I read thru the page listed here. I have a few comments about the circumstances driving the engine development that the writer of these webpages didnt pick up on.
I was working in a family owned gasoline and diesel fuel service station during the 1972 Arab Oil Embargo, as we have been taught to call it. During that time period I watched with personal interest as gasoline prices rose from 27 cents per gallon to well over a dollar. At the same time diesel fuel prices remained well below 60 cents. As I remember things, diesel started in the 15 cent area peaked at 55 cents and then dropped back into the 30 cent range. While gasoline peaked at a Dollar 40 cents and settled out at around a Dollar per gallon. As a service station, our fuel supplies were rationed to a gallon figure per month for gasoline, but we could get as much diesel fuel as we could pump. While I am sure that the 'oldsmobile diesel engine' delivered superior fuel economy as stated by the webmaster, fuel economy was not the driving factor in the deveolopment of the passenger car diesel engine. Fuel prices and availability had alot more impact in the reality of the situation. The initial customer base for the diesel engines around here were farmers who had a well grounded understanding on how to operate and maintain a diesel engine. I watched a series of my neighbors and customers buy cars and pickups with these engines installed, and then go throught sheer misery trying to keep them running right. So yes I agree with the assesment that overall the engine was not GM's best effort. Considering the speed of introduction, I would also agree that it appeared that GM took their standard chevrolet small block 350 and slapped a few ancilliary parts on it then called it a diesel engine. While it eventually turned into a decent engine (after about 10 years of tinkering) the first models were unreliable, expensive parts spronges and repair shop queens. > "Lots of Injector Pump problems, blowing head gaskets, and poor > maintenence due to lack of knowledge basically killed them. Many > engines were perfesionally changed out by GM mechanics, but still > with many top end problems and poor maintenence, and also due to > water in the fuel." > > Also breaking crankshaft and other bottom end problems... > http://members.tripod.com/~A350Diesel/disaster.html > > This is the main site: > http://members.tripod.com/~A350Diesel/index-17.html > The 350 Diesel Page Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
