Powerful Changes

During the annual meeting of the Technology and Maintenance Council in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., last month, engine-maker reps described their progress and expectations with the October EPA challenge. Working alphabetically…

While Caterpillar says its ACERT engines won’t be ready before the deadline, the company will be selling engines after Oct. 1. They’ll be non-compliant, however, so fines will have to be paid, though not by the end-user. Changes will be minimal compared to current products, said Bob Wessels, the biggest of them being the addition of oxidation catalyst aftertreatment — a catalytic converter, in other words. It’s the same relatively simple technology that’s used on the mid-range 3126. Of the 100,000 such converters in the field, there have been but three failures.

Cummins engineer Kevin Otto said there will be common architecture across the entire ISB/ISM/ISX line, including a new electronic control module and variable-geometry turbocharger. He added that the external package won’t look that much different from today’s engine, though the EGR cooler will be obvious. It’s a standard tube-type heat exchanger made of stainless steel. The ISM and ISX engines will be 110 and 130 pounds heavier respectively, and fuel economy will likely suffer by 3% to 5%, Otto said. The Signature 600 engine will not be ready for October, so the highest horsepower offering for a while will be the ISX 565.

Chuck Blake of Detroit Diesel said his company’s ’02 EGR engines will use a variable-geometry turbo, slightly different injectors, and the same DDEC IV controls as we have now. The 12.7-litre engines will actually be 50 pounds lighter than present products, and the 14-litre version will stay the same. The front-of-the-engine gear train has been modified, largely to make it quieter but also to save weight. Limited testing (at 65 mph on easy terrain) so far shows a 3.5% fuel-economy penalty. There are some driver advantages for ’02, he added, like excellent driveability and 10% more compression-brake horsepower. They’re hoping to get to 30,000-mile oil drains, Blake said, and durability testing so far shows two to three times less cylinder-liner and piston-ring wear.

Mack reported that its 2002 E-7 engines will sport just a 30-pound weight gain and fuel efficiency reduced by 0% to 3%, according to Steve Heffner. As mentioned in the main text, Heffner hopes to have no fuel economy penalty at all by October. These engines will use a variable-geometry turbo, along with a higher-capacity water pump, modified V-MAC electronics, and 25% greater oil capacity. Available horsepower range will cover 300 to 460.

Jim Fancher of Volvo said the company’s V-Pulse EGR technology includes a new dual-solenoid injector and two-piece exhaust manifold. The new engines will use the same turbocharger as at present, except for engines with 430 hp and more which will get a new wastegated type. The cooling package does not change, except for a new 11-blade fan. Oil capacity stays the same, as does weight.