Diesel News 4.9.18

Truck of the Week

Race Weight

Rudy’s Readying for the Season Opener

With a taste of the 4’s and a company rooted in high-end 6.4L performance, the Rudy’s Diesel team has been running at full steam ahead to get its ’08 F-250 ready for the coming Outlaw Diesel Super Series (ODSS) season. Based on the changes they’ve made over the winter, the ultra-lightweight Super Duty should easily be able to beat its current best of 4.98 at 140 mph in the eighth. With all the work they’ve been doing lately we’re guessing they’ve improved on the truck’s 2017 race weight of 3,542 pounds. We’ll see if all of their hard work pays off in a few short weeks at the Rudy’s Diesel, ODSS Season Opener on April 27-28.

Highlights

Racin’ the Daily

Can You Beat Farmtruck’s Duramax?

Think your daily driver has what it takes to compete with Farmtruck? No, not the wheels-up ’70 Chevy C10, but rather the Street Outlaw star’s Duramax-powered tow-rig (it’s fully built by the way. Cast pistons, forged rods, a GTX4088R turbo and fuel to match). That’s right, Farmtruck is calling out all daily drivers, tow rigs, and grocery getters for some heads-up, eighth-mile drag racing at Wagler Motorsports Park on April 27th. The entry fee is just $10, but $1,000 will be awarded to the winner, with $500 reserved for the runner-up spot. Rules dictate that all vehicles be 100-percent street driven, equipped with valid license plates, street tires, and a full interior (no cages or fuel cells, and the engine must run off of pump diesel, gas, or e85).

Chevy News

The HD “Flowtie”

That hollowed out, flow-through, Bowtie you see on the front of the ’19 Silverado 4500HD, 5500HD, and 6500HD’s is more than a unique cosmetic design—it’s fully functional. Employing the same aerodynamic emblem, coined the flowtie, that debuted on the ’14 Z/28 Camaro and that’s now standard on ’18 Camaro ZL1 models, operating temperatures (namely coolant) are kept in check under extreme operating conditions. According to Ed Peper, U.S. vice president, GM Fleet: “Chevy’s designers and engineers were obsessed with making this Silverado the most customer-focused medium-duty truck among its major competitors—and this is evident in every design decision.”

More From The General

2019 Cruze Poised to Strengthen Market Momentum

Last Friday, Chevrolet introduced the restyled ’19 Cruze, which features an all-new front fascia and grille design. Chevrolet’s signature dual-element tail lamps also feature LED accent lighting now, adding to the compact sedan’s “sculptural beauty.” Thanks to the addition of the 1.6L diesel (along with a hatch model), the Cruze experienced a 0.6-percent retail market share gain in 2017, which also marked the car’s third consecutive year of higher overall market share. Other updates for the ’19 Cruze include: remote start and automatic climate control standard on LT and Premier models, a new Umber interior color option, and black window moldings.

Environmental News

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards to Be Revised

Upon completing the midterm evaluation (MTE) of the EPA’s greenhouse gas emissions standards for cars and light trucks for model years 2022-2025, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt announced that the current standards are much too stringent. Now, the EPA will partner with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to develop “more appropriate” greenhouse gas emissions and Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. Pruitt also weighed in on the EPA’s plans to federalize the new emissions standards it establishes: “It is in America’s best interest to have a national standard, and we look forward to partnering with all states, including California, as we work to finalize that standard.”

Events

7-Tree Jamboree III

New World Record Set

The third annual, invite-only 7Tree Jamboree took place over the weekend, an event that celebrates all things 7.3L Power Stroke. With inclement weather spoiling all plans to hit the drag strip, hook to the sled, or run the dirt drags, the indoor chassis dyno was the place to be. After clearing 787 hp on fuel, T.J. Salokas’ ’01 F-350 would be hit with enough nitrous to clear 1,300 hp (and just under 2,100 lb-ft of torque). His 1,305 hp number is the highest recorded number to date for a 7.3L. Look for a full recap of the event in the September issue of Diesel World Magazine.

Parts Rack

The Right Stuff

Bullet Proof Diesel’s New Innovation

So you’ve always heard good things about Bullet Proof Diesel’s EGR coolers, but still wonder how they hold up better than the OE parts that fail so often… Thanks to a fairly new design, H-core technology, BPD’s EGR coolers are now even more rupture resistant while dissipating heat better than ever before. Helical stainless steel exhaust tubes (vs. finned passageways) help agitate coolant as it travels through the cooler, and their braided construction allows for non-destructive expansion and contraction of the tubes. This means less stress at the bulk heads of the EGR cooler, the area that’s most prone to failure on factory units.