3 Life Tips for Diesel Builders

1. We don't know what we don't know 

I'm not sure what the trigger was, but when I woke this morning I was reminded of the saying, "We don't know what we don't know."  It applies to so many things. From home front issues like marriage and parenting, to career matters and office politics and, finally, to getting familiar with a new vehicle. 

Learning the difference between what is and is not something worth losing sleep about often boils down to experience. But then there's that niggling thought. "What if I'm wrong?" And the more that's at stake, the more it keeps us awake at night because all too often, we don't know what we don't know. That's why it's nice to have friends who are smarter than we are.

This is why tens of thousands of diesel owners belong to diesel forums. When we own a Ford, Chevy or Dodge, we become part of a large family where everybody is your neighbor. This is why I've included links to all the diesel forums (that I was aware of) over on the right hand column down below the Crude Prices chart.

2. Where there's a will there's a way

I once read a book called Real Power which talked about the levels of personal power and empowerment. The very lowest level was Helplessness. They used a symbol for each level and the symbol for this first was a person seated in a chair with their hands tied behind their back, a gag in their mouths.

This is how many people feel about themselves. They can't do anything and won't even try.

The diesel enthusiasts I've met are cut from a different piece of cloth. Like "the little engine that could" they're convinced that nothing will hold them back. They have internalized this saying, "Where there's a will there's a way." And to my way of thinking, that's Real Power.

3. "I couldn't wait for success, so I went ahead without it."--Jonathan Winters

I'm showing my age by quoting Jonathan Winters, the Hollywood funnyman who inspired Robin Williams. A master of improv, Winters was an ex-marine who starred on the silver screen and even garnered his own television show. 

This quote makes me think of Nike's "Just Do It" slogan. People like this are inspirational because they know it's better to try and fail then to have never tried at all.

I remember a tractor pull at a county fair in Ohio when I was visiting my cousin decades ago. There were all these veteran pullers and tricked out machines, and one clean cut teen who just didn't seem like the rest, but his eyes were beaming with joy as he commandeered all that horsepower, and beat them all. 

It made an impression on me. He couldn't wait for success and went ahead without it. He was the Little Engine That Could, and he did.

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Just a weekend ramble here. Maybe someone who reads this will get inspired. These are the kinds of thoughts that inspire me.

P.S.--If you have a truck you'd like to showcase here on the Blue Flame Blogger pages, send an email to: blueflame1952 AT gmail.com
ATTN: Frank Owens

Train photo by Denis Chick on Unsplash

PaxPower Converts F150 to Diesel Raptor

Modifications can be fun.  If you have the time, money and skill, you can do almost anything. Here's a company that takes Ford F150s and converts them into Raptors. Not the birds of prey that feed on carrion, but the classic Ford Raptors that scads of enthusiasts have enjoyed. 

What's intriguing here is the diesel capability. The company is PaxPower. Located in Houston, they were the first company to bring a V8 Raptor to market in 2018. They've since shipped V8 and Diesel Raptors around the world. 

Their specialty is 2015-2020 Ford F150s but their broadening their scope to include Ford Rangers, Chv Silverados and GMC Sierras.

They recently revealed that the 2021 model has a new body configuration, so it will take six months to build new fenders, hood, grill, etc. For what it's worth, the 2020 F150 Diesels have been getting hard to find. If you are looking for a Ford Raptor with a Diesel, these are the guys to talk to. Or so it seems.

Here's the website: https://v8raptor.com/

• Full OEM Raptor Body and Suspension Conversion – $25,950
• Raptor Front Fenders, Hood, and Front Fascia
• Raptor HID Headlights
• Raptor Front Grille and Fender Flares
• Raptor Inner and Outer Aluminum Bedsides
• Color-Match Paint with Blend
• Raptor Front and Rear Bumpers
• Raptor Fender Liners and Skid Plates
• Fox Raptor Internal Bypass Shocks
• Raptor Upper and Lower Control Arms
• Raptor Axles, Steering Links and Brake Lines
• Raptor Rear Leaf Springs, Bump Stops, Perches and U-Bolts

Plus Choice is wheels and tires (aprox $3000)

 

Here's they say about the Diesel pictured at the top of the page:

In our continuing effort to bring unique and powerful engine options to Ford’s Raptor chassis, PaxPower introduces its latest creation: the Diesel Raptor! Featuring Ford’s 3.0-liter twin-turbo PowerStroke Diesel, the PaxPower Diesel Raptor boasts 550 ft/lb of pavement or dirt punishing torque! The Diesel Raptor starts life as a 2018-2019 F150 PowerStroke, and then receives PaxPower’s OEM Ford Raptor body, suspension, and chassis conversion. 

Read "the rest of the story" here:

https://v8raptor.com/2018/10/10/diesel-ford-raptor-by-paxpower/

Have a great weekend. And look for lots of car news next week. It's SEMA360. 

Thin Is In: Heavy Duty Oils Getting Lighter

It seems like forever that 15W-40 oils were "the choice" for heavy duty diesel engines. Or at least for centuries. No, I s'pose that would be decades. 

All this has been changing though, and in ways we couldn't imagine at one time. 

I do remember when I first noticed passenger car oils getting thinner. When I saw the first 0W-30 I thought it interesting. Even more interesting, though, was when I looked at the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) registry for upcoming oils, there were actually 16 companies with a 0W oil registered, even though they were not yet in production. 

I later saw an article in Lubes N Greases (LNG) about SAE 0W-16 and 0W-12 and 0W-8 oils that were coming and more recently the 0W-0 oils being tried in Japan. 

This week, George Gill wrote an LNG feature on thinning oil viscosities in the diesel market. The story is titled Heavy-duty Shifts to Lighter Oils. In recent years, 15W-40 diesel oils began yielding market share to lower viscosity SAE 10W-30 oils. 

Part of the reason is the fuel economy benefit that lighter oils offer. For over-the-road truckers, the cost of fuel alone is 30 to 40% of a trucking firm's overall costs. (I bet you didn't know that.) Another reason, according to the article, has to do with the new engine architecture with its tighter clearances, thus requiring thinner lubes that can flow more readily to engine components.

There's a third reason for the thinner oils. In colder temps these lower viscosity oils will decrease warm up times and provide better protection in colder climates.

You may be wondering, though, "Is my engine still protected?" The answer to that is that this has been going on for years now with millions of miles of data to support this move to lighter oils. 

CK-4 and FA-4 
The article turns to address the newer API categories of CK-4 and FA-4. CK-4 was designed to have backward compatibility built into it. This has resulted in wider acceptance of the new designation. FA-4 oils are not so versatile. FA-4 oils in modern contemporary engines, however, do offer a 1% fuel economy improvement, the article states.

Despite the benefits outlined for thinner oils, 15W-40 remains the category leader for heavy duty diesel engines, but 10W-30 is the fastest growing segment during these past 10 years.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE:
https://www.lubesngreases.com/lubereport-americas/heavy-duty-shifts-to-lighter-oils/

RELATED LINK
CK-4, FA-4? Still Confused About Diesel Engine Oil Specs? 

Photo by Matthew T Rader on Unsplash

The Impact of the Pandemic on Oil and Gas

This summer I was talking with a friend from Texas about the situation there with regard to oil and gas. When the market price of oil goes below a certain point, he said, they just shut everything down and leave it in the ground. That's because it costs more to bring it to market than they will get when they sell it. The oil rigs are thus left idle.

It's been a tough year for the oil industry. The Covid pandemic has dealt a lot of people a bad hand, but we have to play the cards we're dealt. 

I remember a number of years back when the six top companies in the Fortune 50 were automakers and energy companies. Mobil and Shell were slugging it out for the top slot for a while back then. Remarkable as it seems, Mobil was dropped from the Dow Jones Industrial Average this summer. Today the five biggest companies are technology giants. According to the Washington Post, any one of the top five--Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Microsoft--is larger than all 76 companies in the energy sector combined.

Yes, you read that right. 

Part of this is due the long term trend toward renewable energy. Nevertheless, the pandemic has done more than make a dent. When people stop flying, and people stop driving to work every day--in other words, when people stay home they consume less fuel. Combine this with an oil glut due to other factors and you have additional hurdles for the energy companies.  

It's not all bleak news for oil companies. With people in larger cities avoiding public transportation, many are buying cars again. In addition, large numbers of city dwellers are considering leaving city life altogether. Moving to the burbs means more driving as well.

The author also points out that with people shopping less, there are more deliveries being made by Fedex, UPS and other providers. Those engines need to be taken care of as well.

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I began by mentioning that conversation with my friend in Texas. I'd been thinking a lot about the relationship between prices of crude and prices at the pump for diesel owners. As it turns out, there happens to be a Technical Bulletin at the Champion tech bulletins page titled Why Lubricant Prices Don't Mirror Crude Prices. In this case it's information from the Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association (ILMA). 

The article begins, "Changes in the prices of lubricants, and the base oils that are their foundation, do not mirror either those of crude oil or gasoline. Supply and demand over time is the fundamental price-setting mechanism for lubricants and base oils." You can read the full story here.

You can find that and other useful information by clicking on the Diesel Technical Bulletins button in the right hand column above. And if you can't find what you're looking for you can always Ask Jake.

The rest of the information here is from an article titled How the pandemic is harming the oil and gas industry. 

Navajo Refinery photo by Robin Sommer on Unsplash

Return of the Ford Bronco and a Diesel Surprise

No question about it. The Ford Bronco has a storied history. Introduced in 1965 for the upcoming '66 model year, the Bronco experienced three decades of continuous production, then was gone. Evidently, Ford felt it had had a good run, and trying to redesign the vehicle to meet emission standards seemed more effort than it was worth. Or so they must have thought in the board room.

Now, the Ford Bronco is back. According to Sam Berube at Hotcars.com, it is "the first off-road machine in a long time to present a serious threat to the Wrangler." Berube goes on to declare it the most hyped new vehicle since the A90 Toyota Supra. (The article itself is a detailed comparison between the new Ford Bronco and its target rival, the Jeep Wrangler.)

Though not noted in this article, one of the most memorable car chase scenes in history involved a Bronco. Hollywood is famous for its car chase scenes. Bullitt (Steve McQueen) and The French Connection (Gene Hackman) set the standard for high speed thrills on the silver screen. The Bronco conveying O.J. Simpson about the L.A. freeways was not famous for being a high speed nail-biter, but rather for the number of people who were watching around the country wondering what will happen next. That event took place on June 17, 1994 and two-thirds of all households in America were tuned in. 

* * * *

Ford Bronco fans are happy to see the return of the Bronco. A unique feature of this sixth-generation machine is that buyers have a choice of two engine options. According to Berube, "The first is a 2.7l twin-turbo V6 that makes 310 horsepower and 400 lb/ft of torque, which is a higher torque figure than anything you can get in a Jeep that doesn't burn diesel. The second, and likely to be the volume seller is a 2.3l turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that most Ford fans are already quite familiar with."

What we want to know is where's the Diesel option? The Bronco's chief competitor, Jeep Wrangler, offers a 3.0-liter diesel V6 with 260 horsepower and 442 lb-ft of torque. "Diesel engines are great for aggressive rock crawling power, better fuel economy and have a huge following," Berube adds.

Also, the Ford Bronco is supposed to be a muscle SUV, so where is the V8 engine option? The Jeep Wrangler Rubicon is getting a powerful V8 Hemi engine with 450 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque that will accelerate from 0 to 60 in under five seconds. The Ford Bronco doesn’t have a hybrid engine option.

There are many more details--both mechanical and electrical--in the original article which you can find here: https://www.hotcars.com/why-ford-bronco-could-last-longer-than-jeep/

Diesel or not, whatever powertrain you get for your new Bronco, be sure to take the #91 West, the #110 South, the #405 North, and the Sunset Blvd Exit. 

Used Oil Sampling for Analysis

Oil provides the cooling, cleaning, lubrication and fluid power for equipment such as motors, engines, transmissions, shock absorbers and differentials.  In essence, oil is the lifeblood of your vehicle and just like a doctor samples your blood to determine your health, oil analysis can determine the health of the equipment and the health of the oil itself. 

Your race car, muscle car, tractor, classic car, diesel pick-up, or diesel big rig can all benefit from an oil analysis regimen to know when to change the oil or to prevent catastrophic failure down the road. 

In the same way that an engine dyno measures horsepower, oil analysis measures engine wear without having to disassemble the engine. Utilizing atomic emission spectroscopy, oil analysis reveals the amount of wear occurring within an engine and reports it in parts per million for each element. For example, increasing levels of tin and lead indicate bearing wear. 

Oil analysis also reveals contaminants such as water, coolant, fuel dilution and airborne dirt/sand. Contamination levels provide insight into the effectiveness of both oil and air filters as well as the tune up of the engine. High levels of fuel dilution indicate possible injector or carburetor problems.  

Finally, used oil analysis provides trend analysis which reveals the “health trend” of the engine. When should the engine be rebuilt? Can the engine run another race? Go another 10,000 miles over-the-road?  

Oil analysis is an economical and highly effective method of monitoring your vehicles condition and detecting early warning signs of problems and failures. However, oil analysis results and diagnoses are only as good as the quality of the oil sample. To maximize the effectiveness of your oil sampling, it must be performed with some important goals in mind.

• The oil sample must be representative of the condition of the lubricant at the time of sampling.
• Sampling should be done carefully to minimize contamination.
• Consistent sampling procedures provide more representative samples as well as  accurate data and trending.
• Samples should be submitted immediately to ensure results are as relevant as possible.

The system should not be idle or “cold”. To maximize data accuracy, the oil sample needs to be representative of the oil as it flows through your equipment during normal operation. The equipment should be running under normal working conditions and operating temperature, so the sample can be taken under conditions that would cause normal wear. Ideally, the equipment should have been running about one hour prior to sampling.

Oil samples should be extracted as quickly as possible after the equipment has stopped to minimize loss of data from the effects of settling.  Have your sampling equipment--hoses, pumps, etc.--ready prior to shut-down, so sampling can be done as soon as possible.  Ideally, oil sampling should be done within 10-15 minutes of shut-down.

Samples should be taken on the fluid return or drain line; basically downstream. The collection point should also be upstream of your filter. Try to avoid sampling from the drain plug. Sumps and reservoirs will hold historical sediment and contaminants not representative of the current state of the lubricant.

Better to pull from the oil dip stick with a vacuum type pump. Insert tube through the fill port or dip stick port. Take sample about midway into the oil level. You should try to draw your samples at the same level each time. A quick-connect sampling valve can be installed on high pressure ports to improve sampling.

Establish consistent oil sampling procedures to ensure repeatability and accuracy of oil analysis results. This also ensures accurate historical trending.  All maintenance personnel should follow the same procedure for sampling. Sample from the same location, and sample at the set frequency.

 

This story is a follow up to Friday's Things You Can Learn from Oil Analysis.

Things You Can Learn from Oil Analysis

The other day I wrote about the 2021 Cummins engine that is going to have a 100,000 mile oil change interval. The caveat is that it is actually an 85,000 mile change interval unless you do routine oil analysis. 

Now the truth is, with the kind of money we spend on a diesel, the cost of oil analysis is just pennies. Why not take care of your equipment and make it last? Oil analysis is one of the best ways to do this. 

You can see rust on a truck body, the visible outer shell of your machine. But what's happening on the inside? Oil analysis uses science to determine the condition of your oil. It will also provide clues as to the condition of your engine, whether you have smooth sailing ahead or macabre mayhem. Dan Arcy, in a 2019 Fleet Equipment story, describes it as an "early warning system." And it is.

In short, what Cummins is saying is that oil analysis has real value. It's a cost effective tool for extending the life of your equipment. 

What a good oil analysis does is identify wear metals in the oil. The experienced lab has vast quantities of historical data which enables them to identify what is going on based on the wear metals in your oil. Arcy notes that high levels of iron might point to cylinder wear. Unusual levels of chromium, aluminum, copper or tin will help identify other problems. 

Some wear is normal. An experienced lab will point out for you what is not normal, and what this means.

Your oil analysis report will also give you insights into the fluid itself. Do you have glycol in the oil? Water? Is your viscosity correct? Have you had fuel dilution? 

Silica is a nasty and unwelcome guest in any engine. You can also find copper, potassium or lead as well. Each item on the lab report is there to teach you something.  

According to Mike Wyant of PetroChoice, the two most common problems are dirt (inadequate or improper filtration) or water (leaking through seals.) Each of these require attention, the sooner the better.

Click here to see a sample of a 2015 report from PetroChoice. 

Photo Credit: Science in HD