Mercedes Engine
 

I'm looking at a new Century Class w/ 450 Mercedes. I've snooped around and haven't heard anything bad about this engine. How about you guys?

18 spd d/o, 3.58 ratio. 11R22.5 rubber

I had heard from a cat dealer that the engine brake is whimpy, and that they are hard to get serviced,...compared to the big 3.
Of course he could have been fullocrapolla, and trying to make the sale with me,...but I went with a DD60, not his cat.

As far as it being hard to get serviced I do not see where that would be much of a problem anymore. Freightliner is owned by Mercedes which in turn is part of Daimler Chrysler. Freightliner also owns Detroit Diesel now and seem to be in the process of phasing out DD engines in favor of the Mercedes design.

So I would think that most any Freightliner dealer and DD shop should be able to service the engine without much trouble.

If your doing tandem work it'l be fine, if you're doing multi axle work you'll find it lacking for power. Any time you get a new motor theres a chance you'll be waiting for parts to be flown in. Ask a Volvo owner about parts availability in backwoods areas. I know a few guys that put them in their trucks because they had a better warranty and were a lot cheaper and all of them were dissapointed witrh the power and fuel mileage when pulling heavy.

Actually the mercedes has the most powerful jake out there. You just have to rev it high, REAL high. 2500 rpms it makes ~600 hp of retard.

I was told 580 hp engine braking. I just checked the spec sheet, says you get that at 2,300 rpm. I would NEVER take an engine that high. I think the highest I ever went was 1,900 going down hill, and no more than 1,800 under foot. Usually 1,300 to 1,500 rpm.

When you get it turning that fast, I'll sound like one of the COX MODEL AIRPLANE ENGINES.

Mercedes motors have a tremendous amount of hold back with the jake.

Everyone I know who has driven one says they are very sensitive to the throttle peddle. Twitchy is how it is described.

And you will never hurt a tractor motor by running it at its maximum RPM. They are designed to go up there and live a very long life.

If the engine fails, it fails for a different reason than high rpm.

We run our N-14's at 1900 to 2000 RPM for 16 miles at a time with the jake on full.

Also, I would think nothing of running up a hill at 2100 in the winter to stay out of the torque to keep the wheels from spinning.

Modern equipment needs to be driven in a modern way.

No point driving a new motor the way we did back in "the day".

As I tell all of my students "Use all the tools in the toolbox the way the tools where designed to be used".

drove Mercedes trucks in Iraq and they took a Huge Beating and kept on Ticking-I don't ever remember a convoy grinding to a halt because of an Engine problem and this was with us hauling appx. 100,000# loads in Extreme heat and jumping curbs and Dust so thick it was like driving in a snowstorm Whiteout. Just blew out the Air Canisters. A/C filter was tiny but all we did was take it out and tap it a few times with our hand.

Thank-you all for your input. Sounds good to me.
I currently have a 2001 FLD Classic w/ ISX. My main attraction to the MBE4000 was that it's almost 900 lbs lighter. I scaled the truck I'm looking at and it's about 2,400 lbs lighter overall.
Hey RockyMtnProDriver... that 16 miles of jaking, you must be referring to the Salmo-Creston road. Been over it a few times, fortunately only in the summer. A real treat.