Equipment World

July 2017

Equipment World Digital Magazine

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ENGINE REPOWERS EquipmentWorld.com | July 2017 35 I t used to be easy to replace an engine in an older piece of diesel- powered equipment in the era before emissions controls. In many cases today, that process doesn't start with an engine hoist, but instead requires permission from air quality regulators before you touch a wrench. That's because with each new iteration of diesel exhaust emission technology – from Tier 0 to Tier 4 Final – engines produce fewer emissions and the government doesn't want any backsliders. You can't put an older tier engine in a ma- chine that came from the factory with a newer, cleaner engine. It's the law. The good news is that in most of the country you can still do a like-for- like swap, putting a Tier 3 engine in a machine that had a Tier 3 engine in it previously and on down and up the line. And in many cases, you can upgrade from a Tier 1 to a Tier 3 en- gine, or Tier 2 to Tier 3 and thereby reap the benefits of a better, more efficient engine. CARB But in California and many large cities with air pollution problems, even a like-for-like swap may not satisfy the authorities. The California Air Regulatory Board doesn't so much look at individual machines as it does a contractor's total fleet emissions output. "The CARB rules have a lot of particulars you want to stay abreast of," says Darin Schultz, sales manager at Perkins Pacific. "We tell customers to use a consultant to find out exactly what they can and can't use." If a California contractor has a mostly new fleet of equipment powered by Tier 4 Interim or Tier 4 Final engines, CARB may decide this contractor can do the occa- sional like-for-like swap on a few of his machines powered by a lower maintenance | by Tom Jackson | TJackson@randallreilly.com The complicated business of putting a new engine in an old machine Repowering older equipment with a higher tier engine can help you meet state or regional environmental goals.

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