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09-07-2010, 02:07 AM | #1 | |
The future is unwritten
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 71,105
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Sept 7, 2010: 119.1 Miles Per Gallon.
Most of the records I see set, that claim a bazillion miles per gallon, are carefully controlled closed course attempts. Craig Henderson drove a car he designed 25 years ago, from Washington state 1,478 miles to the Mexican border... you know, real world.
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Of course he was driving from WA down to Mexico, he probably wouldn't do as well driving from Mexico up to WA. link
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09-07-2010, 03:51 AM | #2 |
Lecturer
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 796
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Looks like he's got the right idea though - always driving downhill like that.
Seriously, you see why the small, new, very clean diesel, is becoming more popular. I drive one of the quiet newer diesels, and they're great. American car makers have done stupid things with diesels in the past (like trying to make a 327 block Chevy engine, into a diesel block (GM), using cheap sensors(Ford and Dodge)), but their latest offering are much better. They're finally accepting help from diesel engine specialists, which was long overdue. Stop and go driving, diesel mileage will drop a lot, but once at a steady cruising speed - diesel's really know how to sip on fuel. Congratulations to our builder! |
09-07-2010, 05:41 AM | #3 |
Professor
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,911
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09-07-2010, 07:40 AM | #4 |
Belt Conveyor
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Meijersville
Posts: 68
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I <3 small diesels. Used to have a VW Passat with the 1.9 TDI engine back when I was driving 25k miles per year as a consultant. 4 doors, tons of leg room, huge trunk, and 45+ miles per gallon.
That was in 1996, almost 15 years ago. The technology is there. The Big-3 are fools for not offering something like this in their line up. The F-150 with a diesel V6 would be very excellent indeed, as would the Focus with a 4-cyl diesel. |
09-07-2010, 08:46 AM | #6 | |
The future is unwritten
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 71,105
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Quote:
ULSF (ultra low sulfur fuel) wasn't available in the US until 2007, and not completely fazed in until 2010. There was something like a 2 or 3 year gap between when the emission standards went into effect, and the availability of ULSF.
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The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump. |
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09-07-2010, 08:49 AM | #7 |
Operations Operative
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 479
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One time I had to make a delivery across California and my 18 -wheeler got 54 mpg on that trip. My cargo was a whole bunch of helium balloons in the trailer.
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09-07-2010, 09:10 AM | #8 |
Person who doesn't update the user title
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Bottom lands of the Missoula floods
Posts: 6,402
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Those gull wings and a tail wind must have helped a lot, but I don't think I'd like riding all that way with the doors open like that... too noisy !
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09-07-2010, 11:34 AM | #9 |
Discontinued Breakfast Food
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Coastal Maine, USA
Posts: 58
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He could race against this dude - http://www.aerocivic.com/
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09-07-2010, 10:45 PM | #10 | ||
Lecturer
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 796
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Quote:
GM first tried to make one using a 327 (gas) engine block - pressures are much higher in a diesel and they broke the blocks, and were a total failure. Then they made a replacement that actually worked, but it had inadequate power. Another failure. Ford took an engine from Navistar, (International) cheapened it with unreliable sensors and manufacturing specs, and the trucks were a dismal failure. this from Wikipedia re:Ford Powerstroke diesel, 2003-2006 Quote:
GM finally went to Isuzu (who practically own the commercial small diesel market for delivery trucks), and they put together a very fine small diesel. With the Allison tranny (yes, the Allison that makes the Abrams Tank tranny), it's a solid tower. This is what I have. All the newer diesels are much quieter than they ever used to be. Although this looks like a great alternative to gasoline engines, the latest well with flammable tap "water" out in West Virginia, may be MUCH cheaper than either gasoline or diesel. Such a deal! |
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09-08-2010, 12:27 AM | #11 |
The future is unwritten
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 71,105
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It's not that they didn't know how, they did. It was the dreaded MBA (theme from Jaws) beancounters that fucked it up.
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The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump. |
09-08-2010, 05:43 AM | #12 | |
Professor
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,911
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Quote:
Had a 350 diesel Olds. One day, with six people dressed in our Sunday bests, we were in it pulling the grade of the local blood alley hill when the engine let go. 1) A rod broke. 2) It flailed around and cut the oil pan in half. 3) Instantly all the oil blew out on the freeway. 4) The rod cut an inch wide slot thru the block. 5) This caused all the pressurized coolant to spew onto the freeway also. 6) The rod stove in the starter body ruining it. 7) The rod finally hit the block just right which instantly stopped the rotating crankshaft. 8) This caused the camshaft to shear in half. 9) The the front half of the camshaft came out the front of the block. 10) It passed half way thru the water pump utterly destroying it while, 11) Destroying the timing gear and chain. 12) The sudden stopping of the crank completely gutted the automatic transmission causing it to lock up solid. 13) This caused the rear wheels to lock up and the car skidded, laying down about 70 feet of skid marks. 14) This also tore 3 teeth of the third member ring gear. The CHP showed up with a push bumper and tried to push the beast out of the fast lane. No dice - it couldn't move. Essentially the only thing that survived was the radiator, the alternator, and the battery. The only bright side was we dropped in a pumped up 350 gas motor and avoided the smog hassles since the car was registered as a diesel. |
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09-08-2010, 07:29 AM | #13 | |
Belt Conveyor
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Meijersville
Posts: 68
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Quote:
And even Ford has some great 4-cyl turbo diesel engines that they sell in europe, in several different models of cars and delivery trucks. They've been selling diesels in that market for many years as well. It has nothing to do with them not being capable of producing a good diesel engine, and it has nothing to do with emissions standards. It's good old fashioned corporate marketing BS - they chose not to sell those engines here in the US, because they didn't feel that it would appeal to American consumers tastes. A poor marketing decision, just like the many poor Big3 marketing decisions before and since. Unfortunately, the Big3 all believe that American consumers want a bland mundane sedan that is not exceptional in any way, has a very soft mushy suspension, and has a gasoline V6 with automatic transmission. |
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09-08-2010, 01:03 PM | #14 |
The future is unwritten
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 71,105
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Because they were so few in numbers, they were exempt from emission regulations.
Did you miss the part about the regulations passed around 2006? Europe had ULSD earlier, Sweden in 1990, and other followed. Even the eastern bloc finally got on board before the US, because they had so many diesel cars. Americans weren't clamoring for an engine that was noisy, stunk, was slow to get going in cold weather, and used more expensive/harder to find, fuel.
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The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump. |
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