The D8E, D8F and D8G
In 1955 two all-new D8s, with a brand new engine, were introduced.
These were the D342 powered D8E and D8F (14A series) manual transmission with oil clutch (the ‘E’ became an ‘F’ when oil-cooled steering, clutches and brakes were introduced) and the D8G (15A series) manual transmission with torque converter drive.
Producing 191 horsepower, the D342 diesel was a naturally aspirated six-cylinder inline engine that had been specifically designed for the new D8. No other piece of Caterpillar mobile equipment used the D342 engine.
Both transmission options featured a forward/reverse lever (first introduced on the 2U series) to cut down on the number of gear changes an operator had to perform during a shift.
Attachment options were now all supplied by Caterpillar and the operating weight had risen to 20 tons.