New Cummins Crate Engines to Provide Enthusiasts with Clean, Powerful Alternative

CUMMINS NEW CRATE ENGINE PROGRAM, CUMMINS REPOWER™, WILL NOT ONLY GIVE TRUCK ENTHUSIASTS A POWERFUL ALTERNATIVE FOR THEIR OLDER ICONIC OR SENTIMENTAL PROJECTS, BUT A CLEANER, MORE FUEL EFFICIENT OPTION, TOO.

"Without question, the environment is very important to Cummins,” said Jeff Caldwell, Executive Director of Cummins’ Global Pickup/Van Business. “We’re excited to provide enthusiasts with a cleaner and much more fuel-efficient engine than their original, or even a junkyard Cummins swap.

“Cummins Repower will allow them to enjoy their iconic vehicles that much more,” he said. “There are certain vehicles people just won’t discard. We want to help make those vehicles as clean, reliable, economical and enjoyable as possible for many years to come.”

The crate program was born after customer surveys identified significant demand for Cummins engines in the consumer aftermarket. Typically, the company’s engines are sold to truck manufacturers or truck fleets, often in large numbers. Cummins Repower is called a “crate” engine program because customers will be able to purchase engines in small volumes – as few as one – and they will arrive in crates.

The first Cummins Repower offering will be the R2.8 Turbo Diesel, including an alternator, power steering pump, cam-driven vacuum pump, remote mounted oil filter and a universal wiring harness to ease the installation process for many different vehicle models.

Initial testing focused on an R2.8 installed into an otherwise stock 2000 Jeep® Wrangler® in place of the Jeep’s original 4.0L gasoline 6-cylinder engine. The vehicle not only gained higher peak torque with the R2.8, but the amount of accessible peak torque across the RPM band also increased.

In addition to the performance gains, preliminary testing indicates that the R2.8 more than doubled the fuel economy of the Jeep while meeting the Transitional Low-Emission Vehicle (TLEV) LDT2 emissions standards for that particular gasoline engine vintage.

With mileage numbers of 30.8 mpg on the highway and 25.8 mpg in the city as compared to a stock 1997 Jeep Wrangler TJ with a 4.0L’s rating of 16-18 mpg highway, 13-15 city, the Cummins-powered Jeep had a carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions improvement of over 25 percent.

The first end customer for the program worked with Anything Scout of Ames, Iowa (U.S.A.) to rebuild a 1967 Scout 800 on a modified brand new Jeep Wrangler chassis with all modern components. The company, which regularly uses V8 crate engines for their builds, was very happy with the performance and fuel economy of the R2.8 Turbo Diesel during a 3,500 mile “shake-down” run driving to the West Coast and back.

“We have never seen better than 18 mpg with our fuel injected V8 swaps and we were thrilled to be getting 25 miles per gallon on the first long drive from Iowa to Arizona,” said Sean Barber, owner of Anything Scout.

“We have customers who bring us their grandfather’s truck and ask us to restore it back to original looking condition, but they want them to also be usable so that’s when we transplant modern running gear under the classic steel,” he said. “These vehicles have large tires and aren’t aerodynamic – so to be getting 25 miles per gallon with no smoke or smell is amazing.”

Certification work is underway using the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) Executive Order process to ensure that every Cummins Repower engine sold has clear guidelines as to the specific vehicle classification and vintage for which it is qualified to be installed.

Cummins is also working closely with the Specialty Equipment Market Association® (SEMA) and other key SEMA members to prepare the market for genuine Cummins Repowers. The SEMA Garage™ provides members the necessary access to the Cummins Repower products, enabling them to bring their own ancillary products to market, with the result for the enthusiast being a plug-and-play option for every step of the installation.

Full production of the R2.8 is anticipated in the fall of 2017. Future engine family introductions into the Repower product lineup will be announced at later dates.

There’s a bit of nostalgia in the program for Cummins, which really hasn’t sold engines in quite this way since the company’s namesake and founder Clessie Cummins was in charge.

“Clessie Cummins repowered automobiles, race cars, buses and trucks, demonstrating the benefits of the diesel engine over their original power plants.” Caldwell said. “Nearly 100 years later, we are proud to be continuing the legacy of our namesake by enabling passionate enthusiasts to repower their iconic vehicles for the same reason Cummins repowered his own.”

IT'S JUNE ENVIRONMENTAL MONTH AT CUMMINS.  LOOK FOR OTHER STORIES COMING SOON ON THE COMPANY'S EFFORTS TO BE GOOD ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDS.