Anti Federalist
Member
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2007
- Messages
- 117,545
It's occurred to me, that there is a potential to make a fortune, if one had the capital and facilities to swap the motive power of the millions and millions of tractor trailer trucks out there.
Let's face it, government has killed compression (diesel) engines.
What used to be cheap, ultra reliable, heavy duty workhorses, have now been regulated, throttled, computerized and complicated to the port of fiscal insanity. Parts are made of Unobtanium, and are as expensive as gold castings if you can find them. Likewise the fuel itself, it has been scrubbed of sulfur and paraffins and oxides to the point it no longer looks, smells or feels like diesel fuel used to, it costs twice as much as gasoline and has less retained energy when compared to diesel fuel from 20 years ago.
So, why not go back to what used to power trucks: gasoline fueled, spark ignition engines?
Less complex, more readily available, cheaper fuel, no DEF, lower maintenance costs.
What is preventing Cummins or CAT or Volvo or Scania from building a modern V-10, long stroke, turbocharged, gas engine for trucks, that makes about 500 HP and 500 ft/lbs of torque?
What's preventing a clever machine shop owner form doing the same?
If you kept the RPMs down, there is no reason why it would not last as long.
VVT has proved itself, that could get you the low end torque and higher end HP you would need to get 80,000 rolling and keep it rolling.
I think a 30-35 percent reduction in daily operating costs is not out of the question.
Let's face it, government has killed compression (diesel) engines.
What used to be cheap, ultra reliable, heavy duty workhorses, have now been regulated, throttled, computerized and complicated to the port of fiscal insanity. Parts are made of Unobtanium, and are as expensive as gold castings if you can find them. Likewise the fuel itself, it has been scrubbed of sulfur and paraffins and oxides to the point it no longer looks, smells or feels like diesel fuel used to, it costs twice as much as gasoline and has less retained energy when compared to diesel fuel from 20 years ago.
So, why not go back to what used to power trucks: gasoline fueled, spark ignition engines?
Less complex, more readily available, cheaper fuel, no DEF, lower maintenance costs.
What is preventing Cummins or CAT or Volvo or Scania from building a modern V-10, long stroke, turbocharged, gas engine for trucks, that makes about 500 HP and 500 ft/lbs of torque?
What's preventing a clever machine shop owner form doing the same?
If you kept the RPMs down, there is no reason why it would not last as long.
VVT has proved itself, that could get you the low end torque and higher end HP you would need to get 80,000 rolling and keep it rolling.
I think a 30-35 percent reduction in daily operating costs is not out of the question.
