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Scania Group Press Release / November 8, 2017 Scania’s new 410 hp six-cylinder gas engine is a long-awaited engine for demanding and sustainable long-distance and regional transport operations. With biogas in the tanks, CO2 reduction can be as much as 90 percent compared to a similar diesel engine. Interest in running on gas is growing greatly, thanks to good access, a growing infrastructure and good operating economy. The sustainability aspects are also important. Until now, gas engines have either been too weak or had too small a range for serious long-distance transport. But Scania has solved these issues with a ground-breaking Euro 6 gas engine with full potential for heavy, long-distance transport and construction-site applications that is equivalent in all respects to a diesel engine of the same size. The foundations were laid by Scania’s well-known 13-litre engine, which has been successfully developed to run on gas. Great hopes “We have great hopes for this unique engine,” says Henrik Eng, Product Director, Urban, Scania Trucks. “There is a considerable and genuine interest among existing and prospective customers to be able to have, for example, long-distance transport solutions for heavy goods that run on gas, and this engine meets this demand in all respects. It’s powerful, it gives customers a lower operating cost, and it reduces emissions.” The new engine provides 410 hp and gives 2,000 Nm from 1,100 and through to 1,400 r/min – respectable figures that compare well with diesel engines of a similar size. With LNG (liquefied natural gas) in its tanks, a typical semi-trailer truck with a gross weight of up to 40 tonnes can drive 1,100 kilometres without refuelling under favourable conditions. With twin LNG tanks on a rigid truck, the range is approximately 1,600 kilometres. Best possible driveability “An important goal for us in the development work has been to ensure the best possible drive­ability, so that the performance and characteristics will correspond to what one expects from a modern diesel engine,” explains Folke Fritzson, a Senior Engineer who is part of the team developing Scania’s gas engines. The new 13-litre gas engine always runs in combination with Scania Opticruise, Scania’s automated gearboxes. This means that the driver has first-class gear changing and driving comfort, with fast, unhesitating gear selections. A new, more robust spark plug and modified software have resulted in extended intervals between spark plug changes. Wide range An important aspect of gas engines is the tank solutions on offer. Both tanks for compressed gas and tanks for refrigerated liquid gas can be ordered directly from Scania. LNG generally provides a greater range, as a significantly larger amount of fuel is carried. With LNG, the range is up to 1,100 kilometres for a typical semi-trailer on a flat road. But a CNG (compressed natural gas) solution, which usually provides a range of up to 500 kilometres, is also more than sufficient for many customers, for example if the assignments primarily involve regional operations with a return to the home base and refuelling point every day. But the mileage that can be achieved before needing to refuel also depends, of course, on the type of driving and usage. Longer maintenance intervals A special safety aspect is that Scania’s engineers have turned the tank valves backwards, away from the direction of travel. This is a seemingly simple but thoughtful detail that reduces the risk of the valves becoming damaged by being hit by stones or chippings. Gas engines that run using the Otto principle (with pre-mixing of fuel and with spark plugs) have shorter service intervals than diesel engines. However, Scania’s engineers have implemented a series of measures that help bring about a significantly longer service interval, and it is currently the life span of the spark plugs that sets the limits. “We have defined the interval as 45,000 kilometres for both spark plug replacement and oil changes with normal use,” Fritzson says. “This is a clear improvement over previous generations of gas engines, which had 30,000 kilometres as their normal interval. This reduces maintenance costs and increases uptime, since fewer workshop visits are required during a given ownership period.” A breakthrough “Everything indicates that we are making a breakthrough for gas engines, including those for heavier trucks for long-distance transport and construction-site vehicles,” Eng says. “Nobody now has to do without characteristics such as good driveability or driver comfort. At the same time, we are seeing that a rapidly growing infrastructure goes hand in hand with an increasing interest among potential customers to start using all the gas that is available in markets such as France, Italy and Switzerland, to mention just a few.” SILENT TECHNOLOGY Gas engines work according to the Otto principle, relying on spark ignition as opposed to the compression ignition used in diesel engines. A significant advantage of an Otto engine is the low noise level, much quieter than a diesel engine. In addition, thanks to the lower compression ratio and combustion pressure in the cylinder, the strain on engine components is considerably lower, making for a long service life. .

Just curious......how do you know the perpetrators are from Russia?

Troll ?

When a website has been hacked, it's best not to log in, much less visit the affected website.

About 93 years ago, in the America of 1925, another time and place with different attitudes, respect and honor was extended to 49 soldiers who obeyed their government's call to cross the Atlantic and fight on foreign soil.......but never returned. How dare U.S. courts side with the beliefs of a peculiar few, much less the 2018 standards of the majority, and order the removal of a monument built in 1925. The monument stood, without issue, for 89 years. Then it's suddenly politically incorrect based on the views of an obscure group? Why don't we then erase all historical artifacts from existence, and be done with it? Cultural decay and declining standards of behavior in the United States.

It’s all too much…..we have entered the Twilight Zone ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Federal court rules World War I memorial cross must be torn down Back in 1925, the American Legion erected a memorial in Bladensburg, Maryland, to honor the memory of 49 men who perished during World War I. The 40-foot tall memorial became known as the "Peace Cross." In 2014, the American Humanist Association -- a group that believes in "being good without a god" -- filed a lawsuit alleging the cross-shaped memorial is unconstitutional and demanding it be demolished, altered, or removed. They alleged the cross carries "an inherently religious message and creates the unmistakable appearance of honoring only Christian servicemen." On Wednesday, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed and ruled the historic memorial must be torn down -- all because the Bladensburg Memorial is in the shape of a cross. The Fourth Circuit said the memorial excessively entangles the government in religion because the cross is the “core symbol of Christianity” and “breaches” the wall separating church and state. Writing separately, Chief Judge Gregory wrote, “This Memorial stands in witness to the VALOR, ENDURANCE, COURAGE, and DEVOTION of the forty-nine residents of Prince George’s County, Maryland ‘who lost their lives in the Great War for the liberty of the world.’ I cannot agree that a monument so conceived and dedicated and that bears such witness violates the letter or spirit of the very Constitution these heroes died to defend.” The American Legion could appeal directly to the Supreme Court. "Today's decision sets dangerous precedent by completely ignoring history, and it threatens removal and destruction of veterans memorials across America," First Liberty Institute attorney Hiram Sasser said. First Liberty Institute and the Jones Day law firm are representing the American Legion in their fight. “This memorial has stood in honor of local veterans for almost 100 years and is lawful under the First Amendment,” Jones Day attorney Michael Carvin said. “To remove it would be a tremendous dishonor to the local men who gave their lives during The Great War.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/towering-cross-shaped-monument-on-public-land-is-unconstitutional-court-rules/2017/10/18/b26e4afe-5b47-11e7-9b7d-14576dc0f39d_story.html https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/29/us/politics/peace-cross-maryland-court-first-amendment.html .

US tax reform targets avoidance by multinationals The Financial Times / November 3, 2017 Excise levy would crack down on ‘inversion’ deals and foreign groups with US affiliates Foreign multinationals have emerged as the target of a tax avoidance crackdown embedded in radical reforms unveiled by Republicans this week as they seek to stop companies from spiriting profits out of the US. Company lobbyists who initially cheered the plan to cut the corporate tax rate from 35 per cent to 20 per cent were on Friday fretting over an anti-avoidance provision they said could do collateral damage to global supply chains. Their concerns underscore the formidable challenges confronting Republicans as they try to overhaul the tax code for the first time since 1986 in the face of corporate lobbying, budget constraints and an impatient President Donald Trump. Gary Cohn, director of Mr Trump’s National Economic Council, said on Friday the White House hoped to see the House of Representatives vote on the tax plan the week after next, when Mr Trump returns from a trip to Asia. The anti-avoidance proposal would hurt foreign-owned multinationals with American affiliates as well as US companies that used “inversion” deals to move their head offices overseas, said Bret Wells, a tax expert at the University of Houston. Crafted with an “America first” tinge, it would impose a 20 per cent “excise tax” on cross-border payments between affiliates of the same company, which are tax deductible and made for materials, services and intellectual property royalties. “Yes, we have a new design to stop inbound, unwarranted deductions of expenses,” said Kevin Brady, the chief Republican tax writer in the House of Representatives, in response to a question from the Financial Times. Mr Brady, chairman of the House ways and means committee, has been pushing for ways to end perceived advantages he says the current tax code gives to foreign companies versus US corporations. Mr Wells, who recommended similar measures to Congress at a hearing last month, said: “It’s a fairly expansive provision in the way it’s contemplated.” He estimated that at present some companies could use tax-deductible payments between affiliates to shift as much as 30-40 per cent of their profits out of the US. Lobbyists dispute the characterisation of multinationals as tax avoiders, arguing that such payments, also known as related-party transactions, are a legitimate and necessary part of internal supply chains that span the globe. Nancy McLernon, president of OFII, a trade group for foreign companies in the US, said: “We’ve got to be very careful as we craft major tax legislation that might disproportionately impact international companies because US companies can be hit by retaliatory measures as a response.” France is pushing for the EU to agree a new turnover tax on US tech groups to make it impossible for companies such as Apple and Google to cut their tax bills by moving profits between countries. The Republican excise tax would have a limited effect on US tech companies. Although they use IP royalties to shift profits out of the US, their ability to do so is constrained by a provision of existing law that does not apply to foreign-owned companies. One lobbyist said the excise tax would affect other US businesses, arguing it would hit carmakers importing components from their own factories in Mexico and retailers bringing in clothing from affiliates in China. He said it recalled an earlier Brady proposal for a levy on imports — a border adjustment tax — which was killed by an outcry from importers. “In my view this is a border tax-lite proposal because you are taxing material being brought in to be sold in the US,” the lobbyist said. The excise tax would raise $155bn over 10 years, according to Congress’s joint committee on taxation, curtailing what Republicans call the “erosion” of the US tax base and helping to pay for the sharp cut in the headline corporate tax rate. A summary of the excise tax proposal from Mr Brady’s committee says “current law incentivises and subsidises the shift of American jobs overseas because additional functions performed abroad allow for greater deductible payments from US corporations to their foreign affiliates”. It continues: “The provision would eliminate the US tax benefit afforded to multinational companies . . . by imposing full US tax on those profits irrespective of where they are booked.” Mr Brady said the excise tax was “one of the areas we invite the most feedback in, because it’s a combination of some traditional ideas that have been talked about in the past with some new approaches”. The Republican bill, which House speaker Paul Ryan says will also save money for middle class families, is due to be amended by lawmakers next week before a vote in the House. If it passes, it will then go to the Senate, where members are likely to want to make their own revisions. OFII and other trade groups said they were still evaluating the impact of the bill as a whole. Related reading - http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/42799-white-house-refuses-to-step-on-pfizer-tax-dodge/?hl=inversions .

I thought the second video, by an owner, largely covered your question. I apologize for failing you. Anyway, "you're welcome".

My above post didn't answer your question?

. . http://www.ramforum.com/f158/2500s_auto_level_rear_air_suspension_towing-78862/

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Ford invests $220 million to expand Ranger production, build Raptor in South Africa Engineering News / November 3, 2017 Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa (FMCSA) is investing R3-billion (US$220 million) in expanding Ranger production at its Silverton plant, in Pretoria. The plant builds the Everest sports-utility vehicle and Ranger pickup, with the latter exported to 148 markets. The focus of the investment would be on increasing Ranger capacity in order to cater for growing demand from local and export markets, a further improvement in quality, increased automisation, as well as enabling production of the Ranger Raptor, which would enter the South African market in 2019, said Ford Middle East and Africa operations VP Ockert Berry in Pretoria on Friday. The purpose-built, desert-racing inspired Raptor forms part of the Ford performance brand, with other members of the club the well-known ST, RS and GT derivatives. Berry said the Silverton plant would produce more than 100 000 units this year. Current capacity at the plant is 100 000 units a year. The R3-billion investment will see capacity increase to 167 000 units a year. The changes to the plant should be in place in January next year, following a four-week shutdown period over December. The Silverton plant operates on a two-shift rotation, with a three-shift operation not currently on the table. Employment was set to increase through the capacity expansion, noted Berry, although he could not yet quantify the number of people to be added to the Silverton payroll. The newest investment from the US car maker in its South African operations was an indication of Ford’s commitment to South Africa, noted FMCSA MD Dr Casper Kruger. “The market response to our announcement that Ford will be introducing a Ranger Raptor has been absolutely phenomenal,” he added. “We are exceptionally proud to confirm that this highly anticipated performance model will be assembled in South Africa. This is yet another fantastic achievement for our local team, and signals our ability to produce world-class products of the highest calibre.” In the first ten months of the year FMCSA Ranger exports from South Africa reached more than 46 000 units, with local sales at 27 048 units. Ranger production at the Silverton plant started in 2011. .

With 330 horsepower and 725 lb/ft of torque, and a rear axle ratio chosen to achieve "12" startability, I imagine top speed easily reaching 65mph, and that's fast enough. Remember, it runs up to 2,800 rpm.

The media is a curious beast. Once, Zika was all over the front pages and set to conquer the world, and then suddenly you never hear any more about it. Perhaps, the powers that be couldn't stop it and thus want the topic buried.

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Interesting project, but in my mind, only this is a "Mutt". .

Financial Tribune / November 2, 2017 President and CEO of Volvo Trucks Martin Lundstedt conferred with [Iranian truckmaker] SAIPA chief Mehdi Jamali over the expansion of business ties and new production lines. The talks were held during a visit by Lundstedt and Volvo managers to SAIPA headquarters in west Tehran on Tuesday, the local company’s news website reported. Both sides expressed hope to expand collaboration through “joint production of commercial vehicles.” Jamali said SAIPA is interested in building ties with the Swedish company, noting that it is also planning to export a portion of its jointly produced commercial vehicles. The two carmakers have a history of collaboration. Under a deal signed in July, SAIPA Diesel will assemble 3,500 Volvo FH heavy goods vehicle during the current fiscal which started in March. As per the agreement, 5,000 units will be assembled next year. SAIPA Diesel CEO Mohammad Sadeqi, also present at the meeting, referred to Volvo Trucks’ plan on technology transfer, saying, “Currently, only 20% parts used in the FH models’ are manufactured locally ... We have reached an agreement to increase the share to 30% next year.” The SAIPA subsidiary’s chief further said that his company is planning to become the regional hub for Volvo commercial vehicles and sell to regional markets along with Central Asia and North Africa. Note: Iranian truckmaker SAIPA is the distributor for both Volvo brand trucks and Dongfeng-Volvo joint venture trucks. Dongfeng is wholly-owned by the Chinese central government and run by the communist party. .

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Owner-Driver / October 31, 2017 Different issue triggers second recall of Mack trucks in Australia in less than a week A recall has been issued for 7,668 Metro-Liner, Trident, Titan, Granite and Super-Liner Mack trucks in Australia. The notice affects trucks sold beween December 31, 2006 and October 17, 2016. A notice on the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) website states: "The driver is not alerted to low air pressure in the braking system because the air system warning is set too low." "This may result in reduced braking, posing an accident risk to the driver and other road users." Owners are advised to contact an authorised Volvo Group Australia dealership to arrange an inspection and repair of the vehicle. The full list of affected vehicles can be found here. This is a second recall affecting Mack trucks in less than a week, with up to 463 trucks recalled for a different issue late last week.

Owner-Driver / October 30, 2017 Certain trucks from the Metro-Liner, Granite, Trident, Titan and Super-Liner ranges called back A recall has been issued for a total of 463 Mack trucks sold between April 24, 2016 and March 9, 2017. The callback affects vehicles from the Metro-Liner, Granite, Trident, Titan and Super-Liner truck range. A notice on the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) states: "The front brake mounting hardware may have been under torqued and the incorrect torque tool used during manufacture." "The mounting hardware could become loose, reducing braking ability and posing an accident risk to the driver and other road users." Owners are advised to contact their nearest authorised Volvo Group Australia dealership to arrange an inspection and repair of the vehicle. The full list of affected vehicles can be found here.