Capt Skup
Southern Maryland/Nantucket
Senior Member
Joined: 05/14/2004
View Profile
|
http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2009/11/ram........receive-major-modifications-in-2012.html
But, and this is a big butt... how will you feel driving a Dodge Ram, pardon I mean Ram with a Fiat sticker in place of the well known,well regarded big "C" on the fender? What was wrong with the small Cummins V-8 that was developed for this application>
Capt Skup
AD-1(AW)USNRet.
Wonderful Wife,3 Daughters,2Goldens Gus&Riley
"Never get in a battle of wits with an unarmed man"
'08 F-450 Lariat 4x4
'08 Honda Odyssey EX-L
SunlineF281SR
SeaRay215EC
http://community.webshots.com/user/CaptSkup?vhost=community
|
mkirsch
Rochester, NY
Senior Member
Joined: 04/09/2004
View Profile
|
The engine was costing money to develop. Then the economy went in the dumper, people quit buying cars altogether, and Chrysler went broke. With no market for this engine, Cummins pulled the plug.
Why a V8 anyway? Why does it always have to be a V8? It would make much more sense to just do a King Solomon on the 6.7L I6 to come up with a 3.3L I3 that has half the HP and half the torque (still ungodly power for a 1/2 ton truck). Offer 'em cheap in fleet trucks to get the installed base out there. The guys that run 'em will want one in their own trucks. Within two years the real men will be driving I3's not V8's.
|
Capt Skup
Southern Maryland/Nantucket
Senior Member
Joined: 05/14/2004
View Profile
|
I3? Balance issues?
|
Perrysburg Dodgeboy
Perrysburg, Ohio USA
Senior Member
Joined: 12/06/2003
View Profile
|
Capt Skup wrote:I3? Balance issues?
I would think not MB has an I-5 in the Sprinter right?
Perrysburg Dodgeboy
2004 Dodge Ram 2500 Quad Cab SLT Cummins HO
2005 Keystone Cougar 304 BHS
Back on layoff today  UAW Auto Worker (Tool Makers Rule)
pics
|
Turtle n Peeps
California
Senior Member
Joined: 06/23/2008
View Profile
 Offline
|
Quote:Why a V8 anyway? Why does it always have to be a V8?
Because designers don't want the front end of a small truck a mile up in the air. With a V you can get the hood line way down. You can't do that with an I engine.
~ Too many freaks & not enough circuses ~
"Life is not tried ~ it is merely survived ~ if you're standing
outside the fire"
|
|
|
blt2ski
Kirkland, Wa
Moderator
Joined: 03/15/2001
View Profile
 Online
|
Even a V6 or flat/pancake 4 ala subaru's motors or the old VW aircooled motors would work in an application like this. Did not read the article all the way, but there are many engine designs other than V8's that work well for the applications. Not sure that an I3 would run smooth, an I4 would be ok, the I5 with IIRC the crank having 5 places for the connecting rods smooths it out. Then again, you could also put the I3 crank at 120* offsets to smooth it out too.......so not a complete out of the question to make work......just more thought.
Marty
05 Chev CC D/A LS Dooley
92 Navistar dump truck, 7.3L 7 sp, 4.33 gears with a Detroit no spin
00 Chev C2500, V5700, 4L80E, 4.10, base truck, no options!
92 Red-e-haul 12K equipment trailer
3 Single axle utility trailers
Check RV.Net Blogs at: blog.rv.net
|
goodcruisin
Greenwood, IN
Senior Member
Joined: 04/17/2007
View Profile
Offline
|
My Honda Insight has a 1.0 liter 3 cylinder. Virtually no vibration. Runs smooth as silk. My Volvo has a 5 cylinder. Also smooth as silk. My Kubota tractor has a 3 cylinder diesel. Again, very smooth. In fact, now that I think about it any engine that I've seen with an odd number of cylinders seems to be smoother than an even number. Back in the mid-80's the Chevy Sprint had a 3 cyl. They even sold a turbo charged version of it IF memory serves.
John (USN Ret) and Debbie
The Paw Pack (Freckles, Stinky & Ranger)
'96 Monaco Windsor 36' DP 8.3L Cummins
Ready Brake w/ Demco Excali-bar
'03 Ford Explorer (Toad)
'04 Honda Insight
'04 Volvo S80 AWD
240" Dragster 540 BBC
14' Boat 9.9 Mercury
|
lesmore49
canada
Senior Member
Joined: 11/25/2004
View Profile
|
goodcruisin wrote:My Honda Insight has a 1.0 liter 3 cylinder. Virtually no vibration. Runs smooth as silk. My Volvo has a 5 cylinder. Also smooth as silk. My Kubota tractor has a 3 cylinder diesel. Again, very smooth. In fact, now that I think about it any engine that I've seen with an odd number of cylinders seems to be smoother than an even number. Back in the mid-80's the Chevy Sprint had a 3 cyl. They even sold a turbo charged version of it IF memory serves.
My son's Chevy Colorado has a 5 cylinder, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder, 10-1 compression...3.7 liters...242 Hp/242 lbs. ft. of torque...smoooth and powerful. Good low end torque.
lesmore49
|
blt2ski
Kirkland, Wa
Moderator
Joined: 03/15/2001
View Profile
Online
|
Now thinking about this, my Trackhoe, or mini excavator in reality, has a diesel 3cyl 750cc with a turbo no less! producing 16 hp or there abouts. IT runs smooth too! Not sure a 3cyl version of the 6.7 would be the smart way to go. a 5cyl shorter stroke motor of about the same length ala the sprinter motor might be a better option........Altho with common parts etc, manufacturing costs goes down!
Marty
|
Burp
St. George's Island, MD
Senior Member
Joined: 04/07/2004
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club
Offline
|
Turtle n Peeps wrote:Quote:Why a V8 anyway? Why does it always have to be a V8?
Because designers don't want the front end of a small truck a mile up in the air. With a V you can get the hood line way down. You can't do that with an I engine. Doesn't the Ram 1500, 2500, and 3500 have the same front end. Maybe not the suspension but the same hood, grill, etc. Open the hood on a 2500 with a Hemi. Whole lot of empty space in there.
And you can slant an engine if clearance is a problem. Remember the old Plymouth slant 6. Great engine. The V6 in our Saturn Outlook is slanted so that the front 3 cylinders are almost straight up.
|
|
|
