What is the most dependable truck engine of all time?

[Birken Vogt]

I have not seen any override systems. I don't work on fire trucks daily any more but still tangentially connected to them. I will ask when I get the opportunity.

I will say this. Trucks are going to break. When you get a large fire that has dozens of them, some of them are going to break. You have to make allowances for the few that break.

Fire trucks are a lot like RVs. Made with strange components and not really well designed or tested. Because they run very few hours compared to vocational trucks. And every one is custom built different. Plus they drive them like maniacs. It's a wonder they don't have more brake failures and such. And they give them very high HP engine ratings compared to commercial.

 

[Truck Shop]

 

[suladas]

I have heard complaining about emissions systems and talk of that but never seen it actually allowed or implemented anywhere. Never heard of one bypassing the governor, that sounds like a recipe for disaster when the water pressure transducer fails, send the engine to the moon for no reason.

When I was in the hand throttle was more like a cruise control, just set the engine at a certain RPM and use your eyes to watch the discharge pressure gauge. They have electronic governors now but I am not sure how much they have caught on.

Money isn't really a concern with them though, I don't know the exact details but my brother was with the city department here for like 10 years and said they can be run that way in case of emergency.

They had trucks sent up to fires up north here that are worth over a million bucks a pop that were written off after coming back. Something about pumping water out of a swamp that destroyed the pumps and wasn't worth fixing.

 

[Birken Vogt]

We don't have anything like that here. Local, state, fed all have overlapping fire departments (long story but it works) and all are very conscious about pinching a penny. Fire trucks are the same basic components as any other truck, nothing $1MM (yet) because anything that big would not get around the roads.

Strange story there, nothing in a pump that can't be repaired, they come in half from the bottom. Just a water impeller and cast iron housing and a bunch of bolts. Not more difficult than changing or repairing an engine or transmission.

 

[hosspuller]

Interesting thought... At the facilities I worked at ... The electric fire pump motor didn't have the usual overload protected starters. They were meant to run till they couldn't. Same with military generators... They have a switch ... called "Battle short" or some such. Run till it can't.

 

[Birken Vogt]

Well, most trucks including fire trucks did not auto stop for overheat/LOP as far as I ever knew although I am sure some of these newfangled things can be programmed to do it, but it is up to the operator to notice the gauges and bells....

However with regard to emissions shutdowns, I am thinking DPF loading still ought not to be overridden because it is either going to plug completely or catch the DPF on fire thus making it worse....

I went on a place where I am still a member and discovered they may or may not have been discussing resistor values to bypass whatever exhaust sensor that was in short supply so those shutdowns must still be in effect.

 

[Tyler d4c]

Interesting thought... At the facilities I worked at ... The electric fire pump motor didn't have the usual overload protected starters. They were meant to run till they couldn't. Same with military generators... They have a switch ... called "Battle short" or some such. Run till it can't.

I bought a few with that switch off gov planet never could get a straight answer what it was
I wanted the turboed kubota off it for my skid loader so I shaped them and then bought 2 more and set up for a few relatives.

 

[Acoals]

All that is fine and good, until there is a huge wild fire, and all the assets are on the job, and nothing available when its someones home going up. You can't gamble on 4 fire trucks showing up when 10 homes are cooking. So having one truck go down at any point in time can be catastrophic.

Don't worry man, all the fire trucks in the state aren't going to stop that huge wildfire. Pretty sure Paradise CA didn't burn to the ground because a pumper had to stop and regen . . .

 

[cfherrman]

So what you guys think is the best engine?

12.7 s60 (ddec 3-4)
N14 (pt, celect, celect+)
3306

 

[skyking1]

In the size range I agree with a P-pumped 8.3
If I wanted a class A motorhome I would shop for the P-pump years with Allison and no slideout for simplicity.
Same combo for a medium brush truck.

 

[Tenwheeler]

So what you guys think is the best engine?

12.7 s60 (ddec 3-4)
N14 (pt, celect, celect+)
3306

All three of those are good choices.
For emergency vehicles I would prefer not to have electronics. 3306 or N14 PT. You can turn the thumb screw on a PT pump solenoid, cross the starter and it will run as long as it has fuel.

 

[Acoals]

The most dependable truck engine of all time was probably the one that was the best maintained. . .

 

[Truck Shop]

The most dependable truck engine of all time was probably the one that was the best maintained. . .

The one left on the stand and never used.

 

[Willie B]

Mine has been dependable, but low hour. Cat 3208. Not a choice of those knowledgeable But common in fire trucks. I presume because they were inexpensive. Not a lot of power, just enough.

 

[mekanik]

There are a large number of Freightliner M2's around with the Mercedes MBE-900 engine in them. They must be a good engine because other than servicing I have never had to work on one.

 

[Truck Shop]

Mercedes MBE-900 engine in them.

Around these parts--taboo.

 

[92U 3406]

I still don't understand the fear of electronics. The first electronic engines started rolling out 35 years ago. Realistically how often does a Series 60, N14, 3406E really leave anyone stranded on the side of a highway due to an electronics issue?

 

[Willie B]

I turned into a rack dump.

 

[Truck Shop]

I still don't understand the fear of electronics. The first electronic engines started rolling out 35 years ago. Realistically how often does a Series 60, N14, 3406E really leave anyone stranded on the side of a highway due to an electronics issue?

Agree, One item to keep in the cab and same for all three because it's the common issue
with all three-CPS. The only odd issue with a 60 I've had was pressure/fuel pump took a
sudden dump in the cold-but it had 1.2 mil on it.

 

[Oxbow]

Most fire trucks don't need a full size truck engine.

Cummins 8.3 300-350 horsepower was the best choice 20 years ago and if they were not all clapped out still would be. Some did not like the CAPS pump and earlier ones came with a P-pump I think.

I actually liked the ones that had the HPCR system right before DPF took over.

ISL was also a good choice for larger fire trucks.

Water tenders, best choice was a good commercial chassis like KW with a Cat, Cummins or Detroit in it.

Anything non-electronic is far too old now, nobody to work on it/get parts.

I disagree. I can get parts for my B models far easier than what I have read about regarding new truck parts, and they are still supported quite well at my dealer as far as having work done.