Navistar unveils MaxxForce 15

Updated Jan 13, 2010

15-liter engine will use Caterpillar C15 block, crank


Navistar last month introduced a new 15-liter version of the MaxxForce engine for its International truck brand. The engine “was developed using a proven formula of collaboration,” said Eric Tech, president of Navistar’s engine division.

The company worked with Caterpillar in producing the MaxxForce 15, “leveraging a proven platform,” including the block, crankshaft, head and other components of the Caterpillar C15, he said. Navistar will add to that foundation the fuel and air systems it developed for the MaxxForce 11- and 13-liter engines.

Caterpillar announced in June 2008 that it will exit the heavy-duty on-highway engine business effective with the next round of emissions cuts in January 2010.

Tech said maximum ratings will include 500 hp with 1,850 lb-ft of torque as well as a 550 hp version at the same torque level. Both 1,800 and 2,000 rpm governed speeds will be offered. The engine will be assembled at Navistar’s Huntsville, Ala., plant along with the MaxxForce 11- and 13-liter engines.

The necessary testing, verification and certification for the MaxxForce 15 means it won’t be available in January 2010. Five million miles of testing will be done before the engine is introduced, according to Tech. As a bridge, Navistar will use Cummins ISX engines built in 2009 to the extent allowed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, said Tim Shick, director of business and product strategy for Navistar Engine Group. In addition, the MaxxForce 13 will be used for applications that don’t require 15-liter power. Shick expects the 15-liter engine to be available in early 2011.

“Development of the MaxxForce 15 took several years,” said Jim Hebe, senior vice president of North American sales operations. “It’s all about integration, and International wanted a more integrated engine strategy. Today, International is the most vertically integrated truck manufacturer.”

Referring to the fact that Navistar is the only engine maker not using selective catalytic reduction to meet the new emissions regulations that go into effect in January 2010, Hebe said: “The competition says we’re on an island. We think it’s more like an oasis.” Navistar will meet the 2010 regulations using a combination of enhanced exhaust gas recirculation and emissions credits.

With the addition of the MaxxForce 15, the Navistar heavy-duty engine family ranges from 11 to 15 liters with power ratings from 300 to 550 hp.
– John Baxter


Cummins debuts 2010 on-highway engines
Lineup includes a new model – the ISX11.9

Cummins Inc. last month introduced its on-highway engine product line that will comply with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2010 emissions regulations. Included in the lineup is a new engine model – the Cummins ISX11.9.

As it announced in August 2008, Cummins has shifted gears and now will rely on selective catalytic reduction (SCR) on all its on-highway engines as an aftertreatment to neutralize NOx in the exhaust. Previously, Cummins had planned to use SCR only in its medium-duty product and intended to rely solely on enhanced exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) to deal with NOx in its heavy-duty product.

At the top of the lineup is the Cummins ISX15, which the engine maker says will offer improved performance and fuel economy – up to 5 percent better – than today’s ISX engine. Key features of the ISX15 include the Cummins XPI high-pressure common-rail fuel system, an enhanced cooled-EGR system, a single VGT Turbocharger and the Cummins Aftertreatment System that uses SCR and the diesel particulate filter introduced as part of the 2007 emissions change.

Cummins will maintain ISX15 ratings from 400 to 600 hp, with torque outputs from 1,450 to 2,050 lb-ft. The engine initially will be available in Volvo, Kenworth and Peterbilt products, as well as the Freightliner Cascadia, said Lori Thompson, executive director of the Cummins OEM business.

Without naming Navistar, Jim Kelly, president of the Cummins Engine Business, acknowledged that one truck maker has elected not to offer an engine option that relies on SCR. He suggested, however, that Cummins never gives up on convincing the customer that it has the best product and that the truck makes Thompson listed are only those for which commitments exist today. “We don’t do anything if people don’t sell our engines [in their trucks],” Kelly said.

The new ISX11.9 – which is aimed at vocational, day cab, regional and less-than-truckload linehaul applications, among others – shares numerous common components with the ISX15, including cooled EGR, VGT turbocharger, XPI fuel system, electronic controls and the aftertreatment system. The ISX11.9, which initially will be available only in Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks, will be offered with ratings from 310 to 425 hp and torque from 1,150 to 1,650 lb-ft.

One of the advantages of the 2010 lineup is improved fuel economy even when drivers aren’t as skilled or focused on driving for fuel efficiency, said Steve Charlton, vice president of heavy-duty engineering. “Our heavy-duty engines for 2010 have a large ‘sweet spot’ due to the low-temperature NOx conversion capability of the copper-zeolite catalyst, which means that these engines are extraordinarily driver-friendly.” So even an inexperienced driver should see improved fuel economy and better performance over the 2007-technology product, Charlton said.

In addition to the ISX15 and ISX11.9, Cummins announced its mid-range engine line for 2010, which is nearly identical to their 2007 counterparts aside from the addition of SCR. Those include the ISB6.7, ISC8.3 and ISL9 engines.
– Avery Vise


Peterbilt enhances 386, 384 aerodynamics
Peterbilt introduced an aerodynamic package for its on-highway Models 386 and 384 designed to improve fuel economy by up to an estimated 12 percent. Changes include roof fairing and trim tabs, new sleeper roof transition, enhanced chassis fairings, an aero battery box/toolbox, composite sun visor, sleeper extender and aerodynamic mirrors. The company also introduced a proprietary fuel efficiency package designed to provide fuel savings gains of up to 12 percent for its traditionally styled Models 388 and 389.


Bendix introduces engine booster system
Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems last month unveiled the Bendix Pneumatic Booster System (PBS), an air management system aimed at improving fuel economy and acceleration while reducing emissions.

Placed near the air intake manifold on the engine, the PBS monitors the controller area network, or CAN, for specific signals indicating the need for system activation. The PBS then injects compressed air from an auxiliary air tank into the engine manifold, delivering the desired amount of air that the diesel combustion processes require. The system is intended to overcome turbo lag, which leads to a delay in response when a driver presses the accelerator. The Bendix PBS system overcomes turbo lag by instantaneously injecting the desired air into the intake manifold, allowing the turbocharger to spin up to its full capacity and taking over the air delivery demands.

Bendix said two models of the PBS are available, reaching about 80 percent of engine applications from 4-liter displacement to 13 liters. The system, which represents a diversification of Bendix’s vehicle air treatment business into powertrain components, currently is undergoing internal validation and field and engine benchmarking. The technology is coming too late for North American engine manufacturers to incorporate it into their 2010 emissions products, but the company is working toward adoption of PBS in the 2012-2013 timeframe.


Volvo: SCR eliminates active regen for on-highway
2010 engines mean fewer worries for drivers, company says

Volvo trucks built with 2010 engine and emissions technology will not require active regeneration of diesel particulate filters (DPFs) during normal highway operating conditions, Volvo Trucks North America announced last month. Integration of Volvo’s selective catalytic reduction (SCR) and DPF technologies will allow for passive regeneration to oxidize accumulated soot; injecting diesel fuel into the DPF no longer will be necessary.

“This, of course, results in reduced fuel consumption, reduced thermal cycling of expensive catalysts and lower overall operating costs,” said Scott Kress, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Volvo. “It also relieves the driver of another responsibility – having to keep track of when an active regeneration needs to take place – and allows the truck to operate in areas where a recently cycled, and hot, DPF would be a safety hazard – indoors or in refineries, for example.”

Passive regeneration of DPFs depends on having a sufficient concentration of nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the hot exhaust stream flowing into the unit’s filter. Because SCR eliminates NOx from the exhaust after it flows through the DPF, ample NOx will be available to oxidize soot. “In some cases with test trucks working in real-world applications, we’ve seen the vehicle log more than 45,000 miles without any active regeneration being required,” Kress added. “In addition, another 23 Volvo test trucks have been driven more than 9 million miles without an active regeneration being necessary.”
– Jack Roberts


ArvinMeritor’s reman shoes fight corrosion
ArvinMeritor has introduced remanufactured brake shoes with a special platinum-gray coating designed to protect against corrosion and rust-jacking. Remanufactured Meritor shoes with PlatinumShield coating offer a three-year 300,000-mile warranty against rust-jacking. Used shoes are shot-blasted and proceed through a five-stage wash and pretreatment process with iron phosphate before the PlatinumShield coating is applied.

ArvinMeritor’s brake engineers developed the PlatinumShield coating to resist microabrasion caused by the movement of the brake lining against the shoe table during normal use. Rust-jacking occurs when rust forms on bare shoe metal under the lining, causing the lining to lift and crack. This has long been an industry problem, but it has become even more prevalent due to increased use of harsh liquid chemicals as winter road solvents, says Doug Wolma, general manager of remanufacturing for ArvinMeritor’s Commercial Vehicle Aftermarket business.

Starting in May, the remanufactured brake shoes with PlatinumShield coating will be standard on all Meritor remanufactured production shoes with “MA” and “R” prefixes; Meritor MG1, MG2L, MG2, CG and MET OEM aftermarket shoes; and Fras-Le F550, F555, F577, F560, F587, F787T and Combo shoes.


Ford debuts compact van
One of the benefits of being an international company like Ford is that you can “borrow” appropriate products from around the world if they make sense in other markets. The company’s new-to-North America Transit Connect urban delivery van, built in Turkey and originally designed to operate in Europe’s tightly constricted cities and towns, is noticeably smaller than conventional North American delivery vehicles, but Ford says it still offers up to 1,600 pounds of payload and features more than 135 cubic feet of cargo space.

Available in van and wagon configurations, the Transit Connect stands 6 feet, 8 inches tall and has a curb-to-curb turning radius of 39 feet. Its 2.0-liter Duratec I-4 engine is rated at 22 mpg city and 25 mpg highway. Late next year, in partnership with Smith Electric Vehicles, Ford will offer all-electric Transit Connect vehicles with an estimated range of about 100 miles.

In other Ford news, the company reaffirmed its commitment to the North American Class 6 and 7 truck markets, announcing the continued production of F-650 and F-750 trucks through its Blue Diamond collaboration with Navistar.

Ford also announced it will re-enter the stripped commercial chassis market in 2011 with its F-59 Super Duty platform in multiple wheelbase lengths and respective gross vehicle weight ratings. As currently configured, the F-59 features a 6.8-liter Triton V-10 gas engine mated to a TorqShift five-speed automatic overdrive transmission. Other features include four-wheel anti-lock brakes and Bilstein shock absorbers. The F-59 chassis will be available in early 2010.- Jack Roberts


In Brief
Daimler Trucks North America says
its 1.3 million-square-foot plant in Saltillo, northern Mexico – which officially opened last month – can build 30,000 heavy-duty trucks annually. The daily output of eight trucks was expected to increase to 12 to 15 a day this month.

Freightliner announced the availability of the Cummins ISX Series engine as an option for the Cascadia 125-inch BBC product line. The truck maker also said it would be the first OEM to introduce Allison Transmission’s new Load-Based Shift Scheduling transmission feature on its Business Class M2 and other heavy-duty trucks.

Volvo Trucks North America said that its trucks meeting U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2010 emissions standards will have a $9,600 surcharge to help recoup the investment in selective catalytic reduction and mandatory onboard diagnostics. The surcharge will apply to new trucks built with Volvo D11, D13 and D16 engines, as well as those with the Cummins ISX.

Dodge says its new 2010 Ram 2500 and 3500, both available this fall, have been redesigned both inside and out. New styling cues have been taken directly from the Ram 1500 redesign, along with the heavy-duty models’ distinctive grill, hood and bumpers. Under the hood, Dodge says it has equipped the truck with the choice of a 6.7-liter Cummins Turbo Diesel engine rated at 350 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque, or a 5.7-liter gas HEMI V-8 rated at 383 hp.

Smith Electric Vehicles U.S. Corp. plans to assemble and market all-electric zero-emissions commercial vehicles in North America. The company says it initially will focus on battery-electric-powered vehicles for depot-based route delivery fleets.
n Kenworth announced its largest-ever hybrid truck order from Coca-Cola Enterprises for 150 T370 diesel-electric tractors and 35 T370 hybrid trucks.

Continental Tire North America announced the release of five new commercial vehicle tires: a redesign of its regional steer tire, the HSR2; a new over-the-highway longhaul drive tire, the HDL2 DL; a more fuel-efficient trailer tire, the HTL Eco Plus; a new heavy steer urban tire, the HSU2; and a new wide-based super-single trailer tire, the HTL1.

Electric Vehicles International unveiled its LightTruck and eviRoute 1500 market-ready hybrid and all-electric trucks at the National Truck Equipment Association’s Work Truck Show in Chicago.

Meritor Suspension Systems Co. plans to close by yearend its coil spring operations in Milton, Ontario. The company says it currently is evaluating the transfer of Milton business to the other two MSSC facilities in Chatham, Ontario, and Hopkinsville, Ky.

Nissan Commercial Vehicles showcased its NV2500 concept urban delivery truck at the Work Truck Show. Nissan expects the truck, which rides on a modified Titan pickup truck frame, to enter the North American market next year.

ZF showcased its new automatic transmission for light commercial vehicles up to 33,000 pounds at the Work Truck Show. The company says the ZF-PowerLine 6-speed powershift transmission is designed to handle torque levels of 700 and 800 lb-ft and is equally suitable for use with both diesel and gasoline engines.