I Spied..........

[DWestfall]

Oo. I just got back from Michigans Upper Peninsula where I spied some Dodge boys testing out some Cummins equipped trucks. I spotted them in a Marquette Holiday Inn parking lot at 5AM Monday morning. So I turned around and did what any TDR member would do. I did a little spying. There was approximately 7 Cummins powered trucks. Every combo you can think of. Short bed, long bed, Standard cab, Mega cab, 2WD and 4WD. 1 Powerwagon. 1 Dodge Sprinter van(white), and 1 Chevy Duramax. The reason I say they all were together is they all had numbers on back of window (1-9) and had manufacture plates, except the Chevy. It had regular plates but a number in the window(8). They were all black. No badges. Back to the good stuff. I crawled under two of them and this is what I saw. No V-8. It was definitely a Cummins inline six. Whether it was a 5. 9 or 6. 1 who knows. It was a Cummins inline six. As far as the transmission. It was not the new 6 speed offered up in 06 models, that is for sure. I just went to our dealer here in town on my way home and looked at 2 of their six speeds they have on the lot. Totally different ! I could not tell you what it was. It did have a temperature sensor coming out of the bottom. I couldn't tell you if it was a stick or auto. I guess I should have looked in the window right? Maybe it was the rumored Aisin 6 Speed Automatic! Oo. Whatever it was, it looked beefy. I wish I had my camera I would have snapped photos underneath everywhere. UGH! They all had square diesel tanks in back of the beds, with pumps. They also had something running. As I walked up to them, I could hear what sounded like a furnace or hot water heater power vent. I couldn't tell where on the vehicles it was coming from. The clerk at the front desk said all she knew was that they were cold weather testing. I just thought I would share that with you all.

 

[Cummins Thunder]

So "they" (real world mfg. tests) do exist! :-laf



It must have been a diesel/propane fired block heater being tested by DC???

But why the D-Max, and no P-Choke?



CJ

 

[DWestfall]

But why the D-Max, and no P-Choke?



CJ[/QUOTE]

I dont know. It was an extended cab dually. I dont know what year. I am not up on Chevies.

 

[fireman717]

The chevy could have been a chase truck of some sort. Or that the Ford is coming out with a different power plant for 07 rumors are twin turbo 6. 4. But with all the problems they have with the 6. 0 what mess that will be. So why test the cummins against something that will not be around. just my 2 cents

 

[JasonCzerak]

Why would they change out the 6 manual only after 2 years? I drove the G56 on a 06 crew dualy the other day. it's a nice smooth, assuring shifting trans.



I would put the money on the new automatic, and they are testing it againsed the only other really usefull auto, and that would be the allison.

 

[mberry]

My guess on the Chevy is they are doing benchmark testing with the new 360HP version. The new Cummins is a 6. 7L I6 as has been established here before. The new 6 speed auto has been mentioned here before and it's my guess that is what DWestfall was looking at. The 6 speed manual is a Mercedes product so I can't imagine they would change that anytime soon, or ever.



The noise was probably something like an Espar heater type device to keep the engines warm while not running.



Well, there's my guesses.

 

[FATCAT]

Oo. I wish I had my camera I would have snapped photos underneath everywhere. UGH!

Let this be a lesson to you and ALL the members of this board. Everyone should have at least one cheap disposable camera in their truck and car for a multitude of reasons ... especially spy photos of the new trucks

 

[JVantreese]

Cut them off at the bridge.

Too bad we could not track those dodge boys and find out more about the new toys. Enjoyed your post.

 

[Devan Manis]

How could they be cold weather testing if they had espar type heaters?

 

[rattlbox]

did the powerwagon have the diesel? because i heard they couldn't make one

 

[WhiteSheep]

What is an espar heater?

 

[DWestfall]

I did not get a close look at the powerwagon. It was the very last truck. It did not have a aux. diesel tank in the bed, that I know for sure. I have two very nice digital cameras and not one was with me. I could have took all the pictures needed to Identify that transmission. It seemed very long when I think about it. The engine oil pan is the same as our 3rd gens. The case to the transmission was shiny aluminumn, not polished, but shiny. They had what appeared to be a temperature sensor coming out the bottom, more towards the back of transmission. In fact the wires were kinda restricted by the cross member. Man I wish I had a camera!

 

[Benson]

Go back! Hurry!

 

[DWestfall]

That was five hours north of me. Monday they left, anyways. never seen them again.

 

[DWestfall]

This looks like it. http://www.aisin.com/product/auto/drive/index.html

the six speed bottom left.

 

[Cattletrkr]

This looks like it. http://www.aisin.com/product/auto/drive/index.html

the six speed bottom left.

Dude, posting something like that as speculation is evil, pure evil. Keep up the good work!!

What is an espar heater?

Keeps your espars warm... duh!

 

[AMink]

But why the D-Max, and no P-Choke

It was probably a 6. 0 and broke down before they got to the hotel. After all, there are more Fords on the road today... because they couldn't get into the driveway! :-laf

 

[sag2]

I just saw a flier from Mopar for a diesel powered heater that heats the block and heater core. It had a price of $1500. If it is anything like the one in the sprinter van I saw at school last week, it worked great. Brought the engine up to 160 degrees in no time.

 

[MMeier]

So "they" (real world mfg. tests) do exist! :-laf



It must have been a diesel/propane fired block heater being tested by DC???

But why the D-Max, and no P-Choke?



CJ

P-Choke probably puked it up somewhere beforehand !!!!! :-laf

 

[MMeier]

It was probably a 6. 0 and broke down before they got to the hotel. After all, there are more Fords on the road today... because they couldn't get into the driveway! :-laf

Like their old sales pitch goes... ... "95% of all dorf trucks are still on the road today"... . we all know that means the other 5 % made it home !!!!!!