Any of you younger fellas used one of these late high powered units? Scania, Volvo, 500/600 maybe soon 700 hp.
What advantage do they give? Limiters, speed cameras, queues, and all the rest of it. The biggest I ever got to was a 350 ■■■■■■■ with a Fuller range change. It ran at maximum weight and it was a great machine, well on top of it’s job. I just can’t see what is gained by bringing out ever more powerful engines for present day conditions in this country.
As the title says, just curious.
grumpy old man:
Any of you younger fellas used one of these late high powered units? Scania, Volvo, 500/600 maybe soon 700 hp.
What advantage do they give? Limiters, speed cameras, queues, and all the rest of it. The biggest I ever got to was a 350 ■■■■■■■ with a Fuller range change. It ran at maximum weight and it was a great machine, well on top of it’s job. I just can’t see what is gained by bringing out ever more powerful engines for present day conditions in this country.
As the title says, just curious.
Me neither, the biggest engined lorry I have driven in anger is a 420 and they are well on top of the job even at 50 tonne in Holland
grumpy old man:
Any of you younger fellas used one of these late high powered units? Scania, Volvo, 500/600 maybe soon 700 hp.
What advantage do they give? Limiters, speed cameras, queues, and all the rest of it. The biggest I ever got to was a 350 ■■■■■■■ with a Fuller range change. It ran at maximum weight and it was a great machine, well on top of it’s job. I just can’t see what is gained by bringing out ever more powerful engines for present day conditions in this country.
As the title says, just curious.
Hello Grumps,
The Biggest motor I have driven is a 580 v8 T cab Scania. Went upto Fife in it at 44 ton and it was awesome, Callands, Shap, Beatock, all done in top gear and hardly dropped off the limiter on any of them, it just ate them all.
I had a left ■■■■■■ Magnum with a 470 Mack in it. I had it chipped by Powertrucks and that too was fantastic, had it on the dyno at Feather Diesels and it was putting 556 bhp at the flywheel and 527 at the wheels. That Truck would go over the steepest part of Windy Hill @44 ton at around 45 mph and only dropped one full cog. Some days it would go up Brighouse with only half a gear and once at the top stayed in top gear all the way past little house on prarie and over the top of Windy Hill.(depended on how windy it was) .
The main advantages of the big power engines is definitely the bigger torque they produce, like being able to roll into roundabouts and only drop one and a half gears, (Scania 14 speed box), you dont get so wound up when you get baulked cos the truck will pull itself back up to speed without a fuss.
I drive a Scania 420 red dot every day now pulling milk tankers @ 44 ton. Now these motors are great upto 1500 rpm but anything over that and you are just wasting diesel. This motor is also chipped and although Im not sure what its putting out, I reckon its got to be at least 520 bhp. You can drive this motor to 1300 rpm and change up fully loaded and it just romps away no problem, it returns 9 mpg all day long and will climb the bank up towards j3 on M5(southbound) in top gear, 1200 rpm 46mph, does Keele bank(northbound) in top @ around 52 mph, and any smaller banks just stays on the limiter. Not bad for a 420, although it does give a big puff of black smoke every time you change gear or come off then back on the loud pedal, but thats because of the extra fuel it gets with the chip.
Hello Grumps, I’ve been driving a Scania V8 580 since 2007. The speed limiter is set at 56mph but because my truck is a low ride I reckon it’s real speed is 54mph.
I gross 44t nearly everyday and being a good Preston lad I’m on the M62 nearly everyday. With the V8 engine and the integral retarder my truck is a pleasure to drive. I really can set the cruise control and remain at 54mph all the way to Hull (traffic permitting) without using the service brakes or changing gear. I use the Engine computer all the time and my average mpg is 8.7.
In the old days I used to drive a 380 Scania to Austria and Italy quite often, lets just say I wish I had my V8 in those days. I don’t think I fit the usual ‘Scania driver’ stereotype but I have looked after and enjoy working in my truck so much, that I have done myself out of a new one and to be honest Grumps, I don’t really mind.
Br Al