My MicroBlue experience

In the early 90's late 80's the Peterbilt 372 with a 3176 350 hp was averaging over 11 mpg with just any driver, imagin what it will do with the more efficient motors and that was a COE.

 

Let's also add that the USA has the lowest Cetane Fuel at 40 compared to Europe where they use 50+ Cetane that will make a huge difference in mpg also.

 

I really doubt that either of those trucks were using diesel they found at the closest pump.
They probably were using the highest spec allowed.

 

Went by to pick up my turbocharger parts @ Microblue today and they told me their was a Detroit just being inframed @ Race City Diesel in Mooresville, NC, so I went by to see the progress with getting there just as they finished installing liners and pistons right before reinstalling the head. Made these 2 videos to show how easy the motor turns over with MicroBlue treated liners, pistons and bearings....

[video=youtube_share;BR94R5WZ9Wk]http://youtu.be/BR94R5WZ9Wk[/video]

[video=youtube_share;BOf5qd7Q-##]http://youtu.be/BOf5qd7Q-##[/video]

Reports of around an additional 1 mpg to be gained from MicroBlue treated inframe with lower operating and exhaust tempertures. I know I will be doing my next inframe with MicroBlue.

 

If you Microblue new liners , how will the new rings seat?
I would think this would be like glazed liners.

 

That is what I thought until one was on a dyno with no blowby and in fact it pulled a vacuum.

I know JW who has a Detroit that was inframed a few months ago complained about his taking alot longer before his heater starting blowing out warm air when it was first cranked up.

 

I'm thinking the same thing plus the fact that with no head there is no restriction so the motor is easy to turn over anyway.

Sorry Dice I'm not knocking your microblue, just kinda stating the obvious so those who don't know will understand.

 

The professional racing circuit has been using this for quite some time to gain an edge...

 

Good for them, do they run their motors for a million miles in all sorts of different environments, no.

BTW which racing circuit, just curious? I had heard Nascar uses it in some applications. I was also told some guys tried it in smaller circuits like dirt modified/late model racing but the microblue wore off the gears. From what I was told it was the equivalent of 500 miles... In the end the cost was to much so it wasn't worth it. I'd be curious to see Dice's rearend gears and bearings to see if the microblue is actually holding up.

 

The micro blue surface treatment is something that is integrated into the crystal structure of the mating part surfaces, resulting in a much smoother surface than is available through standard machining and polishing techniques. It shouldn't wear any faster than the metal that the mating surfaces are made of wear - so high RPM engines under severe stress are going to go sooner with or without it.

So... my understanding is that it causes the lubricant film that exists between moving parts to be thicker (because of the smoother surface,) and offers much lower turbulence in the film. The result is less fluid drag making it easier for the surfaces to move, and lower operating temperatures. Less energy is lost via the lubricant, and remains to be transferred to the wheels. Ideally, it's not going to wear off because it aids the lubricant in floating the surfaces.

Some of the guys that have the treatment done to their axle bearings should be approaching 2 or so years of operation now. If it was going to wear off, you'd expect there would be quite a bit of whining going on at this point. I've been told a set of bearings for a 3-axle, class 8 tractor would run around $3000 installed. So... if you assume 0.5 mpg fuel economy improvement, 130,000 miles per year and $4.00 per gallon for diesel, the ROI is around 9 months or less. If ya accept those numbers, you could afford to have this done every couple of years, and still come out ahead. Doing the internal surfaces of an engine, you'd necessarily want some confirmation that the "wear" issue was something that wasn't going to be a problem.

So yeah... for those of us less willing to be crash test dummies, it'd be interesting to see how some of the initial applications hold up!