I agree with you about the constant rpm and the use in hybrid vehicles. I do
think they are a good alternative to the gas engine if the benefits are what
you are looking for. I myself wanted to get a more fuel effeciaent vehicle
due the rising cost of gas. Let's face it the prices have been up for a
while now so I don't believe they will ever be where they were a year or two
ago. I have chipped my car and it will keep up with the 6cyl. that the maker
offers to about 65 to 70 mpg. Yes I had to get a chip but it has not
effected my mileage which, while new, is around 40 in town. My wifes car
gets around 46 to 47 in town with 30 k on it. I also wanted an engine that
had less problems than the gas one. My wifes car has only went in for one
problem with the engine and that took less than twenty minutes to fix
(connector came loose).
I would have bought an amercian vehicle with a deisel except what I was
looking for is not out there. If you look there is only one company selling
diesels in cars in the US. I was interested in the ram with a diesel but
it's way more than I need and the cost is way up there. I do believe that a
truck the size of a dak with a diesel in it would be teh perfect size but
the US makers need to quit charging sucha premium for the engine. Here is an
example the car I bought cost me around 19k. Yes the diesel is more but not
that much than the rest of the line. If they sold a dak that way I bet you
wouldn't be able to touch one for less than 28k. Way too much. For the above
reason I would have bought American but nothing there to buy.
It's good to know that you can have a conversation like this and express
your views without getting flamed. Too many lists have come to that. I
appreciate the conversation.
Jeff Durling
----- Original Message -----
From: <Pukeloser@aol.com>
To: <dakota-truck@dakota-truck.net>
Sent: Saturday, September 28, 2002 8:10 PM
Subject: Re: DML: More Diesel Stuff...attn. Jon, Ray, and Jeff
>
> Have to agree with you on most points and I too am not trying to start a
> firestorm here. The deisel motor has been the mainstay of the industrial
> world because of its long term cost benefits. The day to day consumer
driver
> wont see as much of the benefit as most industrial applications simply due
to
> the fact that they are way more efficient a a constant rpm, for example a
> deisel locomotive uses engines that are at a constant (calculated most
> efficient) RPM that then drive electric generaters which drive electric
> motors which drive the wheels. This is highly relevant due to the interest
in
> Hybrid vehicles which will run much the same way and will be well suited
to
> the deisel motor. Many "hot rodders" dont get into deisels because of the
> lack of broad powerband, they develop their power/torque differently than
gas
> engines. I think more people will be accepting of them when many of the
> peripheral probs are figured out (like the tranny gearing and longevity).
> Have to say I liked your post, I think many people dont understand deisel
> motors and how they differ from gas when it comes to things like the
effects
> of compression on the cylinder temperature (especially with turbos). I too
> have piston pitting on my magnum, but I attribute most of that to my own
> decision to remove the EGR system (pre-96 vehicles). Better pistons would
> help this problem but manufacturers dont want the costs. I think people
would
> be astonished to know that if everyone was willing to pay an extra $2500
for
> a new vehicle, the automakers could produce vehgicle that get 500k miles,
> gas or deisel but then they wouldnt get the repeat business every few
years.
>
> anyway gas or deisel BUY AMERICAN
>
> John S
>
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