Driving tips to help a Cat C15 to be better on fuel.

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by Shawn2130, Feb 16, 2018.

  1. WHY NOT

    WHY NOT Light Load Member

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    Good to hear, that is pretty much the same set up as my truck, 98 W900L with 22.5 lows and 3.25's. Im sure it would help if I could just run down the highway longer with out the starts in stops I'm sure I could do better. Best Ive been able to do is about 6.3 out of it, most the time right around 6, but on two lanes sometimes I'm impatient and I have the hp to pass loaded so I do.
     
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  3. WHY NOT

    WHY NOT Light Load Member

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    I have 5" from the turbo back to the Y where its 7" up. Ive never been able to get it over 900. Cruising at 70 and 1400 im running about 650-700*
     
  4. Trucker186

    Trucker186 Medium Load Member

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    Ok,sounds like the egts arent that high not to worry about
     
    Last edited: Mar 1, 2019
    WHY NOT Thanks this.
  5. Shawn2130

    Shawn2130 Heavy Load Member

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    I too have 5” pipes from turbo to dual 5” in/out mufflers.

    The pyro has not gone over 900°f even with the 575 tune.

    The cooling system keeps up just fine with the fan coming in when it needs to.
     
  6. Shawn2130

    Shawn2130 Heavy Load Member

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    Hello fellow truckers

    Update: so far my company freightliner with the c15 cat ACERT had worked great up until October of last year when it started puking coolant out the coolant tank.

    Right now I am still waiting for my truck to go in the shop to have the head pulled off and sent away to verify if it cracked or a bad head gasket.

    My boss has other trucks in the fleet so I’m driving a 1992 Pete with 425 hp 3406B cat at the moment while the freightliner waits for its turn in the shop bay.

    While the 3406b is a simple, smooth running engine, I sure do miss the grunt of over 2,000 ft/lbs of torque the acert has.

    Right now I am hauling logs and grossing nearly 140,000 lbs with the Pete.

    I am finding the freightliner to be better on fuel since the programming was done.

    Also the freightliner would easily cruise at 62 mph even on hills that we have while the Pete slows down and have to down shift.

    Still, I am having fun driving the Pete as well!

    Here is the 1992 Pete with 3406B cat.

    825EAE78-D74C-4B3A-AA70-72C3F86454BB.jpeg B20459AC-B54F-4588-BAB6-055D34BA8A36.jpeg
     
    D.Tibbitt and lynchy Thank this.
  7. Good bloom

    Good bloom Light Load Member

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    rebuilding engine without licence how impressive.
     
  8. Shawn2130

    Shawn2130 Heavy Load Member

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    Good Bloom; my boss is a licensed mechanic and he knows that I have rebuilt engines on farm tractors.

    That 3406b cat engine was a good learning experience.
     
  9. Cat sdp

    Cat sdp . .

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    Sorry I just saw this thread....

    #1... I don’t know who did your tune , but I’ve always been told do not lug a tuned cat up a hill with a load. If you putting the boost to it keep rpms above 1500. Or you will have head gasket problems....

    If your just jerking along without much pedal in it that’s ok .

    Sorry It doesn’t help you now.
     
  10. Shawn2130

    Shawn2130 Heavy Load Member

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    Cat sdp:

    The truck has had an issue that Cat couldn’t find for a long time even before I drove the truck.

    That was why we tuned it in the first place.

    The computer kept going half power for no reason at all. No engine lights, nothing.

    Cat did a engine check over and everything was fine to them.

    Most of my loads last year were just lightweight trusses.

    Heavy loads never seen over 850/900°f on the pyro.

    It was when the problem got worse then we finally found it.
     
    Cat sdp Thanks this.
  11. Trucker186

    Trucker186 Medium Load Member

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    Dont lug Cats but dont go much over 1600 rpm thats what ive heard normally we shift between 1350 and 1500 which doesnt lug the engine all just dont try pulling below 1200 rpm
     
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