For 'B' read '300'
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• Leyland Trucks is expected to make the longawaited announcement this week confirming its intention to use the Cummins/Case B Series engine as a replacement for its own 98Series engine in Roadrunner trucks from later this year.
The new Roadrunner engine will be badged as a Leyland 300-Series.
According to Leyland Trucks product development director, Peter Capon, the decision to use this engine in Roadrunner does not necessarily mean that it will also eventually be fitted to the new Comet export truck (see p54), which also uses the 98Series.
Production of the 5.7-litre, six-cylinder 98-Series Leyland engines ends at the end of next month when Leyland closes its Bathgate plant, but Capon says: "Arrangements have been made for these engines and replacement parts to continue to be built in small quantities for at least two years."
One of the alternatives which Leyland must be considering for the Comet is Perkins' recently updated engine, the Phaser, The all-new B Series, UK production of which has begun at Cummins' Darlington plant, may be considered not well enough established for the Cornet's Third World markets.
B-Series engines are available with three, four and six cylinders and span the power range from 42 to 132kW, in normally aspirated, turbocharged, and turbocharged and chargecooled form.
The 2282 million development and initial US production cost of the engine was provided jointly by Cummins and J I Case, the American construction equipment and agricultural tractor manufacturer.
The engine was introduced in the USA in 1983. At one time the Bathgate plant was to be used to manufacture BSeries parts and assemble the engine, but the Leyland/Cummins deal fell through in 1984.