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2018, Dorothy, Western Star -

Doing What Can't be Done

Doing What Can't be Done

A piece of history left me today – something I have owned and cherished for 47 years – a silver 1966 Corvette Coupe that had 19,000 miles on the odometer when I bought it in 1971 at just 22 years old. The mechanical knowledge I gained from building this car made me a champion at Autocross and SCCA Solo 1 road racing. Nelson Ledges Road Course, a 2.3-mile circuit, was my home track, and in 1973 I set the track record there, which held until 1979. I was told NOT to build this Corvette for the Race Prepared class. They...

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2018, Cylinder Liners, Fuel -

Liner Pitting, Dry Fuel & More

Liner Pitting, Dry Fuel & More

As many of you probably know, much of the aromatics, sulfur and paraffin have been removed from today’s diesel fuel and gasoline, making it much “drier” fuel than it used to be. To offset this change, Forrest Lucas of Lucas Oil, while recently speaking at a seminar in California, told me that I should be using the Lucas Fuel Conditioner in my gasoline engines and Harley Davidson. Now, I keep the small bottles of this product in the saddle bags of my bike and in the trunk of my car and use it whenever I fill up. The reason I’m...

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2018, Cooling, Diesel Force, Emissions, Oil -

Modern Miracles

Modern Miracles

Modern Miracles   BY  BRUCE C. MALLINSON Chemical Engineering has come a long way during my working career. Back in the 1950s, anything made of plastic was usually of very poor quality. We only had black electrical tape, masking tape and scotch tape. Silicone sealants were almost nonexistent. Whoever thought there would be double-faced tapes that could hold panels on trucks and trailers without rivets and screws by the late 1990s, let alone what we have today in chemicals and plastics. The Cummins Engine Company came out with a chemical that would eat the carbon off an injector plunger while...

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2018, Caterpillar, Rebuild, Truck Show -

Rebuilding An Engine & More

Rebuilding An Engine & More

Rebuilding An Engine & More BY BRUCE C. MALLINSON The Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, KY is now behind us. The weather was terrible, with snow, rain and cold temperatures, but that did not stop the owner operators and company drivers that were outside with their rigs from putting on a great show. The show trucks were beautiful – every year they just get better. It makes me proud that I have spent my entire adult career in the trucking industry. During the early 1970s I was a judge for ISCA (International Show Car Association) out of St. Clair Shores, Michigan,...

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2018, Blow By, Fuel Slobber -

Fuel Slobber & More

Fuel Slobber & More BY  BRUCE C. MALLINSON POSTED IN: PERFORMANCE ZONE “Fuel Slobber” happens when diesel engines are started cold, and even worse when the ambient temperature is cold outside, as well. This was a common occurrence back in the 1970s and 1980s, when there was no variable timing on most of the Cummins engines. The 425-B Caterpillar did have advanced timing for cold idling engines, so the fuel slobber wasn’t nearly as bad. The STC-444 Cummins engines also had advanced timing at idle, so they were much cleaner, as well. Many owner operators would see the fuel leaking out...

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