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— August 2017
OWNER//DRIVER www.ownerdriver.com.au
PERFECT MATCH The availability of PACCAR’s MX-13 engine under the bonnet of Australian made Kenworth trucks was described as a game changer when it was first announced in 2014 PACCAR’s MX-13 engine offers Kenworth customers an engine choice in the competitive 13L market, in applications where tare weight and fuel economy are critical elements in performance. With the optimised Eaton UltraShift® PLUS Transmission (AMT), the PACCAR MX-13 delivers even more benefits, providing an integrated solution for those customers wanting an Automated Manual Transmission in their operations. After earning an enviable reputation in DAF products since its release in 2007, the PACCAR MX-13 engine has quickly become one of the most popular in its class in Europe and has taken the US trucking industry by storm, now accounting for almost 50 per cent of the Kenworth build in North America. Available with either 460 or 510hp and1700 and 1850ft-lb torque respectively, the PACCAR MX-13 engine offers a long-term value proposition through its technologically advanced designs and lightweight materials that achieve excellent performance and fuel economy. The fully integrated systems provide longer service
intervals, increased uptime and lower operating costs. The relationship between PACCAR and Eaton has been longstanding, leading to the development of a fully integrated powertrain. The latest transmission technology delivers performance and efficiency with electrical clutch actuation and intelligent shift selection, through grade sensing,
weight computation and driver throttle commands. However it’s the way the stateof-the-art Eaton transmission interacts with the PACCAR MX-13 engine that sets it apart from the rest. The Eaton UltraShiftPlus has been optimised specifically to suit the PACCAR MX-13 in Australian conditions, resulting in outstanding performance and fuel efficiency,
“Transmission technology delivers performance and efficiency”
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while reducing driver fatigue and improving safety. Sam Abulughod, manager of growth projects at Eaton, admits it wasn’t an easy taskto bring the optimised solution to market. “This PACCAR MX-13 engine originates in Europe – our transmission is North American, so our Eaton engineers had their work cut out for them. But the results speak for themselves as an impressive feat of Australian engineering,” he said. “Australia is unique in that we have the largest weights and the biggest grades at the same time – which compounds the challenges for us. “Automated transmissions make all the shift decisions, relying heavily on exceptional communication with the engine. We need to understand what the engine is doing at any point in time and we need the engine to respond accurately to our requests, because it’s one of the main things in the vehicle that the driver feels. “Australian conditions make those shift decisions critical. The beauty of it lies in the relationship between the PACCAR MX-13 and the optimisation of the Eaton transmission.” It’s ‘Australian-ised’ – with Australian conditions and Australian experience. “You need the transmission to manage the engine through a variety of conditions, by utilising the
August 2017—
PACCAR MX-13 Engine and Eaton UltraShift® PLUS Transmission (AMT)
performance zones of the engine where it needs a lot of power and a lot of torque, but adapting for economical and fuel-efficient operations. “Getting the balance right is the key, and this combination does exactly that.” And customers agree. Mt Noorat Freighters has been a Kenworth customer for more than 20 years. Director Tony Moloney has first-
hand experience with the PACCAR MX-13 engine and the Eaton UltraShift Plus transmission in their Kenworth T409. His review is simple. “It ticks all the boxes for reliability with no unscheduled maintenance to date. “I bought a product that’s obviously good – because it does the job it’s supposed to do.” In a word? “Faultless.”
Tony’s remarks are echoed by many Kenworth customers running the outstanding PACCAR MX-13 engine. For more customer stories go to www.kenworth.com.au/ mx13-media, talk to your Kenworth dealer now to arrange a test drive or visit www.kenworth.com.au/t4 for information (including terms and conditions) on our T4 Series limited offer on PACCAR MX-13 with bonus AMT!
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