Hmmm. Looks like the competition is trying to keep up....

[SnoKing]

We ran vt903's in all of our 41' UTB's in the USCG and they were pretty good engines. Never really had any issues with them and usually put 3000 hours between overhauls. Were they bad in trucks or buses?

I even remember a Bertram that an old guy owned called the "Fuzzy Snapper" that had twin 555's and it seemed to run forever. No powerhouse but it ran good with zero issues.

I was in the USCG 1965-1969 ET1, Most of the time on Loran Stations. Construction crew/First year crew for Sattahip, Thailand Loran C station summer of 1966. Got my Vietnam Service Medal a little late in 1986 after writing the Commandant. Was at Washington Radio Station, Va before Thailand and Point Area, Ca Loran A after. Got a great education in Electronics that lasted my working years and beyond!

SNOKING

 

[Wayne M.]

I loved the Detroit 8.2L V-8 Fuel Pincher. It put more money in my pocket replacing Ford and GM medium duty trucks with International trucks with DT466 engines than all the other V-8 diesel flops combined. I received verbal abuse and threats for International for refusing to sell 6.9L and 7.3L IDI diesel engines in medium duty trucks to my customers; however, I sold a few of International's 9.0L V-8 diesels (180 HP version) in very limited applications and those customers had very few problems with them

Bill

I guess my opinion is based on the fact that when I came on, the series truck (mid '80's Crane Carrier Corp) that had the engine was near replacement and were tired. In that app, it was a hard engine to deal with, but I recall the PM's were easy due to good filter placement.

 

[Dl5treez]

Scania seems to have figured out the whole heavy duty V8 game. Of course they run on that awesome European diesel, too....what is it, like 50 cetane minimum?

 

[mwilson]

Scanias were tried here some time ago up but they were inlines. Didn't work out at all.

As a rule the overseas engine offerings will not hold up here. The Mercedes 4000 engine didn't do well either if set to 400 hp and up.

Look at what Australia runs cross country across the Outback.......USA engineering.

 

[TFucili]

That's a lot to pull with a Maxidyne and 5-Speed Maxitorque, Mike!

 

[mwilson]

Yes, but those are silver dogs on the hood. Gold dogs stood for the Maxidyne all Mack power train back in the day. Silver dogs indicated Rockwell rears, a Fuller transmission or some other engine under the hood. A mutation of the pedigree in other words. A mutt.

It would be a handful for that power train but it would indeed pull it, just not so fast.

I think in later years the significance of the Gold Bulldog went away though........

Mike.

 

[Powder Extreme]

The Aussie trucks have extensive modifications anyway. Probably not much left in that rig that is Mack.

 

[Wayne M.]

On those road trains, I'm trying to figure out the twin air intakes. Must be an Aussie thing.

 

[SnoKing]

V-10 or V-12's, got to get enough air to them?? Snoking

 

[mwilson]

One of the two things below, I think....

1) Pulling intake air as high as possible to stay out of dust and insects.....

2) Keeps the kangaroo splatter out of the air cleaner elements.......I can assure you that a Moose hit with a truck will splatter dung to the top of the windshield in certain cases.

Mike.

 

[Powder Extreme]

It's for drivin under water at the river crossings.

 

[mwilson]

The driver must be getting wet feet at that point.....

Mike.

 

[mwilson]

That is on my bucket list, by the way.

I want to go there and make one cross-country trip driving a road train. Shifting a Fuller 18 speed left handed should be a challenge........Fuller does make knobs with the splitter buttons on the right BTW just for that market....I checked....

Mike.

 

[JR]

A co worker recently flew to Australia, rented a Harley (gag) and spent several days riding the coast line and viewing the countryside. He brought back some beautiful pictures.

 

[mwilson]

We had a technician that fell for an Aussie girl via the internet years ago. She came here, he went there and so on. He applied for a longterm visa / citizenship but was denied. They want people with skills and have something to do when they arrive. He was an excellent truck technician and should have had no trouble obtaining employment there but he did not offer enough to get in at the time.

Mike.

 

[SnoKing]

We had a technician that fell for an Aussie girl via the internet years ago. She came here, he went there and so on. He applied for a longterm visa / citizenship but was denied. They want people with skills and have something to do when they arrive. He was an excellent truck technician and should have had no trouble obtaining employment there but he did not offer enough to get in at the time.

Mike.

Lack of experience with right hand drive vehicles!!!!!

Canada is not much different!

SNOKING

 

[mwilson]

Courtesy of an Austrailian Forum...read explanation under the photos.....

Three different vehicles... the white kenworth takes in air via the scoops on the side of the bonnet, the purple w/star has the chrome intakes on top of windscreen... and the main difference is, we clean or replace the kenworth aircleaners twice as often as the w/star. The reason? cooler and cleaner air and at nearly $200. per cleaner it all adds up. As for the bus, same thing as it is supercharged and turbo charged , the cooler the better. cheers Phil.

oh and no.......I wont be attempting creek crossings in the bus..( im thinking the bed might get wet before the water gets in the intake)

 

[mwilson]

BTW, I do appreciate the fact that I do not get flamed when I wander off topic.

Many have told me that they find some of my wanderings on here kind of interesting, maybe it's like not being able to tear your eyes away from a train wreck........

We have learned why those trucks have snorkels 12 feet off the ground, that's kind of cool.

Anyways, it is nice to be able to wander off from time to time.

Mike.

 

[mwilson]

Now tonight I am going to find out what the screens are for that run across the base of the windshields, you can see them on the Star and the Freightliner in the second picture.

Keep the bugs off of the wiper blades??? More splatter protection??? Keeps the sun from melting your Little Debbie stash on the dash???

Mike.

 

[Bug Out]

Heres the latest between Ford, Chevy and RAM on TFL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCygT6mGcT8&feature=em-subs_digest