$40 Million in Grant Money Available in the Bay Area to Reduce Diesel Engine Pollution

This story was sent to us the other day regarding funds available to upgrade older diesel trucks with state-of-the-art clean diesel engines. The primary aim of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District is to reduce toxic emissions from older diesels. Vehicles being considered include medium- and heavy-duty trucks and buses, mobile construction and industrial equipment, agricultural equipment, marine vessels, locomotives and school buses. 

I'm imagining that school districts with nimble leadership will try to take advantage of this offering. Those whose decision-making apparatus is tangled in tape will be less able. 

* * * 

If you've ever wondered why air quality is such an issue in California, a visit to Los Angeles in person might answer part of that question. This city, and most of the coastal cities on the Pacific, are situated in basins with mountains stretching up on the East and an incoming breeze from the ocean. It's like a bowl that cataches and holds all the smog, zone and particulate matter. An atmospheric inversion occurs which causes it all to form a "pollution dome" over the city. 

Most major cities have a slightly discolored dome hovering over them, but wind and weather usually cleanses this cloud in most places. The cities on the West Coast, being hedged by mountains, find themselves with a unique drawback. 

* * *

California has been wrestling with air quality issues for a century now and San Francisco has not been exempt. Jack Broadbent, the Bay district’s executive officer, said the grants would pay for “cleaner-than-required equipment to improve air quality in neighborhoods that need our help most." The funding comes from the Carl Moyer Program and Community Health Protection Program.

NOTEWORTHY

The announcement was made on December 11, and these funds will be distributed on a first come first serve basis. 

To apply or for more information, go to www.baaqmd.gov/AB617grants or call (415) 749-4994. Applications will be evaluated on a first-come, first-served basis until funds run out.

* * * 

Story Source: The Independent News

Win a Year's Supply of Champion Blue Flame Performance Diesel Engine Oil. Register Here!

Winning contests is fun.  But in order to win you have to play. They won't pick your name unless you throw your hat in the ring. 

Photo by Danny Howe on Unsplash

Champion Brands has announced a sweepstakes in which you can win a year's supply of Blue Flame Performance Diesel Oil for your favorite ride. What's intriguing about this particular contest is that it doesn't have a deadline. There will be drawings throughout the year. 

I won my first contest when I was 8. I ended up on the front page of the local newspaper. I won another contest in high school, and more later in life. Why? Because usually there are fewer entries than you'd think, which means that the odds favor you more than you might think, if you enter.

Here's are the key points about this contest. 

To Register
1. Click on the green Blue Flame Contest button on the upper right.
2. Fill out the form.
3. Submit

In a nutshell, this is a classic sweepstakes in which you register to win with no-purchase-necessary. 

The contest manager will pick winners throughout the year and provide enough Champion Blue Flame Performance Diesel Engine Oil to cover a minimum of four oil changes a year. 

* * * 

Restrictions 

One entry per household

Must be 18 years of age

US 48-state addresses only

* * * 

Blue Flame Diesel Engine Oils are formulated with workhorse high-zinc performance additives, superior protection, advanced polymer technology, and high TBN, supported by a carrier blend of synthetic fluids.

In addition, Blue Flame Diesel Engine Oils deliver unmatched high temperature film strength and lubricity protection, with the muscle to combat oil shear and maximize sustained cylinder compression. They also inhibit oxidation, corrosive acids, sludge and varnish build-up.

 

These robust performance oils keep diesel engines going longer by reducing soot-induced engine wear, controlling abrasive soot contamination and preventing high temperature corrosion, even while allowing for improved fuel economy and lower total cost of ownership. They are proven to increase engine horse power and torque.

 

Champion Blue Flame “Classic” 15w-40 Performance Diesel Engine Oil. 
https://www.championbrands.com/blue-flame-classic-blend-15w-40-pre-2007-diesel-engine-oil/ 

Champion Blue Flame API 15w-40 Performance Diesel Engine Oil

https://www.championbrands.com/champion-blue-flame-15w-40/

 

* * * 

ABOUT THE BLOG

Champion’s Blue Flame Blog aims to establish itself as a vital resource for diesel performance enthusiasts by becoming a hub connecting enthusiasts to other digital platforms such as Diesel Forums, Press Releases, Email, Web Sites, RSS Feeds and other social media platforms. I

 

The Blue Flame Diesel Blog also has links that provide real time information on such subjects as diesel fuel prices, truck stop locations, technical information, torque specs, how to become a Champion Oil distributor, real time crude oil prices, diesel seminars, and on-line purchases. www.blueflamediesel.com

IF THERE IS SOMETHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE here at the Blue Flame Blog, let us know. If it will help other Diesel Enthusists, we'll work it in.

 

About Champion Brands, LLC, a globally recognized industry leader in specialty lubricants for over 65 years. Champion also produces and blends over 350 products including fuel, oil, engine additives, and lubricants for the racing, automotive, heavy truck, agricultural, industrial, and specialty markets. For more information contact your nearest Champion distributor, or call Champion at 660-890-6231. Champion Brands, LLC; 1001 Golden Drive, Clinton, MO, 64735 or go to http://www.championbrands.com

Performance Diesel Podcasts for Your Listening Pleasure

There was a time when your only options for what to watch on television were what the networks produced and fed you. With the exception of ham radio enthusiasts, radio content was also created for delivery via the airwaves and you listened to what they generated. With the advent of cable television your choices were broadened, but also you were still limited.

Then the Internet came and the monopoly of the networks was broken forever. Nearly anyone could be a content producer or develop a show to share on YouTube, Vimeo or other platforms. In fact, 500 hours of new content is being uploaded to YouTube every minute. This amounts to 720,000 hours of content each day. Imagine how big Google's hard drives are to hold all that information.

Two decades ago the concept of RSS feeds was emerging and Podcasting began to emerge as a viable force. Podcasters are similar to radio programs except they use audio files that can be played on the listener's devices. Just as there are millions of people uploading videos to YouTube and Facebook, so too there are currently 850,000 podcasters who have produced over 30 million podcast episodes.

Many podcasters produce a series in which a host or hosts interview guests on a theme or cover news around a related topic. It should come as no surprise then that there are literally hundreds of podcasts for diesel enthusiasts. 

One way to find channels you like is simply to Google it.  Here's a popular one called Diesel Performance Podcast. DPP has been archiving shows since 2015. Recent topics include:

Talking Fabrication and Sled Pulling with Jason Wehrli

Frank Kuperman of RevMax

Black Friday 2020

Reasonable Upgrade Lists for Every 6.6L Duramax

There are a wide variety of ways to listen to your favorite programs. You can subscribe via RSS, listen on Apple Podcasts, download to your laptop, email to your iPhone, listen on Stitcher or Spotify or head over to YouTube. In short, the power is in your hands.

The best part is, if you think you can do better then you can share your own Diesel interests with a podcast of your own. If you do, leave a comment and tell us about it. 

* * * 

Links
Diesel Performance on Google Podcasts 

More Diesel Performance 

Backtracks Diesel Performance Podcasts 

Torque + Fuel Efficiency = the 2021 Chev Suburban Diesel SUV

It's that time of year. Mother Nature gave us four seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer and New Car Introductions. When autumn colors appear on the trees, you know that next year's cars will begin appearing in car magazines and other media. 

Every product has a target niche it strives to fill. That includes cars and trucks. The 2021 Chevrolet Suburban Diesel is billing itself as the most fuel-efficient, full-size SUV on the market. Here's what Miguel Cortina said at Motor Trend. 

Cortina begins by stating that efficient full-sized SUVs are rare. Putting a diesel under the hood, though, changes the equation. This vehicle, he says, was, "rated at 20/26/22 mpg city/highway/combined, which makes it the most fuel-efficient four-wheel-drive full-size SUV in the market. Think about that for a sec." 

A diesel Suburban isn't new, he says, but it's not something Chevy has done for a while. The specific model he test drove was the Chev Suburban Diesel High Country, 2021 of course.

First Stop: The Track
The objective at the track is to see how it handles. Cortina clearly enjoyed how it handled, describing it as "buttery smooth and elegantly refined." The Duramaz turbodiesel delivers 277 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque that gets transmitted to the tires via 10-speed automatic transmission. Yes, it is just a tad louder than the gasoline version but unless you're paying attention you don't really notice.

In addition to exploring how fast it can do the quarter-mile, they tested its braking, as well as handling by  executing figure-eights. When all was said and done, they broke down all the data and compared it to the gas-powered 2021 Chev Suburban. They also compared the diesel 4WD version to a rear-powered. (The latter pulls 8,000 pounds whereas the 4WD a measly 7800.) 

Bottom Line
After using spelling out a few details about pricing and availability, they come to the question. Should I buy? The team at Motor Trend seems enamored by this stylish new machine. Here's their conclusion.

"It doesn't matter what your budget is—if you're looking for a Suburban, the Duramax engine is worth looking at. For less than a grand you will be getting more torque and better fuel economy without much sacrifice in performance. And who doesn't like that?"

For all the nitty gritty details, read the full story here at Motor Trend.

Are You Still Hearing These Common Myths About Diesels?

One of the things every internet junky knows is that there is a lot of information out there in cyberspace, as well as misinformation. On this blog our theme is always Diesel, and by that we don't mean Vin. On this topic there are new stories every day. There's also a massive backlog of archived stories that are still relevant. 

Here's a 2019 story from Hot Cars that caught my eye and is still totally relevant. The article by Goran Radanovic is titled 25 Myths About Diesel Engines That Simply Aren't True.

Radanovic begins with a little history of diesel engines and their development. The significant feature of this power plant design is the manner in which it generates combustion. Ignition is caused by the elevated temperature generated in the cylinder by mechanical compression, which results in the ignition of the fuel. It's a brilliantly simple concept based on an understanding of basic scientific principles. 

Despite their proven track record of more than a century of service, a number of myths have grown up regarding diesel power. The author actually cites 25 here. I'll note a few of them and then send you directly to the source at Hot Cars.

1. Myth: Diesels are the largest cause of air pollution.

When you see that black smoke billow you do have to wonder how this isn't true. But the reality is, there have been great strides taken to clean up diesel. The industry has come a long, long way. Remember how much black smoke steel mills spewed a century ago? You don't see any of that today, and these engines now a different from olden times.What I find interesting is that there is such as thing as being too quiet. I valuely recall reading last year that the EV cars are so quietthey are dangerous for blind people who can't hear them coming. 

2. Myth: Diesels are loud.

That, too, has changed. "Common-rail technology made diesel engines almost as quiet as gas engines," he writes. 

3. Myth: Finding diesel fuel at the pump is impossible.

Not sure why anyone would buy this myth. The infrastructure for diesel is everywhere. I will tell you what IS true. You're not going to have as easy of a time finding charging stations for your Tesla. At leas t not yet.

4. Myth: Diesel engines are only good for towing.

Towing is just one of the advantages of diesel engine technology. Reliability and longevity are additional benefits.

5. Myth: You can't tune a diesel engine. 

This seems strange. If you've ever witnessed or been part of a dyno competition you can see that it's all about tuning for maximum power. According to Radanovic, "The truth is that diesel engines have withstood better tuning than gasoline engines." 

* * *  

The author lists 20 more common myths about diesels. It's actually quite surprising how much misinformation people take for granted. You can read the who story here:

25 Myths About Diesel That Simply Aren't True
https://www.hotcars.com/myths-about-diesel-engines-that-simply-arent-true/

How Oil Analysis Helps You Diagnose Engine Health

Diagnosis is the process of identifying the nature of an illness or other problem by examining symptoms. In the Year of Covid, diagnostics has been much discussed in the news. Developing accurate diagnostic tools was an essential first step in the battle against its spread. 

Diagnosing engine wear may not be as life and death a matter as the coronavirus, but the concept of oil analysis operates on the same principle You use tools that have been designed to help identify things that are going on that you can't see. In other words, the data you can read will help you see that which is hidden from view, much the way x-ray machines hep doctors identify broken bones and ultrasound identifies what is happening in our internal organs.

This week an article by Karl Dedolph in the January 2021 edition of The Shop magazine goes into detail about the benefits of oil analysis for racers. Dedolph, director of racing and performance products for Champion Brands, begins by comparing oil analysis to a dyno. "Our complete oil analysis kit with mailer and sample bottle is just like using a dyno to measure horsepower," he writes.

The article discusses how sophisticated the process has become, using spectrometers to identify the metals and fluids found in a sample. Each element has its origin, enabling trained specialists to recognize where the wear might be occurring inside the engine and how serious it is. 

In addition to explaining what oil analysis is, the author addresses some common misconceptions about performance aftermarket oils and fluids. 

You can find a digital copy of this  article here in the January online edition of The Shop.

Related Links

Things You Can Learn from Oil Analysis

Champion Offers Free Oil Analysis Kits

RV Industry Gets a Boost from Lockdown Blues

That this has been a year like no other goes without saying. Much has been written about the the financial hardships generated by the lockdowns and the psychological impacts. The hunkering down that took place in 2020 made me wonder how the RV business went this year. As I checked a few sites I saw that things took a turn for the worse in March, in part because there were so many unknowns regarding the "novel coronavirus" as they were calling it. Sales were down 20% that month according to one story I read and 80% in April.

Then, things shifted. People did not want to be locked down, and saw the RV lifestyle as a means of escape. According to stats from the RV Industry Association, sales of began to take off in June, which had the most RV sales in over two years, and by fall motorhome and RV sales were so robust that by October Barrron's was writing about the best RV stocks to buy during this travel revival.

Recreatiional Vehicles (RVs) come in all shapes and sizes. Those that are motorized are categorized by class -- Class A, B or C, and a Super C that uses the same diesel power plant that you find in 18-wheelers. There are also those that people tow, including pop-up trailers and fifth wheels. My first trip into Mexico was in a pickup fitted with an over-the-cab camper that sat in the pickup bed.

According to the RVIA the RV industry makes a big footprint in our economy. More than 25 million Americans go RVing each year and we spend more than 60 billion dollars on maintenance and services. With sales of RVs and all that is involved in providing campgrounds and accessories, it's a 114 billion dollar industry. And 98% of all RVs are made in the USA. It's nearly a unique industry in that way. 

Here's an excerpt from their October 2020 Market Report:

The RV Industry Association's October 2020 survey of manufacturers found that total RV shipments finished the month with 47,326 units, an increase of 21.4% from the 38,972 units shipped in October 2019. This represents the second highest October on record.

Towable RVs, led by conventional travel trailers, totaled 42,854 units for the month, an increase of 22.9% compared to last October’s total of 34,866 units. Motorhomes finished the month with 4,472 units, up 8.9% compared to the October 2019 total of 4,106 units.

I've always know that diesel engines were a big part of the power in motorhomes and RVs but I was surprised to learn that only 50% of motorhomes are diesel. For sure diesels will give you more power if you're climbing through the Rockies, but there are evidently pros and cons to everything in life. Here is a great debate about Gas vs. Diesel when it comes to RVs.

* * *  

Vintage camper trailer. Wanna get away?

If you're tired of being cooped up and feel a need to get away, motorhomes and RVs have given lot of people wings to fly with the breeze when the urge possesses. If this is all new to you, here is a blog post at KOA that serves as a Beginner's Guide to Buying an RV or Motorhomes.

Sources
Travel & Leisure
Barron's
KOA.com
Town & Country