Hot or not hot

[(Nobody You Know)]

How many times do you see the grills of big trucks covered during the winter to raise the operating temperature of a diesel to make it more efficient? It is obvious that marine use is such that there is always a full load on the engine which never gets to run downhill, but I have often wondered why there is such a large variation in acceptable temps between the two.

Forest,

Just a theory. We saw lots of grill covers in the 70's and 80's. When I moved to GA I-85 and I-75 had a speed lilmit of 60MPH

By the late 80's it was 65MPH. Now, as you well know, it's 70. These old cab-over iron sleds could actually run 90+ if let loose. They were "harnessed" by old speed limit stds. and for years ambled effortlessly down America's highways at slow speeds without striain.

Today the "conventional" cab rigs have smaller front ends and have the benefit of today's 70+ MPH speed limits. No more need for grill covers of the past.

Also, a few years back the average rig made runs to FL, NY, MI, and TX. But today it's not uncommoon at all (hell it's very common) for rigs to make regular trips to LA and Cisco. Drivers I've talked with love to run TX and AZ at night because the "Smokeys" (an old, OLD term) to some extent turn a blind eye. 90+ MPH is not uncommon ("let them dawgs eat").

At least we have fewer "torked-off" truckers these days!

[Freebird]

Thanks for the input and clarification. I reckon it makes a little more sense now as the horses in those big rigs just keep growing and growing.

I'm really gonna get "torced" if one of those 90mph home wreckers runs up on me and makes me drop down to 4th!

Smokeys, an old term, just don't call me good buddy, okay?

[Boss Lady]

The main reason you don't see them very often anymore is there aren't as many two stroke diesels on the road anymore. I happened to see a nice Peterbilt back in January that had the grill cover on it half open. The new diesels are lighter in weight (not as much cast iron mass) and use different combustion techniques (multistage injection), run much higher horse power output, Hence the 90 mph speeds on an 80,000 lbs truck.

Chris