It’s windy and the air is full of dust and pollen outside today. Thus I spent the morning working on getting actuals regarding the performance of the new engine. There has been one oil change since the 25th of April when I brought it home. I’ve also used a variety of diesel fuel additives which, depending on the marketing you read about them, raise Cetane values, lubricate, and quiet the engine and exhaust. On cold mornings the engine smokes momentarily and will sound a little rough for about 20 seconds before things warm up. Other than that it’s working very well. I’ve been following Scott’s recommendation to drive it gently and this means getting off the Interstate when and where possible. Winding state highways are slower and, you’d know this if you drove them, a lot more fun than their multi-lane cousins in the valley next door.
First Month Performance Information
Although it is a running average you’ll also notice that the price of fuel is trending up (Average PPG) over the last month or so. Average MPG has some room for improvement but I’m guessing that it will over time as the new engine breaks in and as the driver becomes more synchronized with the vehicle.
In other news I have in my possession a pair of Rocky Mountain Westy lock boxes to install under the front seats and a pair of DOKA truck mirrors to replace the old flappy ears on Zeno today. Also, I talked to the folks at POR 15 after preparing the cabin for some anti-rust sealing work only to discover that I couldn’t open the can. There is a plan in place to transfer the contents from that can to a new can (maybe even today) and they’ve recorded a discount should I want to buy anything new from them in the future. Really nice people who know how to take care of their customers was the sense I came away with after this discussion.
