Detroit 14L EGR Engines

[Capt._Chaos]

I may be getting assigned to a different (new) tractor pretty soon, and while I have requested an International (the company specs those with Cummins ISX engines), I may be getting back into another Freightliner, but with the Detroit 14.3L EGR engine.

As disappointed as I was with the 12.7L EGR engine in the last truck I drove before it got hit in January, I'm wondering if I should expect any better performance out of the 14.3L.

Has anyone here driven a truck with a Detroit 14.3L EGR engine yet?

Thanks!

[magicman]

My buddy, Fred bought a 2005 Wester Star, with the 515 Detroit, a 13 speed and 3.70 rears. He's getting over 6mpg consistantly and loves the power it has. He came out of a 97 Freightliner Classic with a 485 Detroit.
He says the 515 would smoke the 485.

[Capt._Chaos]

After I've put 104,000 miles on the '07 Freightliner with an '06 engine since June '06, I'm mostly satisfied with this Detroit 14-Liter engine.

Mine is a 515-horse that was cut back to a 465 as per Crete's settings. It still has a good torque curve & pulls MUCH BETTER than the post- 10/02 12.7L EGR engines I've been around. In fact, while grossing near 80K & heading east on the PA Turnpike last week I passed a LOT of other trucks as I was going uphill.

On some weeks with low idle time (less than 10%) I'm averaging 6.5 MPG with moderate to heavy loads.

Since new, with substantially high idle time this past winter, I have averaged 5.75 MPG- nowhere near what the pre-EGR engines would get, but it's better than some others I've heard about.

While I personally have some partiality to Cummins as far as post-EGR engines are concerned, I can honestly say Detroit has come a LONG WAY since the introduction of the 12.7L EGR "Duds" a few years ago.