Snowmobile Conference. It’s that time of the year again – time to pay homage to the snow gods so we can have another amazing Owner Operator Snowmobile Conference! Last year we all watched the movie “Smokey and the Bandit” together, and what a hoot it was. The comments from the owner operators were hilarious, and Larry Selkirk of Graebel Van Lines has been on many of the roads and truck stops that were featured in the movie. This year’s movie will be “Convoy” so you don’t want to miss it. If you have never been to our conferences, you have to see how a group of performance-minded owner operators are when there is a mountain in front of them and they are riding an 800 cc mountain sled. It doesn’t matter the vehicle, it’s the mountain and their “King of the Hill” mentality – don’t tell me I can’t climb that mountain! Put it on your calendar for the last weekend in February and (tentatively) we will be meeting at Togwotee, Wyoming, which is about 45 miles southeast of Jackson Hole. DuWayne Ehrke and I will be doing a seminar on “Driving for Fuel Mileage” which will include the advantages of 2:64 rear gears and added horsepower.
Dyno and Emissions Testing. This past October we had a 14-liter Detroit on the engine dyno testing fuel treatments for the Penray Chemical Company. While simulating a moderate to hard pull up a mountain, the exhaust manifold, turbine housing and exhaust pipe were glowing cherry red (see photo). For 38 years I have been told that a turbocharged diesel engine pulling a hill will obtain this type of heat, but it was hard to believe. But, once you actually see it and stand beside it, you become a believer.
This is why it’s so important to allow the engine to cool before shutting it off. The oil has to carry away the heat until the exhaust gas temperature gets to around 300 degrees, and this is with the thermocouple in the exhaust manifold (it should be below 300 if the thermocouple is in the exhaust pipe). The picture of the turbine shaft shows the result of premature shutdown – the bluing on the shaft is clearly visible near the turbine wheel. The turbine wheel is driven by the exhaust gas, and the compressor wheel is the fresh air wheel. Be kind to your turbo, keep the air filters clean, the blow-by tube open, and always feed gently into and out of the throttle. If you don’t, the turbo can hand grenade, which will cause shrapnel to fly everywhere! And, guess what? The turbo manufacturers do not cover exploded turbos under warranty, so don’t let it happen.
Damaged in Transit. One of the pics on this page shows an N-14 head that was shipped via UPS. As you can see in the photo, the valve is bent and one of the valve keepers is missing. The white specks all over are pieces of Styrofoam. If the mechanic would have installed this head, it would have dropped a valve on the initial test drive and, of course, the mechanic would have been blamed for setting the valves improperly. It’s critical to inspect parts before installing them on the engine and to properly pack them when shipping.
I Have a New E-mail Address. If you prefer to e-mail me rather than calling, please call Calah, our receptionist, for my new address. Apparently, if I put it in print, the spammers get it and sell it, and then I get about 240 spams each and every day. We also have a new and updated website (www.pittsburghpower.com) and will adding new movies about products, services and engines each month, so go check it out. And, as always, if you have any related comments or questions, I can be reached at Pittsburgh Power in Saxonburg, PA at (724) 360-4080. Happy Holidays!