TDR Magazine Sample Articles and Test Drive

TDRAdmin4 · Apr 1, 2003

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[SIZE=-1]The TDR magazine (published quarterly) provides an informative 120+ pages of technical tips, maintenance basics, product evaluations, owner feature stories, industry news, vehicle history and development, and much more. Both the magazine and website provide an open forum for the exchange of information from the manufacturers to the owners, from members to members, and from the owners back to the manufacturers. Our goal is to give Dodge/Cummins owners more satisfaction in the ownership of their pickups. 

But why take our word for it? Why don't you test drive a digital copy of the Turbo Diesel Magazine now: 

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Click here to sample Issue 90 of the Turbo Diesel Register
 
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]If you do not have access to high-speed internet access, just give us a call at (888) 440-8371, and we will gladly mail you a sample copy of the print magazine itself.
 
And in the spirit of "try before you buy," you may set up a trial membership (username/password) to the Turbo Diesel Register website at no charge. Just click here to get started:
 
https://www.turbodieselregister.com/register.php
 
Your trial membership will be good for 60 days from today. You will be given full access to the website except for private member information. PLEASE take the time to read the website guidelines as you will be expected to abide by them and will be held to a higher standard than a normal member would be. You can reveiw the guidelines at https://www.turbodieselregister.com/guidelines.htm . By requesting a trial membership, you are agreeing to adhere to all website guidelines .
 
Regular membership to the TDR Website is as easy as subscribing to the magazine. Members receive the quarterly TDR magazine AND all the membership privileges of the TDR Website, including access to back issues as they are digitized (at no additional charge). An annual subscription to the Turbo Diesel Register is $35.00 ($45.00 Foreign).
 
We are hopeful you'll enjoy your TDR Test Drive, and we look forward to having you as a TDR Member soon.
 
The links below are downloadable copies of samples articles of the Turbo Diesel Register.[/SIZE]


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Idle Clatter
(Issue 87) 
Injection Problems and No Start 
(Issue 87, pages 60-65)
Problems related to fuel injectors have taken an upward jump over the summer of 2014. Truck models affected range from 2003 to 2013 HPCR engines. The older trucks have a lot of miles on them and therefore problems can possibly be expected, but newer trucks are experiencing more problems than has been normal in the recent past. Problems range from an intermittent engine miss, to engine stumbles at certain engine speeds. Replacement of one or more fuel injectors does not always solve the performance problem.

View attachment TDR87-IdleClatter.pdf (5 meg)

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Technical Topics
(Issue 86) 
Lube Oil For your EcoDiesel 
(Issue 86, pages 68-72)
The interim five weeks gave me time (too much time?) to plan for ownership. I downloaded the EcoDiesel Owner’s Manual (www.ramtrucks.com) to check out the routine maintenance parts that the truck would need.

Based on previous questions that members had about lube oil for the 2014 Ram/Cummins engine (TDR 84, page 67), the first section that I went to for the EcoDiesel was “Maintaining Your Vehicle/Engine Oil.”

View attachment TDR86-TechTopics.pdf (4.5 meg)

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Your Story
(Issue 85) 
2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel 
(Issue 85, pages 38-47)
I just took delivery of a 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel from my local dealer, Troncalli Ram, Cumming, Georgia. It was ordered in mid-March 2014. Now I can take logging on to www.ramtrucks.com/vots to check the truck's order status out of my daily routine. As an aside, the truck spent more time in shipment (10 days) then it did in any other queue. (Logistically speaking, the Frame/Paint/Trim is only a two day process.) The vehicle order tracking (VOTS) is kinda hokey, but perhaps it is better than no information at all.

View attachment TDR85-YourStory.pdf (7 meg)

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Tech Topics
(Issue 84) 
Lubes 101 – What You Need to Know to 
Purchase Engine Oils – Today and Tomorrow 
(Issue 84, pages 40-43)
Diesel, gasoline, and natural gas engine oils are all going to be changing by 2016. With the current regulatory emphasis on improving fuel economy, which also reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, engine oil scientists will be redesigning and reformulating all three oils to enable improved fuel economy.

View attachment TDR84-TechTopics.pdf (4 meg)

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Cummins Column
(Issue 83) 
Cold Weather Subjects 
(Issue 83, pages 55-56)
Your Cummins Turbo Diesel is available with a few key features to improve the cold weather operation of your engine. These features will help to protect your engine and improve your truck’s cold weather starting capabilities.

View attachment TDR83-CumminsColumn.pdf (3 meg)

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From The Shop Floor
(Issue 82) 
Tap-py Tap-py Noise 
(Issue 82, pages 128-130)

Recently I received a call about an engine noise. The customer’s
comment, “My ’99 makes a tap-py, tap-py noise.”

View attachment TDR82-From_The_Shop_Floor.pdf (4 meg)

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Member 2 Member
(Issue 81) 
Fluids In Your Truck 
(Issue 81, pages 16-19)

Since day one of the TDR we have preached that you should use
the correct fl uids in the day-to-day maintenance of your vehicle.
Over the years this philosophy has given us ample subject matter.
In the past we have: done several exposés about “the best lube
oil”; many editorials on snake oils and additives; countless articles
on diesel fuel, bio-diesel fuel, fuel additives, and premium diesel
fuel; several articles about the correct coolant; close examinations
of brake fl uid and the department of transportation (DOT) codes
that spell-out brake fl uid temperature performance; cussed and
discussed specialty lubricants for manual gearboxes; and looked
at the lubricants for the two differentials (Dana ’89-’02, American
Axle ’03-newer) that have been offered by Ram. Whew!

View attachment TDR81-Member2Member.pdf (6 meg)

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TDReprint
(Issue 41)
 Your Story - Aircraft Diesels (Issue 41, pages 62-65)
Who among us ever thought we
would live to see the day when airplanes - especially light aircraft - would be
powered by diesel engines? But it is happening. All the more astounding, the
successful aircraft diesel is derived from an automotive engine. Until now,
automotive engines converted for use in aircraft have not had an illustrious
history.


<A
HREF="AIRCRAFTDIESELS.pdf">Click here to access .pdf file containing entire
four-page article</A>

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Member2Member
(Issue 41) Members'
Solutions To Members' Questions Brake Pad Selection (Issue 41, pages 10 - 12)
In issue 40 we asked
engineer-writer James Walker to adapt his article on brake systems for the TDR
audience. I had found James' original in Grassroots Motorsports and was
impressed by his common-sense writing style. As an introduction to this issue's
"Brake Pad Selection," I'll pull a quote from his Issue 40 article, "Modifying
our brakes to address the presence of high temperatures (brake pad material and
brake fluid composition) should be considered if your thermal concerns cannot
be addressed by super-sizing." Super-sizing sounds expensive, so let's hear
what James has to say about brake pad selection.
<A
HREF="BRAKE_PADS.pdf">Click here to access .pdf file containing entire
three-page article</A>

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TDReview
(Issue 40) A
Product, Event Or Article Review Braking Systems In Plain
English (Issue 40, pages 96 -
101)
Readers of this publication
often see advertisements describing brake upgrades available to diesel
enthusiasts. However, before any of us go running off to the aftermarket for
our own NASCAR six-piston calipers, F1 carbon-fiber rotors, and 50 feet of
stainless steel braided brake lines, it would be wise to take a deeper look
into braking systems.
<A
HREF="BRAKES_ENGLISH.pdf">Click here to access .pdf file containing entire
six-page article</A>


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From The Shop
Floor (Issue 40) Tips From Turbo Diesel Repair Shops TST's Dowel Pin
Solution (Issue 40, pages 148
- 150)
Always on the lookout for a
better way to accomplish a task, the folks at TST products have developed a
common-sensical (is that a word?) method to correct the dowel pin problem that
many owners have seen with their 12-valve engines. Before I present their
solution, let's provide a brief history of the problem.
<A
HREF="TST_DOWEL_PIN.pdf">Click here to access .pdf file containing entire
three-page article</A>

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The Way We
Were (Issue 40) Crank Up The Way-Back Machine To Review Old Topics Horsepower
Calculations And Expectations (Issue 40, pages 132 - 135)
Hi folks. I'm going to give
you some excerpts from a letter to our technical advisor, Jim Anderson. Perhaps
it was not meant for review by the editor. We've located this in the TDResource
heading of the magazine as we used a Cummins factory resource (computer
program) to analyze and set realistic expectations for the driving scenario. I
will withhold the name of the TDR member. I'm confident the writer has had the
opportunity to read several TDR magazines, as the title of his correspondence
gives him away.
<A
HREF="HORSEPOWER.pdf">Click here to access .pdf file containing entire
four-page article</A>


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The Way We
Were (Issue 39) A
Product, Event Or Article Review Gasoline In Diesel (Issue 39, pages 138 - 139)
My wise old mechanic who has
worked on Mercedes for years told me that if I put one gallon regular gas into
a tank full of diesel after about every four tanks, that it would perform
essentially the same job as a fuel injector cleaner at a fraction of the cost.
I would like to hear a technical opinion.
<A
HREF="GAS_DIESEL.pdf">Click here to access .pdf file containing entire two-page
article</A>

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Technical
Topics (Issue 38) Service/Parts Update Diesel Power In The
USA (Issue 38, pages 28 -
33)
As you read in the last
issue's, "Tailgating" editorial, there is a new addition in my automotive
family, a '98 Volkswagen Beetle with the turbo diesel engine (TDI). This 1.9
liter, four cylinder, turbocharged, intercooled engine is rated at 90
horsepower at 3750 rpm; 149 torque at 1900 rpm. Interestingly, the car's diesel
engine already has exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) that is cooled with a
separate circuit of the engine's coolant. The engine also has an engine blowby
and breather system whereby the vented gasses are plumbed (positive crankcase
ventilation, PCV) directly into the air intake system just after the air
cleaner.
<A
HREF="DIESEL_POWER_USA.pdf">Click here to access .pdf file containing entire
five-page article</A>

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The Shade
Tree (Issue 37) Back To The Basics Liquids In Your
Truck (Issue 37, pages 104 -
107)
Servicing a new and
unfamiliar vehicle model for the first time can be frustrating. As I thumbed
through the Volkswagen New Beetle (diesel) Owner's Manual, there were many
listings for lubricants that only showed the manufacturer's part numbers.
Purchase of the Robert Bentley shop manual did not give any further insight.
Nor did a visit to the local parts counter unlock the mystery of the
specification of the lubricants needed for routine maintenance. Case in point,
what is the specification for and, thus, alternate (read: less expensive?) for
the lubricant needed for the five-speed gearbox?
<A
HREF="LIQUIDS.pdf">Click here to access .pdf file containing entire four-page
article</A>

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Technical
Topics (Issue 34) Service/Parts Update Exhaust Gas Temperature Gauge
Evaluation (Issue 34, pages
20 - 29)
It appears that there is a
great deal of myth, supposition and innuendo floating about regarding the care
and feeding of exhaust gas temperature gauges (EGT or pyrometer, same animal).
I've seen some comments that go something like, " ... well, it's got 'Super
Series' in the title and costs twice as much, so it must be better." That's a
little like saying that I pour rotgut moonshine into a Black Label bottle, it
will taste twice as good. It just ain't so..
<A
HREF="EGT_EVAL.pdf">Click here to access .pdf file containing entire ten-page
article</A>


<hr>

Technical
Topics (Issue 32) Service/Parts Update Oil Filter Expose (Issue 32, pages 26 - 32)
Oil filters! Who cares? Just
grab one from the auto supply store or Wal-Mart and put it on when you change
the oil. That rugged diesel under the hood of your RAM won't notice the
difference, right?
<A
HREF="OIL_FILTER.pdf">Click here to access .pdf file containing entire
seven-page article</A>

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TDR Magazine Sample Articles and Test Drive

Purpose

TDR Xerox Membership Drive

TDRAdmin4

Turbo Diesel Register