See how one diesel engine distributor customized their FPT N67 T4F Stage V diesel engine installations by working with MurCal to create the vehicle harness and unique user interface that would get the client’s heavy-duty equipment back on the job quickly.

Recently, MurCal provided an ideal solution for Smith Power Products (SPP), an authorized distributor for FPT diesel engines, as well as MTU, Detroit-Diesel, and Ford Power products for the Western United States. The Sparks, Nevada, branch is one of six locations and offers 24-hour emergency service in the Western United States. Since its inception in 1952, SPP has become known for high-quality spare parts and technical field support for clients’ trucks and equipment. Trucking companies and industrial operations turn to Smith Power Products primarily for the implementation and integration of reciprocating engines and power accessories for mechanical drive and power generation packages.

Re-powering equipment isn’t as simple as swapping the engine

With air quality emission standards becoming more stringent, more heavy-duty equipment companies are turning to SPP to upgrade their engines. SPP frequently recommends the FPT N67 Stage V T4F engine because its low fuel consumption, high performance, and low emissions help companies stay within EPA and the more stringent CARB standards.

When the engine ships from the manufacturer, however, it arrives at SPP missing a vehicle wire harness and customer interface. Anxious to get equipment back on the job, heavy-duty equipment operators need a solution that is ready to work out of the box. Moreover, these operators have neither the capacity nor the expertise to determine missing parts and integrate them successfully.

SPP turned to an industrial engine expert

MurCal experts and SPP representatives discussed both SPP and SPP client needs at length in order to engineer a fully custom solution.

MurCal’s knowledge of Tier IV and Stage V engines, as well as the needs of heavy-duty equipment operators, led MurCal to propose that the re-power solution needed:

• a complete harness
• a display
• a throttle pedal
• a J1939 CAN Bus splitter

With all parts in stock, MurCal quickly custom-designed and built a harness that connects all the necessary sensors, relays, and fuses on the engine to the engine control unit (ECU). A standard 21-pin connector ties the harness into a PV500-MC display built by Enovation Controls. MurCal also integrated SmartCommandTM , a simple and robust software solution for display and monitoring of engines used for industrial, off-highway, and marine purposes. SmartCommandTM allows users to customize critical information needed so you can monitor engine performance straight out of the box. It takes customers just a few taps through the “setup wizard” to configure use for a variety of engine platforms.

One unique challenge arose when MurCal realized how new the Stage V version of this engine is to the US market. Initially engineered only for high-volume OEM tractor production, the Stage V‘s throttling would need to be tailored for heavy-duty equipment use. As shipped from the factory, devices present on the CAN bus (with which the ECU needed to communicate) needed modification. No other company had attempted to throttle the Stage V FPT correctly for heavy-duty equipment use.

Originally, MurCal planned to plug a J1939 Pedal from MCS directly into the CAN bus. However, the engine would not respond to the standard messages coming directly from the pedal. It took enhancing its SmartCommandTM software to make this work. Then, instead of wiring the pedal directly to the engine, engineers wired the pedal to the second CAN port on the PV500-MC. This data was read by the display and the display broadcast the proper throttling messages onto the CAN bus that replicated the body computer and transmission information. These steps satisfied the engine so that it would throttle up and down with the foot pedal.

Parts we used for this custom engine solution included the Trombetta J1939 CAN Bus splitter and a throttle pedal.

Finally, to make all of the CAN bus connections on the re-power applications, we used the Trombetta J1939 CAN Bus splitter to make life easier on the installer. Instead of several plugs and wires, this one part allows the data bus wires to be consolidated into a single, compact, and rugged connector. After we explained the cost savings involved in this step, SPP adopted it for all of their re-powers. As a finishing touch, MurCal added a custom splash screen with the Smith Power Products logo to remind customers of SPP’s critical role in their success.

Other custom engine solutions by MurCal

MurCal can help you customize your industrial, off-highway, and marine engine applications. Shop for parts here, or contact our experts to help strategize for your specific application.