The battle of engines

CAT is off the game with on-highway engines to follow carb requirements since 2010.

 

Hey AfterShock, I am surprised to see this too, and apparently is nothing new. Looks like it was covered in detail here in 2008.
http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...ers/46003-its-official-no-more-cat-truck.html

 

The rumor mill says that some east coast states will soon be following something similar to carb requirements. Also heard that Pittsburgh Power had set up one of their systems and done emission testing and their engine ran cleaner than oem emission engines. Anybody else heard that?

 

[QUOTE="semi" retired;4002591]Hey old-timers, does anybody remember "Big Al" truck motors? '70's ? Allis-Chalmers, if I remember, they didn't do too well, and A-C recalled them and offered to replace them with a Cummins. http://www.hankstruckpictures.com/pix/trucks/dan_espinosa/ac/ac_brochure_06.jpg[/QUOTE]


I'm not old enough to remember this but it is very true. The ac engines couldn't hold up to constant throttle change is what I was told but this is the first I heard anyone else talk about it since I was educated on it in the mid 90s

 

WRONG!

Cat is very much IN the game, they are building and selling the most fuel efficient and reliable Cat engines ever. Not sure where these kind of rumors start (I hear people all the time say "I wish cat would get back in the game"... They only left for 2 years.
http://www.drivecat.com/truck-details/engines/

 

This is coming to the U.S market for the 2017 model year. http://www.theautochannel.com/news/...-sleeper-introduced-melbourne-truck-show.html

 

Notice the C15 Cat does NOT use EGR. They regularly run 200K with no emissions issues, the Australian and European engines exceed CARB standards and have better cost benefit analysis numbers than Cummins, Volvo, and Paccar. They were going to release the OTR Cat truck in the U.S. this year but had trouble with NTSB safety standards. They have them worked out and are preparing their plants to start building OTR sleeper trucks sometime next year for a 2017 model year release.

 

I was where you are a few years ago. Bought a truck with a 2WS engine, 3.70 gears and a 13 with the 1850. Pulled a 14 wide across south Texas in the summer. On the back roads, temp was at 205 degrees with the fan constantly running. Stepped on the bigroad at Ft Stockton, and she was dead before I reached Van Horn. Towed her home, rebuilt her. Aftermarket exhaust, Holeset turbo, 10 core rad. Destroyed a 1850 clutch first hard pull. Had a custom clutch made, went with an 18 speed (1850). Grenaded the transmission. Amazing. There's a price you pay for playing football.

I ran with a couple guys out of Abilene, Texas going to Alberta. Loads were 40 ft long, 15 wide, 15 tall. Not heavy. Topped off in Tye at the Hook. Wind blowing due south. By the time we reached Memphis Texas, I was at a half tank (HOLY!!!!! This is going to be an expensive trip!). The other two trucks were at a quarter tank. They were putting along struggling against the wind. I could easily pull through the wind, and engine temps were okay.

Everything has to work well together to pull the big loads. If you want to pull heavy, buy a heavy truck. Big load? Big engine, big transmission, low gears, big clutch, big radiator. The average flatbed truck is going to weigh between 29000-31000 lbs empty. Bobtail, I am 25000 lbs. empty with a trailer, I am 35000-50000 lbs, depending on the type trailer. A 4 axle truck bobtail is going to start out in the 30000 lb range. Your average truck is going to start out between 18000-20000 lbs. Moral of the story is this...between your high empty weight (big 5wheels, big motor, big transmission, possible double to triple frame, big rears, lockers...etc) you are NOT going to get van fuel economy. Then again, you're never going to see a 300 lb middle linebacker win a 26 k marathon either, right?

Best at way to figure it out is to go to the full service truckstops, and wait for the oversize trucks to roll in for the night. Ask them about their trucks, make and model, transmission, rears, wheelbase, empty weight...etc. a lot of these guys will see quite a few miles on gravel roads and extremely steep grades. Transmissions, rears, drive axles, trailer frames, wheels and tires...etc are going to take a severe beating. Putting a lightweight truck in service for a heavyweight job is like going to the GeekSquad looking for a center for your football team.

 

This is CAT CT13. Same thing as Maxxforce 13. It's actaully not CAT making those engines. It's navistar built and Maxxforce 13 don't last long even by buddy's 2012 prostar blow up at 200k miles.