Platinum injection, the real deal

[oil pan 4]

Since I have some what of a unique engine set up (IDI diesel), I have a few different options to the types of internal modifications I can do.
This one would focus on the the removal of the pre-combustion chambers and sending them away to have the inside of the cup coated with some catalytic metal to enhance combustion or ceramic coating them to keep the heat out of the heads and in the combustion gas.
Buying new precups and having them modified isn't really an option, just looked them up and GM replacements are $48/each (I would need 8) and it seems all I can find are the less bigger efficient turbodiesel pre-cups made more for power and not so much economy.
I read on Fuel saving - a professional engineer's view that catalytic topped pistons had shown some gains in creditable tests.
Does any one think a catalytic pre-cup could offer up some improvement?
Or would ceramic have more to offer?
Note: there will be no chance of A-B-A testing with this one.
This is one of those mods I will do if I accidently blow the head gaskets or if I pull the engine apart to get the crank treated with "ESP armor" from eaglerod.com along with other internal mods.
Its all about making more power will less fuel.

[kir_kenix]

If you are going to have it torn apart anyway, then I say go for it. I don't think you will really notice any difference in everyday driving, but that doesn't mean there is NO difference. It all starts adding up in the end, even if we can't tell where its coming from.

I've been following your posts on your Blazer with interest because I just bought a '83 ford f250 idi 6.9L diesel myself. The guy who owned it before me was averaging low 20's, and I'd like to use some of your mods to get it into the high 20's or low 30's. If that's possible, I could get rid of 2 other trucks and have this beast take its place.

[cleanspeed1]

The thing that needs to be investigated is heating the fuel up sufficiently so that the step from tank temp to combustion temp is not so hard. The hydrocarbon chain has so many boiling and cracking points that reactivity is not complete, hence the lower than best mpg. Combine that with better atomization, who knows what could happen.
Just looking at the spray patterns of the IDI injectors, it leaves a lot to be desired.

If it wasn't for the fact that the pump and injectors can't be operated at high temperatures, I'd love to do a DB2 and test it out.

[ConnClark]

I'm sure a catalytic coating might help an immeasurable amount for a while. It would coke up with soot after a while and reduce its effectiveness. Diesel Particulate filters compensate for this with much more surface area and prolonged heat exposure (and they still get plugged). A piston gets hit with rapid hot and cold cycles.

If I were going to do something with the precups it would be a ceramic coating. This has been shown to be effective. Though unlikely if it is done right, the only downside is it may crack or come loose which can lead to engine damage. Auto makers were seriously looking at ceramic coatings until NOX emission regs got tougher to meet.

[oil pan 4]

Originally Posted by kir_kenix

I've been following your posts on your Blazer with interest because

Originally I was looking for a blazer but setteled on a C10 suburban.
Feel free to copy all my mods. I listed every thing that did and didn't work, all the mods I have done and not tested and all the mods I plan to do like WMI and intercooled VGT.

"Just looking at the spray patterns of the IDI injectors, it leaves a lot to be desired".
Haha, what spary pattern? They shoot fuel out in a 0 degree stream.
Over on dieselplace.com they looked into the best temperature to operate a diesel fuel system at. The only company that had researched it was Cummins Marine division. They said the best temperature over all for the fuel system to be at was 70'F.
There is a guy on dieselplace that wrapped 2 or 3 layers of magnet wire on his injector lines to heat the fuel for cold starts and vegetable oil use.
It provided good cold start results. So not all "fuel line magnet systems" are garbage.

"the only downside is it may crack or come loose which can lead to engine damage".
This is the part I dont like. I may do the manifolds. If chips of ceramic come loose they likely wont hurt the turbo.
"It would coke up with soot after a while and reduce its effectiveness"
I am thinking the only part that would remain some what soot free would be the area that the burning fuel gets squirted against. That is the only part that really matters.
I also think that would be where the ceramic would chip away or wear away.

[cleanspeed1]

My point exactly.