Do you think all radiators are created equal and built to the same specifications? Please don’t ever think that. Original equipment radiators are built to the minimum requirements because the average grade in the USA is 3%. Can you believe that? An OEM engineer told me way back in 1992 that they only had to spec a radiator to control coolant temperature for a 3% grade. I asked him if he has ever traveled outside the state of Texas, and all I got was a cold stare. Even though he was older than me, I knew a lot more about cooling diesel engines in semi-trucks than he did.
We learned a lot about cooling at Pittsburgh Power back in the days of the Cummins Big Cam 4 low flow cooling disaster. We learned how to convert the engine to high flow cooling, or if the existing radiator was in good shape, we would install an air tank along the frame rail, run a 1-inch hose to and from it, and then add 5 to 6 extra gallons of coolant to the system and the problem was solved.
Here are the radiator specifications on a 379 Peterbilt: if the truck came with a 60 Series Detroit there were 177 tubes, and if the Pete came with a 550 CAT there were 234 straight-through tubes with 14 fins per inch. The Pittsburgh Power radiator has 4 rows of tubes, with 100 tubes per row, or 400 dimpled tubes. The dimple increases the surface area for coolant touching the sides of the tube, transferring more heat to the fin. And we have 16 fins per inch to carry away the heat. Yes, it’s twice the radiator of the stock unit, and the price is about $1,000 more. It’s your decision – do you want to be sitting on the side of the mountain waiting for your coolant temp to drop, or do you want to pull effortlessly over the mountain? The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of a low price is forgotten.
When you are getting your engine rebuilt at a shop, you need to talk to the mechanic about the liner protrusion. If he says they don’t have the equipment to cut the upper counter bores, you need to see to it that they get someone to come to their shop that knows how to do the job and set the protrusion .001 over the factory spec. If another shop is doing the work, please ask them for the spec. It’s not fair to call us unless we are supplying some of the parts. We realize many of you never get to Pennsylvania but consider giving us the opportunity to sell you great parts that will allow your truck to run free, pull stronger and gain fuel mileage. We also have remote tuners across the country and Canada that can plug into your data port and allow us to tune your ECM or troubleshoot it from our location here in Saxonburg, PA.
If you are NOT using our new Max Mileage Fuel Born Catalyst in your diesel fuel and gasoline powered vehicles, you are missing out on a wonderful experience and your engines are suffering from soot and carbon buildup. I have talked in previous articles about why we at Pittsburgh Power have been testing our products with owner operators over the past 42 years, and the reason is they tell the truth about the product. If the product makes a positive or negative difference to their engine or truck, they will let you know. Many of you reading this article also listen to the Power Hour every Tuesday on Kevin Rutherford’s show (channel 146 Sirius XM from noon to 2:00 p.m. EST) and have heard many testimonials of how the Max Mileage has improved their engines and eliminated problems with the emissions system.
One of our newest Max Mileage dealers is Byron Stoll of New London, Wisconsin. He traveled 100 miles south to Sheboygan in his 2015 Ram 1500 Hemi-powered pickup with the Max Mileage Catalyst in the tank on Sunday, the first of September. He made this trip to treat Matteo Vaughn-Rupp’s Cummins ISX-powered International Pro Star that had severe regen problems. According to Matteo, his engine would regen three times a day, and the third regen of that day was 1 hour and 40 minutes long.
After putting 10 ounces of the catalyst in Matteo’s fuel, Byron gave him another 10 ounces to take with him for later. After having just one parked regen on Monday, Matteo added the second 10 ounces to his tank when he purchased fuel on Tuesday. For the rest of the week, there were no parked regens! There were some rolling regens, however, this was the first week of the Max Mileage Catalyst in his fuel. Matteo purchased a gallon of the catalyst and will be keeping us informed as to how his ISX emission system is performing.
Byron Stoll has seen significant fuel savings and performance gains in his Ram pickup. He has the catalyst in stock, and his phone number is (920) 202-6001. Byron also noticed the ISX in his Volvo was getting quieter during the first week of using the catalyst – the normal volume setting on his Sirius XM radio is 34, but now it’s turned down to just 20. Byron is going to put the catalyst in an aerobatic airplane. This will be the first time Max Mileage takes to the sky! Pete, the Vice President of Pittsburgh Power, on his first trip in our 1996 Dodge powered by a 12-valve Cummins, turned down the radio three times on his way to the Walcott Truckers Jamboree in Iowa because the engine just kept getting quieter. That is pretty amazing!
The Max Mileage product is expensive, but one gallon will treat 3,200 gallons of diesel fuel. Depending on the miles you drive, you will need a gallon every 6 to 8 weeks. Our dealers are charging $230 per gallon and that includes freight. This is NOT the Canadian price (there it’s about $310 Canadian). Yes, it’s expensive, however the savings alone on the DEF fluid will pay for the catalyst. With no emissions problems, no VG turbo problems, a quieter engine and more torque, why would you not use this product? Plus, Harley Davidsons get an increase of 7 miles per gallon and can lug to 1,200 RPM and still accelerate (no more coughing from the Harley engine).
For 42 years I have been helping owner operators to have a better performing truck, and I have been very successful at what I do. Of course, I have critics. What amazes me is that most of these people have never been to my shop or done business with me. I have 51 years in the trucking industry and will be 71 years old this February. My days of being in this industry are coming to an end, so the critics will have to find someone else to be critical about.
But I have always done my best to serve the hard-working owner operator. Whether it’s providing a reliable shop for repairs or improving their truck to make their drive more enjoyable and their business more profitable, the success of the owner operator has always been my main concern. We have served tens of thousands of owner operators over the past 42 years and will continue to do so in the future. Come visit us in Saxonburg, PA or give us a call at (724) 360-4080.