March 2004 - Performance Zone
March 2004 - Performance Zone
We were blessed to have two neat 1979 Peterbilt 352H cabovers come to our shop for performance work and a taste of Pittsburgh Power. What makes the two cabovers unique is the fact that both have KT 450 Cummins engines, 15-speed transmissions and 3:55 rears, both were originally painted blue, and both came from California. These trucks were sisters even though the owners do not know each other. And both were at our shop during the same month. I should check the serial numbers to see just how close they really are.
This beautiful bright yellow 352H Pete (pictured below) was one of the sisters. Its new owner is John Ternenyi of Hollywood, California. John found her in a used trailer lot in Fontana, CA and paid $10,000 for her. The engine was converted to a KTA 600 by one of the previous owners, so all John had to do to the engine was install a high-flow fuel pump, injectors, turbo and a turbo boot to produce in excess of 800 horsepower. This is the original engine in this Pete. John painted the truck, installed new rear fenders, had Shepard Power Steering rebush the entire truck and add new shocks, air bags, shackles and hangers, and then installed extra low profile tires to get the low rider look. And LOOK it does. This is one sharp cabover and John has every right to be proud of his truck. And what kind of work do you think he gets to do with this truck? He pulls trailers for the motion picture industry loaded with cameras, props and grips.
I was traveling eastbound on I-64 in Kentucky and saw John and his Pete traveling westbound and this cabover sure did stand out. This truck is a member of the American Truck Historical Society. I wonder if we could talk John into bringing her out to Walcott, Iowa this July for the annual Jamboree?
Now the sister to this Pete has a pretty nice life also. Based out of Sonoma, California, this other sister cabover hauls vintage race cars, including three Corvettes and three 1935 Alfa-Romeos. At this time, I cannot recall the owner’s name, so we’ll have to save this story for another time.
Don’t forget to come and see Pete and I at the Louisville truck show this March. Stop by and take a look at the Strana Tonka Race Trucks. Also, Alban Engines in Elkridge, Maryland will again host the Power Days Dyno Shoot-Out on May 15, 2004. Bring yourself, bring your truck, and put it on the dyno and see how it compares to some of the most powerful trucks in the world. This will be the 3rd year for this event and it gets better every year. They can only dyno test about 30 trucks, so be sure to call Eric Payne at (410) 798-8000 just as soon as possible to pre-register. We have a lot of fun at this event - the competition is tough, the camaraderie is second to none, there is always a lot of kidding around and great conversation about high performance diesel engines. The Pittsburgh Power Diesel Engine Computers will be there and you can see how easy they are to install. There is always plenty of food and beverage, so bring your better half or girlfriend, as they are always welcome. Come and see how 1,000 plus horsepower to the ground feels as it shakes the building.
Do you change your own oil? I do, and trying to catch 10 gallons of hot oil without spilling any is tough. While speaking at a Dodge Cummins Rally, I saw a Femco no spill oil drain system for my Dodge. I love this thing so much that I purchased one for my Kenworth. The Femco drain valve replaces the factory drain plug. It is solid brass and has an o-ringed cap that covers it to keep out the dirt. All you do is unscrew the brass cap, screw the hose onto the fitting in the drain hole, and when the hose tightens up it opens the valve in the plug. When one 5-gallon bucket is almost full, simply unscrew the hose. The oil flow will stop, allowing you to position another 5-gallon bucket under the hose. Then, you simply tighten the hose and the remainder of the hot oil will drain quickly into the second bucket. You no longer get hot oil shooting out of the drain hole onto your hands and missing the bucket. Put the Floor Dry away, you will no longer need it. And guess what, this system sells for about $40. You may want to reconsider changing your own oil now. If you are interested and want more information, just give Shawn a call at our shop.
Well my friends, take care of yourself, be safe and please don’t speed in the cities - even on the interstates. Let’s not loose the 65 to 75 MPH speed limits we currently have. I can’t stand to drive at 55, but if we don’t slow down, the 55 speed limit may come back. I see 18-wheelers in the hammer lane pushing four-wheelers out of the way all the time in cities that have interstate highways running through them. Folks, this is bad. Do you remember what it was like to drive 55? I sure do - and I don’t want to have to do it again! If you have any comments or questions, feel free to contact me at (724) 274-4080 or visit my website at www.dieselinjection.net today.
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2004 10-4 Magazine and Tenfourmagazine.com
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