Winter studies...

[Burt Munro]

Have you tried some of your furnace pellets in your bus yet??   

[Super Dave]

Have you tried some of your furnace pellets in your bus yet??   

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. 

[weggieman]

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.

[GSXR RACER MIKE]

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.

[Super Dave]

I haven't seen it, but I've raced at Daytona.   

[APP_Racing]

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.

[Super Dave]

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.



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.

[APP_Racing]

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...

[Super Dave]

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. 

[APP_Racing]

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?

[Super Dave]

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. 

[Super Dave]

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.