The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has imposed stringent new limits on emissions from on-highway diesel engines for 2007. While these new regulations will have significant beneficial effects on air quality, they also will pose a multitude of design challenges for engine and truck manufacturers, and underhood component suppliers.

In 2007:

• Particulate matter (PM) emissions reduced to .01 grams per brake-horsepower-hour (g/bhp-hr).
• Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) lowered to .20g/bhp-hr and for non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC), to .14g/bhp-hr.
• Crankcase emissions are now regulated as exhaust emissions.

A variety of combinations of methods will be used to meet these new regulations:

• Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR)
• Closed Crankcase Ventilation
• Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF)
• Ultra-Low Sulfur Fuel (ULSF)
• Low Sulfur Diesel Lubricants

The effect these elements will have under the hood:

• Increased Engine Temperatures
• External and Internal
• Increased Charge Air Pressures
• Corrosive EGR Gasses

The bottom line for 2007 is increased heat, increased pressures and corrosive conditions for underhood hoses on diesel engines.

Flexfab has engineered the new DuraGuard line of hoses to meet the challenges of 2007. This Web site is intended to be a reference source for truck and engine manufacturers. It contains detailed specifications on all our products for 2007 and later trucks, plus technical papers discussing various aspects of their design.

We welcome your questions or comments.