Evolution of Four-Stroke Diesel Engines with Light Alloy Blocks for Heavy Duty Trucks

This paper describes the culmination of 16 years work directed toward the development of a six-cylinder, four-stroke, direct injection diesel engine with a light alloy block for application in heavy trucks. The resulting increase in power and improvements adopted are discussed, with special emphasis on the cylinder block and related problems. In conclusion, the importance of using a light alloy block, when the chief interest is in obtaining engines of high power/weight ratio and long life, is pointed out.