The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts CAT is back producing engines/onroad vehicle' too!

Good news for those who have some appreciation for big quality diesel engines. CAT just had an introductory show at Selma, CA. The C-9, C-13 and C-15 inline six diesel engines are all new in design. The exceed the 2010 US EPA diesel engine emission standards. The California ARB is the only state in the nation that has not yet signed off to allow the sales/use of the new engine line. They also are now producing their own line of on road motor carrier chassis.
Normbc9

When I ran a diesel shop in California 30 years ago, CARB was a pain in the butt, and I'll bet they haven't changed much, if at all. Their big thing back then was smoky exhausts- - - -as if that was actually some kind of real problem! When are these dummies going to figure out that carbon particles are not smog? Never, I guess!
Jerry

I've heard about CAT's emission troubles at work. I work at Ring Power which is the largest CAT dealer in the U.S. (we cover north and central Florida). And they have a brand new CAT semi tractor seting on the display pad. All stainless steel grille with black wrap arounds,and it's got CAT all over it. It looks cool and it does have a yellow engine in it!

The Cat truck is built on International's Paystar platform in the International plant. The 11 and 13 Liter is an International engine which was engineered by the German company MAN. European engineering has captured a large portion of our class 8 Diesel market. Navistar and MAN, Freightliner and Mercedes, Volvo with their own engine and Paccar with DAF.

Personally I'll take a Cummins over a CAT any day in the medium duty diesel market..... Class 8 I can't given an opinion due to having no experience with them....

I don't know about the C-7 but the C-12 and C-15 are both basically 3406,s with modern electronic control. The C-7 aperies to have come from the earlier 3126 series engines which were both 100% CAT. I have always been a big fan of CAT I just like the way that they drive almost any transmission seems to shift better behind a CAT with their smooth power curve. I do however have to agree with Matt above it is hard to beat the old Cummins Big Cams just because they worked well and are so cheep and easy to in frame. I don’t know anything about the new electronic Cummins motors though.
As far as the rest of the CAT C660 trucks I am stuck on Kenworth’s T800 for a dump truck at least till the CAT can prove it's self.

I've never really been a CAT fan myself (Even though I live here in CAT country). I'll take a Cummins or IH powerplant anyday over a CAT. I drove Volvo's for a while. Their engines were smooth and quiet. They didn't have alot of low end, but boy would they run out on the top! As far as road trucks go, I'm going to put the CAT in the same category as Kenworths for now, no thank you. (Sorry HevyHauler)

I owned 2 Freightliners and 1 IH with Cummins 855's before I bought an '82 FLC with a 3406A 400hp Cat. I have owned 3 more Cats since and have never looked back at a Cummins. The Pete I currently own is a '92 that I bought in '95. It has the 3406B 425 horse mechanical. I can run with any 600 horse electronic controlled engine made. I had a '97 KW with a 3406E 475 hp and it would move along but it never responded like my '92 mechanical. I use the '92 for local sand and gravel end dump work and it has 1,130,000 miles on 1 in frame major. I tell my wife that when I die, just remove the cab and bury me in it.