Freightliner Coronados with the DD5 515 hp. engine have very restrictive mufflers under the cab.  This muffler has the exhaust coming in the front and out the front sides of the muffler to the dual stacks on the side of the cab.  Now if your Coronado has a single stack up the back of the bunk, then this is a totally different muffler.  Back to the Coronado with the stacks up the sides:  If you stood this muffler on end, it would look like a human body with the head and arms and legs cut off, so we call this the "Little Man Muffler".  Pete Sharp, our vice-president, designed this and we are seeing 1/2-3/4 mpg improvement just by changing to this Little Man Muffler.  Ed Hess, out of Idaho and one of the participants at the owner-operator snowmobile conference, just installed one on his Coronado and loved the performance and fuel mileage gain, which is right in there at 3/4 mpg.  When we are working on a truck to improve the fuel mileage and performance, we always start with the muffler.  Stock mufflers are ultra quiet and extremely high on back pressure (restrictive), which robs the engine of fuel mileage and produces extra soot in the engine because it can't get out of the muffler.  Our "Little Man" will also keep your oil cleaner by reducing the back pressure in the exhaust system.  An increase in the engine's performance is also a likely result of the change in the muffler.

Big Cam Cummins:  Even though these engines are old, they're what we learned on, so we still keep most of the parts in stock.  So if you are in need of Big Cam Cummins parts, give us a call:  We just might have the part you are looking for.  Because of the computer age, if a part doesn't sell every month, most truck dealers, engine dealers, and parts stores will not keep that part in inventory.  We are a little old fashioned, even old school, and like to have what others don't.  And we appreciate your business!

Lucas Oil is at it again, meaning they are developing a lot of new products that do exactly what they say they will do.  I just purchased their Octane Booster, which is NOT STREET LEGAL, so it must be good, and according to Forrest will raise the 93-octane fuel to 96.3 octane.  I have a 2009 Harley with the 110 cu. in. engine and it pings while pulling a hill, so I installed the Lucas Octane Booster and yes the ping is gone!  Forrest also told me he now has Hot Rod Oil, so I asked him what makes an oil Hot Rod Oil.  Forrest says: "Zinc was removed out of today's oil because of catalytic converters, and it was the zinc that lubricates the metal-to-metal surfaces such as flat tappet cam and lifters."  Interesting:  I remember when the zinc was removed and there were a lot of camshaft failures.  So I called two old friends of mine from my racecar days, Chuck Dinunzio of B & R Speed in Verona, PA and Rich Mercaldi, who is a NASCAR engine builder and they agreed that when a flat tappet cam is installed in a gasoline engine, it's coated with zinc phosphate additive to aid in the breaking in of the cam and lifter.  So, if you have an older gasoline engine with a flat tappet camshaft, you need to use an oil with zinc such as Lucas Hot Rod Oil.

Scheduling work to be performed at our shop in Saxonburg, PA:  We are scheduling large jobs for the month of January, so we are booked for 6 months.  However, Pete Sharp, our vice-president calls everyone on Wednesday the week before to remind you of the work you are to have done.  Many times we get one or two cancellations a week because the schedule is so full.  Now we DO realize that many of you can't wait 6 months to get your truck worked on, but if you call us on Thursday or Friday and ask if we have any cancellations for next week, chances are we will be able to get you into our shop.  We are currently in the process of adding 10,000 square feet of garage and engineering space to our existing building.  It will be ready in late August.  By doubling our shop space, we hope to be able to shorten the waiting list.

"Pedal-Mashing":  I have noticed that some owner-operators just push the throttle to the floor starting out and after every shift and even up-shift at 1300 and 1400 RPM, grabbing a full gear and mashing the throttle at 900 RPM, expecting the ECM to take care of their reckless driving habits.  Now, these usually happen to be people who've NEVER driven a performance mechanical diesel engine.  Here is the problem:  When you have us re-program your ECM to make it responsive and pull, well it will OF COURSE put out some smoke when you mash it to the floor at low RPMs.  It takes fuel to make response and you need to just ease onto the throttle.  It's the old theory of driving like you have an egg between your foot and the throttle.

Written By; Bruce Mallinson, Pittsburgh Power Inc., 3600 S. Noah Dr., Saxonburg, PA 16056.  Phone 724-360-4080. Email: bruce@pittsburghpower.com