Think about this over your Holiday weekend. In the late 90's the #@#@ hit the fan over engine emisions. All the engine companies got busted for "playing " with the rules. The emissions regs used to be at a specific rpm and load range. Well the companies did this but when out of that window they got crazy with the fuel timing. Detroit was the big one. That is why the 60 series used to have some of the best fuel milage of the heavy truck engines. All the companies were guilty. The EPA got upset. The companies said "we complide". The EPA said "well that is not the intent of the reg." You guys played with it. The EPA said play this game. Here we go. This is why new engines are coming out all the time now. The companies, could for while, pay a fine per engine and still sell even though they didn't meet EPA. Companies don't want to do this. They want to build and engine and let it make money for while. What they make now they have to spend engineering the next one. They are struggling to pull this off too. How far can a diesel engine go at this rate.

The engine oil companies are the same way. Whats interesting to me is that lubricity is always mentioned. It is "improved". As far as lubricity is concerned. Is it that much better? How many engines in the 80's and 90's got well over a million miles in trucks with CG and CH oil? Abunch and that wasn't with bearing roll-ins either. I know that was with different oil change intervals but that was with lower engine temps also, which is very hard on oil. The point is, sense it is so good now and it lubricates so well when are the oil companies going to get sued by somebody cause they had a bearing wear out? The older engines could easily last along time. Should they last forever now?


The coolant companies have thrown their 2 cents in too. This is an interesting and much forgotten topic here. This has costed people more money in repairs than oil ever thought about.

How much is the propaganda reality. Sure things have improved, we all know and agree on this but is it at the rate that "they" say?

Everybody have a nice Holiday.

 

Don't forget DuPont's patent on r-12 (best refrigerant) that was used in automotive air conditioning systems up until '95. Why was it replaced by an inferior and less-effective refrigerant (r-134a)?

Has something to do with the patent on R-12 belonging to DuPont and once it was up, they stood to lose a lot of money when everyone and their mother could start making and selling it. What did DuPont do? Hmmmmmmm.

Bean-counter: "Hey engineer dude, we need to come up with something quick that ISN'T R-12!!!!"

Engineer: "What for? R-12 is AWESOME!!!"

B: Our patent is about up and we need to come up with something else to replace it with.....and I also have to talk to the legal guys so they can talk to the EPA too..."

Engineer: "OK"

Bean-counter: "Hey legal guy.....we need to stop R-12 production by other people or else we'll all be out of jobs!! Come up with an idea so we don't lose our butts!!"

Legal guy: "I'll tell the EPA that R-12 is bad for the environment...that will definitely get them to stop anyone else from making R-12 when our patent expires."

Bean-counter: "I've got the engineers working on a new formula."

Legal guy: "But R-12 works really well. If we change the chemical makeup of the refrigerant, it won't work as well and people will have to retrofit to new parts so the systems will seal against leakage with the new stuff."

Bean-counter: "That's their problem. I need to save money here anyway I can. That way I can keep my overpaid self happy."

Think about that...

Cody

 

I Agree With You 100%!!!!

 

Well 134A is being changed also. I agree, alot of things change because some engineer is trying to justify his job. I have seen that alot. I like messing engineers. I knew some pretty well and they were good guys but I always reminded them that it took 100 engineers to design a truck and one mechanic to fix what they messed up. Happy Thanksgiving.

 

What you are saying is not entirely out of character for companies whose products are about to come off patent protection.

However, R-12 does contain cholorofluorocarbons, and if they do escape into the atmosphere, they will react with ozone in the ozone layer and destroy the ozone molecules.

The truth is always somewhere in the middle.

 

I doubt the patent issue has much to do with it. Dupont makes stuff in such large quantities that others don't have a chance to compete. They still make plenty of other stuff that has gone off patent. I think it was more of a tree hugger, political issue with the ozone depletion. Truth is you can make ozone easily - pre-lightning conditions make plenty. The ionized air before an high voltage spark creates corona (a glowing arc you can see, but not a spark) and makes ozone. They never bothered to notice that tho.