Cummins and Case Industrial

[TBrown]

Just got home from a custumer service meeting with Case Industrial. We went up to Tomahawk, WI and were able to drive the new equipment that is coming out. They had demos and displays with various parts of the machines. All engines used in Case industrial machinery are made by CDC, consolidated diesel corperation, a 50/50 partnership between cummins and case. They just made there 2 millionth engine this last year. Around 35% of these engines made currently are used in the dodge trucks. This is what the customer rep told us anyway. One of the guys asked about what dodge was going to use in the new trucks since he heard they were dropping cummins. The rep said as far as he knew they were going to be using a new cummins model, and an optional motor. What he said that was interesting was that Ford has been trying to be able to use the cummins as an optional motor also, so they had a six cylinder available. The motors used in the case equipment ranges from the 4-390, 6-590, and 6-830, and the M-11, the 6-590 is a twelve valve, same as the dodge trucks. They are used in many different configs, and horspower ratings using different turbos, and pumps. From 50hp, to 275 or so. The majority of machines use a 5. 9 They told us about the design of the motor and had cutaway models to look at. Noticed that the cutaway models showed Brazil on the pistons. Very interesting day.

 

[swalls]

J. I. Case developed the Consolidated Diesel Corporation partnership with Cummins in the early 80's, and the first engines used were the 3. 9L 4 cyl and the 5. 9L 6 cyl in Case farm tractors and backhoes. These have been outstanding and durable engines from the outset. We did have a few growing pains with the 8. 3L at higher horsepower ratings, and frankly some of the problems were caused by the deliberate choice of using cheaper rather than premium parts, such as a piston with a reinforced ring carrier insert for the top ring only, plain jane piston rather than one with all the goodies, etc. The pistons were originally made in Germany, but switched to a plant in Brazil by 1991-2, if I remember right. Since 1985, I have never seen a legitimate bottom-end failure on any of these engines, unless it was an early failure caused by a factory assembly defect, such as under-torqued rod bolts. I have torn down engines with 8000-12000 hours that show practically no wear on the rod & main bearings. That's the main reason I bought a Dodge pickup, was to get behind one of these engines.

 

[Un-Hemi]

Just as an aside, 'way back in the '80s when I was trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear of a Cessna 182, I had the opportunity to purchase aftermarket pistons for the Continental engine that were made in either Germany and Brazil. The Brazilian pistons were a more accurate forging and had better finish than the German pistons. Not that it made any difference in the way it ran.