D-Day looming for Detroit ERF
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by Brian Weatherley • ERF is poised to make the 12.7-litre Detroit Diesel 60 Series engine an option in its EC heavy truck range. John Bryant, boss of the Sandbach-based truck maker, says the company is close to making a decision on whether to offer the US-made, all-electronic, in-line six alongside its existing Cummins and Perkins UK engine options.
Evaluating
ERF has been evaluating the four-stroke Detroit engine for some time. Ten 60-Series-powered EC tractors are currently operating with ERF distributors who run their own haulage fleets. According to Bryant: "We'll be doing more running against the Mll and then we'll make a decision on whether we'll market it in this country." However, he adds: "Since we're still negotiating pricing with Detroit we're not going to make a decision before that's fixed."
If Eta goes with the 60 Series, a Detroit-powered EC tractor would be badged as an EC.127, rather than an EC13.
The 370hp, four-valves-percylinder Detroit engine offers better driveability than an equivalent M11, reports Bryant, and in comparative fuel trials with the Cummins so far its results "are not startlingly different". He rates the capabilities of the 60 Series highly—in addition to managing the engine's unit fuel injectors its DDEC (Detroit Diesel Electronic Control) computer handles road speed limiter and PTO throttle functions as well as limiting smoke.
"It's the first engine to be developed from the bottom up for electronics," says Bryant.
While in-service performance will clearly be a major deciding factor, ERF will also have to support the 60 Series in the aftennarket. "We need to know, can we cope with it and is there money in it for our distribu tors," says Bryant. However, ERF's existing service network would, he says, be more than capable of providing backup for the Detroit if it is adopted.
Installation will not be a problem—along with the evaluation units already running, ERF is building a number of Detroit-engined EC chassis for the Australian market, which will be badged as Western Star models and have engines rated at 500hp.
CM's first taste of the 60 Series was when we roadtested a Detroit-powered Foden tractor operated on trial with Railfreight Distribution in 1991. However, we've since taken one of ERF's EC/60 Series trial tractors round our Scottish test route and will publish our results in an exclusive report next week.