California has cut the sulphur in diesel for about the last 5 years and the result was those diesels with fuel pumps on their last legs, failed. The O-rings apparently rely on sulphur (as well as many other parts) for lubrication. Those that were not, were not affected. I am all for cleaning up the diesels, the difference in the last few years has been remarkable. Increased atomization of the fuel, computer controlled injection & timing, and reformulated fuel have had a huge influence on emissions. Its been pretty interesting to follow here in California as it really affects us with the massive amount of agriculture here. Even Kubota has been redesigning their engines to meet the stringent CARB (California Air Resources Board) requirements well into the future. Ford expects to have "Smog Eater Diesels" in the near future where the emissions are expected to be cleaner then the air it takes in. It will be interesting to see if it materializes. The news in the New York Times is pretty much old news for those of us in California where the EPA has had a very heavy hand. Just look at the HP output of most any engine, in California it will almost always be less due to the restrictions we are faced with. If it means cleaner air and still an affordable cost, I have little problem with it provided it is in fact, an improvement. While "soot traps" were envisioned for all diesels here, the improvements in combustion and fuel will hopefully eliminate the need for them, they were going to be quite costly. Rat...
