A quiet comeback: Isuzu refocuses industrial engine business in North America; revamped engine lineup provides new growth opportunities

Diesel Progress North American Edition, March, 2005 by Mike Brezonick

The C series is a range of two- and three-cylinder diesels in displacements of 0.5 to 1.6 L and an overall output range of 5 to 41 hp. The newest engines in this range are the 0.6, 0.9 and 1.1 L models, which are built for Isuzu by Yanmar. The engines feature indirect injection, glow plug assist for easier cold starting and governed ratings for both 60 and 50 Hz gen-set applications. The 1.5 and 1.6 L models are direct injected. They will also be available with Isuzu-designed cooling packages and accessory kits with front mounts, air intake systems, wiring harnesses, isochronous governors and exhaust systems.

The power unit packaging will be done by Engines Plus Inc., Springfield, Mo., which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Springfield Reman Corp. that specializes in engine power unit packaging, or an authorized Isuzu distributor.

"We're working as hard as we can to look different, to feel different, to be different and better, to be Isuzu" said Dutcher. "The new engines are badged as 100% Isuzu, and we're private branding everything we can on it, fuel filters, oil filters, valve covers. The private label is proudly placed on the valve cover--it doesn't say Isuzu it says 'ISUZU.'

"We're sourcing probably 30% of the upfit parts from Isuzu. That's how we'll differentiate ourselves because functionally the engine is the same (as Yanmar's)."

Other engines in the Isuzu lineup include:

* The 4LE2, a 2.2 L four-cylinder diesel family with DI and IDI models covering an output range of 37 to 53 hp. This top selling modal is manufactured by Isuzu in Ebina, Japan.

* Two models of 3.1 L four-cylinder 4J engines, the 4JG1 rated from 40 to 62 hp and the 4JGIT, a turbocharged version rated 66 to 83 hp.

* Four- and six-cylinder BG engines, with the four-cylinder 4.3 L, 4BG1T available with ratings from 98 to 141 hp and the six-cylinder, 6.5 L 6BG1T rated 145 to 191 hp.

* The 6HK1T, a 7.6 L, six-cylinder mechanically controlled engine with ratings from 180 to 245 hp.

* The 6SD1T, a six-cylinder, 9.8 L family of direct injection, mechanically controlled engines rated from 288 to 330 hp.

* The new 6WG1T, a 15.7 L, six-cylinder diesel spanning an output range of 315 to 475 hp.

"On the small end, we can now go into new markets--more mobile gen-sets, more dewatering and trash pumps, more turf equipment," Dutcher said. "Welders are a huge market and we have something we can start talking to them about now."

"We've been prone to being small engine people, but with Tier 3, that's going to change," Clem added. "In Tier 1 and Tier 2, we weren't very good at that 100 to 200 hp break, which has significant volumes in the U.S. We didn't have internally balanced engines with secondary balancers. We didn't have gear case power take-offs that could take the SAE C pad or an air compressor. We didn't have all the auxiliary drives. We didn't have the adaptability to powershift transmissions--can you spell telehandler?--and we missed some of the growth of this particular product as a result.

"For Tier 3, we're going to have an engine lineup that is competitive with anything we're going to see in North America, based on high truck volumes and low emissions, low vibration engines. We've told our distributors, you really have to start thinking about 10 L engines, 12 L engines, 15 L engines. We said, you have the opportunity to enjoy what some other distributors enjoy--make money selling 100 engines or make money selling one."