As manufacturers scramble to get 2007 engines into the field, fleets want to be sure they’ll have adequate testing time to avoid problems they encountered in 2002 – and, potentially, some brand new ones.
Editor’s note: This is the second in an ongoing series of articles on what to expect from 2007 engines, in terms of maintenance, durability, fuel economy and overall cost. (See “Clearing the Air: Filtering diesel,” April 2005).
It was barely two years ago that the Technology & Maintenance Council held its first Diesel Summit to address emissions and equipment concerns. The industry was freshly reeling from the effects of ’02 emissions regulations, which resulted in reduced fuel economy, durability issues and high underhood temperatures, due largely to the use of cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) to curb emissions.
Faced with the prospect of much tighter emissions regulations for ’07, Joe Stianche, fleet manager for Sanderson Farms, spoke for many at the meeting when he said, “We’re just now eating ’02. Mikey ain’t gonna eat this twice,” referring to the omnivorous kid of Life Cereal ad fame.
No choice, just concerns
But, like it or not, everyone eventually is going to have to belly up to the ’07 engine bar, and the concerns are serious. Consider that:
Given that so much is still up in the air, how can fleets be sure that the new engines will be tested adequately?
‘We’ll be ready,’ say engine makers
Despite testing challenges, engine manufacturers are confident that the job will be done right. According to Greg Gauger, director of on-highway power systems at Caterpillar, test engines went to OEMs in January, and those engines went out to test fleets. “We are going to build a significant number of engines in the July-August timeframe for OEMs to get into customer fleets,” he says. “Those will probably start seeing service in September.”
