The Engine Division of one of the world’s leading heavy equipment manufacturers, Caterpillar, came up with its B Series designed for its CAT 3126 engines in the late 90’s. The Caterpillar 3126 Engine comes with an inline cylinder, is electronically controlled, has 7.2L capacity and an air-to-air aftercooled diesel engine. This engine has an output of 175 to 300 hp at 2,200 rpm. It also comes with a 330-hp rating for recreational vehicles, emergency vehicles and fire trucks.
This four-stroke engine is now the one with the highest output among Caterpillar’s midrange trucks. It is now just a notch lower than the smallest Caterpillar heavy-duty truck diesel engines.
Advancements
The Caterpillar 3126 Engine has expanded the use of innovative hydraulic electronic unit injection or HEUI fuel system. This is also the first time that Caterpillar has used a 3-valve arrangement deep in the redesigned engines’ cross-flow cylinder head. The redesign process was so successful that it has revolutionized the air flow of the engine.
The new B Series version of the Caterpillar 3126 Engine can actually be considered a medium heavy-duty engine, as its features are more commonly found in larger CAT engines (the ones that are used in bigger machines). Other unique features include the following:
- An oil pump that is driven by gears
- A crankshaft that can be reground
- Copper-bonded bearings
- Steel connecting rods
- Gear-driven air compressor
- Dual thermostats
- An isolated water pump
- Full-range electronic governor, just to name a few
The Caterpillar 3126 Engine has been used by major companies such as:
- General Motors
- Sterling
- Freightliner
- Paccar
- Western Star Trucks
- Blue Bird
- Thomas and Magnum
These companies are quite happy with the engine’s performance. It is several notches higher than the original Caterpillar 3126 Engine, which will no longer be manufactured for markets that are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
To top all of the features, this engine also comes with a special oil pump from Concentric, Inc. This means fuel efficiency for this revolutionary engine and savings for its consumers.