- Joined
- Feb 21, 2003
- Messages
- 26,721
- Location
- SE Michigan in the middle of nowhere
- Tractor
- Kubota M9000 HDCC3 M9000 HDC
Additionally, I read on here about owners that have selective catalytic reduction units on their tractors and I'm here to tell you that a failed or malfunctioning DEF dosing unit on a big truck stinks terrible. It's worse smelling than any diesel exhaust could ever hope to be and truck drivers, especially owner operators are like tractor owners, they want to put off the regen as long as possible, so the SCR unit gets loaded up with unburned soot and the engine derates and then it's shop time and a big bill. Caterpillar was smart, they couldn't meet the T4 emissions mandates so they quit producing on road diesel engines. Cat does off a vocational truck but it's not powered by a Cat engine. I believe it has a Cummins engine in it. I remember the last Cats that were on road engines. They had compound turbocharging and one of the turbo's was gear driven plus they had what was called a 'furnace' on the engine that was basically a chamber that burned off the soot and was ignited with a spark plug. That didn't last very long. The engine was very breakdown prone.
Detroit Diesel also tried the gear driven compound turbocharging set up that didn't last either. Detroit Diesel's big issue was hard carbon build up in the intake runner. I presume it's all been worked out as I haven't been there for many years. I remember DDEC engines sitting in the shop on engine stands waiting to go back to Detroit Diesel to get rebuilt. It was cheaper for them to just install a reman engine. We had a steady turn around of engines for a while.
I was never fond of DDEC engines versus the mechanically injected Cats. DDEC engines never had the torque rise the big Cats had and they weren't all that efficient far as fuel consumption was concerned either and fuel is a big concern with a big truck and overheads.
I happen to own a 3406 B model Cat in a Western Star double bunk that I haul grain with. it has a 13 double over on 373 rears. It's a hundred mile an hour truck that never goes very far. All New Way air ride too, except the front axle and it smokes as well. Leads an easy life now. Was a fleet truck for the outfit I retired from. My retirement toy.
Detroit Diesel also tried the gear driven compound turbocharging set up that didn't last either. Detroit Diesel's big issue was hard carbon build up in the intake runner. I presume it's all been worked out as I haven't been there for many years. I remember DDEC engines sitting in the shop on engine stands waiting to go back to Detroit Diesel to get rebuilt. It was cheaper for them to just install a reman engine. We had a steady turn around of engines for a while.
I was never fond of DDEC engines versus the mechanically injected Cats. DDEC engines never had the torque rise the big Cats had and they weren't all that efficient far as fuel consumption was concerned either and fuel is a big concern with a big truck and overheads.
I happen to own a 3406 B model Cat in a Western Star double bunk that I haul grain with. it has a 13 double over on 373 rears. It's a hundred mile an hour truck that never goes very far. All New Way air ride too, except the front axle and it smokes as well. Leads an easy life now. Was a fleet truck for the outfit I retired from. My retirement toy.