OFF ROAD and ON TRACK

I drive a 6.6 liter Duramax diesel. It is lifted, rolls on 35″ Pro comps and has an Edge performance system. Its a great truck, but as a general rule i get crappy fuel economy and it belches some serious black smoke every time i put the hammer down.

I have built several (about 10) hydrogen generation cells intended for both gas and diesel engines for development. Another 15 are in service in a variety of vehicles. Researching and developing the variations of enclosures, types of stainless plates or tubing and method by which it is powered is a real bitch due what i consider vast amounts of disinformation and complete idiots “sharing their expertise” on the web. I’m not trying to dissuade you from digging through the vast number of HHO chronicles but understand that about 50% of the required data is divulged and when you decide to really get serious about building one, you get really pissed when what seemed to be “decent” info falls short of your expectations.

At this time, i can report and document if asked, that a successful hydrogen generation system is in place in the SAV (Nissan Armada project vehicle built for Liquid Vision Inc.), my duramax diesel and several other vehicles. Successful does not mean that this system makes your car run on water. Successful does not mean that we doubled or tripled our fuel mileage. That being said, successful means that we can count on an increase of 7% to 18% better fuel economy and more importantly a significant decrease in emissions in all vehicles.  This was a result of several combined features in addition to the hydrogen system itself. in all cases for both diesel and gas engines, the air intake sensors and in the case of gas engines the O2 sensors must be monitored and adjusted to actually create the benefits sought via the installation of the hydrogen generation cell. This was first addressed by buying units that claimed to be able to modify and/or regulate the electronic messages sent to the ECM by these sensors. All of the units we bought were found to be either made so cheaply that they burned up or did not work at all. Seeing how electronics are not my forte, in fact it is my nemesis, this was a huge pain in the ass, not to mention a big hick-up in the project itself.

It was not until a couple of the PHD’s from SCRIPTS over in La Jolla got involved did I get back on track and really feel like this project had merit. An interesting fact was given to me by one of these fellas who are smarter than ten poeple put togather; he asked me a simple question and waited patiently for my answer, how is it possible for the men in a submarine to remain underwater for 60 days or so without coming to the surface to re-air the vessel?  That was somthing i had not really considerd. I suggested that the air was re filtered or reused and just got a solom look from my new mentor. He sparred me from further retarded guessing by telling me this: In the subs in order that they have a consistent oxygen supply for the crew to breathe, water is “dissassociated” by electrolisys in the same way that i was creating oxygen and hydrogen in the cells i had on the table in front of him. In the subs, the oxygen is used for crew support and the hydrogen is used to scrub the reactors. It was at this moment, 8 months into this project that I felt a sense of validation and certainly a renewed confidence in this undertaking. Since then, these guys have aided me in building electronic units that work without fail and actually interface with the ECU in a vehicle, seamlessly and without creating error codes in the vehicles computer system so that the hydrogen and oxygen that are being introduced into the engine via the intake manifold can be utilized by the engine as a fuel and the sensors that monitor the engine work in concert with the system.

The unit that that is currently on my duramax diesel built out of 100% 316L stainless steel. It is a tube design in which concentric tubing is fit inside the housing and the electric current is provided to the cell via a pulse width modulator. The unit operates at 11.97 volts and draws 1.5 amps. The fact that it only draws 1.5 amps is a breakthrough in this technology and this reduces a great deal of the stress that is placed upon the vehicles electrical system as well as increases the productivity of the cell itself. It is 18 inches long and has reactive cells that are 13 inches in length. These cells are encased in a 3.75″ housing and it is kept at an operating temperature by an aluminum cooling coil that is wrapped around the outside of the exterior cell wall.  The size of the cell placed upon a vehicle is determined by the engine displacement. the size of an engine is important because this dictate how much air and fuel that engine draws in during operation. Not all cells work for all engines and the amount of hydrogen required to make a difference in the emissions and fuel economy is dictated by displacement and cell size.

The duramax i am driving is one of the exceptional example of greater than expected performance from a hydrogen system.  Today, (this prompts the new post) i recorded fuel mileage in my diesel of greater than 28 mpg. This is on a mixed drive, both highway and city for over 200 miles. Can I contribute this to the hydrogen system?  Yes, but it also is a result of careful electronic management systems that allow the engine to operate and at a maximum efficiency and still maintain a correct fuel and air balance.

Am i happy about this breakthrough, Hell yes. Do I intend to build more of these systems? Hell yes now that I have seen for myself that it works and is reliable.

I normally end this with my “RIDE DIRTY” exit…….however tonight this is all about RIDE GREEN AND RIDE CLEAN.

more to follow and systems are under construction, you ready for yours?

Snakecharmer

I got a call from joey from Liquid Vision. He wanted a very angry, large and nasty off road vehicle to showcase his surf accessory company. Joey came to the right place. We build angry off road machines at POE and Joey from Liquid Vision and the Snakecharmer have a whole bunch in common. So much that when we finally had a chance to take a break and have a cold brew, we knew enough to leave money for bail with responsible folks who would be nice enough to pop us out of jail should we have a little too much fun.

Not only did joey want me to make substantial changes to this off road machine, he wanted it to be environmentally friendly.  The Armada has a 5.6l V-8 in it. This Armada not only has that big motor, but it is modified to be even a little more angry than its brothers that spend most of their life on the streets.

Enter the Hydrogen Energy Supply System, HESS Gen II for short. The tests are continuing to come in, several more have been run because I had a hard time really believing that the environmental footprint of this vehicle could really be that of a 50cc scooter. Not to mention that an additional feature, i call it a “by-product” of the HESS Gen II system, is an increase in fuel economy. This too was more than i could believe and in that regard I will still keep my yap shut about the increase until i have additional data to support what appears to be an incredible decrease in fuel consumption.

Check out the new gallery for more pictures of the Ultimate Surf Assault Vehicle.

With this thing you can still ride dirty and go for a swim.

Snakcharmer

In 2.5 weeks we took the striped off road Armada and turned in back into a comfort street/off road machine.  As is customary for me and the team this was about half the time required for a job of this size and night turnedinto day and back into night again in one very long rolling shift. Electric windows, A/C, new interior, re design rear cage, new paint, new wrap and a host of other modifications are now done.

“it was the last extra mile that killed him”  those will be the words on my tombstone.  Until then we will        continue to go that extra mile to make sure that projects like this get completed even when it hurts.

The Hydrogen Hybrid unit was installed and once again tested and it produced amazing results. I will post the emissions tests on the web site in a page dedicated to this system. prior to that 2 more independent tests will be conducted in order to fully establish, (to me anyway) that the reduction in hydrocarbon emissions from this big nasty SUV have truly reached the levels recorded thus far.  All i can say at this point is that the damn thing works, and i am completely amazed at how well.  And yes for those who are interested, the by product of the reduced emissions is indeed an increase in fuel economy. 

So all in all, to sum up the SAV project I present the fol owing specs for the truck.

Suspension:

Rear travel: 28″   Sway Away  triple by pass shocks and coil carriers. Mounted on a 3 link system that is tucked up underneath and inside the Armada.

Rear End: Dynatrac  Dana 60

42 gal fuel cell

Crow harnesses, interior covered in wet suit material, Eurojet Carbon Fiber front seats, Carbon fiber speaker boxes in the rear, hand formed aluminum body panels, Auto Meter Gauges, and Lowrance GPS

Front Suspension: Fox Shocks, by pass and coil carriers,  Travel 17″

Hydrogen Hybrid:  HESS gen II  single cell system.  Hydrogen and oxygen gas is injected into the intake of the motor producing dramatic results. the system by which it is introduced is controlled and managed from a electronic control unit specifically designed for this motor and its needs.

that’s is for now. i am still so tired i cant see straight.

ride dirty,  without any exhaust…

snakecharmer

I stumbled on a fella’s blog tonight and blew my wad. This guy John Ratcliff got all the venom I save for you, my loyal readers. Actually, it just too damn late to write anymore, however, a little news to keep you engaged..I put the HHO thing I have been working on and not telling anybody about on my diesel guzzeling truck and got a little action out of it. Seems like there is some merit in all this.  I got about 5-6 mpg better with it than before it.  I will give you the full run down in the next few days, but damnit, I am one happy camper with this thing. (for right now anyway)

I think I will make a few and see if anybody wants to get as happy as I am. I WANT TO BE CLEAR. I did not start driving aorund on water only. I still have to buy diesel. I am still pissed about having to buy diesel. I just dont have to buy quite as much. That’s at least until I blow the damn motor out of my truck like the hindinberg.  I will be the guinna pig, let’s see how this works out and then we can talk turkey about you guys shelling out some cheese to buy one of these things. What could be F-King better?

If you have not taken the time to meet the F-King, you really should go to the morning humor section and hook up. 

Ride Dirty,

Snakecharmer

I was two steps away from the edge of a very high bridge, ready to try to fly, because that seemed easier than installing a gallery viewer on this site, when I hit a button by mistake and it worked. (this is no fault of the guys who invented this plug in, they are great and it is great, I am the dummy when it comes to this stuff) So at long last, we will post up pictures of our wacky existance and be able to give close ups of technical projects and our clients cars and trucks. If you enjoy this gallery HALF as much as I hated installing it,  we can look forward to huge street parties, fireworks and cheering masses.

See you soon,

Snakecharmer

DON’T TELL ANYONE….     DIESEL IS $2.20 PER GALLON IN MEXICO

VIVA LA MEXICO !!!   VIVA LA PEMEX  

During the Baja 500 we stopped at a PEMEX station to get a little fuel. Accustomed to the gas prices in San Diego, I yanked out a wad of Jackson’s and got ready for the pain. I don’t speak much Spanish, but I damn sure know the difference between “treinta y cinco dolares  and sesenta y cinco dolares”. The fella in the PEMEX uniform said “treinta y cinco” clear as a bell. For you gringos, that’s 35 bucks, regardless of where you’re from. But I had to check…first in English, then in Spanish, hell even in French at that point to make sure I was hearing right. Well, there was no mistake, gas is HALF the price in Mexico.

That fill-up was in Ensenada, so considering the particularly lubricated state I was in, my mind sloshed over the possibilities while I did my best to see by covering one eye. Good thing I was’nt driving, concentrating on the road, with only one eye would have made be even more dizzy and I would’ve thought the half price gas was all a dream. Arriving in TJ, I made my buddy pull over at my newest most favorite place, a PEMEX station, so I could focus on the sign with the prices. After a few minutes of painful concetration and currency conversion I came up with the figure of 2.61 per gallon.   

At our shop we build aluminum cross bed fuel tanks for diesel pick ups. Generally, these are purchased by contractors with heavy equipment or guys towing trailers who don’t want to stop every 100 miles to fill up their tanks. I had noticed that over the past month or so orders for these tanks had increased, but being slower than most I just welded more aluminum and turned up the country music. The morning after the 500 I came to the shop with a whole new revelation, (and a few facts), diesel sells for 2.20 per gallon in Mexico and I had just paid $5.50 at the 7-11 on corner of Mission and Balboa. I don’t like that place very much anymore. I then looked online to price out the other guys aluminum tanks. Some were a little cheaper than ours (crappy things) and most were hundreds of dollars more (crappy things). The clincher was when I called to see if I could a tank right now, “I mean now, like shipped out today”. A 30 to 45 day delivery time was the answer and prices were higher than expected…due to the increase in aluminum prices.. cough cough BS cough 

I don’t mind the drive into Mexico. I’ve got the XM comedy station, a cell phone I have yet to figure out and all kinds of voices in my head to keep me company. Which means, should there be a little wait at the border I’ve got plenty to do and people to talk with while I wait. And if waiting means I’ve just saved $377.00 bucks on diesel then I would be nuts not to do it. (my truck has a 130 gal tank plus its stupid little piss pot stock one that holds 24 gal).

I have started seeing a lot of ex-patriots down across the border these days, all of us gathering at the PEMEX station, drinking coffee and telling lies. We share stories about secondary inspection and all the places on our trucks the customs guys look for dope and aliens. No worries, all I have on board is just a full tank of of fuel, a well programed cell phone, my current ID and a fading sense of humor if you mention a body cavity search one more time.

So, if anybody reads this blog, it was written with the express purpose of exposing the perils of Mexico and warning all who read it to stay away from the half price fuel just a few minutes south of the border. It burns just as well as the stuff up here that costs twice as much and you have to install a tank in the back of your truck to really take advantage of the savings. Don’t call Precision Off Road Engineering to build you one of those shiny aluminum tanks either, I hear that they are pretty nice guys who don’t charge an arm and a leg and deliver your tank in about three days, right to your doorstep. Don’t let this little secret get out, we wouldn’t want to encourage anybody into taking that dangerous drive down South, risking life and limb all for a few bucks would we?  I’ll see you at PEMEX, and feel free to stop by POE and pick up a tank on the way there.

Now that’s RIDING DIRTY,

Snakecharmer

tiI was asked to post up some more picture of the titan. here are some shots of the titan suspension, roll cage, lowrance GPS, interior pictures and race pictures. unfortunately my computer is jacking up, it is late and the beer is gone. will reconvene with every intent of getting it right next time.

so happy looking. beaten and blog’d down

snakecharmer

Using the stock titan rack and pinion for racing off road was more than it was ready for. Yup, we tried it, and we broke it. However, it made it alot further than anybody expected, about 200 miles of the MINT 400, and it was still “steering the truck” as it went on the trailer.  We owe the longer life and the fact it still worked at all to the steering stabilizer we built out of a small fox shock. This kept the rack from getting the full force of the smash and bang and thus a stayed with us a little longer.

Using the steering stbilizer system we built will keep your rack alive a long time providing that it is not subjected to the kind of punishment the Vegas desert has to offer while going as fast as the truck will roll. It kept the 37″ tires in line and made it alot easoer to drive in the rough, just not that fast and rough.

Currently we are switching to a steering gear box with hydraulic assist. Due to the position of the motor and the steering shaft location this seemed to be a much less challenging conversion than giong to an aftermarket rack. I know U-joints used in tandem can make some pretty good twists and turns, but damn it man we would be asking it to look like a pretzel in order to get to the rack.

Being adventerous cheap asses, we are modifying a saginaw gear box and drilling two ports to accomodate the lines needed for the hydraluic cylinder. I took picutres of the disassembly of the box, (that’s the easy part) and will take pictures of the rebulid and installation of the whole system. One thing to keep in mind, that damn box has got about 20 or so little ball bearings that will jump out of that sucker fast as hell. Those little bastards are next to imposible to find once they hit the floor, thus the count of “20 or so” as reported herein. If anybody knows how many little balls really live in that box let me know, if it is more than 20 I need to go russle up some more balls.

A picture of me on the floor with a magnet trying to find those suckers will not be part of the gallery, but I promise that a step by step photo shoot of the rebuild and line installation will be. You see this is bait. If you have any interest in this process at all, you have got to check back in the next few days to see the pics. 

A BLOG FLASHBACK for Gas Prices Suck

Has anybody asked their date if they know how to siphon gas yet? I did. She had no idea what siphon meant and was totally sick over the fact I would suck gas through a hose….She was, however, in tune with the parallel I eventually got across to her (the art of sucking and blowing and such). That was refreshing.  Such was her level of skill, in her preferred arena, she could have got the preverbal golf ball through a garden hose should she have tried. Different strokes for differnet folks, bless her heart. For me, I will stick to gas.

That’s flogging and this is blogging.

Ride Dirty,

Snakecharmer

For some time now we have been working on increasing the travel of the front suspension in our Class 8 Titan. (Front suspension TOP PHOTO) Since the advent of the trophy truck, Class 8 has become somewhat unappreciated, and I for one think that’s a crime. Well maybe not a felony, unless I hear you talking poo poo. Anyway, Class 8 mandates that the original manufacturer’s frame must remain damn near untouched, thereby making real “off the hook” suspension modifications a bit of a challenge. This is not to say that our suspension is wimpy by any means, (see the pictures) but it does mean that we are confined to certain physical parameters that limit the amount of actual wheel travel we can achieve. (rear, bottom photo)

In the trophy Truck class the A ARMS that make up the front suspension are attached to a “bulkhead” in the center of the vehicle. The mounting points, when they are deep inboard in this fashion, allow for much longer  A ARM’s and thus a greater amount of actual wheel travel. On most of those trucks, a “J shaped” upper arm is used to complement the long lower arm. This “J ARM” assembly allows for the shocks to be mounted side by side on the lower arm and retain proper geometry  throughout the motion of the suspension. Anytime the length of the lower is increased the upper arm length must also increase, and “therein lies the rub”, and mean this quite literally. Remember we have extended the lower arms almost to the center of the vehicle and now we must do the same for the top; one problem exists however, the damn engine is in the way and due to the rules we can’t move it.  The “j shaped” upper arm allows us to work around the engine and keep the geometry correct AND increase the suspension travel by about 25%.  We expect to achieve about 21.25″ of actual front travel….yes inches do matter.

We have tested, drawn, redrawn, re-tested (tested in this industry means take the truck out and try to break the new part). Did i mention this part is fun? Oh yeah its fun, right up the point where you fail the test, ie. break the new part, and then out come the chains, tow straps and sometimes the hiking boots. 

I believe we have arrived at a final solution that will prove to be very effective and the first of its kind to be released for the Titan. When I say released, I am not suggesting that this will be a bolt on kit, but we have a version that can be installed on your Titan with some basic welding and a little patience.

Keep an eye out next week, I will post another bit on the J ARM project along with pictures. 

Flog on

Snakecharmer

It seems that the Nissan Titan is just now getting the attention it deserves. We sure have given it some. because we could not find 90% of the stuff we needed to build a hard core off titan, we ended up building the parts ourselves. If you are looking for parts for your titan, tough stuff that will serve you well in the dirt, give us a call. I am sure we have thought of the same things, and needed the same modifications. We took that thinking to another level and built the damn stuff. Upper and Lower a arms, steering stabilizers, brake modifications, horsepower treatments, and rear suspension modifications to name a few.

Not to mention a one piece fiberglass hood. That was a real SOB of a project. The plug (that’s the thing you make the mold out of) is done.  The mold has been laid and we are ready to now offer the hood as an aftermarket kit. There are a few pictures in the gallery of this project.

Anyway, quite a few folks who have been reading this blog have called in with either questions or requests. we welcome both. 800-518-2535  .

ride dirty

snakecharmer