A Great Opportunity

Everybody seems to hate California these days, but everyone also wants to go there! Why? Owner operators tell me the freight pays better out of California. But, to go there, you need a truck equipped with EGR, DPF and DEF, and we know all the problems associated with buying a used truck with all the current emissions equipment. What some of you may not know is the engineering staff at Pittsburgh Power has been working diligently on several new programs and systems for the past several years to keep the emissions systems working like new. The “Dorothy” soot separator is at the heart of our emissions tune-up program. Being that she “eats” soot, the intake manifold and combustion chambers of engines equipped with the soot separator receive much cleaner gases from the EGR system.

If you feel that you need a truck that is equipped with all the latest emissions equipment, and are looking for a great used truck, we may have just what you are looking for. However, before I tell you about the trucks, I’m going to tell you what we are going to do to each one of them before they pull their next load.

First off, we will install the Dorothy (the soot separator we have created), which has been responsible for keeping the EGR engines clean in the combustion chambers, the VG turbocharger, and the DPF filter. Think about this, if the soot is not entering back into the combustion chamber, it can’t build up on the variable geometry (VG) vanes that must move in and out of the turbine housing to change the air over volume ratio of the turbine housing. The result is that the VG turbo’s life expectancy is greatly improved.

Next, we will give these trucks a full emissions tune-up. The entire emissions system will be removed and cleaned, the sensors will be disassembled and cleaned in an ultra-sonic cleaner, and the intake manifold will be removed and cleaned of soot, as well. Also, the intake side of the cylinder head will be cleaned of soot, the doser valve will be cleaned and checked, and then a forced regen is performed on the diesel particulate filter (DPF)… and the list goes on and on! It takes about 12 hours to do this complete emissions system tune-up.

The engines in these trucks, which are currently set at 450 horsepower, can be tuned to as high as 650 horsepower, along with the turbo mapping to follow the horsepower and torque curve. This is critical for turbocharger life and fuel mileage improvement. You choose the horsepower you desire, and we will make sure the engine produces it, along with the correct amount of turbocharger boost. The truck will then be run on the chassis dynamometer, and you will be in the dyno room during the testing.

Being that these used trucks have about 600,000 miles on the odometer, it’s time for a new crankshaft damper and mercury-filled engine balancer, so we will also be installing these items. Each truck will also have its engine oil analyzed, and then we will discuss our findings with you. Lastly, the complete maintenance records will be furnished with each truck. So, what are these trucks?

The trucks we are talking about are dark blue 2012 and 2014 Kenworth T660s with gray interiors and 86” Aero sleepers complete with refrigerators and APU’s – and everything works! The engines are ISX Cummins, set at 450 horsepower, which we will tune to whatever horsepower you desire, along with 10-speed manual transmissions in the 2012 trucks and Eaton automatics in the 2014 trucks. Except for the transmissions, these are owner operator spec’d trucks. As many of you know, I love the 13-speed and 18-speed transmissions, and we can always install one in these trucks, if you desire. The rear gears are 3:55 riding on low pro 24.5 tires. The 2014 trucks are equipped with disc brakes on the steer and drive axles, and the 2012 trucks have drum brakes. I have nine pages of specs for these KW’s, and we can fax or e-mail them to you – all you have to do is call our shop at (724) 360-4080.

Theses trucks were well-maintained in a shop with a heated floor, a complete wash bay, and the same shop foreman for the past 41 years. These trucks want for nothing – if they needed something, they got it – and the company that owns them has always followed a strict maintenance schedule. Most of their loads were light, and they are all highway miles. The tires are all in great shape, and this will be one used truck you will be able to go trailer trucking the day you leave our shop. The interior of these trucks has never been dirty or piled-up with trash. I have known the owner of this fleet since 1981 – he runs a first-class operation and he himself is a first-class guy. Everything in his life is spotless… even his driveway.

Normally, I don’t sell trucks, new or used (but I will build you a glider kit). The only reason I’m helping to sell these rigs is because I know how well they were cared for. And like the headline of this article says, they are just too good to pass up! Once we install the “Dorothy” and do the emissions tune-up, you should run trouble-free for several years with regular maintenance. My quote of the month – “It’s all right to hesitate, if you then go ahead!” If you have comments or questions, I can be reached at Pittsburgh Power Inc. in Saxonburg, PA by calling (724) 360-4080 or visit www.pittsburghpower.com today.