I went down to a Peterbilt dealership earlier today to look at their 2010 trucks. Specifically, the new SCR system. Sadly, they didn't have any on the lot.

Anyhow while we were talking, 'kitty cat' engines came up. From what he told me, CAT has signed a deal with International to manufacture CAT class-8 trucks. Apparently International will build the trucks to CAT specifications, CAT will supply the emblems, engines, etc. This is all supposed to happen mid-2010.

Does anybody know anything about this?

Navistar, Caterpillar teaming up for truck ventures: Heavy-equipment-maker Cat's to appear on road trucks; Navistar to expand overseas

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Awesome. Thank you for that. However am I correct to assume that there won't be any 'on highway' type trucks (ie: Prostar) with a kitty-cat engine? Only severe service?

From what I understand, Internationals new Maxxforce engine is a colaberation between CAT and International. It's the closest thing you'll get to a CAT from now on.

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"All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent."- Thomas Jefferson

Internationals new Maxxforce 13 is collaboration between International and Mann. International and Cat will be behind the Maxxforce 15, which isn't out yet. The whole Maxxforce line so far has been a let-down with higher than expected reliability issues. Maxxforce is still having trouble meeting emission compliance without using Urea. We haven't heard much since the recession took a strangle hold on the economy. With the negative issues International is having, I wouldn't be surprised if CAT just isn't quite ready to jump into bed with them yet!

I haven't heard anything good about the Maxxforce 13. One guy said it takes forever to get to anything on the engine, Like removing the valve cover(s) because it's covered with junk. Wiring harnesses can only be unplugged like 3 times before they break (very brittle) and I thought he said it's a rear geartrain engine. So even simple things like a cam swap requires engine removal. (have to look that up) I'm guessing that's the MANN part of the design since they usually deal with COE's. I thought Cat was supplying everything except the fuel and air system for the Maxxforce 15. If that was the case it shouldn't be too bad, maybe if the IH parts stink you could swap parts off a 6NZ C15 and have a new Blue kitty cat.

So far Jfaulk you are correct, the IH/CAT truck engine will be a C15 long block, or at least that is the plan currently. The electronics are still up in the air, it was sounding like Navistar was going to wire the engine but Perioria is pretty quiet on that so far. I don't hold out much hope for any of the current production engines with the EPA requirements. I'm sure they will get it ironed out and they work ok, but the "old days" are pretty much gone. No more easy ECM swap for a quick 150hp.

Some states you could probably get away with stripping the emissions stuff, but that will get tougher as time goes on as well I think.

I did some checking and yes the Maxxforce 13 is rear geared. You'd think IH would have learned their lesson on the 7.3 Powerstroke that this is a pain in the butt. I think every engineer should have to preform certain maintaince tasks or repairs before they can release things to the market. I mean if it takes you an hour to remove the valve cover(s), that's one more billed hour for a simple task like valve adjustments. Like Volvo with no rear motor mounts, adds labor to a clutch replacement because the transmission holds the back of the engine. So stupid.

The 7.3 is a front gear train engine. The 7.3 is an International T444E. The 6.0 PowerStroke or VT365 is an RGT engine as is the 6.4 or MaxxForce 7. The VT365's RGT is actually pretty bullet proof in and of itself. The problem with that engine was the EGR coolers cracking and super heating the coolant in the heads. Delete the EGR (easy to do) and a set of ARP head studs and they'll run (in a pickup) 450hp at the tires for a LONG time with no issues.

I do agree that RGT's are a pain if you need to tear into the gear train. Many Cummins engines are mostly RGT's now. We've got a small fleet of M2's we bought a few years ago that all have RGT ISBe Cummins in them and we have about 25 112's with ISCe RGTs in them. Since they are the same basic long block as the front gear train engines they hold up fine, but if you have to do a cam, etc.

I agree 100%, the engineers should have to work in a shop for a while and suffer the fate of servicing their own design.

That's right, it was a 6.0 we swapped the cam in. Brain fart.