Ultra Low Sulphur Engines
The 07 emission standards require that any diesel highway engine meet extremely low emission standards which require a particulate filter in addition to EGR. The last three hundred or so of the 07 tractors will have the 07 engines.
The first three hundred engines on this order were manufactured before the 07 deadline.
There are two 06 models that have this 07 engine. Units 16544 & 16545 I think are the unit numbers. They have been on controlled runs from Kansas City to Little Rock since last year. The unit numbers on the hood on these two are a different color than other units. They also had locking fuel caps to prevent accidental fueling with the higher sulphur fuel last year. (All of the fuel refined since late last year is ultra low sulphur, 15 parts per million or less, the fuel before that had 500 parts sulphur per million).
The standard muffler has been replaced with a larger muffler/trap. It does not get red hot. The muffler/trap might require a burn cycle to clean it out but it will not be very often. There are instructions on the dash.
The 05 Caterpillar powered Sterlings (15001-15100) have two catalytic converters that replaced the standard mufflers. Caterpillar preferred to use this exhaust treatment (twin turbochargers & catalytic converters) rather than use EGR as other engine manufacturers did. So catalytic converters are not new to trucks just this year.
Get used to the emission controls, they are mandated by your government. The manufacturers have no choice. It only gets better, the 2010 emission standards are even more strict. The engine manufacturers are having to completely redesign engines to meet the standards. Guess who pays for all of this. The freight lines? Wrong, the consumer pays for it since the costs are just passed on with higher freight rates since all freight lines have to update equipment.
Politicians passed these laws many years ago. They know what is best for us.
