Calling all ALASKA Bombers!!!!

[Jerred]

Just moved up to Kodiak Island this past summer from California (Coast Guard pilot). To my dismay, I was too late to attend either of the get-togethers in Fairbanks or Anchorage that Piers told me about when I stopped in to chat with him on our way up through BC Canada. I was hoping one of you guys could help me out with getting in on whatever you diesel motorheads of the Great White North are doing to get your fix of speed, power and smoke! I have tried in vain to identify a shop that has a dyno capable of running trucks like ours anywhere in the state! Jeff at Advanced Diesel in Anchorage has big plans to expand his shop and install a dyno within the next year or so, but that's all I've been able to find. I'd like to get off the island while the ferries are running winter discounts to get some test and tune done.



Also, what diesel clubs do we have up here and how do I get in tough with those guys/gals? There's a couple bombers here on our little island that would be interested in hooking up for some racing/pulling/dyno comps if that's available, I would assume in the summer months when we thaw out a little?



Thanks in advance, come on back...

 

[Cummins Pilot]

Welcome to AK. Always good to see new CTD Bombers around.



I was heading up the Fairbanks guys and was getting together the paperwork to start a chapter up here. So far it just hasn't come together as I've been busy and we haven't met in a long while. Maybe spring time will bring change.



So what are you flying?

 

[Jerred]

So what are you flying?[/QUOTE]



Coast Guard C130's actually. How bout' you?



Flying conditions in this state are insane, gotta admit. Didn't really know what I was getting myself into, but it gets more fun everyday (I live to talk about it).



But I gotta tell ya, thought I'd take advantage of the long winter to do some work on my truck, turbo piping (never liked my fab work on the twins) and the fuel pump. Road conditions are not exactly conducive, however, for the post project test and tune, I'm sure you can relate.



So nobody has a dyno in this state, huh? Guess I'll have to do all the cutting in the winter, and take it to the track in Anchorage this summer. I thought I remembered a guy on here named, something like, 1AKRAM, but I can't find his name on the register. The guy I'm thinking of lives somewhere up here (Anchorage or Fairbanks) and has a 3rd Gen that does 13sec 1/4's. I figured he'd be the guy to talk to, although he may just do his test and tune at the track (he posted a video of his truck dusting a sports car of some kind). Anyone know who I'm talking about?

 

[Double J]

It's actually "AK Ram" and yes, he lives here in Anchorage.



Check out the race schedule for this summer and come on up for a weekend. We're both leaving in June so I'll definately be hitting the races in May. I've gotta see what this new "Smarty" is going to do for me.



Give "JR2" a PM and he can get you on a e-mail distribution list for any meetings/gatherings that come up. Welcome to AK.

 

[ChrisOlson]

JARRED

I have the video he smokes a new mustang by a second it is to big to e mail pm me a snail mail address and I burn to a disc and send it to you



that double J is a good GUY has a rasp and proud of it I am going to be his neighbor later this year and hope to learn a lot from him



welcome to alaska

 

[AK RAM]

Welcome to our winter wonderland Jared. Is Kodiak even big enough to get that beast of yours up to cruising speed? :-laf Look forward to seeing you at the track this summer. We have a lot of fun when we can get a bunch of us together. The more the merrier.



Brian

 

[Jerred]

Welcome to our winter wonderland Jared. Is Kodiak even big enough to get that beast of yours up to cruising speed? :-laf

Uh, not exactly, expecially in the winter snow/slush/rain season. There is a piece of road that my street turns off of that's straight for about 3/4 of a mile and runs up hill. I actually got it to fill the HT3B enough for 65# at the manifold in 4th gear with no load. I looked down and saw 100mph waving byebye as I passed a couple walking their dog, felt bad and decided to chill it out for awhile. It's hard to get these 12v motors to do some work without a trailer to pull when you're trying to dial in timing and rack settings!! Plus, 18-20deg of timing just sounds so much better with BOTH fans spooled up hard and about 3800rpm!!



Hopefully I'll see you guys at the track this summer. I'll keep in touch at least. Seriously though, no one has a dyno for us 12v'rs to test and tune??

 

[Double J]

To the best of my knowledge, no one in Anchorage has a dyno. Jeff has been talking about a dyno for some time now so I wouldn't hold your breath.

 

[Uncle Mike]

Anchorage Dyno

I don't have first hand knowledge of it, but I have heard that there is a dyno in Anchorage. It is supposed to be here:



Hale's Technical Service <http://www.halestechnical.com>

3207 Denali Street

Anchorage, AK (907) 277-4253





I'm in North Pole, so maybe one of the Anchorage TDR members knows or can check it out?

 

[AK RAM]

Quick... somebody call them!



I was over at Anchorage Drag Bike and Machine today and they do have an engine dyno in the back. They build most of the engines for the guys that run at the Palmer drag strip. He said there is not a roller dyno in the state as well.

 

[Jerred]

Hold your horses there fellers. I'm out in front of ya by a bed length and pullin' away. I found those guys on, no kidding, "dynolocator.com" and called them. They have one of those mobile dynos and they say it ain't rated for trucks our size. Probably don't want to tear it up. Besides, they're a car performance shop and only use it on their own work, in other words, can't just roll in off the street and let er rip. Sorry.

 

[Jerred]

OK, so here's what it comes down to. Sounds like no Diesel shop north of the 58th parallel has a performance chasis dyno (unless someone knows the guys at Hale's personally and can convince them that we wouldn't break their machine and could we please use it once a year for a get-together/competition/burgers and beers with the boys/we promise not to embarrass their gaser-car racing customers too bad next time at the track, that means you too Brian!).



So, here's the plan: We all keep calling Advanced Diesel in Anchorage and asking Jeff's wife if they or anyone else in Anchorage has a dyno (it helps to say that you've just moved to the area). I've done it at least half a dozen times myself and since they get so many others calls, she hasn't caught on yet and doesn't remember my voice. Everytime I call, she sounds more convinced that they'll get their plan to put a dyno in their shop going soon. The more we call, I think, might be motivation they need!! Or, they'll just cut us off all together.



And Jeff, in case you're reading this, take a look at the posts and all the guys here that would support you and help defray the cost of purchase and install. AK Ram wouldn't have to burn all that rubber off his tires just to test and tune!! He'll have a regular Friday appointment!!

 

[cguthrie]

Sounds like a good idea, i'm up for a meet in early summer, i'm supposed to deploy sometime around may-june



Chris

 

[AK RAM]

I'm off next week so I'll try to stop by there and talk to them. Maybe they will change their mind once I remind them about how much $$$ they are missing out on having the only roller dyno in the state.

 

[Jerred]

That would be great. I'm sure you'll have better luck talking face to face than I did on the phone. People tend to get a better idea of who they're dealing with and how serious they are in person.



If they're agreeable, I can get a ticket on the ferry this spring (march-april) for real cheep, they run deals in the winter time. Maybe a "Cabin Fever" Diesel dyno meet and greet/competition (I can just see it now, 35 trucks idling for 7 hours in the parking lot waiting for their turn with high idles holding them at 1200 to keep warm, I'm sure that won't attract attention!)



Hey, great thread here, lot's of names I've seen on the forum but haven't necessarily talked to or met yet. Let's keep er' going and see if we can't get some momentum behind the AK diesel group. We probably won't make it off the island this summer with the truck, I'm going to be a precious commodity come May/June with lots of pilots leaving, and fewer coming in, but the wife and I are definitely doing a trip to Denali and Fairbanks (maybe even Prudhoe Bay!!) next summer. We'll be planning around whatever is going on in the club to make it to that as well.

 

[JCrockett]

Jerred,

Welcome to AK. Hope to see you at the track this summer. Hoping I can race the 05 and the Ford 12V conversion.

 

[Jerred]

Hey, thanks, lovin it so far. Thanks for everyone stackin' up this thread too, I've been ploppin' your names in my buddy list. Trying to keep track of all the snow-bound diesel heads since I can't just get in the truck and swing by on the way home from work!



Hey Brian, any luck with the boys down there at Hale's?

 

[AK RAM]

Not yet. I've been doing minor surgery on my truck this week and it has taken me longer to get my engine back together than I thought. The little details just take forever. I may not get by there till next week, but I will get by there.

 

[Jerred]

I know whatcha mean, believe me. My neighbors in Cali used to take bets on when they'd start hearing my 0645 non-emissions legal wakeup calls after seeing it sit up on ramps for a month.



No sweat, I have nothin' but time. I will be gone for a couple weeks here shortly on a CD (counter drug) deployment so I'll get back up with all you guys in early March and see how things are going. Maybe get some ferry tickets and try to torque the rollers off a dyno!

 

[AK RAM]

Double J and I went by Hale's Technical today. Read about his shop here: www.halestechnical.com



Basically he is an auto repair shop that does some ricer tuning. He says he use to open his shop up for dyno days, although I have been here since he purchased his dyno in '98 (so he says) and I never heard of one. He seems like a nice guy, but the bottom line is he currently does not need the money and does not want the hassle. We tried and tried to talk him in to it using every approach, but no go. He did say that he will start doing dyno runs again this summer, but the price will be $500 for two hours, unlimited runs, for one vehicle... ... not you get it for two hours and put as many trucks on it as you can during that time. The idea of doing diesels didn't thrill him either. The dyno is a 248, but it is on a mobile trailer and shakes a lot under torque, making it impossible to get the optical pick-up to give a torque reading he says.



One more avenue of hope. He said the Automotive Department at the University of Alaska, Anchorage, put in a mustang load dyno last month. If we approach them as a "Club" and offered a donation based fundraising opportunity for their automotive program, we may be able to get them to host an "event" per say and run our trucks. He talked like he knew the people that runs the program and felt they would be open to the idea. So, anyone know Kelly Smith or Ed Peace at the U. A. A Automotive Department... or anyone else at the U. A. A auto department? It may not even be an option, but I am going to track one of these folks down and talk to them about it. Before I do, it would be nice to get an idea of what kind of donation revenue we could possibly generate for them. How many would be interested and what kind of donation proposal, per truck, would everyone be willing to commit to? Obviously, the more lucrative the offer, the better our chances that they will go for it. I'm thinking maybe an offer of $1,000 of free money for them for a morning or afternoon of dyno time doesn't sound too bad. If maybe 10 people are interested, we might be able to run for $100 each for say three or so pulls while you're strapped down. What does everyone think?