I here reports that ERFs fitted with this particular Perkins engines were very good trucks , anyone out there have any information ? …
Was that the EC12?
This is a EC 12, The 12 Means 12 Lt. Engine EC Is the model A EC 12 Isd a Perkins [RR] engine the numbers 325. 335 .375. Etc donate the engine capacity, This ERF Has a 375 Perkins. Regards Larry.
Lawrence Dunbar:
0This is a EC 12, The 12 Means 12 Lt. Engine EC Is the model A EC 12 Isd a Perkins [RR] engine the numbers 325. 335 .375. Etc donate the engine capacity, This ERF Has a 375 Perkins. Regards Larry.
It was an article on the W+J Riding website that stated that the Perkins 335 TX engine was found to be very good in service , I can only presume that the 335 refers to the engine capacity , you appear to have experience of these engines your coments would be very welcome Lawrence , many thanks for your interest Shugg .
Had a Foden eight legger with the 335TX fitted, it went ok but was very rattly when new (sounded like the pistons were going up the bore sideways!) however after six months it settled down nicely, as Perkins said it would!
Pete.
Lawrence Dunbar:
0This is a EC 12, The 12 Means 12 Lt. Engine EC Is the model A EC 12 Isd a Perkins [RR] engine the numbers 325. 335 .375. Etc donate the engine capacity, This ERF Has a 375 Perkins. Regards Larry.
The reason I asked if it was the EC12 was because I drove an EC12 for P&O roadtanks for a while and was told it had a Rolls Royce engine, (RR is Perkins then?) dont know what HP it was but it was a flyer, just what you want when payed on 30miles to the hour 
steptoe:
Lawrence Dunbar:
0This is a EC 12, The 12 Means 12 Lt. Engine EC Is the model A EC 12 Isd a Perkins [RR] engine the numbers 325. 335 .375. Etc donate the engine capacity, This ERF Has a 375 Perkins. Regards Larry.The reason I asked if it was the EC12 was because I drove an EC12 for P&O roadtanks for a while and was told it had a Rolls Royce engine, (RR is Perkins then?) dont know what HP it was but it was a flyer, just what you want when payed on 30miles to the hour
Yes the Perkins TX was a development of the R/R Eagle series, one of which I had in the Foden in my Avatar pic. They looked pretty much the same, just had Perkins on the rocker covers.
Pete.
Hey, someone knows which was the EC 127 or EC12.7 it must been in the '90’s??
Bye Eric,
I thought a EC127 was a Detriot ?
your right Dan, the EC127 was the Detroit. Chris.
Perkins had no suitable high power in-line 6 cylinder diesel engine of its own design for the maximum weight automotive market so it bought L.Gardner and Sons Ltd from Hawker Siddley and also Rolls Royce Diesel engines to give it access to that particular engine market. Not quite sure without looking it up of the exact time line of whether Perkins acquired Gardner or Rolls Royce first, but it meant the end of Gardners and Perkins re-branded the Rolls Royce range to its own name. I know from what Paul Gardner told me that he is still very bitter at the way Perkins “sold him down the river” with the promises they made about Gardner’s future when they bought the company, in the final analysis it was basically a ploy to get Gardners, a competitor, out of the market and build up the Perkins / Rolls Royce range. If anyone watched the recent programme about the modern day Great Western Railway it showed them doing an engine change on a railcar and the engine(s) were horizontal versions of the Perkins / Rolls Royce as fitted to trucks, so they are still in everyday use.
The perkins TX were a good engine we had them in Foden ERF Seddon Atkinsons from 300 BHP to the 375 BHP. The Detroit was not that good my pal in sheffeild as a 98 S EC15 olympic with the 550 CAT engine witch must be rare only seen 2
Lawrence Dunbar:
0This is a EC 12, The 12 Means 12 Lt. Engine EC Is the model A EC 12 Isd a Perkins [RR] engine the numbers 325. 335 .375. Etc donate the engine capacity, This ERF Has a 375 Perkins. Regards Larry.
it just does not look rite with the E Series wind kit 
Foden badged them as 335 ,I think ERF called it 340.
bradfordlad9999:
Lawrence Dunbar:
0This is a EC 12, The 12 Means 12 Lt. Engine EC Is the model A EC 12 Isd a Perkins [RR] engine the numbers 325. 335 .375. Etc donate the engine capacity, This ERF Has a 375 Perkins. Regards Larry.it just does not look rite with the E Series wind kit
I agree with you, But the reason at that time was cost of a full kit, Plus the weight of them I pulled trailers the could be a Tonne different in the tare wheights & as I could manage 24 T, at 38 T gross, Then I ran it at 40 So this air deflector servered its purpose, Regards Larry.
gingerfold:
Perkins had no suitable high power in-line 6 cylinder diesel engine of its own design for the maximum weight automotive market so it bought L.Gardner and Sons Ltd from Hawker Siddley and also Rolls Royce Diesel engines to give it access to that particular engine market. Not quite sure without looking it up of the exact time line of whether Perkins acquired Gardner or Rolls Royce first, but it meant the end of Gardners and Perkins re-branded the Rolls Royce range to its own name. I know from what Paul Gardner told me that he is still very bitter at the way Perkins “sold him down the river” with the promises they made about Gardner’s future when they bought the company, in the final analysis it was basically a ploy to get Gardners, a competitor, out of the market and build up the Perkins / Rolls Royce range. If anyone watched the recent programme about the modern day Great Western Railway it showed them doing an engine change on a railcar and the engine(s) were horizontal versions of the Perkins / Rolls Royce as fitted to trucks, so they are still in everyday use.
Rolls 1st then Gardner, apparently Perkins were very intrested in the newly designed 6LYT 320/350 engine, but as you say, it was all just to get another competitor out of the way. The promised development money and upgrades to design and testing facility’s didnt materialise and apart from the new LG300 prototype (a developement of the 6LXDT) Gardner was basiclly run into the Ground. That was a shame,as although they had lost so much market share, they were getting back into the game in a big way with a new range of engines which had alot of potential, had developement funding been available 1st from HawkerSiddley then Perkins. Gardner did actually go on to design a Euro 1 bus engine, this alone showing they were still on top of the job in the dying years.
I must say though, Perkins done wonders with the Eagle, made it a real contender for a while. Perkins were hopeing to crack the american market with the Eagle in the 80’s, but i think that may have been wishful thinking, and dropping the RollsRoyce branding did them no favours, in my mind it was complete madness to drop the most sale’able name in the world who were associated with large capicity engines, in favour of the Perkins label that was known for small low powered diesels. it made them an instant unknown quantity, not really known for large highway truck, or specialised mega horse power static engines.
Chris.
STRAIGHT EIGHT:
gingerfold:
Perkins had no suitable high power in-line 6 cylinder diesel engine of its own design for the maximum weight automotive market so it bought L.Gardner and Sons Ltd from Hawker Siddley and also Rolls Royce Diesel engines to give it access to that particular engine market. Not quite sure without looking it up of the exact time line of whether Perkins acquired Gardner or Rolls Royce first, but it meant the end of Gardners and Perkins re-branded the Rolls Royce range to its own name. I know from what Paul Gardner told me that he is still very bitter at the way Perkins “sold him down the river” with the promises they made about Gardner’s future when they bought the company, in the final analysis it was basically a ploy to get Gardners, a competitor, out of the market and build up the Perkins / Rolls Royce range. If anyone watched the recent programme about the modern day Great Western Railway it showed them doing an engine change on a railcar and the engine(s) were horizontal versions of the Perkins / Rolls Royce as fitted to trucks, so they are still in everyday use.
Rolls 1st then Gardner, apparently Perkins were very intrested in the newly designed 6LYT 320/350 engine, but as you say, it was all just to get another competitor out of the way. The promised development money and upgrades to design and testing facility’s didnt materialise and apart from the new LG300 prototype (a developement of the 6LXDT) Gardner was basiclly run into the Ground. That was a shame,as although they had lost so much market share, they were getting back into the game in a big way with a new range of engines which had alot of potential, had developement funding been available 1st from HawkerSiddley then Perkins. Gardner did actually go on to design a Euro 1 bus engine, this alone showing they were still on top of the job in the dying years.
I must say though, Perkins done wonders with the Eagle, made it a real contender for a while. Perkins were hopeing to crack the american market with the Eagle in the 80’s, but i think that may have been wishful thinking, and dropping the RollsRoyce branding did them no favours, in my mind it was complete madness to drop the most sale’able name in the world who were associated with large capicity engines, in favour of the Perkins label that was known for small low powered diesels. it made them an instant unknown quantity, not really known for large highway truck, or specialised mega horse power static engines.
Evening all, gingerfold, STRAIGHT EIGHT, you touch on the death knells of an era.
Gardner, owned by Hawker Siddeley, Rolls Royce, pushed into insolvency by the Iranian Regime change, and an (as normal), indifferent UK political regime, into the arms of Vickers…who never wished to have them, but whose corporate shareholders enjoyed the £2million profit over acquisition costs, when Rolls Royce Diesel Engines were agreed to be sold to (newly stabilised), Massey Ferguson, owners of Perkins in December 1983. The actual deal, at a cost of £17.4 million, (interesting to note that Vickers balance sheet shows Rolls assets at £27.4million at that time!!!
Perkins, as part of the deal for Rolls had to agree to using the Rolls Royce name only as far as March 1988, no longer…hence the early introduction of Perkins LI.
Perkins were big players, exporting 84% of their production, and having joint ventures and over 4000 direct outlets in over 150 countries, at the time of acquiring Rolls Royce Diesels. They saw great potential in the Eagle Range, particularly in the USA, where a considerable amount of evaluation, and steps towards homologation took place with the 12 litre.
This would have been a direct competitor to the CAT range, which both alarmed, and alerted CAT to Perkins ambitions, and the potential afforded by the (then), worlds largest diesel engine manufacturing plant at Peterborough UK! And Mexico`s Motoequipos were in advanced talks with Vickers / Rolls before Perkins arrived on the scene…but Motoequipos had “snubbed” CAT only 12 months before. Then of course Perkins were already building, and accepted in the fast growing market place of Brazil.
Then of course came Gardner…cheaply, for Hawker Siddeley saw little future in the market place. The design ethos and the engineering were without doubt…but Perkins, via its dynamic head Peter Jackson, supported by ex Rolls Royce Production Engineer, John Baxter had already cast the dies, and despite the expertise, Gardner died in favour of the TX…
Then of course, uncomprehensible at that time …one by one the domestic manufacturers died…and with them the market place…
Then our American cousins came…
It is so sad…I`m away to the Bollinger to drown my sorrows at the ending of such great companies…
By the way, did you know that CATs European Engine Manufacturing Head Quarters is based in Wolverhampton…not a stones throw from where Mr Brunels Broad Gauge finished, and his Locomotive Works was situated, and the London Midland and Scottish had their works…
Sad or positive…I know not
Cheerio for now.
What if Paul Gardner’s suggestion for Gardner’s to buy Rolls Royce diesel engine factory at Shrewbury when RR went into receivership in 1973 (? was it) had been taken up by Gardner’s board of directors instead of being rejected out of hand by Hugh Gardner. It would have given Gardner’s, - still a major player in the marketplace then, - a modern manufacturing plant that they desperately and badly needed. It would have given Gardner’s a more modern engine range, which whilst still problematic could have benefitted from Gardner’s expertise in ironing out the faults, and it would have been an amalgamation of two iconic brand names.
On such decisions fates are sealed and the course of history determined. For better or worse. For eventual demise or for growth, a viable future and prosperity.
To everyone I extend my wishes for a happy and prosperous 2014. 
Good morning all,
Some key dates, taken from ‘A Square Deal All Round… The History of Perkins Engines: 1932 to 2006’ by David Boulton.
Purchase of Rolls-Royce Diesel International from Vickers announced early 1984.
Purchase of L Gardner & Sons Ltd from Hawker Siddley Group in May 1986.
Purchase of Dorman Diesels (Stafford) from Broadcrown Group in June 1994.
In January 1998 the purchase of VarityPerkins, by Caterpillar, was announced.
With the exception of Gardner, all of the above facilities continue to this day, in one form or another…
The Shrewsbury site is home to CAT Reman, where cylinder heads & other engine & transmission components are reconditioned, & CAT Defence which continues to look after the CV8 & CV12 engine & transmission as well as other similar applications.
Perkins Stafford is the home of the 4000 Series engine range of 3.8 litre per cylinder displacement, available as an in-line 6 or 8 & V12 or V16, diesel & gas fuelled, for electric power generation applications.
In 1996 Caterpillar bought Turner Powertrain Ltd, of Racecourse Road Wolverhampton, which develops & manufactures a range of gearboxes & axles for off-road applications. Many of these are consumed ‘internally’ by CAT but sales are also made to other notable OEMs.
Best wishes to all in 2014.