August 2010 - Performance Zone
8 MPG PETERBILT 389’S
By Performance Specialist Bruce C. Mallinson
Those who say something can’t be done are usually interrupted by those of us who are doing it! Think about that statement. For the past 32 years, we have been doing what most in the industry say can’t be done. “They” told us a 389 Peterbilt could never get good fuel mileage. Well, we have just proven them wrong.
The 389 Peterbilt glider kit truck we built for the Mid-America Trucking Show this past March found a home with Randall Corlee of Oklahoma. Randall delivers fuel oil within a 250-mile radius of Oklahoma City, OK and after his first week of driving his new C15 Cat-powered Pete, his fuel mileage is 7.5 to 8.2 – and he cruises his truck at 70 mph using only 9 psi of turbo boost on the level. Not bad for a truck with the aerodynamics of a brick!
All of the methodology used for this Pittsburgh Power Signature Peterbilt was developed from the concept truck that Kevin Rutherford and I had previously worked on. The only feature this truck does not have is a lift axle. This truck is a full twin screw with 2:64 gears, a double-over 18-speed, and is driven in 16th gear at 1600 RPM at 70 mph. The engine is a Signature Series 6NZ Cat built by Pittsburgh Power and produces 600+ hp stock (with our power computer it is capable of producing 810 hp). Randall is running the truck with the computer on power setting #1 and producing 44 psi of turbo boost. This truck also runs the super single Michelin XDA-1 Energy tires on the drive axles and XZA-3 Michelins on the front.
Everything we could possibly build into this engine for power, smoothness, longevity and fuel mileage was included in the project. Randall’s previous truck was a 379 Pete with an MXS Acert 550 hp Cat and his fuel mileage was 5.3 to 5.8 (even worse, the Acert would loose 3 to 4 mph on the grades around Oklahoma City). Randall’s old truck had no response, and if he wanted to pass another truck, he had to plan the pass in advance to try and do it while going down hill. Now, in his new truck, all he has to do is slightly push on the throttle and he is effortlessly sailing past the vehicles in the other lane.
So, what does is cost to build a Signature 2WS or 6NZ Cat engine – about $34,000 plus the engine core (another $8,000 or so). It’s not cheap to build one of these engines but, believe it or not, it will pay for itself in fuel savings. Randall is saving 37 gallons of fuel per day or about $111 at $3.00 per gallon. Randall runs five days the first week and then 6 days the next, so his total driving per year is 286 days – which gives him an annual savings of about $31,746. Do you think that thirty-one grand will make the payments? You bet it will! Plus, he gets to drive a truck that runs like a raped ape and he never has to worry about an EGR, ACERT or DPF problem.
Building the most powerful and efficient trucks on the road is very expensive! Packed with premium parts and many performance products, we put over 280 man-hours into every glider kit we build. The final cost of one of our trucks can be anywhere from $155,000 to $180,000. We know these trucks are among the most expensive in the industry, but we also know that all you need to do is gain 2 mpg and your truck payments are free because of the fuel savings!
Everyone asks if we can provide our own financing and/or take trades. The answer to both of these questions is no – you must get your bank to finance the deal, and you must sell your old truck because we are not in the used truck sales business. It can take as long as 6 months from the time you order a “Signature” truck until the truck is ready for delivery because each and every one of these trucks is made to order. Randall’s 389 has a huge front bumper, a large visor and 7-inch stacks, so this truck is not as aerodynamic as it could be – by changing these items, his Peterbilt 389 (or yours) has the potential to hit 8.5 mpg!
Brent Noakes of Redding, California has been hauling logs with Cat-powered Peterbilts for the past 22 years. Several years ago I spoke with Brent on the phone, and after a lengthy conversation, I offered him a job. At the time he declined, but two months ago Brent changed his mind and now he operates Pittsburgh Power Elite Diesel of Redding as a subsidiary of our company. His shop is open on an appointment-only basis because he is still trucking. He has many of our parts in stock and his number is (541) 281-3630. If you run the I-5 corridor and are interested in our products, give Brent a call.
I would like to welcome Sid Compton back to work at our shop. Two months ago, Sid fell from a 12-foot high loft in his garage onto his back and broke two ribs, his collar bone, punctured a lung and got a concussion. Many people never survive a fall from that height after landing on their back – but I guess it just wasn’t Sid’s time to go. Apparently, God wants him to stick around to build a few more high performance diesel engines for owner operators like you. Welcome back, Sid! If you have any comments or questions, please contact me at Pittsburgh Power in Saxonburg, PA at (724) 360-4080.