Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/894232
EquipmentWorld.com | November 2017 51 Torque is what gets the work done, says Lythgoe. A 74-horse- power engine with huge amounts of torque at low speeds will be very productive. "On the Perkins Syncro 3.6, we have a special curve that delivers flat 74 horse- power all the way back to 1,200 rpm," he says. "So, max torque would be 312 pound-feet or 192 percent of the torque at its nominal rated speed." Engines below 25 horsepower have changed little and generally retain their mechanical fuel injec- tion systems. "In the same way that many OEMs dropped below the 75-horsepower threshold in order to reduce the costs brought about by mandatory aftertreatment com- ponents, OEMs are, where feasible, reducing their power requirements below 25 horsepower to use me- chanical engines with no aftertreat- ment devices," says Shailes. Tier 4 Final advantages "Fuel consumption should be no- ticeably better," says Lythgoe. "And while the engine helps, machine integration is the key to the biggest fuel economy savings. That's why so much of our focus goes into working on collaboration around machine integration." Noise is also reduced, Lythgoe says. "Operators can expect a more comfortable environment." Care and feeding Thanks to their advanced design, Tier 4 Final engines do not require much maintenance, says Hurley, other than changing fluids and filters. "We have engines coming back with up to 15,000 hours on them that have never been opened up until we do the rebuild. In the old days, if you remember, the worst place to find an oil leak would be the valve cover because somebody had been in there ad- justing valves. But hydraulic-valve actuation eliminates the need for lash adjustment." As with any engine using high- pressure common rail injection with electronic timing, fuel quality is important. "It makes sense to use a fuel supplier you trust. Most operators these days pay attention to their fuel supply," says Lythgoe. "Genuine brand filters are also probably a good investment. Why risk a lost day's work, and a $1,000 fuel-system repair for the sake of $5 on a filter?" Hurley agrees. "If anything, the biggest issue is still bad fuel," he says. "You have to minimize human error. You're not going to change that." Untitled-5 1 12/10/15 10:21 AM