Well, as the season starts to drop off, I move into some prep for 2008, and then look at some things that I didn't look at during the summer.
I'm trying to learn some stuff about aerodynamics to see if there are some simple things I can do to the trailer to potentially improve mileage. If it makes it more stable, great. Seems to be a decent amount of information out there about "separation" and how that generates drag.
Looking for internet information, I stumbled into websites and some interesting forums.
Once you say that you have a diesel vehicle, everyone wants to tell you about biodiesel and collecting vegetable oil even though they have gas engines themselves. Honestly, a diesel will just about run on anything, and I'm really happy that I made my change to my bus years ago. Even though diesels is very expensive, it's still economical compared to my experience with bigger trailers and gas motors.
Someone on a MPG forum pointed me toward a guy that was harvesting his own sunflower oil in Kansas, and to a website forum for Lister style engines, these single cylinder diesel engines used to run generators, etc. I did some reading, and then I actually had a couple emails with the farmer in Kansas. He's not a scientist, but he has some real world back ground in working with engines on the farm...pumps, trucks, combines, lister style engine, etc.
Some of his discussions went back to how the plastics industry started paying top dollar for some of the polymers that were left in petroleum that traditionally was in gasoline and diesel. That was interesting as it related to some conversations with the folks at Power Mist (http://http//:www.powermist.com) back in the early 90's that amounted to the same thing, but also related that to what the EPA was requiring for all the designer fuels also.
So, cutting to the fuel chase. I had a seal replaced on the bus rear end, and it was now cold, so I was going to fill up the tank with winter fuel so I'd be prepared for some of the minor driving I'll be doing with her to some lakes and all. After my research and my emails with the guy, Dan, I decided to spike my diesel fuel with a couple items. Within my 37 gallon tank I now have 34 gallons of petrol diesel, two gallons of new vegetable oil, and one gallon of regular unleaded gasoline.
The bus has a few miles, so I'm not going to recommend this to anyone really, but it's going to be interesting more in the spring when I get better opportunities with less warm up time to see what the real results are. So, far, I'm almost giddy about it. I did a few things that day in the bus, and I should have used more fuel.
I think most of the aerodynamic stuff will have to wait until spring when there's warmer weather.
Welcome to the wonderful world of hippies. :ahhh: You've got the geek part down, you've got the naked part nailed, so just grow a beard or obnoxiously long hair and you'll be a lifetime member. :biggrin: (When you get your official membership number, I can give you the names of some local CSAs)
All joking aside, it's pretty cool that you're researching this. :thumb:
Hippy? Nah, it's capitalism all the way through. I don't want to pay $3.50 for diesel with 11MPG, I want 14MPG consistently. Even if it's $1.50, well, I can buy more thongs.
I put 16oz of vegetable oil in the Taurus too. It's not a diesel. Same idea, but I have less information on it. So far, so good. I need more data.
Here's an interesting thing that has me thinking too. Years ago, a friend of my dad's and our dentist were both using this product called Mixigo. This was around the time after the fuel crunch and I think around the time when lead was being removed from gas. So, I was like not born, right, being twenty-six years old... ::)
Anyway, my dad's friend Charlie and Dr Hoff both swore by the stuff. Interestingly, it sure had a nice color like vegetable oil. I just did a Google look up on it, and it still exists. Low and behold they state it's a "balanced compound of ashless organic materials in a pure hydrocarbon solvent".
More "fuel" for thought, eh?
I've been doing alot of researching on the aero topic myself over the last couple years, very interesting. For example just an 18" gap between tow vehicle and trailer is enough for the air to fill into that void and cause drag, almost as though the tow vehicle wasn't even breaking thru the air at all - the more that gap, the greater the drag. A pick-up truck pulling a flat front trailer is one of the worst situations you can have, in that situation the tow vehicle has almost no effect in reducing the drag the trailer will cause. I have a chart I found online that shows the drag co-efficients for different shapes, a flat front trailer is almost the worst thing you can have (with the front of the trailer actually being dished in and concave like a parachute being the worst on this chart). Another huge factor is the back of the trailer, the void created behind a trailer that allows for people to get a wind tow is a mileage killer. Changing the shape of the front of the trailer to a 'V' can reduce drag, but then it still creates 'detached' air flow around the trailer, just not as bad as a flat wall being forced thru the air. According to this chart about the best situation you can have realistically today is the round front horse trailers, why they are so good is the air flow around the front of the trailers stays 'attached' to the trailer and isn't being thrust outward off to the sides (like the wind blast you get from a flat front trailer going by you if your pulled over along the side of the Interstate).
On this chart a semi (without aero bodywork) pulling a flat front box trailer is the reference point with a 1 drag co-efficient, a flat front and back trailer being pulled behind a pick-up is 1.17, a parachute is 1.35, an aerodynamic semi with the high sleeper roof is about a .60, a 60* 'V' is .51, a round front / flat back (horse trailer) is .41, a 30* 'V' is .34, a round front / round back is .1, and a basic airplane wing shape (round front tapering back to a long 'V') is only .05! My trailer is a 90* 'V' nose which I'm guessing by this chart would be about a .8 or so. Some semi's have been experimenting with 1/2 round domes on the back doors of the trailer to help bring the air back together without creating turbulence (turbulance at the back, on the sides, and on top and under the trailer all cause drag), some have also been using air dams underneath the trailers to smooth out the air even more. Another way they come up with to help bring the air back together behind the trailer is something I've seen called a 'vortex generator' which are molded pieces affixed to the sides and top of the trailer at the very back edge, they help but not like an actual dome.
Dave we need to talk more about this - For my current truck and possible new diesel van..... My Nissan manual says it requires 93 research octane min gas - I have tried 89 - but never 87.... I got about a 1mpg decrease with the 89.... But I have heard horror stories with running 87 in this truck..... I wouldn't be opposed to burning veggy oil - But not to sure if it would have any negative effects somewhere in the system..... I hauled the trailer up to Darien this weekend and when I got home I filled up - 10.3 MPG - you know how I drive - Grandma style - 65 HWY - and light footed.....Just recently I installed a K&N air filter - I almost can't tell a difference - Maybe tenths to the gallon.... Normal 10 miles to work - 8 on the highway for a tank gets me about 12 to 13 MPG.... Normal Highway I see 13.5 to 15 on average..... I have seen 17mpg - driving between 35 to 50 MPH from my house to Rhinelander in a snow storm..... Also I notice that during winter/colder months I get worse mileage - can't decide weather it's cause the computer runs richer in colder weather or cause I let the truck warm up more to defrost ice or cause the quality of fuel in winter months is different..... Still leaning toward the diesel van - just can't find time to do anything about it - and then there is the money thing.......
Holy crap, Scotty! You could have borrowed the bus and got better mileage...with the trailer!
The vegetable oil in the gas is kind of out there for me right now. The bus, well, if someone told me we could recycle poop in the diesel tank, I'd probably be setting up a collection point. :ass:
Mike, you're on the same stuff that I'm seeing.
The detached air flow is the trick.
Before the travel begins for the next year, I'd like to put air dams on the front of the bus and the trailer. That can easily be made out of plastic lawn edging for cheap.
I've seen the vortex generators, and that looks to be a good idea for the rear of the trailer. Obviously, a good amount of drag is developed from the back side of the trailer. There are the stick on style Airtabs, but I've also seen some of work done at a university in Georgia, I think, where it looks like they are just placing four foot pieces of aluminum angles against the side and top of the trailer at an angle to generate the vortex at the rear too.
I've got to go price out some inexpensive sheet metal, but I've thought about lining the bottom of the trailer to keep the flow attached also.
The gap between the bus and the trailer is a problem, as you recognize too. I think there's over five feet of gap between the bus and my trailer. Other exciting issues are the facts that my bus is narrower than my trailer, but it's taller. So, they aren't really matched. Next, when I put different tires on it, I went with a taller tire to lower my gear ratio so I could have a higher ground speed with my "optimum" RPM. I haven't been able to reproduce some of my incredible MPG ratings from 2003 with the original, smaller tires. Might be due to the fact that my bus now is taller.
I'm not going to make a change there in the tires. Kind of pricey. So are rear end gears.
I need more guidance on whether vortex generators on the bus would help between that gap. Obviously, it would help when it's alone, which isn't often. If it might help, I might go that route. I was on a site where studies were done on flat front trailers where they put vertical slats maybe 8" wide on the trailer face that kept the drag down on the face of the trailer. For me, everything gets tricky on turns when I've really got it jacked, and that might make contact between those two pieces. I could literally build a little canvas tunnel between the bus and the trailer. I think that would look gay, but at least it's an idea.
Quote from: SCOTTY727 on December 17, 2007, 12:27:46 AMAlso I notice that during winter/colder months I get worse mileage - can't decide weather it's cause the computer runs richer in colder weather or cause I let the truck warm up more to defrost ice or cause the quality of fuel in winter months is different..... Still leaning toward the diesel van - just can't find time to do anything about it - and then there is the money thing.......
You get it both ways. Longer warm up times uses fuel without moving you forward, and fuel is formulated in winter to start. It's not intended for economy. So, yeah, even if your driving habits were the same as summer for warm up times, it would still use more fuel. Use an ice scrapper. :kicknuts:
Engine technology is really good. I try to reduce my warm up times to minimums. I'm looking at adding a winter front grill cover for the bus. But I also want to use that during the summer. One, it will be better aerodynamically. Two, the PSD likes heat, and the cooling system is way over kill. I might even loose the bug screen if I decide that it's hurting my aero dynamics too.
Mike, have you bought any yarn yet to do aero testing? I wanna do some so bad.
Anyone got GPS close to me too? I need to see how far off my speedometer is.
Quote from: GSXR RACER MIKE on December 17, 2007, 12:13:24 AM
that situation the tow vehicle has almost no effect in reducing the drag the trailer will cause. I have a chart I found online that shows the drag co-efficients for different shapes, a flat front trailer is almost the worst thing you can have (with the front of the trailer actually being dished in and concave like a parachute being the worst on this chart).
Check these things out...
http://www.solusinc.com/vortexstrips.html
http://www.solusinc.com/vortexstrakes.html
Hmmm, I just ride a motorcycle as much as possible. My street bike gets 47 mpg.
My wife's Ninja 250 cost $3000 new out the door, $75/year to insure, 75 mpg.
How much pulling my trailer? :biggrin:
just try mixing up anything
Diesels will run on just about anything even its own engine oil even if fliped over it will run on its own oil till the crank seizes. unless theres an air shut off. which some have but most have only fuel shut off in case of emergency. so maybe you can save your old engine oil and mix it in the fuel probably might smoke a bit but used oil is free. not sure what else will happen over time to the injectors
I'm ahead of you. I've been using all my used engine oil for about two years now. The bus, our cars, and the bikes. I've got a little "station" here at home now where I can let the UEO gravity feed through some toilet paper to filter it. I haven't seen a real increase in smoke with it, and I wanna say that the heaviest mixture I've ran has been 40%...I just didn't want to spend so much more money on Wisconsin diesel when I could buy it for less in Illinois...LOL!...so, I loaded up a nearly empty tank.
Honestly, it runs very well. There's more BTU's in used engine oil than there is in diesel.
Have you tried some of your furnace pellets in your bus yet?? :biggrin:
Quote from: Burt Munro on December 17, 2007, 05:49:06 PM
Have you tried some of your furnace pellets in your bus yet?? :biggrin:
No, that I haven't tried, and I don't think I will...LOL!
We're rockin' here with the pellets. She's been on 24/7 for a while now. That's been just one of the neatest things we've ever got.
You can get away with a lot in the older diesels. The newer ones are a bit more fussy on what they'll burn. That old 7.3 should run on just about anything.
On the aero topic again, did you happen to see the Myth Busters episode where they tested the effectiveness of a vehicle drafting behind a semi trailer at different distances? The 3 of them doing the test thought it wouldn't amount to much at all and were blown away at just how much of a difference it made in drag reduction. The test was done at a NASA wind tunnel testing facility in a small unit with a scale model semi & trailer combo and a car that was attached to a device to measure force. By the time they had the car tailgating the semi the wind drag was hardly anything on the car.
I haven't seen it, but I've raced at Daytona. :biggrin:
So Dave, 1 Gallon of used oil to X Gallons of Diesel would you say. I have some oil laying around and had heard of htis but never had the guts to try it. I have a 39 Gallons Main Tank and a 70 Gallon Aux (auto transfer). Don't have any issues with Fuel Pressure or Fuel Filters do you?
Keep the info coming, I have been really wondering how to cut down some drag on my truck / trailer as well.
What motor do you have?
A gallon? Yeah, that's not much at all. I'd be more concerned with some of the newer engines maybe. I just don't understand them like the 7.3PSD.
I put four gallons of used engine oil in my tank when I might have had four or five gallons in it. It had a fuel filter in it that I should have replaced that year, and I then continued on the filter for a year.
Anyone want to talk about fuel lubricity and the new low sulphur diesel? Here's a chart from a big study.
(https://www.ccsforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rocketcityrockcrawlers.com%2Fbigred%2FDiesel_Fuel_Lubricity_Study%2FDiesel_Fuel_Lubricity_Study_Summary.jpg&hash=1577d074bd79e1c26ebd9cd88b6a588a52b23c47)
The four lines at the top are important. Desired, a standard, what the new low sulphur diesel really is, and what a diesel fuel is with a little manufactured biodiesel is...which I found a lot this year traveling.
Used engine oil, found on the page, doesn't dramatically change lubricity, but it's interesting to note that a two stroke oil mix will. This study helped me decide on which anti gel products I got for the winter months.
2000 7.3 PSD, chipped exhaust, air box, Garrett Turbo, Banks Down Pipe. Gets about 920 ft-lbs at the rear wheels turned up all the way. Tow it at about 700 ft-lbs using the first chip setting.
Only only issues have been mileage and not getting top boost when running under 2200 RPM or 70 MPH. I think that is a bit of the gearing (3.73s) but not sure.
Sorry off topic to your discussion but...
Nah, it's all good.
I'm a '96 PSD in a van, which are detuned when compared to the F series. Van down pipes are not ran over like the pick-ups, I've got a Super Chips Micro Tuner at the lowest setting (60HP) which probably puts me at 500 to 550 ft-lbs.
I think the van turbo wheel is different. Smaller and spools up faster or something? I know that I have a full loop fuel system, so everything that isn't used heads right back to the tank. I think '98 and up dead heads. I get more constant filtering of my fuel, in addition to heating of the fuel as it passes through the valley and then goes back to the tank when it isn't used.
I have 4:10's, and the magic number for the PSD seems to be 2000 RPM's and under for better mileage. I like 2100 RPM's going through the hills, like you said, it just pulls a bit better as it's pushing a bit more with the turbo, but it costs more to do.
At 2000 RPM's with my 4:10's and my taller than stock tires, I think I'm doing 62 or 63MPH. Again, I'm looking for someone that has GPS so I can check that.
Pretty similar in views. My only real issue is that when I need a little more boost, say at 65 or 70 the turbo won't spool up. Just sits at 12-15 and then the EGTs start to rise. If I am running 75 (litterally on the number, not 74) then a little gas and the turbo will spool to 26-28 psi. Pulls the hills like a champ.
Everyone tells me I need lower gears but I am running the 2000-2200 RPM at 65-70. Which seems right in line with everything I read. I to have slightly larger tires so my adjusted gear ratio is like 3.55. Still at 6000-6200 lbs of trailer I can't see the PSD needing lower gears. Just wish I could figure out why it will spool up at 75 and not 74 or less.
I have a spectator platform on top which surely causes a lot of drag (about 18 inches of flat front) but offset by a Wing that is said to throw the wind up over the bed and trailer. Although when not pulling the trailer I do not a difference in drag with the wing and when without.
This year we are going to go without the platform (as it only gets used at Hastings and Gateway, plus I never get to use it). That should help with some of the drag issue.
Is your trailer undercarriage open or enclosed. I always wondered if putting something over the ribs would help?
Mine's open on the bottom.
Maybe your Garrett turbo is the problem. Well, not a problem, but maybe it doesn't work like it should in this towing application because of the size of the turbo? Kind of like how changing flywheels on some bikes can completely change its characteristics.
Again, I've heard that some guys were using a van series turbo because it spooled up differently than the F-Series.
So, I finally filled up from a month ago of using a mix of NVO, diesel, and gas. I was just shy of 14MPG. Which is pretty good. It's been cold, but not a lot of driving. I can't say anything has been dramatic, but I feel that the engine is definitely smoother. I filled up because I took a trip yesterday just short of 300 miles with the trailer. Similarly, my fuel mileage was pretty good. I have to fill up yet, but with the temperatures mabye being 5 degrees at the warmest part of the day and starting below zero, I am quite happy with the performance and no gelling in the temperatures that we had while I'm using the new vegetable oil.
I would like to source some "cold pressed" vegetable oil that hasn't been heated and all to take out "the good stuff". Did some internet searching, and I didn't come up with anything really. I did find that Aldi has good prices on vegetable oil. Will reduce my per gallon of vegetable oil to below $5 a gallon.
I have some aero thoughts in the works. Nothing that some warmer temperatures wouldn't help.
http://www.nosecone.com/index.htm
I was thinking of getting one of these for my trailer. Supposedly 2-3 mpg difference in towing. I have one of those flat-faced trailers too.
Yeah, I used to sell trailers. I don't know if they make that much difference. I kind of remember your trailer, but I don't remember your tow vehicle, Gary. What did you have?
I got this in an email the other day and thought that it was worth reviving this post from the dead....
And to recap on my fuel mileage as I previously posted.... I have recently moved to Wisconsin and since there is less stop and go - Just more constant throttle application - I have been getting between 15-17.5 mpg... Granted I am spending more in fuel cause I travel back to Chicago 2 or 3 times a week.... But I guess it's give and take
I AM FORWARDING THIS EMAIL I RECEIVED LAST NIGHT FROM A GOOD FRIEND. THESE
TIPS ON PUMPING GAS - definitely a must read to save $$$
I don't know what you guys are paying for gasoline.... But here in
California we are also paying higher, up to $3.50 per gallon. But
my line of work is in petroleum for about 31 years now, so here are
some tricks to get more of your money's worth for every gallon.
Here at the Kinder Morgan Pipeline where I work in San Jose, CA we
deliver about 4 million gallons in a 24-hour period Thur the pipeline.
One day is diesel the next day is jet fuel, and gasoline, regular
and premium grades. We have 34-storage tanks here with a total
capacity of 16,800,000 gallons.
Only buy or fill up your car or truck in the early morning when
the ground temperature is still cold. Remember that all service
stations have their storage tanks buried below ground. The colder the
ground the more dense the gasoline, when it gets warmer gasoline expands, so
buying in the afternoon or in the evening....your gallon is not exactly a
gallon. In the petroleum business, the specific gravity and the temperature
of the gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, ethanol and
other petroleum products plays an important role.
A 1-degree rise in temperature is a big deal for this business.
But the service stations do not have temperature compensation at the
pumps.
When you're filling up do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to
a fast mode. If you look you will see that the trigger has three (3)
stages: low, middle, and high. You should be pumping on low speed,
thereby minimizing the vapors that are created while you are
pumping. All hoses at the pump have a vapor return. If you are pumping on
the fast rate, some other liquid that goes to your tank becomes vapor. Those
vapors are being sucked up and back into the underground storage tank so
you're getting less worth for your money.
One of the most important tips is to fill up when your gas tank is
HALF FULL or HALF EMPTY. The reason for this is, the more gas you have in
your tank the less air occupying its empty space. Gasoline evaporates faster
than you can imagine. Gasoline storage tanks have an internal floating roof.
This roof serves as zero clearance between the gas and the atmosphere, so it
minimizes the evaporation. Unlike service stations, here where I work, every
truck that we load is temperature compensated so that every gallon is
actually the exact amount.
Another reminder, if there is a gasoline truck pumping into the
storage tanks when you stop to buy gas, DO NOT fill up--most likely the
gasoline is being stirred up as the gas is being delivered, and you might
pick up some of the dirt that normally settles on the bottom. Hope this will
help you get the most value for your money.
DO SHARE THESE TIPS WITH OTHERS!
WHERE TO BUY USA GAS, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW. READ ON
Gas rationing in the 80's worked even though we grumbled about it.
It might even be good for us! The Saudis are boycotting American
goods. We should return the favor.
An interesting thought is to boycott their GAS.
Every time you fill up the car, you can avoid putting more money
into the coffers of Saudi Arabia. Just buy from gas companies that
don't import their oil from the Saudis.
Nothing is more frustrating than the feeling that every time I
fill-up the tank, I am sending my money to people who are trying to kill
me, my family, and my friends.
I thought it might be interesting for you to know which oil
companies are the best to buy gas from and which major companies import
Middle Eastern oil.
These companies import Middle Eastern oil:
Shell.......................... 205,742,000 barrels
Chevron/Texaco......... 144,332,000 barrels
Exxon /Mobil............... 130,082,000 barrels
Marathon/Speedway.. 117,740,000 barrels
Amoco...........................62,231,000 barrels
Cit go gas is from South America, from a Dictator who hates
Americans.
If you do the math at $30/barrel, these imports amount to over $18
BILLION! (Oil is now $90 - $100 a barrel)
Here are some large companies that do not import Middle Eastern
oil:
Sunoco..................0 barrels
Conoco..................0 barrels
Sinclair................0 barrels
B P/Phillips...........0 barrels
Hess........................0 barrels
ARC0....................0 barrels
All of this information is available from the Department of Energy
and each is required to state where they get their oil and how much
they are importing.
I'm not a chemist, but whoever wrote the second part of that post should stick to chemistry or go into politics where they can find others who don't understand basic econ 101.
Buy from the cheapest source, period. To do otherwise drives up the price and only enriches those you're trying to punish.
It's one of the simplest concepts in trade.
:banghead: :banghead: :banghead:
BTW, gas wasn't rationed in the 80's. Supplies were cut off in the 70's. It wasn't an organized rationing at all and it most certainly wasn't good for the country in any possible way. We paid for it for years with double digit inflation that eroded the value of your savings and wages, 17% treasury costs and 13 1/2% home mortgage rates (I had one at the time). It led to recession and massive unemployment.
Yeah, while I'd enjoy making a political dig, the gasoline business isn't like it's portrayed in emails.
First, most of our foreign oil comes from Canada. More so than what we get from all Middle Eastern countries combined.
Additionally, on the supply side, the distribution chain is about supplying retailers. So, if there is a supply problem with one distribution point of one name brand manufacturer, they get more gasoline from another name brand manufacturer. The Clean Air Acts of years ago pretty much made it so that gasoline is gasoline. There's not even any real difference in the additive packages. Might be a difference in the water content in a station's tank, dirt, etc. Or maybe a particular product was in the transporter before gasoline. Basically, contamination of some kind. Similarly, that's why you'd prefer to buy racing fuel that's shipped in new containers that are filled with nitrogen and sealed at the factory. Some race fuels are transported by rail, then tanker, then put in a tank...all of which have their own previous transports of different "contaminants".
As for the vapor thing? I think gas becomes a vapor either way. And high vs low, that's volume, not pressure.
Now, to be political...
Call your legislator and tell them to stop mandating ethanol and subsidizing it. If it's a choice great. But using tax dollars from what we use to buy our houses and food to prop up the ethanol industry then make us use it, which reduces fuel mileage and increases the cost of food...
Again, it isn't a choice. Government should not have that kind of power. Since it reduces fuel mileage, government gets more money too as they tax us per gallon.
I guess I should update my thread...
Not much to add. I filled up my tank in December. Then in January a couple times. Still using the same fuel in the bus because I get 1000MPG...LOL!
I've cleaned up my used engine oil up by using paint filter bags and paper towels and toilet paper in funnels using gravity to pull the oil through. Not a way to to mass quantities, but it's cheap. I'm setting up five gallon containers that contain 1/2 gallon gasoline (used, old gas from ice bikes even), 1 gallon of new vegetable oil (I have some with canola oil), and then 3.5 gallons of used engine oil.
The bus uses a lot of oil, about 15 quarts, in an oil change, and I usually go 5-6k on my oil changes. Really, I don't produce a whole lot of used engine oil, really, but the oil has been paid for and has done its work, so every gallon that I recycle in my fuel tank is something I can save, with ULSD now at over $4 a gallon pretty much everywhere I see.
Around a half tank, I'll stop and fuel up, adding a five gallon container. Will probably be about a 20 gallon fill up of which five gallons will be the "mix".
To further illustrate the increase in food costs, the vegetable oil that I get is new. Initially, I just did a run to Walmart and bought the least expensive stuff. Was about $5+ per gallon. I went back a month later, and it was up to $7 a gallon. I found that I could go to Aldi and get vegetable oil in 48oz containers for prices that were less than $5 a gallon. I bought some more just earlier this week from Aldi, and it now costs almost $7 a gallon, same manufacturer too.
Bulk pricing from Sam's Club has been at $35+ per gallon when purchased in 5 gallon containers.
What I want to find is unfiltered, non heated vegetable oils. I'm probably going to have to find a feed store or something to do that.
No aero mods got done. Weather has been terrible, to say the least, in addition to cash being low. I suppose my first Topeka trip Sunday will work as part of my "control" drive.
So, it's the end of May, and diesel looks to break $5 a gallon at any point.
My fuel mileage has been "spotty". What I mean is that it's just been goofy, lower, than I expect from the bus. I've tried going slower, tried going faster, and it hasn't had an impact on either side.
My exhaust has been black lately. Probably been something that has happened slowly over time.
Started going through some posts on another forum I'm on for Ford diesels, and I started reading some issues that seem to be relevant to things. My bus is no spring chicken being twelve years old, 254,000 miles, and being a shuttle bus in a former life. Last year I replace the CPS. I took the Fuel Pressure Regulator off the fuel filter bowl, and I tried to clean the FPR screen. Well, mine was gone and the orifice was dirty. Replaced. I shimmed the FPR with a BB to increase the idle pressure also.
The black exhaust is an indication of a couple of sensor problems in some cases. With all the miles and time, I'm apt to look at those things. So, I disconnected the ICP (Injector Control Pressure) sensor, and my smoke went away. Interesting. So, I've replaced that sensor, and I go to Blackhawk this weekend. MAP sensors go bad too, but I've got to take these things one at a time. Then I can get on to running waste motor oil.