diesel_burner

Don't know how many of you know or are around big rigs. But I went to the Peterbilt dealer when i was home for Christmas and much to my suprise the one i was looking at was a 379 exhd w/ a cat c-15 motor. I was looking at the driver side and walked over to the passenger side and boom there it was, TWIN TURBOS. and those things were massive. i have look at a lot of trucks in the past few months. most used but that was the first one i saw with the twins on it. just had to share that with you guys.

iker42

They had to put um on the Cat's...These engines Suck...Most of the drivers can stand them and the Twins are sapposed to be their savior...I know a few guys who drive um, and the hate um....

Just My .02cents

Mike

diesel_burner

what kind of things do they say about the cats? or what kind of problems do they have with them?

iker42

I sat and listined for a few minutes. But they were talking about the lack of power, the tranny problems and all sorts of stuff... I'll look it up...

Mike

Swoop411

I live 5 minutes from the Pete factory here in TN. I get to see em roll off the line and they look cool even if they wont run worth a crap.

Shovelhead

We might see more diesels with twins.....

Some are experimenting with using Twins to "Clean Up" the diesel exhaust emmissions without resorting to ERGs valves and such.

diesel_burner

that's kinda the way i was thinking. if they start on the big trucks maybe the pickup market will be quick to follow. i think i would be in the market for a new pickup. cummins of course

DmaxEter

My dad has driven about 36 years now and he says if you drive from the east coast to the west coast and see 10 trucks on the side of the road with the hoods over, 9 of have yellow engines. The twin turbos also help out on emission levels a little. The big news with manufactures is that by 2007, 2010 latest each manufacture will have their own engines manufactured in house cause its cheaper for them. Think about it. Freightliner has their own Mercades engines in them. Mack has alway had their own engines. International just started production of their own class8 engine. Volvo has their own. They told us that by 2010 lates there will be no more Cat,Cummins,or Detroit engines available in class8 anymore.

DieselDaze

I would like to see free market competition rule out the weekest and leave the strongest enigines in the class 8's.
This way, you would have only the engines with the best over-all ROI/Performanc ratios dominate the market and the consumer would come out ahead.

However, history would teach a different lesson based on marketing technics, guidlines imposed by special interest groups, and many other outside influences.

What will prevail in the future?
I dont know, but Id be willing to bet that what ever the future holds for class 8 diesel engines, it will not be in the best interest of the owner/operator.

Will we see a hybrid class 8?

We already have heavy diesel hybrids working in the train yards.

Rich

P Kennedy

Did you ever wonder why- 9 out of 10 trucks on the side of the road have yellow engines- This takes the mystery of why when you go to a Cummins repair facility all the mechanics are standing around and the shops are empty. This also explains the service time delays for truck repairs at the higher number of certified Cummins repair facilities nationwide rather than CAT or Detroit correct. Over 2 years ago CAT announced it's plans to mount twin turbos to meet emission standards, Cummins went with a variable ratio turbo outlet and Detroit variable ratio impeller fins- undoubtedly the yellow engines with the least amount of moving parts are breaking down more frequently????Class 8 trucks will no longer have out sourced engines- Freightliner owns Mack= less Mack engines more DD's and MB's in Mack trucks, Volvo still can't sell it's junk to any body else and Paccar(Kenworth/Peterbuilt) does not build engines and in less than 2 years Cummins and Cat will go away will Wobblers and Largecars go with them. We need more coffee cup commandoes running our corporations according to these factual reports. More accurate would be ask wrecker operaters what he sees most on the hook O/O's or employee driven trucks run by people with no investment and prejudice about what his boss has supplied to feed his family. Did any body with yellow fever ever wonder why a Kenworth or Pete with a Cat used brings more at the auction or sales lots, explains the K-Mart specials on Volvo, Mack, International and Freightliner. PK

pind

Kind of a response to P Kennedy.

The single biggest reason that a kenworth or a Pete with a Cat engine will get more at an auction, or used, is because it is a kenworth or a pete. has little to do with the brand of engine. When I am looking to purchase a used unit, I look to the brand with the strongest frame and running gear, generally speaking, although not always, Kenworth is the leader, Western Star is second, and Pete is third. Even though both Kenworth and Pete are Paccar Products.

As a techician, who also owns equipment, I tend to shy away from any class 8 trucks with Cat engines, especially the ACERT TT units. These have been a hassle from day 1, and continue to be that way. The older c15 550's were not as bad, and going back to the old 3406 mechanical 425 hp... those were great.

However, from an O&M standpoint, in its lifetime, Cat uses more parts, and more fuel, to make less HP per LB of engine, than any other class 8 engine out there. Now, this is just my limited experience. Limited to cat, detroit 2stroke and 60 series, cummins L10,M11,855,N14, ISC, ISM,ISX, Etc. I am not brand loyal by any means, International DT466 is one of the best engines ever built, though not by class 8 standards.

I would like to see Cat build a good class 8 engine, something that got some longevity, so that O/O's and companies could afford to run them. as it goes, here in the frozen north, they are going away from cat because of reliability issues.

I could go on a rant forever, but I better get off the soapbox, I have wasted enough of your life, that you'll never get back.

Have a good new year people.

P Kennedy

So the Acert engines are having some growing pains-agreed but the Cummins and Detroits are not even out of the starting gate and Detroit is having "issues" with the complex turbos that are anemic to the heat and carbon problems of multiple moving parts. The glorius Cummins cousin to this is also plagued by moving part problems and reliability, I find it curious as discussed in another thread the instantanious hate for yellow. I also remember owning a Cummins NTC engine in the 80's when they were the most popular in the industry and unless you owned 100 trucks you sat at the back of the fence until they were good and ready to fix your truck and may honor the warranty stated. See any common theme here, Cat has managed to be overconfident the same way but time heals all it is coming to them as well. Only slackening sales and upward warranty costs make these profit driven corporations mend their ways. In this day of high technilogical advancement these engines big or small should outlive there predecessors by 3 times. I am not defending their poor product support or chronic head aches but amazed at the number of gossipers that expect the rest of to swallow these alleged quality and reliability reports based on coffee shop heresay. They remind me of the many "supporters" who come forward to fight for better wages in an industry necessary to daily living and are the first ones to dissipate from a rally/truckstop when needed. Like I stated before the large majority of these noise makers have "no investment' in the equipment they operate unlike yourself with experience and bills to substantiate your distaste for a certain product. CTD's are no different DC/MB will make changes as per customer pressure when they start to lose more of the market share they presently possess. When the MB engine goes into Dodge trucks the message will be clear! Please, people like yourself should not be offended by what is honestly endured forming the precious experience to help others here. Remember "Heresay" is just that and I thank the fine folks who bought my equipment at the auction to relieve me of the constant headaches of having ungrateful employees. Imagine being the owner/boss and driving the oldest truck(POS by employees defintion) while "they" the ungrateful drivers punish your nerves, #1 equipment and pocket book through irresponsable actions and still expect to get payed handsomely. 90% of my CAT problems were driver abuse who were vocal about the color of the engine they were forced to operate. Apologies and recognition goes to those conciencous operators/drivers who did not willfully destroy or cause damage to equipment. I would like to see this group as it gets larger to be able to help diesel owners of all makes and sizes to overcome the daily problems that cost us all from our hard earned accounts. Yes we should even help the Ford and chevy guy's too. PK

diesel_burner

my question now would be is how much of the market is run by cat, it seems to me that most of the market right now is run with cat motors under the hood. talking about class 8's, from somebody who doesn't truck. that making it more common to being seen on the side of the road 9 out of 10 times. but like said it seems like it comes down to driver abuse. it's like any other motor gas or diesel, if you abuse it, it will fail on you. I don't care what anybody says about any motor, if you take care of it, it will take of you. that's my 2 cents about it. take it for what it's worth, i guess, good 06 to all.

RickG

As far as " American " trucks go , Mack was owned 100% by Renault from 1990 to 2000 when it was sold to Volvo which also had bought up GMC trucks , White , and Autocar . Mercedes bought up Freightliner and Ford Truck Division which became Sterling . Now Mercedes has also bought Western Star . Mercedes also bought Detroit Diesel and the Detroit Diesel engine plant was expanded to make Mercedes diesel .

Hillbilly_Deluxe

Mercedes did not buy Freightliner Sterling and Westren Star to my knowledge. According to the website (www.freightliner.com) they are still owned by Freightliner LLC, which is owned by the Daimler Chrystler Corporation.