Why is the Cummins engine in demand in KAMAZ-RIAT vehicles?

Large vehicle manufacturers usually rely on those models that can be used in a wide variety of conditions, with the exception, perhaps, of the most severe ones. The latter are most often associated with off-road conditions and work in extremely low temperatures.

There it is logical to use technology that is specially created for such a request. But the manufacturer faces the question of feasibility. Does it really need to produce products that solve specialized problems, but cannot compete in mass production with serial equipment? And is it true that production cars are less efficient in harsh conditions?

"KAMAZ" and "RIAT-KAMAZ"

KAMAZ answered the questions posed positively: yes, such vehicles should be produced. And yes, special conditions require special equipment, since it becomes very important that the machine performs the planned work: does not let you down, pulls it out to start and does not allow it to remain idle in the cold. That is why in 1992, RIAT LLC (now RIAT OJSC) was opened in Naberezhnye Chelny, specializing in the production of equipment for work:

in off-road conditions;
in areas with harsh climates;
for long operational runs.

How is it different from the serial one?

Manufactured products

Over the years, the company has specialized in the development and production of the following equipment:

1. Cummins engines:

automobile - 13 series (power from 107.0 to 600.0 hp);
industrial (off-road) - 54 series (34.5–3500 hp);
marine - 13 series (184.0–2013 hp);
railway - 15 series (250–4000 hp).

2. Generators:

diesel;
gas piston

3. Spare parts for equipment and units.

Among the main design features of Cummins automobile engines, it is necessary to highlight:

Fuel injection system.
Maximum unification of manufactured motors.
To reduce the noise of the cylinder block, an engine without liners was developed.

These features, together with other innovative solutions, provide Cummins power units with long-term and reliable operation in accordance with the specified technical parameters.

“And instead of a heart there is a fiery engine”

The first and main thing that distinguishes RIAT-KAMAZ from production models is the use of Cummins ISL and ISLe engines instead of the KAMAZ-740 series.

Cummins Inc. is a global industrial giant that has been operating in the market for more than 100 years. Initially, engines were produced for agricultural machinery, later - automobile, locomotive, marine and special equipment. In 2006, Cummins established a joint venture with KAMAZ, Cummins KAMA, in Naberezhnye Chelny and now produces diesel engines directly in Russia. Since 2022, Cummins ISLe engines have been assembled in Naberezhnye Chelny in parallel with ISBe series engines.

At the start of production, there was a choice: which engine to use? Cummins' competitor was Caterpillar - but for all its advantages, it doubled the cost of the car.

Currently, two types of Cummins diesel engines are certified for use on KAMAZ vehicles:

less powerful Cummins ISB;
more powerful Cummins ISL.

The Cummins ISB engine has a displacement of 6.7 liters and a power range of 210 hp. With. up to 300 l. With. The engine performs well under standard operating conditions, on paved roads. This lightweight and compact modification of the Cummins diesel engine produced by Cummins Kama has proven itself in many medium-tonnage KAMAZ models.

The Cummins ISL diesel engine has increased power - from 340 hp. With. up to 400 l. With. (with a volume of 8.9 l). This modification can withstand operation under intense conditions on any type of road and off-road. This diesel engine can operate under overloads and in difficult climatic conditions, including the Far North.

Design advantages are adequately reflected in the operational characteristics of KAMAZ with a Cummins ISL engine. The engine warranty mileage is 400,000 km. This is four times more than the warranty mileage of the 740.705 engine installed on serial KAMAZ trucks.

RIAT installs Cummins ISL modifications on its KAMAZ trucks: a powerful, high-torque, durable engine.

The long and high “shelf” on the torque graph is an important advantage of a vehicle with Cummins ISL. Experienced drivers, experienced in off-road driving, know: they carry not horsepower, but newton-meters. This proverb, known among drivers, asserts the priority of the torque on the axis of the drive wheel over the formal parameter of engine power.

To drive along a swamp rut, you need to physically turn the wheel, and this happens due to the force on its contact surface, and not due to the formal power of the motor. It is the high torque that distinguishes vehicles with Cummins ISL engines.

How does the Cummins power unit work?

Cummins products are a diesel internal combustion engine with 4 strokes. Like all modern engines, the engine design is based on systems and mechanisms that include:

Crank mechanism (piston, crankshaft, connecting rod, cylinder block, cylinder head, liners). Converts the energy of the combusted air-fuel mixture into mechanical energy.
Gas distribution mechanism. Helps the gas exchange process take place inside the cylinders.
Injectors. Reduce exhaust gas emissions.
Supply system. It supplies air and fuel in a certain proportion and a certain moment inside the cylinders. The power system on the Kamens engine has distinctive features compared to units from other manufacturers. It resembles the system of gasoline engines because it is based on electronic fuel injection.
Cummins engine cooling and lubrication systems are classic.

Why Cummins?

Cummins engines were chosen for the RIAT-KAMAZ models for a number of reasons.

Reliability

In-line six-cylinder engine architecture, which is usually used in high-power engines for heavy vehicles, adapted to high loads and operation in critical load conditions. This, moreover, makes the unit 150–200 kg lighter than the serial one, which is fundamentally important: it becomes possible to add payload to the front axle.
Build quality. Localized production is distributed over the following technological areas: cylinder block line, assembly line, test benches, painting line, warehouse.
Equipped with “non-leak” cuffs and seals that prevent fluid leakage and premature wear. The technology provides for checking the cavities of the lubrication system and cooling system for leaks.

Ease of maintenance and repairability

The accessory drive on the Cummins ISL is located at the front of the engine and is easy to service. To gain access to the front cover of the diesel engine, simply remove the radiator cooling fan. The ISL straight-six cylinders have wet, easy-to-remove liners for quick and easy replacement. This design can withstand four major overhauls. The engine is powerful, durable and repairable. At the same time, the quality of the overhaul will certainly be much more predictable, and the mileage between repairs will be more than 500,000 km, which, with the possibility of four repairs, will extend the engine life by 2,000,000 km.

Efficiency of KAMAZ Cummins vehicles

The test consumption of KAMAZ with the KAMAZ 740.705 engine (11.76 l) is 67 l/100 km. KAMAZ with a Cummins ISL engine (8.9 l) burns 55 l/100 km. With an annual mileage of 40,000 km (although on average this is not much - in some cases cars provide more than 70,000 km), the savings on fuel amount to more than 200,000 rubles. in year.

Typical problems and repairs

The most common malfunctions of Cummins engines include the following:

The engine starts normally, but smokes. This may indicate the presence of air in the fuel system; it is necessary to bleed it, and also check the suction valve for leaks.

Low engine oil pressure.

There may be a problem with the oil filter. Some models have two oil filters, for coarse and fine oil purification. Check both.

The engine overheats quickly.

Inspect the cooling system pipes; one of them may be damaged or deformed, which prevents the normal circulation of coolant.

Improved transmission

It is known: if you put a motor of twice the power on a car, the car will not go twice as fast. If only because with a double increase in the power of the main engine, all other units will fail: clutch, transmission, axles, suspension and wheels. Everything in a car must be harmonious, precisely calculated and adequately match one another. The engineers clearly understood this when they increased the power of the main engine of the KAMAZ vehicle. They paid special attention to the selection of related units that are adequate to the increased power of the Cummins engine.

First of all, this concerns the gearbox (gearbox). RIAT-KAMAZ trucks, dump trucks and tractors use gearboxes made in Germany by ZF Friedrichshafen AG, one of the most reputable European manufacturers of automobile transmissions. After the industrial giant ZF, founded more than 100 years ago by Ferdinand von Zeppelin, acquired the large manufacturing company Wabco Holdings Inc. in May of this year, the total annual sales of the ZF group reached 40 billion euros. This reputable manufacturer employs more than 160,000 people in its manufacturing facilities.

RIAT uses two models from the entire production line of ZF boxes:

nine-speed ZF 9S;
sixteen-speed ZF 16S.

The nine-speed ZF 9S model is used on medium-duty vehicles of the 43118, 44108, 65115 family. The ZF-9S Ecomid gearbox consists of a four-speed unit with reduction gear and reverse gear, with an intermediate shaft. The number of gears is doubled thanks to the use of a rear-mounted planetary multiplier. Together with the reduction gear, this results in 9 forward gears and one reverse gear. Gears 1–4 belong to the lowest range, gears 5–8 to the highest range of the multiplier. The gear ratios of the box range from 9.48 to 0.75 (reduction gear); reverse gear - 8.97. The maximum torque at the gearbox input is 1300 Nm. Unit weight – 190 kg.

The ZF 16S sixteen-speed manual transmission consists of a main four-speed gearbox, a front two-stage gear divider and a range-multiplier located at the rear of the main gearbox. All forward gears in the main gearbox are activated by synchronizers, and the reverse gear is engaged by a gear clutch. The multiplier is planetary, it is automatically switched using a pneumatic valve by a clutch synchronizer when the lever is moved in neutral from the 3-4 gear position to 5-6 and vice versa. The ZF 16S provides 16 gear ratio options. This gearbox is designed to work in more difficult road conditions than the nine-speed gearbox; it can even handle tough off-road conditions. The gear ratios of this box vary from 16.41 to 1.00. This ensures smooth starting at a speed 2.7 times lower than when using a standard KAMAZ gearbox.

This flexibility allows the propulsion engine to be operated at crankshaft rotation speeds close to the optimal value, which makes it possible, for example, to overcome difficult areas without using preliminary acceleration. Even if extreme driving is necessary in a car with a Cummins diesel engine and a ZF 16S gearbox, there is no need to accelerate with a burning clutch. Such driving provides an additional reduction in fuel consumption and further increases the economic performance of the RIAT-KAMAZ vehicle. The torque at the input of this box can be up to 1850 Nm. Box weight – 289 kg.

RIAT cars with ZF gearboxes have a cable mechanism for transmitting force from the gear shift lever to the shift actuators (instead of the usual rockers), which helps reduce noise from the engine (the lever output socket is covered with a casing), facilitates gear shifting and makes it possible to install the lever with an offset from the standard location, increasing ergonomics and allowing the installation of additional controls.

Development

The establishment of the company is directly related to the development of diesel engines. Created in 1919, the company initially chose to specialize in the production of diesel engines. If the first small motor with a power of 6 hp. With. was produced under license, then most of the subsequent power units were independently developed.

As production volume increased, the company developed its own production capacity, improved human resources, and engaged in new developments. The successful implementation of these areas has allowed and continues to allow the company to remain an independent independent manufacturer of power units for almost 100 years.

Currently, products, including Cummins engines, are sold in almost two hundred countries around the world. Almost 40 thousand company employees are involved in the development, modernization, production and sale of power units.

Nice additions

The design of the RIAT-KAMAZ vehicle has several small (at first glance) features. It would seem that they do not affect the basic characteristics of the car, but in specific conditions they are so important that consumers buy a car not only because of the increased power and improved cross-country ability, but also because of these seemingly not so significant options.

Pre-heater on KAMAZ Cummins vehicles

Many regions of our country are known for the severity of climatic conditions. Starting a diesel engine in the morning during the coldest winter months is very difficult. The presence of a preheater in all models offered by RIAT solves this problem.

The Webasto 90 ST 24-volt diesel pre-heater (equipped with a fuel and circulation pump) ensures reliable starting of the main engine even at extremely low temperatures. The heating power of the heater is 9.1 kW, and it is smoothly and automatically adjusted depending on the engine temperature and the environment. The PZhD is equipped with an additional heater that monitors the engine temperature and, when it drops to +70 degrees, automatically starts heating. This reduces fuel consumption both when starting the diesel engine and when idling. There is a special indicator lamp for the heater operation on the dashboard.

Variant busbar

Many owners of RIAT-KAMAZ equipment appreciate the ability to choose single- or double-pitch tires. For example, a KAMAZ-6522 dump truck for driving on frozen roads in winter is often chosen to have a double-pitch tire, which saves fuel, and for driving during muddy times, a single-pitch tire is often chosen (this increases cross-country ability).

It is important that both tire options for rear bogie wheels are officially certified for use on public roads. The vehicle can be delivered to the customer in the version of a single tire with a set of wheels for a double tire.

Advantages of KamAZ with a Cummins engine

Currently, many KamAZ models can be equipped with a foreign Cummins diesel engine.
Those who have already felt the new power unit under the hood were pleasantly surprised by its traction capabilities. The most typical reviews of the Kamens engine for KamAZ indicate:

high efficiency (both fuel and lubricants);
high power and reliability during operation;
easy starting, regardless of air temperature;
increased service life with proper maintenance.

Owners who have in their fleet, in addition to this model, KamAZ trucks with a “native” engine, note that installing an American engine allows you to save fuel by almost one and a half times. And using the right logistics approach in your work, you can completely pay for the car in just 18…20 months.

The power indicators of Cummins, according to drivers with many years of experience working on Soviet and Russian dump trucks, are superior to those of other engines available for installation.

This conclusion was made based on the observed increase in towing capacity and cross-country ability of the vehicle.

In winter, the “American” starts up on almost any fuel, which is important when operating in Russian climatic conditions. In addition, most owners note the amazing “survivability” of the motor. So, if you follow the technical maintenance regulations, absolutely nothing will have to be changed in the engine during the first 2-3 years of operation!

Diesel "Cummins 2.8L"

The Cummins 2.8 engine is widely used in domestic light-duty GAZ vehicles. This was preceded by work on structural alterations of these vehicles. The costs incurred were justified due to increased demand for diesel vehicles, in addition, the performance characteristics of these models improved. For example, a GAZelle with a Cummins 2.8 engine received improved dynamics, increased traction parameters and fuel consumption reduced by almost 30%. Among other technical parameters of the 2.8 engine, the following should be highlighted: