Employment Center

Drivers:
Compare Companies
Employers:
Register your Company

Username

Password

Forget your password?
Need to register?

Editor’s Note: This is the latest in a series of articles written by Bruce Mallinson for Big Rig Owner magazine. Bruce owns Diesel Injection of Pittsburgh, Inc. If you love high performance engines or just a good running truck, then you should enjoy this article and all the ones to come.  

At our diesel shop, it’s not uncommon to have more than 150 phone calls per day from owner-operators, many of whom are having problems with their engines.  And when the problem is injectors failing the very next question I ask is “Are you using Lucas Fuel Conditioner?” The answer is always “no”.  Then I start with “You do realize that diesel fuel and gasoline are very dry today because of all of the aromatics and other helpful chemicals being removed.  You must add some form of lubricity to your fuel or you will continue to have injector problems.  And if you’re running an older mechanical engine you really need to add some lubricity to the fuel.”

Many owner-operators say that fuel conditioners such as Lucas are too expensive. Well, let’s take a look at the actual cost of Lucas over a period of one year of driving - or 150,000 miles.  Let’s use the average fuel mileage of today’s truck, which is 5.5 mpg. In one year, that is 27,272 gallons; and at $3.50 per gallon, that comes to a cost of $95,452.00.  If you only gain 1/10 of a mile per gallon using Lucas, your same cost of fuel for the 150,000 miles traveled is $93,749.00 - or a savings of $1,706.00 in the cost of fuel.  Now the Lucas Fuel Conditioner purchased at trucks stops is about $24.00 per gallon, which treats 400 gallons of diesel fuel.  So for the one year of driving, it will take 67 gallons of Lucas to treat your fuel, or a cost of $1,608.00.  You may think it’s a wash. Or is it?

Keep in mind that we are talking only gaining 1/10 mpg. What happens if you gain 2/10 mpg? The cost of the fuel will be $92,150.00, or a savings of $3,350.00. So now the cost of the Lucas is only 50% of your fuel savings.  We are only talking 2/10ths---. of a mile per gallon.  But is fuel mileage all we are saving? Heavens no! Keep in mind the cost of replacing just one injector.  I have heard horror stories of $900.00 to change just one electronic injector when you’re out on the road.  So if you lose just two injectors per year, you’re spending more than the cost of Lucas for the entire year.  And please don’t forget about the cost of the fuel pump; it also benefits from the lubricity of the Lucas Fuel Conditioner.  By the way, if you purchase Lucas by the 55-gallon drum from us we can save you $6.00 per gallon, which brings your cost per year down to $1,206.00 instead of $1,608.00. At Pittsburgh Power, we have three Dodge Cummins pick up trucks and one Kenworth and we use all Lucas Oil Products in each vehicle.  Pleases keep in mind that I do not get paid to write about Lucas Oil Products; I just believe in his products.

The FASS Fuel System
Most of the owner-operators in the USA know that the FASS Fuel System removes air from the diesel fuel, but did you know that air in diesel fuel creates cavitations in the fuel pumps and injectors?  Cavitations eat the gears in the pumps and the plungers in injectors.  We all know that a set of electronic injectors cost $1,900.00 to $2,400.00 and about $640.00 or more for labor to install them.  The cost of the FASS Fuel System is $579.00, -  $38.00 for the GT Splitter Valve, about $200.00 for Airequipt hose and $480.00 in labor to install the unit. That is still ? the price of a set of injectors installed.  Now we haven’t even touched on the fuel savings of the FASS System.   

Many owner-operators say it’s the cream of the crop of all of the add-on items because the engine will be much smoother and pull more consistently.  The Acert Cats greatly benefit from the FASS Fuel System, especially the BXS Acerts of 2004.  Fuel mileage improvements of 2/10 mpg and a gain of at least 30 horsepower are common by removing the air from the diesel fuel.  And we all know that a 2/10-mpg improvement in fuel mileage will save us $3,350.00 per year.

By all means don’t forget about the muffler. The straight through mufflers are another ? mpg,  or a savings of $4,250.00 per year.  Now that muffler only costs $158.00. What a tremendous return on investment that is!

The Pittsburgh Power Performance Computer, along with these other great Products, makes for ONE GREAT RUNNING SEMI TRUCK that will put a smile on your face every time you look at it! And it pays for itself in six months with fuel savings of 3/10th or more mpg, plus more POWER and TORQUE than you’ll ever use!

So in my way of thinking, the worst thing you could do is leave your truck stock.  Stock trucks are harder on fuel, the engines will not live as long because of the soot and iron particle in the oil, they are not as much fun to drive, and certainly you will not have as much pride in your ride as you will in a modified truck.  Not making any changes is the WORST thing you could do!

Besides, if any of my products do not do what we tell you they will do, you can return them.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this article as much as I have enjoyed writing it. My booklet is now available on the Internet at http://www.dieselinjection.net. If you would like a hard copy of our booklet, give Aimee a call at 724-274-4080. There is a $9.00 charge for shipping and handling. Just call us with your Master Card, Visa, AMEX or Discover card number and we will get one out to you. Or send a check or money order to: