Do Most Big Rigs Have Turbo Chargers?

OTR is all we're discussing here, so that's what I meant. I can't recall any in production since I was quite young, that's for sure. Dad was a Detroit Master Tech and several months ago I read something about the popularity of 2-strokes which struck me odd... I asked him and he couldn't remember one after '78. That said, he's gettin' old. Can you think of any still sold in OTR service since then? I'm honestly curious.

Even that surprises me. As I said above, I was only considering big trucks. Anyway most tow motor/forklifts now seem to run on propane or battery power. Not that the propane engine wasn't simply(or not so simply) converted, but most seem to be 4-strokes as well.

 

Ya, and they won't run for poop without the turbo(s) working properly. Turbo problems can cut horsepower by half or more. I fought this problem with my truck for over two months before the shop finally pinned it down.

 

Yea, my great uncle bought a GMC topkick 14 yard dump and complained to my dad. "What the hell is that whining noise? That's gotta stop!" "You remove that whining noise and that truck won't even move itself."

All big truck's have a trubo. Just goes to show that there friend of your's you talk about don't know nothin' about a truck. Truck's is where the turbo started, the place where it was invented and actually meant for. Why they started making them smaller and installing them on these little car's beat's the hell out of me. I guess just more power to kill yourself with.

 

About 7yrs ago, I ran one with 8' tires... That was massive, but it had a straight 6 as I remember. I'm also an equipment operator and now that I think about it, I don't recall any 2-stroke I've used in over 20yrs. Of course, it's not like I really pay attention. I just put in my earplugs and go.

 

I hear that BOV sound everytime I drive my car!!!!

 

Not that they are really OTR, but the M977 8x8 10-ton military trucks use the 2-stroke Detroit v-8 super- and turbo-charged. I "logged" plenty of miles on the wrecker version.

 

I enjoy most exhaust noise, but a whining, whistling turbo charger is an irritation. A loud fan can also be irritating whenever the fan clutch cycles on. Most fans are not turning in cooler weather or with a lighter load, but the turbo never stops.

I remember the first time I drove an R Model Mack. The engine's low-end torque was amazing as the turbo came up to speed after each gear change. Then the whistling would begin. Unlike a dog whistle that only a dog can hear, the whistle of a Maxidyne's turbo irritates every living creature.

In the early 1960s, Mack Truck's executive vice president of product and engineering, Walter May, developed the Maxidyne high-torque rise engine. The engine was first available in the 1968 model year trucks. This was an industry-changing event. The Maxidyne allowed a heavy Class 8 truck to be operated with a 5 speed (Maxitorque) transmission. Previously, heavy trucks were typically equipped with 10 or more gears.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mack_Trucks

 

Apparently your great uncle didn't appreciate good music.

"ALL" Big trucks? Are you sure that's factual?

I think MANY folks don't know "nothin'" 'bout Big trucks.

Is that a fact? Can you provide the source of that information?

More likely those "little cars" have them installed because a turbo provides free horsepower. The wasted exhaust turns a turbo before it's released into the air, creating an additional boost to horsepower and torque -- which is also beneficial for better fuel mileage as well as better performance.

Why would you assume a turbo will cause folks to go faster and kill themselves? Statistically, how many turbo equipped cars are involved in high-speed crashes compared to non-turbo engines?

 

Last I checked, every tig has a turbo. If not, how would we be able to do that super trucking deal?