HYDROGEN EMBRITTLEMENT

A pilot truck for USA which had a hydrogen generator installed on it failed after two weeks. I haven't been able to get to any techs who will give me any details, but what I suspect happened was hydrogen embrittlment.

Methane gas forms in pit-edges and is not discharged, and cracks form. I don't pretend to be a chemical engineer--I'm just repeating what I've read. Cracks form, and compression ruptures them.

Scary stuff for a guy who just turned his life savings into a truck. And I'm amazed that I haven't seen this discussed on any of the forums or in any of the articles I've searched on the subject of hydrogen generators for commercial trucks.

But I found the answer-called "Xado". This is a ceramic compound which is added to the crank-case at operating temperature. It combines with the metal particles which float around in the oil (yeah...they're there, and they came off your pistons and walls. Sad, huh?)--

--and form a new compound which is smoother, and over three times as hard as the original walls. It penetrates into the walls on a crystal level, and lasts at least 60,000 miles before it BEGINS to erode.

Physicly, this coating resembles smoky glass. The phenominon was actually discovered in the 70's, when miners noticed that when they drilled in certain areas, their drill-bits never wore out. Ceramic compounds had combined with metal shavings to coat them!

Ceramics are not vulnerable to hydrogen embrittlement.

I have to move to Ohio and stuff and can't order anything now, but once I'm settled, I'm going to get a truck-sized quantity of this stuff (315 bucks) and treat my engine BEFORE I install the hydrogen generator, and I know I'll be safe from embrittlement.

Other reasons are that I'd intended to treat the engine with Motorcote anyway (90 bucks, good for 3 oil-changes...a somewhat shorter timespan). Motorcote is good stuff...and I've got to re-read that label, in case it uses ceramics too...you gotta stay tuned. Bookmark me now).

Anyway, my engine has 548,000 miles on it, and probably has never been treated. This means that there are pits, wear, and gaps through which I bleed compression and power. Xado restores everything to BELOW facory tolerance, with a SUPERIOR surface allowing less friction and heat.
Listen: when I added Motorcote to Christine, I got four tenths mpg's better fuel economy. So, I'll be using Xado (unless Motorcote is similar--again it HAS TO BE ceramic) to protect my diesel engine from the scariest potential side-effect of a hydrogen generator first. But second, I'll be doing it to get better power and mpg's.

It's all good. My newused truck is a Columbia with a Mercedes 430 in it. I'll bet I'll get at least a 10% increase in mpg's off adding Xado to a 548,000 mile engine. In that truck, and the way I expect to run, I bet I average over 6.8 mpg's (using my additives to offset low suphur). THEN, when I add the hydrogen generator, I bet I get OVER EIGHT MILES PER GALLON!

(Oh yeah--here's the hydrogen generator I'm getting: .Onboard Vehicle Hydrogen Generators! )
The Xado treatment is a three-step process. You add some, drive 100 miles, add some more, drive 100 more miles, and add the final treatment. You don't need to drain the oil--it comes in a gelled concentrate which adds negligable volume to the oil. I can save money after that by repeating only one step after 60,000 miles...or something.

An engine running with less friction and heat will naturally last longer. If I keep it treated, I should be able to delay a rebuild...forever.

This company also has additives for my transmission and fuel pump--both of which use the ceramics and tighten tolerances. This indeed contributes to fuel economy as well as engine life and reduced heat.

Your truck is your life. I think of it as a living thing. I will give her (it can be a "he" if you want--don't get all bent) all the best stuff. I will make her all she can be. And she will put a lot of extra money in my pocket, and not strand me.

By the way, a note on APU's: My Mercedes engine is rated for 900,000 miles, right? Well, this is based on a whole lot of idle time. A similar Detroit engine is rated for a million miles, and I suspect that this is because Detroits feature Optimized Ide. Once I have an APU on mine, I'll almost eliminate my idle time entirely.

Ignoring the Xado-factor, installing the APU at 548,000 miles should take this engine over a million.