6.7 Powerstroke vs 6.6 Duramax - Why I Chose Duramax (a research based comparison)
By: The Moo News Network
They both perform equally well - this is not a performance comparison. I'm not going to talk about 0-60 times or which can tow up the Ike Gauntlet the best - if you want to see that type of content go watch TFL Truck on youtube. Both of these engines can do everything you would expect from a heavy duty truck. Comparing performance is just spitting hairs. However, these two engines differ significantly in design. I'm not a diesel mechanic, b...
P0113 Code: IAT Sensor - Meaning, Causes, Symptoms & How to Fix
By: The Moo News Network
Code P0113 indicates a problem with the air intake temperature sensor. The 1 in P0113 indicates an issue with the air/fuel mixture, which can cause your car to burn more gas than it should. The P0113 is not considered a big issue, but it rarely appears alone. More serious issues such as misfires are often happening at the same time. What is an air intake temperature sensor?Not all vehicles have air intake temperature sensors. They are more ...
P0456 Code: EVAP Leak Detected - Causes & How to Fix
By: The Moo News Network
Gasoline evaporates faster than most other liquids like water because the hydrocarbon molecules in gasoline are mostly non-polar. Gasoline is made of many different molecules, and the majority of them repel each other. Because of this weak molecular attraction, the liquid doesn't stick to itself very well and dissipates into the air very quickly. A cup of gasoline will evaporate much faster than a cup of water. Any exposure to air, such as ...
P0300 Code: Cylinder Misfire - What it Means, Causes & How to Fix
By: The Moo News Network
The P0300 means that the fuel and air mixture in one or more cylinders is not igniting at the right time or at all, and this has caused the crankshaft to slow down. It is 'not firing on all cylinders', and the vehicle will hesitate, accelerate slower, and produce less power. What it means when a cylinder(s) misfiresWhen fuel & gas ignite in the cylinder and push the piston down, and that force turns the crankshaft. Each cylinder exerts ...
P0171: Engine Running Lean - Causes, Symptoms & Fix
By: The Moo News Network
This code happens when the engine is getting too little fuel for the amount of air going into the engine - referred to as 'running lean'. The opposite is 'running rich' which means too much fuel is going into the engine. This is called air-to-fuel ratio or AFR. Fuel burns and fire needs air, and due to the combustion characteristics of gasoline, it needs a specific amount of air for a given amount of gasoline. With too much air, it may not ...
P0172: Engine Running Rich - Causes, Symptoms & How to Fix
By: The Moo News Network
Fuel injected engines use computers and sensors to constantly adjust the ratio of air to fuel entering the engine. This AFR (air-fuel-ratio) varies depending on load and driving conditions. When accelerating, AFR should be around 12:1. When cruising on the highway, it should be closer to 22:1. The engine can run leaner and use less gas once it gets up to speed, but it needs more fuel to accelerate. The ECM (electronic control module) is res...
P0420 Code: Catalyst Efficiency Below Threshold - Causes & Fix
By: The Moo News Network
Interviewer: Could you explain the catalytics converters and the P0420 to us - why they fail, how they work, and why they are so expensive to repair?CowboyBenWade: Of course, catalytic converters use catalysts (precious metals) to break apart nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the exhaust so they don't escape into the environment. Also, in the second stage, harmful carbon monoxide CO and hydrocarbons oxidize into CO2 and H2O. What are nitrogen oxide...
P0128 Engine Code Meaning and How to Fix
By: The Moo News Network
Interviewer: Do you know what a P0128 engine code means and how to fix it?CowboyBenWade: It means your engine didn't get hot enough or it didn't get hot enough fast enough. It can be caused by leaking coolant, a faulty thermostat, or an engine temperature sensor that isn't working. In other words, your engine is running too cold.Interviewer: My house has a thermostat, but I didn't know my car's engine needed one.CowboyBenWade: That's right...
P0299: Low Boost Pressure - Meaning, Causes, Symptoms & How to Fix
By: The Moo News Network
Interviewer? What does a P0299 code mean?CowboyBenWade: This code means you have low boost pressure in your intake manifold. Only cars and truck with a turbo charger or super charger will throw a P0299 code. It means your turbo is not functioning properly. Background on Forced InductionMany newer vehicles use for smaller displacement 'forced' induction engines in the hopes of achieving better fuel economy. Whether that works or not is a q...
Why don't hay rings work?
By: The Moo News Network
Interviewer: What's wrong with hay rings and why don't they work?CowboyBenWade: Hay rings are a good idea in theory, but sometimes things that sound good, don't work very well in real life. Hay rings are one such example. The idea is that the cows stick their heads through the rings, eat the hay, and they don't walk on it and poop all over it. This is true, it does keep the cows off the hay. For myself, I'm not too worried if my cows eat a...
Why do cows have nose rings?
By: The Moo News Network
Interviewer: Why do they put nose rings on cows?CowboyBenWade: You can't put a leash around a cow's neck - he won't know what to do with it. It's like trying to walk a cat on a leash, except instead of twenty five pounds, it weights a thousand pounds. You can pull your dog around on a leash because your bigger than he is, but if you had a hundred dogs on your leash all at the same time, they would would drag you around. That's kind of how ...
Why are cows so dirty?
By: The Moo News Network
Interviewer: Why are cows so dirty?CowboyBenWade: What if you had to live in the dirt all the time without taking a shower? What if you were barefoot and had to drink out of a trough? When you go to sleep, you have to lie down in the dirt or a grassy area if you could find one. You would live your whole life without ever getting to take a shower. You couldn't even wipe your own butt. You would be pretty dirty too.Interviewer: I guess your ...
Why is spaghetti the best food in the whole world?
By: The Moo News Network
Interviewer: Why do you think spaghetti the best food in the whole world?CowboyBenWade: Spaghetti is really the ultimate food, and that's partly because it's made from cows - or it always should be. I know some people substitute other meat but beef spaghetti is the only way to make it. I know you may have doubts about spaghetti which I'll explain. I struggle to find a reason to eat anything else.Interviewer: When did you fall in love with ...
The new Ford F150: a twin turbo straight 6?
By: The Moo News Network
Interviewer: Rumor has it that Ford is working on an all-new straight six engine for the F-150. What do you know about that?CowboyBenWade: Yes, Ford is designing a next generation engine for the F-150. The current ecoboost engines, specifically the 3.5 has had a good run, but it's a flawed engine in many ways. And it's been in the F150 since 2011, and Ford has never really fixed the issues with cam phasers. It also doesn't get better fuel ...
The real reason why a cow needs 4 stomachs
By: The Moo News Network
Interviewer: So what's the real reason why cows need four stomachs?CowboyBenWade: Converting grass into hamburger meat is a very long process - grass is very unlike muscle fiber and to convert it, you need a lot of stuff going on. Grass is also a super low-energy dense food - so you have to eat a lot of it. That's why cows eat all day - that's really all they do.Animals that eat meat to grow their muscles like cougars, panthers, dogs, peop...
Why do cows moo?
By: The Moo News Network
Interviewer: Why do cows moo?CowboyBenWade: Cows moo when they are upset, feeling distressed, or anxious. Sometime they moo when they are sad. Other times they moo when they are happy or looking for their mates.Interviewer: I supposed cows cows only have one way to express themselves.CowboyBenWade: That's right - they can only make one sound. How would you like it if you could only use one sound to say everything you ever wanted to say in ...
Would you get a Ford Bronco instead of a Jeep Wrangler?
By: The Moo News Network
Interviewer: Would you get a Ford Bronco instead of a Jeep Wrangler?CowboyBenWade: My dad used to work at place that repaired jeeps. I think it was called Jinco jeep, or something like that. He told me they were garbage. I remember him telling me something about the cross-member, you had to bend it to put it in. It's like sprung in there. They couldn't even cut it to make it the right length, you had to wedge it in there.Interviewer: Jeeps...
What is the best beef cow to raise?
By: The Moo News Network
Interviewer: What is the best beef cow to raise?CowboyBenWade: Black angus are almost the perfect cow to raise yourself. They are a smaller framed cow, which means that when they have calves, you don't have to go out there and help them. Larger framed breeds like the limosines often require assistance. Sometimes you even have to call the vet.Interviewer: I wouldn't want to help out with that.CowboyBenWade: Black angus cows are also good mo...
Why do cows stare at you?
By: The Moo News Network
Interviewer: Why do cows stare at you? I look into those kind, simple eyes, and it's hard for me to just think of them as something I ate last night.CowboyBenWade: I think they do have feelings, and whatever's going on in their minds, it's important. I'm not sure they think too much about their purpose in life, but maybe in these moments when they stare at us, they do.Interviewer: What do you mean?CowboyBenWade: Cows are prey animals - the...
Why do you sell shirts?
By: The Moo News Network
Interviewer: Why do you sell shirts?CowboyBenWade: I really just want someone at Wal-Mart to spend a little of their life reading my words. I've got a lot to say.Interviewer: People are going to think you don't take showers - like maybe you're a dirty man or something.CowboyBenWade: I started using soap a couple times a week, and it's made a big difference.Interviewer: I guess you get used to it after a while, kinda like not washing your h...
Are cows intelligent?
By: The Moo News Network
Interviewer: Are cows intelligent?CowboyBenWade: Bovine intelligence is a widely debated subject, but I speak from personal experience. I am intimately familiar with their behavior, and they hide their intelligence well. You have to look for it with a trained eye. Lots of things happen in a cow field that ranchers are unaware of - lots of subtle community business.Interviewer: Could you give me an example?CowboyBenWade: Did you know that c...
Is it okay to give a cat alcohol?
By: The Moo News Network
Interviewer: Is it okay to give a cat alcohol?CowboyBenWade: Coco has developed a little bit of an issue.Interviewer: Is he starting to get dependent?CowboyBenWade: He doesn't go and buy it himself, so he has to get it from me. I don't give him nearly as much as he would like. It's a tricky thing for a cat because they are so small. This one just has a lot of fur, and that makes him look a lot bigger than he is. I didn't even know if it wa...
Do cows still exist in the wild?
By: The Moo News Network
Interviewer: Do cows exist in the wild?CowboyBenWade: Independence requires a certain amount of intelligence, which sadly is lacking in domesticated bovine populations. Wild cows did roam the forests hundreds and thousands of years ago, and some believe that every modern day cow is descended from a single species of wild cow called Bos primigenius. These ancient ancestors were called aurochs or urus, and they supposedly originated in Afric...
What kind of beer do your cows prefer?
By: The Moo News Network
Interviewer: What kind of beer do your cows prefer?CowboyBenWade: I normally start them on Coors Light at about six months and then move on to something with a more taste, usually Yeungling or craft beer. We buy it buy it by the truckload - it tends to calm the bulls down a lot especially when they get bigger. They are aggressive animals, and they are much less destructive when they have their beer regularly. A big bull can walk right thro...
Do electric fences work for cattle?
By: The Moo News Network
Interviewer: Do electric fences work for cattle?CowboyBenWade: Electric fences are not a good option for cows. When we started in the cow business, we put up electric fences around all our fields. They were a constant problem, and we have gradually been replacing them with square cow fencing. It's more expensive and takes longer to install, but it is well worth it.Interviewer: What types of problems did you run into with the electric fenci...