Diesel News 3-4-19

Truck of the Week

Andrew Karker’s “Old Black Tractor”

Entries are beginning to pile up for the King of the Street Challenge coming this fall. Among the list of recently signed up candidates is Andrew Karker from Illini Outlaw Diesel. Known as the old black tractor or simply “’Ol Black,” his single turbo’d LB7 has gone low 11’s in the quarter and rarely loses in the dirt. But, most importantly (especially for the street drive portion of the King of the Street event) it’s 100-percent streetable. You can find Karker tearing up the dirt, track, and street in West Salem, Ohio this November 1-3.
Source: https://www.smokeandspeed.com/king-of-the-street.html

Highlights

How Heavy Has Your Workhorse Towed?

There are gross combined weight ratings and then there are farm-use gross combined weight ratings… Colbi Seth, a cattle farmer in northeast Missouri, squeezed 26 hay bales onto his 53-foot trailer’s 45-foot deck—and hooked it all to his Denali trim Duramax dually. We’re going to go out on a limb here in guessing the GCWR of this combination is well over 40,000 pounds. It’s no wonder the Big Three are constantly pushing their tow ratings higher and higher. These are their customers, out in the real-world, pushing their product(s) to the limit every day.

How to Buy a Used 12-valve

There are literally thousands of enthusiasts constantly on the prowl for cheap or affordable Cummins engines these days. Whether they’re looking to repower an older Dodge, swap it into a project car, or rebuild it and make some money off it, the 5.9L is as highly sought after today as it’s ever been. There are a lot of things to look for, but these are a few make-or-break items you need to check once you show up with cash in hand: 1) check for broken head bolts, 2) inspect the timing case for cracks or breaks, 3) check the block for blown freeze plugs (potentially cracked block), 4) If possible, pressure test the cooling system (mainly to detect leaks from the core plugs behind the tappet cover).

Events

Let It Roll 2019

Despite the weather reports, neither the competitor or spectator turnout was much effected at ATS Diesel’s Let It Roll Dyno Day on March 2. Part of the event entails the Gauntlet Challenge, where some pretty big money is up for grabs in a winner-take-all format (and a $500 entry fee), which attracts the heaviest hitters in the West—and even some from back east. Case in point, two-time U.C.C. runner-up Derek Rose trucked his 5.90 Index triple-turbo Cummins all the way out from Michigan to hit Northwest Dyno Circuit’s rollers. With a 2,045 hp, 2,975 lb-ft effort he would pull out the win, but also took out the head gasket and possibly a rod bearing in the process. Look for this nasty center drive Dodge to be in the hunt for the win at U.C.C. 2019.
Sources: https://www.atsdiesel.com/ats2/index.asp

CO2 Emissions Spike in Europe

After years of bad press and a seemingly endless attempt to legislate diesel vehicles out of existence, gasoline car sales are up in Europe, but so are CO2 emissions. According to an analysis conducted by JATO Dynamics, the generally negative perception toward diesels combined with new government regulations has resulted in a significant drop in demand for diesels (down 18-percent in 2018 alone). However, being that diesels emit far less CO2 emissions than their gasoline counterparts, this new problem has developed. According to the press release provided by JATO Dynamics, “Instead of moving forward, the industry is regressing at a time when emissions targets are getting tougher.”
Source: https://www.jato.com/co2-emissions-rise-to-highest-average-since-2014-as-the-shift-from-diesel-to-gasoline-continues/