Champion Brands Celebrates 65 Years in the Lubricant Business

Since its founding in 1956, Champion Brands has established itself as a stalwart of the oil industry. The following announcement came across the wire this morning. We share it here in case you don't catch it in one of your favorite diesel publications or resources.

 

(Clinton, Mo / 01.04.21) Champion Brands, LLC, a globally recognized industry manufacturer of chemicals, lubricants, brake fluids, motor oils and additives, announced this week a year-long 65th Anniversary Celebration in 2021.  Highlights of the year will be sponsorship of national & regional auto races, product contests, promotions, and special events.  

https://www.championbrands.com/

 

Originally Lowe Oil Co. founded by Ralph Lowe in 1956, Champion Brands, LLC is a globally recognized industry leader in specialty lubricants. Champion produces and blends more than 350 products including fuel, oil and engine additives, brake fluids and motor oils for the automotive, heavy truck, racing, performance, industrial, commercial, agricultural and specialty markets.  https://www.championbrands.com/products/

 

Champion understands the complexities of doing business in today’s market and is always looking for new and better ways to be more efficient and resourceful. Quality products are more than a commitment at Champion; high standards define the way it does business. Champion is an ISO 9001:2015 Certified and Registered Company.

 

The company uses top tier additives and base stocks to formulate products for outstanding wear protection, fuel economy, high temperature stability, long-life protection, improved efficiency, oxidation resistance, lower evaporation, increased performance, friction reduction, and lubricant compatibility across a wide range of engine operating conditions and applications.

 

Headquartered in Clinton, Missouri, just 75 miles southeast of Kansas City, Champion’s 450,000 square foot plant with 30 loading bays accommodates more than 1.7 million gallons of bulk storage with convenient rail siding.

The plant has 10 filling lines and several blow molding machines including two Bekum 406 production units capable of blowing PVC and HDPE bottles, one Bekum 807D with 6-layer capability for containers up to 5 gallons and one AOKI PET Blow Molding Machine. Depending on the particular configuration, Champion is capable of producing well over 100,000 bottles per day. Three resin silos with over ½ million-pound capacity supply the blow molders. 

https://www.championbrands.com/plant-tour/

 

The facility also houses state-of-the-art net weight and piston filling lines capable of filling 300+ containers per minute to exact weight specifications. Containers are de-palletized, labeled, filled, sealed, capped, coded, packed and palletized, using only 3 operators. Lines are capable of running metal, HDPE, PVC and PET containers in sizes ranging from 2.4 oz to 330 gallon totes.

 

The speed and versatility of these lines make it a high volume, cost effective solution for the many Fortune 500 companies that private label and package product with Champion. Fluid blending and storage capacity includes over 100 tanks ranging from 1.5K to 34K gallons for blending lubricants, brake fluids and various chemicals.

 

The collection of blending tanks feeds the elaborate pigging system designed to prevent cross-product contamination. Rail siding and tanker truck load/offload locations provide the versatility to receive/ship bulk fluids in sizes ranging up to 30,000-gallon rail cars.

 

Ten lubricant/chemical filling lines package engine oils, hydraulic fluids, specialty oils, fuel additives, and automotive fluids that include power steering fluid, brake fluid, tire sealant, etc. Each line has specific types of products that it can package. Bottles are labeled, capped, heat sealed (if needed), coded, placed into cartons, and loaded onto pallets.

 

Champion has a very modern testing laboratory. While the lab’s primary function is to test the performance of products before they are packaged, the lab also has the tools to perform elemental analysis of fluids to blueprint the various components of different fluids or test used fluid. The talented R&D team formulates the world’s most advanced, engineering-approved fluids that exceed API, ILSAC, ACEA, JASO, Dexos, and other OEM and global standards.

 

Champion formulates and provides custom packaging for private label products including mineral, semi-synthetic and full-synthetic engine oils, fuel treatments, brake fluids, hydraulic fluids, automotive additives and chemicals, and more. The product portfolio is one of the largest in the industry.  https://www.championbrands.com/private-label/

 

Good people are the heart of Champion Brands, LLC. Passion, dedication, knowledge and a can-do attitude drive the growth of this company.

 

For more information about Champion 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

The Big Red Flatbed as Featured in Diesel Tech

The November issue of Diesel Tech had a nice story titled "The Big Red Flatbed" that appeared in its online  edition in December. The article by Colin Peterson focuses on a 2000 Dodge RAM 3500 powered by a 24-valve 5.9L Cummins engine. The vehicle is a labor of love for Alejandro "Alex" Ramos, a California teen from Camino, California.

The truck, which started as a stock dually, is a long ways from home, its original home being 3000 miles across the country in North Carolina. Today, the truck is in the midst of a complete makeover "with tractor-trailer-like rims" and beefed up performance. 

There's no question that Alex loves his truck. The article has lots of photos of this beautiful big red beast, but also includes an Instagram link where you can see even more. Alex is proud of what he has and of what he's been doing. It's a work in progress, and a work truck at the same time that he uses to pull excavators and other equipment around on winding roads.

The most aggressive upgrades have been under the hood, Peterson notes. Here's a partial list of what's taken place beneath the surface:

--195-horsepower BD Diesel Performance injectors

--BD Diesel high-performance VP44 injection pump

--Banks Power High-RAM air intake elbow

--Holset HX40 Super 40 turbo. 

"He keeps all of that running strong with Hot Shot’s Secret products. Behind the flywheel and before the NV4500 transmission is a South Bend Clutch dual-disk clutch, plenty well-designed to handle all the amped up performance that the engine puts out. With this setup that provides enhanced fuel flow, airflow and boost, the flatbed western hauler definitely gets the performance it deserves, and Alex has no problems with his heavy towing or hauling."

As noted earlier, it's a work in progress by a young man with big dreams. Dreamers peer into the future and make things happen. The world could use more young dreamers.  

READ THE FULL STORY HERE
https://www.dieseltechmag.com/2020/12/the-big-red-flatbed

Happy New Year to All -- Especially Diesel Lovers

With 2020 behind us it's time to look ahead. First, one quick backward glance. When the Blue Flame Blogger launched at the beginning of September, we were happy that so many of your found us so quickly and in our first months we've had tens of thousands of pageviews. Our data shows us that many of you are staying around and we appreciate that. We've worked hard to assemble a lot of good content for you and promise to deliver more in 2021.

Our top three stories from the past four months were these:

#3
PaxPower Converts F150 to Diesel Raptor 

#2

Shaq Goes Big with a Diesel Ford F-650

#1

Blue Flame Contingency Program Rewards Diesel Drag Racers

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And in case you missed it,  BE SURE TO ENTER OUR SWEEPSTAKES to win a year's supply of Blue Flame Oil for your diese. DETAILS HERE. Or to push the green button (above write) to enter directly.

Happy New Year

GM Rolls Out More Diesel Models Than Ever

There's a saying on Wall Street: "The trend is your friend." Until fundamentals change, an investment will continue to flow in the same direction it had been flowing. Growing companies keep growing, and wise investors buy into it.

EV cars and trucks have seen this kind of growth the past 20 years, some of it driven by hype and much of it by public demand. Every automaker has been active in the development of vehicles that reduce the carbon footprint of gasoline-powered internal combustion engines.

The media coverage of this adoption of EV technologies has been extensive. What's been missed, or seems so at times, are the advances in Clean Diesel technologies. Their reputation as being loud and smelly is so fixed in some peoples' imaginations and memories that they are unable to see the New Diesels in their true light. Fortunately, major automakers recognize the consumer demand.

This week GM Authority published a story by David Finlay about GM's continued commitment to diesel. The December 26 article is titled, "Availability of Diesel Models Has Doubled Since 2016." It begins:

The availability of turbodiesel engines in General Motors vehicles sold in the U.S. has doubled in the past five years. During the 2016 model year, just six GM diesel models were available. In 2021, that number has risen to 12.

The article includes a chart showing which GM models have had diesel engines and what kind of engines they were, from the 1.6L 14 LH7 WhisperDiesel to the 6.6L V8 L5P, which has a toque close to 1,000 pound-feet.

The article includes a chart showing which GM vehicle models have been powered by diesel engines and the kind of engines they've got under the hood. In 2021 you'll find Duramax engines in all its full-sized vehicles include the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Tahoe Suburban, GMC Sierra 1500, Yukons and the Cadillac Esscalade, which we wrote about here.

Finlay points out that GM has been neglecting its EV offerings. Not by a long shot. In fact, the global giant has announced plans to roll out 30 EVs worldwide by 2025. In the meantime, don't expect EVs to outsell diesel powered vehicles in the U.S. anytime soon.

Read the full article here: 
https://gmauthority.com/blog/2020/12/availability-of-gm-diesel-models-has-doubled-since-2016/

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'93 Dodge Ram with 5.9L Cummins Sells for Twice What It Did When New

This is what happens when you take care of what you own rather than run it into the ground. Yesterday, Auto Evolution published a story by Daniel Patrascu about a 1993 Dodge Power Ram 250 Club Cab in such mint condition that it fetched $50,000 at auction. The two-tone pickup came with a camper shell that no doubt added to its mystique. 

The original price in late 1992 on the diesel-powered pickup was $15K which would be $26K today, adjusted for inflation. So $50K shows how much value is added when you take care of what you own.

Over the course of its lifetime the truck had only accumulated 33,000 original miles, which Patrascu calculated to being about 1200 miles a year. Obviously the vehicle's single owner wasn't using it as a commuter vehicle, nor for annual summer vacations around the country.

Under the hood you'll find a Cummins inline-six diesel engine linked with to a four-speed transmission and a dual-range transfer case. According to Patrascu, "the 5.9-liter unit was originally rated at 160 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque." He suspects that most of that power is still there in the box.

The vehicle, which sold on Monday this week, had spent its life in Utah where dry weather conditions are favorable and kind, unlike regions of the country where humidity is a bane. Other features of the Ram include 16" wheels, bucket seats, air conditioning, cruise control and power windows.

It's noteworthy that in addition to all the original sales documentation, manufacturer's literature, clean title and Carfax report, the late owner kept meticulous service records, which enhances the value of used cars and trucks much the same as your medical records have a bearing on life insurance.

You can read Daniel Patrascu's Auto Evolution story here:
https://www.autoevolution.com/news/camper-shelled-1993-dodge-ram-goes-for-50k-double-what-it-sold-for-new-153707.html# 

For an excellent example of how to sell your own used truck, this listing at the Bring A Trailer auction site is a superb template showing how to present your used equipment so as to get the most buck for your banger:
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1993-dodge-power-ram-250-turbodiesel-4x4/

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Troubleshooting Tip: Getting a Diesel Engine Started When It's Run Out of Fuel

If you ever run out of gas, you know what a hassle it can be. In a gasoline-powered vehicle it's an inconvenience. With a diesel, it's a bit more complicated.

Fuel gauges are especially important when you're on the highway and the exit ramps are limited. I personally believe half full should be treated as "almost empty" so that one is at least beginning to pay attention. Nevertheless, it happens. If you're distracted, for whatever reason, when that first wheezing occurs you know you're in trouble. What do you do?

This summer K.J. Jones wrote an article on the Truck Trend Network addressing this issue. 

He begins by pointing out that technological advances these past two decades have eliminated some of the former hands-on procedures for dealing with this situation, such as manually priming the fuel system. Even so, if you do run out of fuel, the first thing you need to know is what NOT to do. That is, don't try to start the engine on empty, Jones says, because injectors and other parts can be damaged when there's a lack of lubrication.

Actually, he doesn't promise a lot of detail here in this article, but it's information that diesel owners should be aware of, foremost being that the task can be messy and is more than inconvenient. 

Putting fuel in the tank is the first step. Unfortunately, that isn't the end of it. You're not going to be able to start the engine again after you refuel because there's air in the lines.

The next step, logically, is to bleed the lines and injectors, a task not too unlike bleeding your brakes. You'll likely want to have your owners manual handy to locate the bleed screws, especially if you have never done that before on this vehicle. Have a few rags handy as well as a bottle to collect the priming fluid.

BLUE FLAME TIP: If you're a rookie on bleeding air from your lines, there are diesel forums for every make of engine listed here in the right hand column. You can find the help you need by doing a search. For example, here's what I found at the Diesel Hub when I asked about bleed procedures for a 6.5 diesel fuel system: https://www.dieselhub.com/maintenance/6.5-diesel-fuel-system-bleed-procedures.html

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The Jones article has some helpful photos, but keep in mind that vehicles are not uniform. The Truck Trend article aims to get you thinking in the right direction, though. The next steps are up to you.

Here's the Link:
http://www.trucktrend.com/how-to/engine/how-to-start-a-diesel-engine-when-it-runs-out-of-fuel

The Diesel in Saving Private Ryan

A couple weeks ago I went through a Tom Hanks binge which included, among others, the powerful Spielberg WW2 epic, Saving Private Ryan. I was actually surprised by how many movies Hanks and director Steven Spielberg have teamed up on, Saving Private Ryan was only the first, and four more big screen hits followed: Catch Me If You Can, The Terminal, Bridge of Spies, The Post. (They also teamed up for the TV series Band of Brothers.) I was also surprised by how many other familiar actors were part of this production, people I didn't expect.

So it was fun finding an article about Saving Private Ryan this weekend, the day after Christmas, and the writer made the same observation that I did. The article by Jerrica Tisdale is titled Saving Private Ryan: 10 Actors You Probably Forgot Were In The Movie.

I remembered Matt Damon as Private Ryan, of course, and Hanks, but was quite surprised how many other familiar faces there were. Ted Danson, Bryan Cranston, Tom Sizemore (A standout in Black Hawk Down), Paul Giamatti (Surprise! Yes, he was there), Joe Farina (Great roles in two Elmore Leonard flicks, Get Shorty and Out of Sight) and several other recognizable names and faces. 

SPOILER ALERT

Vin Diesel as Private Adrian Caparzo

The big surprise--only because he was such an unknown then and is anything but that today--was seeing Vin Diesel as Private Adrian Caparzo. Now working on his 10th Fast and Furious flick, he's been versatile on a range of projects that have made him diesel-powered truckloads of money.

If it's been a while since you saw the film, you'll remember Vin Diesel's last scene, surprisingly early in the film. Hanks, as Captain  Miller, has been tasked with a mission, to locate locate Private Ryan, played by another familiar name, Matt Damon, to send him home because his three brothers have been killed in other action. Hanks and his small band of men are looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack.

As they pass through a bombed out city, Hanks and company are pinned down by a sniper. A French family in a semi-demolished apartment complex is pleading with the soldiers to bring their daughter to safety. Hanks says "No, this is not our mission." 

Soft-hearted Vin Diesel ignores the Captain's orders. He defends his decision because she reminds him of his niece. Tragically, he gets picked off by the sniper and bleeds out right in front of the others who must watch helplessly from behind walls and debris.

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German Panzers were not diesel powered as you might have supposed.

Another surprise for me was learning that Vin Diesel was the only diesel in this film. That is, until researching for this blog post I always assumed that the German tanks in WW2 were diesel-powered. It would have made sense for this to be so, but in reality (according to my research) they, like the America-made Sherman tanks, ran on gasoline or petrol. This made being a tank driver quite hazardous, as gasoline is much more volatile than diesel fuel. Hence, when you see tanks get shelled and men leaping out covered with flames, that's a pretty accurate portrayal of a common hazard for tank drivers and their passengers.

In the final battle, we see a pair of German tanks similar to these Panzers above and a half-track, that hybrid transport vehicle that is half-truck, half tread. By utilizing a single fuel source, all the equipment could be kept powered from one stock pile.

Interestingly enough, the Soviet army did have diesel-powered tanks, supplied by the United States via lend lease. U.S. Sherman tanks and British tanks were all gasoline powered.

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LINKS
Jerrica Tisdale's "Saving Private Ryan: Actors You Forgot Were in the Movie"
Adrian Caparzo @ Saving Private Ryan Fandom  
Which WW2 Tanks were Diesel Powered?