Information on the Cummins Engine
The Columbus, Indiana-based Cummins Inc. designs and manufactures diesel and natural gas engines for customers worldwide. The company, founded in 1919 and operating more than 500 distributorships, is perhaps best known for its supply of diesel engines for Chrysler automobile and truck products, most notably Dodge trucks. However, more than half of its sales are outside the United States.
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Dodge Relationship
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The Dodge Cummins 6.7-liter turbocharged engine.
Cummins, which has had a long relationship with Dodge after World War II, secured a long-term contract in 1989 to supply Dodge with the 5.9-liter diesel engine that provides a 17:1 compression ratio. The engine is an iron block with a steel crankshaft and aluminum intake manifold. It was designed to achieve 300,000 miles before an overhaul is required.
Over-Engineered
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Dodge quickly realized that Cummins was a popular selling point among its truck buyers and began over-engineering its trucks by equipping them with Cummins diesels that were capable of providing pulling power as much as 4,000 pounds more than the closest rival equipped with a diesel engine. The philosophy allowed Dodge to market its trucks as having the most torque, but also ensuring longer engine life for a diesel generally not required for heavy-duty work in a light-duty pickup.
B-Series Engines
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Cummins most popular diesel engines are the 5.9-liter B-Series that power pre-2007 Dodge 2500 and 3500 Ram trucks and school buses. Post-2007 2500 and 3500 Dodge pickups are equipped with the 6.7-liter B-Series engines.
C-Series
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Cummins worker swaps a crankshaft in a Cummins diesel.
The 8.3-liter C-Series straight-6 engine was introduced in 1998 for buses, motor homes, and fire and garbage trucks. An electronic diesel version began production in 1996 for municipal buses. By 2003, a turbocharged version was introduced to increase performance but minimize emissions.
L-Series
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The L-Series diesel for large buses and fire trucks.
The larger L-Series straight-6 diesel engines displaced 8.9 liters and began production in 1998 for buses, motor homes, fire and garbage trucks, hybrid buses and trucks used for drayage purposes at ports. A compressed natural gas version, the L Gas Plus model, generates 320 horsepower. Municipal buses employed the 8.9-liter diesels with ratings up to 330 horsepower. The L-Series has seen extensive service in Europe and Asia.
M-Series
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A 10.8-liter model, the M-Series, is a 6-cylinder version introduced in 1994 with electronic controls added two years later for fuel efficiency. These engines were designed for cross-country buses, yachts, large motor coaches, fire trucks and construction equipment that include wheel-loaders and excavators.
Other Versions
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The Cummins K-Series diesel engine.
Cummins also produces the N- and X-Series diesels ranging from 12.2 liters to 14.9 liters to power British Rail trains, including the diesel-powered Sprinters and Coradia units. The 19-liter K-Series diesels power the multiple unit passenger and freight Adelante, Meridian/Pioneer, Desiro, Voyager and Super Voyager rail trains.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Cummins Inc., Chrysler L.L.C.
