Good news for Diesel Engines (US)

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quote:

Originally posted by XS650:

quote:

Originally posted by T-Keith:
GM has a new line of diesel V6s on the way as well. They are supposed to meet the new emissions standards and be available in the US.

Let's hope this isn't like their previus diesel car misadventure where the cars were designed to convince Americans rthat diesel cars weren't any good.


One of the countless sillinesses that eventually led me to swear off GM/Ford products forever. "Let's take one of our old gas engines and stick 20:1 pistons in it and call it a diesel."
 
From the article:
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Many associate diesels with loud trailer trucks belching black smoke or the noisy, smelly diesel- powered cars of yesteryear.

I don't know how many times I've been stopped at a traffic light and had to roll the windows up because a large (diesel powered) pickup truck was idling next to me - making so much racket I can't hear the radio, and so much stink that I couldn't stand it. And most of the time it's a recent vintage Ford/Dodge. Unless they can improve upon these issues, I'd rather not see anymore diesels.

NB: My strong dislike of diesels began in the early 80's. Our next door neighbor had a Olds Cutlass diesel. In the summer whenever he'd drive it in or out of his driveway, the oily fumes would drift into our house. To this day the smell of diesel exhaust, or even fuel, makes me nauseous.
 
Touring5,

It's funny you mention that: I was just downtown and a guy with an F-350 was gassing me out at a light. I will give him credit though, as he was actually pulling a horse trailer (which is unlike the waxed and pampered Fords & Dodges that I usually see towing air and fumes).
 
Comparing a light/heavy truck TD with a passenger car turbo diesel is apples/oranges. If you didn't look and listen VERY carefully, you wouldn't even notice a VW TDI. They are very quiet and dont stink at all. Same goes with the GM V8 diesels of 25yrs ago. It was a quarter century ago!! Let it go!

G/luck
Joel
 
If increased durability comes with buying a diesel engine, I'd pay the extra cost for a diesel Acura/Honda. Of course Honda engines are already durable, but for some reason many with diesels seem to get very high mileage....on the verge of 1/2 a million miles or more.
 
Saw a recent news blivet that Honda has patented a "plasma" system to zap the exhaust clean.

Diesel technology marches on. The 5 year old diesels in pick-ups are stone age compared to the common rail piezio-electric injecters (with 5 injection pulses per combustion) diesels of today. Due to EPA emmission regs VW will discontinue their PDI diesels in the U.S. and Mercedes has come up with a Urea injection system. Be interesting to see what Honda's plasma system is which gets rid of the need for Urea injection.
 
VW is supposed to bring diesels back in 2008 once they re-design them to meet the new EPA specs. It will be a common-rail design rather than a PDI. It is somewhat ironic that the EPA is tightening engine standards just at the time when low-sulfur diesel is coming out, making existing diesel engines burn cleaner.
 
quote:

Originally posted by Jim 5:
GM can put a 6.6L duramax diesel in a 3/4 ton 4x4 pick up that can get 25MPG on the highway. That same truck has enough torque to tow something like 3x what a half-ton with a 4.7L gas engine can pull.

Why can't they build a 5L diesel capable of pulling what a 4.7L gasser can, and put it in a 1/2 ton truck that will get over 30MPG on the highway.

I, like tons of people, generally drive my half ton empty to work and back and get around 16MPG. I'll buy the small displacement diesel 1/2 ton that gets 30MPG tomorrow if they make one.

I just don't get why they don't do it.


I would not give GM that much credit on their current Diesels. They just borrowed a Isuzu design in the first place.

Hootbro
 
I'm with you hootbro, but I'm not fussed where it comes from..I want a 1/2 ton 4x4 that puts out equivalent power to a vortec 350 AND gets over 30MPG.

By the time they actually make this..I'm going to want it to get 35MPG!!

Can't wait. Diesel costs 10-15% less than gas here.
 
quote:

Originally posted by akuska:
It is somewhat ironic that the EPA is tightening engine standards just at the time when low-sulfur diesel is coming out, making existing diesel engines burn cleaner.

It's not ironic at all. It's by design. Way back when, diesel had up to 20,000 ppm sulfur. Low-sulfur diesel came out a few years ago with a maximum of 500 ppm. But the sulfur messes up catalytic converters. So EPA mandated ultra-low sulfur diesel, with a max of about 10 ppm sulfur. This ultra-low sulfur fuel is needed to comply with the tightened diesel emission standards. It should be nationwide this year or next.

BTW, it's the sulfur that makes diesel smell so bad. Ultra-low sulfur diesel will have a smell similar to jet fuel.
 
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