Page 230 - Peterson 85 Years and Going Strong

When you do a one-off of anything, there’s always issues afterward. But not the 5110. I was really impressed. I flew up to Peterson one day and told them so.
– Mike Ortiz, president of Sukut Equipment
REPOWERING A MONSTER (JUNE 2016)
The largest off-road job Peterson has tackled so far is Sukut’s 5110B mass excavator used out at Calaveras Dam in Sunol, California. By late 2013 it had already been on the job for two years and was getting tired. And in the realm of emissions regulations, its Tier 1 engine was a dinosaur. Peterson Parts and Service rep Bob D’Amore quoted Sukut two repair options: a $150,000 engine rebuild and a $650,000 repower. “The engine had almost 14,000 hours on it and needed a complete rebuild,” explains D’Amore. “Or they could put in a brand-new Tier 4 final, be emis- sions-compliant, and get a three-year, 5,000 hour guarantee from us.” Mike Ortiz, president of Sukut Equipment1, chose the long-term solution, the Tier 4 final repower.
The San Bernardino-based, heavy equipment rental firm has done over two hundred repowers since the off-road emissions mandate came down in 2007. “We’ve actually repowered our equipment twice,” says Ortiz. “First on a number of Tier 0s to Tier 1, and then again from Tier 1 to Tier 3.”
Sukut Construction is one of the largest heavy civil general contractors in the Western region. They began work on the Calaveras Dam Replacement project in 2011 in a joint venture with Dragados USA and Flatiron West. Sukut utilized 100 percent Cat equip-
Top to bottom: Peterson’s Doug Brecheisen working on Sukut’s 5110B onsite; 800 hp C27 engine at the San Leandro shop yard
1 a subsidiary and rental arm of Sukut Construction
ment on the extensive project. The three companies had 50-60 pieces of iron on-site, depending on the phase. Each brought their own equipment and expertise to the party. “The Cat 5110 was something we already had in our fleet,” says Ortiz. “It was the perfect tool for what we needed there.” It also played a key role on the job. According to D’Amore, the giant excavator was the best match for their fleet of Cat 773 and 775 off-highway trucks. “It’s the machine of choice for these trucks because it’s got the right size bucket. It can load out a 775 in three passes.”
The 5110 repower was a big deal from start to finish. The 145-ton machine was disassembled, and only the car-body was hauled into Peterson’s San Leandro shop. Just getting the 50-ton housing off the truck and situated inside the shop drew a crowd. The job required a new cooling system and radiator, which they adapted from a 775 off-highway truck. “The new en- gine is an 800 horsepower C27. It’s a monster,” says Stickney, Peterson’s Emissions Solutions manager. “We used the cooling system out of a brand new 775G off-highway truck because that’s the machine that has a C27.
228 | PETERSON: 85 YEARS AND GOING STRONG