished here. I just wanted to lay it out there what this car and truck diesel guy listed as the primary pros and cons of the world we write about here: diesels.

Pros
When looking at Ram, Ford and GM full-sized rigs, these are the diesel advantages/

1. Fuel Economy
Here's what I found noteworthy: He writes, "One of the biggest plusses about diesel is that its energy density is greater than that of gas, by nearly 22,000 BTU. Basically, a port-injected gasser will burn much more fuel in order to match a direct-injected diesel's power output—per gallon—unloaded and especially when towing."

2. Performance, Longevity, Reliability
The engine's durability is certainly a feature well-known by diesel owners. As long as you take care of the maintenance regimen they sometimes seem determined to be a friend for life. By way of contrast, he notes that gasoline engines have a much shorter engine life. Jones adds the qualifier that oil service along with air- and fuel-filter changes are key to longer service life for any engine.

3. Flexibility
Jones notes in passing that "although they are not included in the formal/'Flex-Fuel' family of versatile engines, diesels are capable of operating with biodiesel in a truck's fuel tank."

Cons
In a perfect world there would be no cons, but truth be told, we do have this one.

1. Cost
It isn't just the powertrain that bites, but the cost of ultra-low sulfur fuel you must use. It's not an impossible hurdle. You just need to realize that you sometimes have to pay to play. 

Keep in mind, though, that if you get double the life out of your purchase the real cost of that gas guzzling car is doubled. 

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Read the Diesel Power story here:
http://www.trucktrend.com/features/diesel-engine-pros-cons/

Towing Wars: 2021 Chevy Silverado Flexes Its Muscles

Jason Gonderman's October 7 article at TruckTrend.com about the towing wars between the big three U.S. diesel truck manufacturers is a fun read. In racing, it's about speed, but when it comes to diesel power, it's about muscle. Gonderman's story is about how Chevrolet has re-asserted its power with the 2021 Silverado 3500HD now boasting the capability of towing 36,000 pounds. Yes, that is 18 tons. 

That's 2 tons more than the song "16 Tons" and topping the 2020 F-350 Super Duty by 250 pounds, the average weight of many heavyweight boxers.

Gonderman notes that Ford does have an even mightier breed of diesel potency in the F-450, max rating of 37,000 pounds of towing capacity. He disqualifies the F-450 as being in a different class. To use the boxing metaphor again, it's like comparing middleweights and welterweights. 

To learn what Chevrolet did to get the extra 500 pounds of towing capacity over its 2020 offering, the author spoke with two engineers from GM, then converted their answers to layman's terms. They explained that the 2020 truck wasn't "fully optimized" for extreme towing. Thus, they left room for incremental improvements.

In addition to swapping out the wheels (yes, wheels helped make a difference) they made adjustments in the suspension and shock absorbers. The towing capacity actually has a test designed by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), and this truck's towing capacity has indeed been certified.

The article highlights additional announcements from GM for their 2021 trucks, specifically related to trailering. You can read the full story here: http://www.trucktrend.com/news/2021-chevrolet-silverado-3500hd-tows-best-in-class-36000-pounds

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REMINDER: Beans' Blackout in the Country diesel event it postponed to October 24. 

Photo Credit:  Wolfgang Rottmann courtesy Unsplash.

Breaking: Blackout in the Country Is Happening, But the Live Feed Is Not

A couple weeks ago we got excited and announced a big Tennessee diesel event, Blackout in the Country, that was supposed to happen this weekend, a live -- as opposed to Virtual -- diesel truck event. Unfortunately, Hurricane Sally had something else to say about this. 

Fortunately, Bean's Diesel has re-scheduled. If you're planning to attend, great. As for our live feed, that's just not to be in the cards. Blackout in the Country will be blacked out. But the event is all go. 

Nevertheless, when things open up in 2021, we're planning a number of live streaming events and we hope you'll join us. Push our button: Live Diesel Events and we'll keep you in the loop.

Electronics and Sensors: A Blessing and a Curse

The degree to which technology's tentacles have reached into our lives is quite amazing. Getting our vehicles to run at optimal performance is no longer just a matter of turning wrenches, but involves complex wiring diagrams as well. Sensors and brain boxes talk to one another and we just let it happen. Every year we have more whistles and bells on our devices and, let's face it, our diesel truck is just another device.

I remember when my key fob stopped functioning to open and lock my doors. I didn't know why, until one day I discovered that these fobs are battery powered. All I needed to do was change the battery, an answer I discovered only by accident. (Mentioned it in passing during a conversation with a friend.)

There are other kinds of niggling annoyances that aren't so common. For example, what happens when your radio won't turn off? That's what happened to a fellow with the handle Rescue7 who shared this problem on the Duramax Forum. He described his issue like this: 

Recently on my 07 GMC 2500 HD Classic, my radio doesn't turn off when I stop the engine, remove the key & open the door - as it always has always performed in the past? Now the radio just stays on as if on a timer & will time out after 5-10 min.

As you can imagine, he says he doesn't like walking away from his truck while the radio is still on. And I can't blame him.

Fortunately, a former GMC tech named GMAXfirefighter stepped up to the plate to help him walk it through. First, he needed to get the specifics of what was going on. After a series of back and forth posts, there were enough clues to zero in on the real issue and a solution was found.

Ugh. Fortunately, it's not only the Internet of Things that has been getting connected, but people can get connected as well, through forums and other online communities. In short, if all this high tech occasionally leaves you frustrated, you're not alone. 

But solutions aren't far away either.  We have a list of forums and other resources here in the right hand column. Links to forums are below, or you can just reach out and Ask Jake. If he doesn't have an answer, he'll point you in the right direction.

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Source: https://www.duramaxforum.com/threads/radio-wont-turn-off.1009784/