Daimler's new life with Iveco
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• London Buses' Wandle District is having 100 of its 10year old Damiler Fleetline double-decker buses reengtned with Italian-built Iveco diesels, in a deal worth around .750,000.
Wandle's R and S registration Fleetlines will be fitted with a specially-developed version of the 8.6-litre Iveco 8361.S111 turbocharged engine, which has been derated from its normal power of 157kW (210hp) to 131kW (175hp). Maximum torque is 755Nm (557 lbft) at 1,450rpm.
Over 20 Fleetlines have already been fitted with the Iveco power unit, which replaces the original 131kW Leyland 690 engine. It has been adapted to couple up with the Fleetline's Self Changing Gears fully-automatic gearbox.
District engineering manager Phil Margrave says that the old 690 engines, which were originally turbocharged but reconverted to natural aspiration, had been due for replacement.
Wandle District looked at a number of alternative engines, but decided on the Iveco diesel as it satisfied critical length requirements.
As part of the retrofit programme the Fleetline's cooling and air-intake system has been extensively revised. The radiator, which was originally fitted on the offside rear of the bus at an angle of 450, has been re-sited vertically in front of the engine on the nearside. Intake air is now drawn vertically downwards from underneath the rear seating area on the top deck.
The contract to supply and fit the Iveco engines has been won by Glasgow-based Industrial & Marine Diesels. I&MD is the UK concessionaire for Iveco Aifo — the industrial and aftermarket engine division of Iveco. Fitting time is around three days.
Before finally deciding on the Iveco engine Wandle District carried out evaluation trials with a single prototype bus for a number of weeks. The converted buses will operate in the Croydon, Morden and Sutton areas on regular stage carriage work.
According to Margrave, initial driver and workshop reaction to the Iveco engine has been favourable," while performance against the old 690 is good".
Although the Wandle contract is believed to be the first application of the Iveco 8361.S111 engine in a UK double-deck chassis, Sicca, the Italian bus builder already fits a turbocharged version in a number of its PSV models.