November 2009
We’d heard lots of talk from Navistar International about its 2010 diesels, which use a different technology than all other engine makers to meet strict new federal emissions standards that go into effect Jan. 1. And we’ve seen displays of the new engines at several truck shows. But hearing and seeing is not necessarily believing for reporters, so last month the company put its products where its collective mouth was.
The company assembled a group of International trucks and tractors powered by very clean-burning 2010-modelMaxxForce engines and turned them over to trade-press editors for riding and driving. What we saw were diesels that ran cool, just as Navistar executives had been saying and in spite of competitors’ contrary speculation.
Of course, the Chicago-area event happened on a rainy and chilly day. Under these conditions engine heat wouldn’t be an issue for anybody. Yet in mid-October it could’ve been 30 degrees warmer, and it’s likely that the engines with Advanced Exhaust- Gas Recirculation and other enhancements would have performed as well had it been. Executives promised us later experiences in hotter weather.
Navistar might just have something with these A-EGR diesels, and the company will be a real contender in sales wars against competitors using selective catalytic reductionequipped 2010 diesels. That’s based on drives of two trucks (Executive Editor Steve Sturgess drove two others) and on a briefing at the event.
Trucks provided included medium- duty DuraStars with MaxxForce 7 V-8s, heavy-duty ProStar tractors with MaxxForce 13 inline-6s, and a medium-heavy WorkStar with the midrange MaxxForce DT, the latest iteration of the venerable and highly regarded DT466.
For starters they assigned me to the WorkStar, and off I went into Chicago’s northwest suburbs.
WorkStar
Navistar engineers spec’d the WorkStar as a development test bed, so it wasn’t set up for any customer application. That explains its Eaton Fuller 10-speed manual transmission, which otherwise would not be found in a truck like this. LouMaza, a senior project engineer who rode shotgun, explained that this tranny is likely to be pulled and replaced with others over the truck’s life.
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