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THE BIRTH OF DIESEL Rudolph Diesel and his quest for a more efficient engine p. 10
september/october 2012
| north american diesel magazine
www.northamericandiesel.com
TABLE OF CONTENTS The Year of the Diesel pg. 6
The Birth of Diesel pg. 10
Success
in the Midwest? pg. 12
NORTH AMERICAN DIESEL MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012 • CHARLOTTE, NC www.northamericandiesel.com EDITORIAL Publisher Todd Whitehurst Contributing Editor Deanna Efird Contributing Writers Todd Cimino, Todd Whitehurst, Eve Lee, Deanna Efird ART Art Director Somiah Lattimore Contributing Artists & Photographers Todd Whitehurst, BigStockPhoto.com ADVERTISING National Sales Todd Whitehurst • (704) 651-9731 4229 Myers Hunter Lane, #203 Charlotte, NC 28270
• Common Rail Injectors • Powerstrokes Injectors • Mechanical Injectors • CP3 Pumps • Reconditioned Nozzles • Pencil Injectors • Misc. Parts & Gaskets msdieselproducts@att.net
Table of contents photo and cover photo courtesy of BigStockPhoto.com www.northamericandiesel.com
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| september/october 2012 3
PUBLISHER’S LETTER Todd Whitehurst
What makes a great magazine? What makes a great story?
Photo courtesy of Todd Whitehurst.
My hope is that you will find the answers to those questions within the pages of North American Diesel Magazine. My goal as publisher is very simple, but to accomplish it will take hard work and a talented staff. That goal is to tell honest stories of hard-working diesel shop owners across the country. Whether they deal in engines, fuel injection, turbochargers, performance products or industrial applications, I want to bring their stories to light so they can be appreciated. For me, that means getting great interviews and great photographs so that we share their message and mission with our readers. Reading North American Diesel Magazine should be easy and entertaining, but also give you a clear and concise mental image of the story. If, after one reading, you can tell your friends, family and coworkers the stories that we illustrate here, then we have done our job well. That’s impact, and that is what we are about. Other magazines focus on technical issues and, at times, we will too; but our main focus is the generations of people behind the machines that power the transportation of goods in North America. The diesel industry is estimated at $20 billion for 2012, with no signs of slowing down. The companies represented in our magazine are the companies that support transportation, agriculture, mining, construction, sea vessels, with diesel. If you begin a relationship with one of our companies in NADM we will be thrilled that a trust was established through us. These companies impact our lives every day, even though we don’t realize it. Come join us as we get to know one another through the pages of North American Diesel Magazine.
We want to know you! Do you have an interesting story to tell about your experience in the diesel industry? Write to us! We want to hear your stories and consider them for publication! Send comments, questions and story ideas to: editor@northamericandiesel.com.
4 september/october 2012 | north american diesel magazine
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The Year of the Diesel BY TODD CIMINO
2010 Duramax Diesel 4.5L V-8 Turbo (LMK)
6 september/october 2012 | north american diesel magazine
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I’ve always been amazed that American automakers are so successful at marketing diesel cars and light trucks in places like France, Italy and Bulgaria but, at the same time, are timid about domestic markets – at least until now. If 2013 will be known for anything, it just might be called “The Year of the Diesel.” First, a bit of economic history. Since 1995 the crude oil split – that’s the amount of crude oil that is allocated to singular markets like gasoline and diesel – has been unchanged, diverting the lion’s share for domestic auto consumption. Nineteen and a half gallons of a 42 gallon barrel go to gas, while only 9.2 gallons are refined into diesel. These allocations have been constant for the last 17 years without any adjustment for market trends. On May 9th, 2007 General Motors announced that its subsidiary, DMAX, had produced the millionth Duramax Diesel engine, the product of a joint venture between GM
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and Isuzu. Soon after, DMAX announced it was developing a 4.5-liter version for the light duty truck market. In an October 2006 Autoweek article, executives from Ford announced that it would spin off a Diesel F-150 by 2009 utilizing its 4.4 Turbo Diesel, a V-8 engine that is based on the Ford Lion 6 cylinder and built at the Power Stroke, Chihuahua facility. Unfortunately, with the financial crisis of 2008 these plans were tabled. Now, some optimism. With a growing diesel market, allocations could be increased to meet the rising demand. By doing so, we could see a dramatic decrease in the price of this
“...we could see a dramatic decrease in the price of this specialized fuel.”
specialized fuel. Going green. From an environmental standpoint, we’ve never lived in a better time to “go diesel.” The market supply of this fuel is cleaner, stronger and more capable than ever to service the mainstream transportation market. And today’s diesel vehicles are greener as well. Catalytic converters have been readily installed on D models since 2007 and, while taking a minute amount of the engine’s power, emissions are down to levels that rival their gasoline counterparts. Are diesels going light duty? Trucks like the F-150 and GM 1500 may have an oil burning
option in the near future. The upside of the historic, previously-mentioned delay in production is that both GM and Ford have utilized this added time as an opportunity to produce superior midsized diesel trucks, both of which could exceed 25 miles per gallon. According to rumors from Ford, tooling has already been put in place to incorporate medium-sized D-power into the F-150 platform. On a national level, one has to ask: Will this give American automakers the upper hand in the wavering light truck market? While Nissan has been contemplating a diesel option for the 2015 model year, Toyota has no
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Audi
BMW
Chevy
Cadillac
Photos courtesy of Edmunds.com
firm plans for a diesel version Tundra and admits the earliest it could incorporate their 4.5-liter Land Cruiser power plant into the popular pick-up is 2016. 4.5-Liter Duramax. GM says the 4.5-liter turbo-diesel will produce 310 horsepower and 520 pound-feet of torque, while bumping fuel efficiency by 25 percent. In order to help it meet Bin 5 and LEV 2 emissions standards, as well as be 50-state legal, the engine will feature both a diesel particular filter and an NOx after-treatment system that uses urea to knock out those pesky nitrogen-based particles. 4.4 Ford Turbo Diesel. Rated at about 330 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque. To meet emission standards, Ford will use its own NOx after-treatment called “aqueous urea” which will be injected into the hot exhaust stream. This engine is already being offered in the Range Rover by Land Rover. Trucks aren’t the only vehicles getting a diesel facelift in 2013. Here’s a partial list of what you can expect to see on American roads in the near future. AUDI: A3 TDI – the sporty A3 hatchback (30/42 MPG), the Q7 TDI, and the Q7 SUV (19/28 MPG). Audi has also announced it plans to release TDI versions of the A6, A8 and Q5 by early 2015.
“Trucks aren’t the only vehicles getting a diesel facelift in 2013.”
BMW: The X5 35d diesel SUV (19/26 MPG), and the 330d, a new 2013 “3” series diesel sports wagon. CADILLAC: A confirmed 2.5-liter, inline 4-cylinder Diesel ATS for the luxury coupe and a possible Duramax 4.5-liter in the Escalade and Escalade EXT pickup truck. CHEVY: Cruze Sedan, 2.0-liter, 265 lb-ft. of torque and 161 horsepower.
8 september/october 2012 | north american diesel magazine
Mercedes
Porsche
CHRYSLER: EcoDiesels for both the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Chrysler 300. MAZDA: Will be introducing the Sky Active Diesel in their new CX-5 Crossover. MERCEDES: New “Blue Tec” line of 4-cylinder, 240 hp models for the entry level SUV market. MINI: Clubman Diesel, similar to the Cooper SD models that are offered in Europe. MITSUBISHI: Diesel Hybrid for the Evo XI sports car. PORSCHE: The Cayenne Diesel - 240hp (20/28 MPG), The Macan (formerly called the Cajun) is a smaller SUV crossover to be offered with a 2-liter diesel that has been getting 45 mpg in recorded testing. VW: The Beetle TDI, with 28/41 mpg features a 2-liter turbo with 140hp.
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| september/october 2012 9
The Birth of Diesel Rudolf Diesel
Photo courtesy of Bigstock.
Rudolph Diesel and his quest for a more efficient engine BY EVE LEE
In the late 1800s, a German engineering student decided to take a look at the engines around him. Everything from factories to heavy machinery was run on heat and steam engines that were only 6-12 percent efficient, and the economy and technology of his time were demanding engines that could do more. By only his third prototype, in 1897, Diesel had successfully created a motor that ran on diesel as well as biomass fuel, with an efficiency of 75 percent – more than quadruple that of other engines. In the late 1800s, a German engineering student decided to take a look at the engines around him. Everything from factories to heavy machinery ran on heat and steam engines that were only 6-12 percent efficient, and the economy and technology of his time were demanding engines that could do more. This student, Rudolf Diesel, decided that in order to have a more efficient engine, the ignition process needed to take place within the cylinder, using compressed air combined with higher
energy fuel to create that ignition. Although it was a radically new theory for his time, Diesel filed for a patent in 1892 and began building prototypes of his new diesel engine design. He experimented with different fuels, including coal, vegetable oils, and a petroleum byproduct which was later dubbed “diesel fuel.” By his third prototype in 1897, Diesel successfully created a motor that ran on diesel as well as biomass fuel, with an efficiency of 75 percent – more than quadruple that of other engines. Diesel imagined
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himself as the creator of green-fuel alternative future, claiming that, “The use of vegetable oils for engine fuel may seem insignificant today. But such oils may become in the course of time as important as petroleum and the coal tar products of the present time.” Ironically, this biomass-fueled future later became a strictly dieselfueled future after Diesel’s unfortunate and mysterious death in 1913. Diesel’s death didn’t stop the evolution of the diesel engine. Although improvements and modifications www.northamericandiesel.com
“Trucks with diesel engines were playfully called “smokers” in the 1930s due to their sooty emissions.” have been made to Diesel’s original engine design, the basic concept of the four-stroke diesel engine has essentially survived unchanged for over the past hundred years. Even so, the diesel engine has gotten smaller, weighs less, and emits far less noise and pollutants today than what Diesel originally designed. In fact, diesel engines were originally known for being robust, dirty, sluggish, smelly, and loud. They were first employed in only stationary factories and or large vessel marine use, then later made applicable to heavy duty trucks, locomotives, tractors, and a variety of construction equipment. Trucks with diesel engines were playfully called “smokers” in the 1930s due to their sooty emissions. Even 50 years later, diesels were difficult to start, demanded longer warm-up times than many people had the patience for, and required people to tolerate the odor of diesel while refueling. But despite diesel’s pitfalls, heavy duty pickup trucks remained popular. Since most trucks were used for construction, farming, or industrial purposes, drivers didn’t mind diesel’s downfalls when exchanged for more torque, durability, economy, and reduced maintenance. In fact, many heavy-duty pickups today are still loyal to the diesel engine, with over 60% of all full-size heavy-duty pickups in 2003 being diesel-powered. Today, diesel engines are used in trucks, buses, construction equipment, www.northamericandiesel.com
1930’s Mack Tr uck
factories, submarines, ships, aircraft, passenger cars, motorcycles, and some locomotives. Diesel’s popularity has spiked in the recent years, especially with America’s dependence on foreign oil, OPEC’s refusal to drop oil prices, and the economy taking a dive. But in the past, average Americans have stereotypically avoided diesel passenger cars. It wasn’t until 1936 that the first mass-produced diesel passenger car, the Mercedes Benz 260D, appeared—in Europe. Average Americans, loathing the diesel stereotype, turned away from the idea of commercial diesel passenger cars until the OPEC petroleum embargo catastrophe of 1973. With higher prices, limited fuel supplies, and long lines at service stations, Americans slowly started buying diesel imports by Mercedes-Benz, Peugeot, Isuzu, Volkswagen, Audi, Volvo, and Datsun. Domestic automakers GM and Ford also started making diesel cars. However, when the cost of gasoline receded, so did America’s desire for diesel cars. Diesels have been stereotypical big muscle placed in large machinery— even today diesels are known as workhorse engines, generically thought of as powering heavy equipment and trucks. It’s thanks to key engineers,
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like Cummins and L’Orange, along with leading manufacturers, such as Deutz and Bosch, that diesels were perfected into smaller, lighter, cleaner, and more efficient engines. Innovations such as cooled exhaust gas re-circulation, injection-timing delay, higher injection pressures, and the development of progressively cleaner fuels have brought the diesel engine of yesterday to where it is today. In modern direct injection diesels, combustion is carefully controlled and confined to a specific region within the head of the piston. Plus, tiny computers are used to monitor the fuel injection into the engine’s cylinders, delivering just the right amount exactly when it’s needed. Tight electronic control of the fuel injection, engine speed, coolant and oil temperatures, and piston position means more fuel burns more thoroughly, with more power generated, a better fuel economy, and fewer emissions. Today, diesels now save more on fuel, run more economically, and emit fewer pollutants than standard gasoline engines. The Department of Energy, Ford, GM, and DaimlerChrysler, along with automotive technology companies and scientific organizations, are all pushing even further for diesel improvements as a solution for a greener tomorrow.
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| september/october 2012 11
Success in the Midwest
Area diesel service thrives because of its commitment to customer satisfaction. BY DEANNA EFIRD
12 september/october 2012 | north american diesel magazine
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Most days at Area Diesel Service in Carlinville, IL, if president and owner Val Leefers can’t be found at his desk, it’s because he’s in one of the departments getting his hands dirty. Working on diesel engines is something Leefers has done since he was a kid. With his commitment to hard work and customer satisfaction, he took his passion and grew it into a thriving business. Today, Area Diesel Service, with its two locations – one in Carlinville, IL and the other in Pleasant Hill, IA – is one of the top diesel fuel system and turbocharger experts in the Midwest. As a young man, from grade school to high school, Leefers was always working on cars and farm equipment in his neighborhood. After high school, he went to work for a John Deere dealership where he gained more experience. “I was interested in mechanical things,” Leefer says, “so going to college wasn’t really something I thought about doing.” Leefers then went on to work at a Case IH dealership and, one night over a couple of beers, he and the parts manager decided they should partner together. “He was the parts guy, and I was the mechanics guy. I had a real passion for doing fuel injection work,” Leefers recounts. Together, the two opened a shop in central Illinois and began to grow their clientele, doing fuel injection, turbocharger work and as Leefer says, “Working on everything imaginable from baby buggies to locomotives.” Leefers had an interest in focusing on bench work, so when an opportunity presented itself for Leefers’ partner to buy him out, the two men parted amicably. Leefers built a small building outside of Carlinville, IL, acquired thirteen hundred dollars of inventory, and opened up his own shop. In 1973, Area Diesel Service was born. www.northamericandiesel.com
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Photos courtesy of Area Diesel Service
14 september/october 2012 | north american diesel magazine
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“I was married to a great gal, and she and I started this business together and had two great kids,” Leefers recalls. “We almost starved to death that first year; I think we made about a hundred bucks a month,” he says. But Leefers loved what he was doing, and so he persisted, working long hours and doing whatever he needed to make the customers happy. Doing whatever it takes has been at the backbone of the success of Area Diesel. “If you’re going to do something, eventually you’re going to make mistakes. A mistake is going to happen. It’s how you take care of your customers and correct those mistakes that is key to your success.” Leefers’ philosophy certainly has paid off. The original building he built in 1973 still stands on the property, but the Carlinville facility has expanded four times over the years to its present 25,256 square feet. Those expansions made room for a pump department, a turbo department, a warehouse and a state-of-the-art machine shop. Also, within the town limits Area Diesel owns a 10,000 square feet core facility, and is opening a new space for an individualized remanufacturing facility for a particular turbo charger line. In 1984, Area Diesel opened its second location outside of Des Moines, IA, and today that location is approximately 15,000 square feet. “My goal with this business has always been to provide for my family and employees, and to give the employees within the community longevity and livelihood,” Leefers says. Customers come to Area Diesel from all over, for both their diesel wants and their needs. “You know, we’re in a business that’s a repair business, and that’s a need,” Leefers says. “When customers have www.northamericandiesel.com
“We almost starved to death that first year; I think we made about a hundred bucks a a problem with something – their month,” car, or truck or tractor – we are in the
business of repairing them. But we also have products we hope people want, like our complete module lines, Agricultural Diesel Solutions and Truck Edition. It gives better fuel economy and better horsepower, but it’s a want, not a need. We provide such good service for their needs that they come to us for their wants too,” says Leefers. “That’s something that has contributed to our growth.” Sadly, Leefers’ wife died from breast cancer at the tender age of 40, and didn’t get to see the expansion of these last few years. “She was such an important part of getting this business off the ground and growing it,” Leefers recalls, getting choked up. “Sometimes when I walk through the halls, I think of how proud she’d be if she could see it now.”
She would also be proud of their two kids. Their son is a manager in the
Area Diesel business, who has two sons of his own who work at the business on college breaks. And their daughter is a Lt. Colonel in the Army in San Diego who plans to retire soon and go back go school for her doctorate. With just under 50 employees company-wide between the two locations, business – and life – has been good for Leefers over the years, but not without a lot of hard work and dedication and sacrifice. Leefers lives on the same road he’s spent most of his 68 years living on. “It’s a three-minute drive to work,” he says. “We’re based in a small town on a rural road, but ours is very much an international business.”
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