Scania unveiled their latest exemplification of the G-series transmission at the Elmia fair in Sweden. The hearty newcomer – the G38 – specifically developed to work with Scania’s most powerful V8, the 3,700 Nm, 16 litre 770 hp top-of-the-line legend engine. Together, they offer everything from fuel and weight savings to a smooth ride and incredible startability.
Scania G38 Gearbox
- G38 is explicitly developed for working with Scania’s 770 hp V8
- Able to handle 3,800 Nm – without added weight or dimensions
- Fuel savings from reduced friction, more comprehensive range and the opportunity to select faster rear axle gearings while maintaining good startability.
The G38 is the latest and final iteration of the G-series gearboxes, first introduced in 2019 (with the G33). It is tailor-made for handling the massive torque that Scania’s 770 hp V8 produces. Despite handling up to 3,800 Nm of torque, it features precisely the same dimensions and weight as the G33. So, how is it made?
“It is basically about metallurgy, choosing more extreme steel qualities and applying technologies such as cog polishing and shot peening for increasing the hardening and the durability of certain vital components”, says Mats Henriksson, Development Engineer at Scania R&D. “We have also added extra oil channels for the most crucial parts, but that is all – the basic design of the G-series is very sturdy in itself”.
Scania 770 S V8 6×2 Highline general cargo transport
The G-series gearboxes are typically 60-70 kg lighter than the gearboxes they are replacing, mainly due to the all-aluminium housings and smaller overall dimensions. Another key achievement is lowered noise, a prerequisite for meeting future regulations. Pneumatic actuators make the gearshifts on these automated manual gearboxes. By using shaft brakes, Scania’s engineers have reduced the number of synchronisations, which is used for wider cogs instead.
“The G-series and its features were something of a revolution at the time of the introduction, and it still is if you ask me”, says Bo Eriksson, Product Manager, Scania Trucks. “It offers all the customers values you can ask for while at the same time being flexible and fit for a broad palette of applications and operations of the kind where a lot of horsepower and torque are involved. For instance, heavy haulage prime movers (tractors) will definitely benefit from the G38. It is the ultimate addition when it comes to well-balanced performance steps in the Scania modular system”.
The G-series gearboxes can also be ordered as HD versions (Heavy Duty), and the G38 is no exception. As a G38CH, it will come with a wider planetary gear wheel for even more robustness. This increases the ability to handle high torque on the prop shaft even under the most demanding road conditions (typically where there are no “roads”).
The G38 gearbox is shorter than the most common Scania gearbox for the same type of operation at present, GRSO926. A certain difference between them is that the G38 has only one built-in torque limitation: as little as 100 Nm of engine power is cut off at a specific gear & rpm point, something that the driver will hardly notice. The G38 offers 14 forward gears, including a super crawler and a direct gear, and the opportunity to specify up to 8 gears for going in reverse.
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