Diesel Pusher Blues
I have no idea what to do... We purchased just over a year ago a diesel pusher with only 32k miles, I thought what could go wrong wth a low miles engine that typically go over 1 million miles.... ...
Forum Discussion
tyoungs wrote:
With 44 years experience in powertrain for one of the big three, I can say that when you are able to do emission control with aftertreatment (like catalyst and DPF) it lets you run combustion process for best efficiency and not lowest emissions.
If you go back to when catalytic converters were added to autos in 1975, everyone complained about having to use unleaded fuel. There was a real improvement in both driveability and fuel economy with converters because you could run the combustion cycle better and let the converter clean up the HC and CO. When we went to 3 way conveters and digital fuel injection so you could run at stoichiometric air fuel and clean HC, CO, and NOx, even more improvement because you could back off on EGR.
The uncontrolled engines are certainly "simpler" but they are also much dirtier. These systems for diesels have been in Europe for a longer time and although it adds significant cost, it also provides much cleaner and more efficient engines at the level of emissions required today.
Hey there, thanks for chiming in here.
I will say in my opinion, not having worked for any of the big three - that the early systems no matter what, if it's a catalytic converter for a DPF system or other various things like that tended to have the most problems and a few years after they were released things tend to be much better and more reliable.
Owning a 2007 model year engine which was the first year that Cummins had those systems for me has been very problematic. And from what I've read on various forums and talked to other semi truck drivers the newer ones tend to be much better.
One of the big problems that I have seen is the sheer volume of exhaust gas recirculation and all of the soot the tends to clog things up. I had this back with my early Volkswagen TDI cars were the soot from the EGR plus the oil vapors would literally choke down the intake to where the engine couldn't breathe.
The current generation of Volkswagen TDI models have been very reliable in comparison to the old ones.
Granted Cummins and Volkswagen are different but as with anything as it gets out in the field and some use they tend to get feedback and improve the systems.
