Turbo Diesel Register

With the introduction of the 2009 model year cars and trucks just days away, I received news from Dodge Truck Marketing about a ride and drive event that will be of interest to you.

Dodge has put together the Ram Challenge Tour, a 12-city event that showcases the new 1500 series truck. The event started on July 26 in San Antonio, Texas and ends on October 6 in Sacramento, California.

With so much of that truck's styling and interior used in our 2500 - 5500 trucks, you will want to see and drive the new 1500. Also, as a Dodge Ram Truck enthusiast, the test drive will give you first-hand information that you can discuss with friends and family as well as on the Turbo Diesel Register Discussion Forums.

To sign up for the event that is closest to you, go to www.ramchallengetestdrive.com.

Let us know what you think.

Robert Patton
Editor, Turbo Diesel Register

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Updated: August 27, 2008

TDR Writer, Andy Redmond, took the Ram Challenge Tour and has filed his report here.

Sign up for the Ram Challenge, then send us your evaluation!

Inspired by an annual calendar published in the pages of Grassroots Motorsports, we introduced the TDR calendar contest in 2007. Much to our surprise, the member response and photo quality were outstanding.

We expect the competition to be tough this year. Nonetheless, here is your chance to have your truck featured at the TDR web site and on the 2009 TDR Calendar. Participation is easy. Just send us your photograph! No sweat. Just clean up your rig, take it out and position against a scenic backdrop, wait for cloud cover or for the daybreak/twilight hour so that there are not any dreaded shadows, and capture your rig with a digital camera with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi. Or you can send us an old-fashioned photograph made from any 35mm camera.

Some tips from the judges:

• Action shots are hard for us to pass up.

• Be careful to make sure your photograph is clear and does not have any junk in the background. We've seen power poles appearing to come out of truck beds and a few McDonalds Kids Meal boxes in the windows.

• Photographs with interesting backgrounds are preferred.

• Extreme weather adds action to the photograph.

This year, there is a limit of two photographs per member. Submit the photo(s) by mail, e-mail or FTP to the TDR offices by September 19.

Mail your print photographs to:

Turbo Diesel Register
2009 Calendar Contest
1150 Samples Industrial Drive
Cumming, GA 30041

Or e-mail photographs to: rpatton@ix.netcom.com

Or FTP photographs to: contact Robin Patton at rpatton@ix.netcom.com to arrange upload link.

The 2009 winners will be chosen and the calendar will be posted at the TDR web site for download to TDR members. A print copy of the calendar will also be mailed to each TDR member. We will announce the results on-line by December so that the Turbo Diesel calendar will be the first in your 2009 inbox.

Deadline for submitting photos: September 19, 2008.

What: 15th Annual May Madness - 2009 - Pahrump, Nevada
When: Monday, April 27 - Saturday, May 2, 2009
Host/Where: TDR member, Joe Donnelly, and his crew invite you to join them at the Pahrump Nugget for a fun-filled week of seminars and activities.

Mark your calendar now.

If you can make it, we recommend you make your hotel or RV park reservations now. Need additional information?

The Pahrump Nuggett (866) 751-6550; www.pahrumpnugget.com
Preferred RV Resort (800) 445-7840; www.preferredrv.com

Other options include the Best Western Hotel and RV Park (775) 727-5100, and Salle West Hotel and Casino RV Park (800) 433-3987; www.saddlewest.com.

Click here to download detailed information and a registration form.

This past Spring Dodge and Cummins held meetings at 58 key dealerships. There were several objectives of these meetings:

To say thank you for your Dodge/Cummins purchase

To discuss the 5.9-liter engine and provide updates

To discuss the 6.7-liter engine and provide updates

To engage in a question and answer discussion

To correct misinformation about products

I was fortunate to attend one of the presentations. And I am pleased to file this report as it gives the Turbo Diesel Register (TDR), Dodge, and Cummins a chance to dispel the incorrect and reinforce the factural stories that are prevalent at fuel islands, trade shows, race events, internet web sites, etc.

This report was updated as of August 27, 2009 to update several "flash codes" that are applicable to the 6.7-liter engine.

Join me on tour with Dodge and Cummins as you read about the presentations that they made last Spring.

To download this article in .pdf format, click here.

Issue 61 is in the mail! This letter from TDR Member, Tim Murphy, is an excellent lead in to discuss TDR Issue 61:

I have subscribed to the TDR since 2002 when I bought my truck. To me, it is the bible for our Dodge Cummins rigs. I have reviewed articles and read through the forums to get some insight into the timing of fuel delivery to improve fuel mileage. I have no interest in getting more power out of the engine. I would like to maintain reliability and longevity. I plan on towing a 25' trailer of about 4,000 - 6,000 lbs.

My truck is a '02 4x4, auto, 3.54 rear end, short bed. I have full gauges including fuel pressure, EGT, boost and tranny temp; an ATS exhaust manifold, 4" exhaust, and soon to purchase intake manifold.

Do you have any recommendations to improve my mileage while maintaining reliability?

Thanks in advance.

Tim Murphy
TDR Member

Tim, as you can imagine, fuel mileage is the topic that dominates the correspondence here at the Turbo Diesel Register. Besides the obvious (air pressure in tires, clean air filters, removal of excess weight, etc.) we focused TDR Issue 61 on cost-effective solutions. We start Issue 61 with a revisit of placebo parts. The text should serve to entertain and make you laugh.

Then we move into a look at the timing of fuel delivery. The article about fuel mileage and timing does not specifically discuss the Edge product. But it does give the reader some test data from Mark Chapple at TST Products showing the positive MPG effects that timing can have on your engine. Additionally, you'll read Marco Castano's [MADS (Smarty) Electronics] comments that timing may net a 1 - 1.5 MPG gain. See our Technical Topics article, "It's About the (Fuel) Economy, Stupid."

What else is in Issue 61?

- In the search for fuel economy, TDR Writer Joe Donnelly discusses engine timing and gives the readers the "How To" for models '89 up to '07 engines.

- There is ample discussion about the new 6.7-liter engine that resulted from open house meetings that Cummins conducted in April and May. We captured the correspondence in our "Cummins Column."

- Product evaluations on Pacbrake, Transfer Flow, ATS, Turbo Re-Source and Scan Gauge products.

- The annual TDR index.

- An invitation to submit your photographs for the 2009 TDR Calendar.

I hope you enjoy Issue 61 and continue to spread the word about the Turbo Diesel Register.

Robert Patton
Editor, Turbo Diesel Register