Whic engine has the best life span

Discussion in 'Trucks [ Eighteen Wheelers ]' started by TURKER, Aug 31, 2009.

  1. papa1953

    papa1953 Light Load Member

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    Aug 13, 2009
    Nebraska
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    Four months later??? Think they still have the truck???:biggrin_2551:
     
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  3. Joetro

    Joetro Road Train Member

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    Post Falls, ID
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    Well, the market is flooded with these things. I just picked up a 2000 Columbia for $6k. Sat for a year and a half. It could be they do still have it.
     
  4. generallee

    generallee Medium Load Member

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    Well I've driven them all. I own a CAT. The 6NZ 550 in an 03 379EXHD 13 speed 3.55 rears. I'm doing 6+ depending on the variables.
    I don't plan on owning anything else. It would be a disappointment. Truck and motor. Tho a W9 from the same era with the same motor would work as well. There's a reason they're still on the road going strong and will be for quite some time.
     
  5. JohnP3

    JohnP3 Road Train Member

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    Feb 21, 2010
    Rock Creek B.C. Canada
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    There is a tag on the engine that tells you the amount of fuel it takes to develop the advertised HP in MM3 what ever that is? I rebuilt engines for a living and there is a very big difference between a Cat and a Detroit or a Cummins in the overhaul price. I never did a full overhaul on an ISX because Cummins would not pay their Warrenty costs and Freightliner dropped that engine, I did replace 12 engines for catastrophic failures.
    A Cat is by far the most expencive engine to overhaul, especially if you use DCA4, I never took one apart that I did not have to cut the block, if DCA4 was used replace the cover on the water pump, most need a rebuilt head, their heads crack the most also.
    A Detroit, only once did I have to get the block cut, and we were a dealer we had the tooling a to do Cummins and Cat blocks never needed the Detroit kit, Parts are a lot cheaper, We could send the head out to get rebuilt very easily on a Cat we would send it out to Cat and they would charge us extra and send us a rebuilt, that took over an hour to clean all the blue crap off it. Then you had to put the core in their box and nail it properly or you did not get full core price. We had five Cat blocks that I remember, we would not cover the lower "O" rings as the block was so corroded, never had one on a Detroit. I replaced at least a hundred Cat cams, and rocker arms. I did maybe 20 Detroits. and Freightliner only sold about 3% with Cats, so I did a lot more Detroit repairs than Cats.
    Mileage wise the Cats always got less mileage on a rebuild than a Detroit, mostly from blown head gaskets. Oil leaks on a Cat were stupid Cat would have us wash it then remove covers and then glue it together, it never worked. You sent Cat the serial numbers, and arrangment numbers, of the motor and they would send you the wrong head, and gasket kit to fit the left rear oil drain cut out, they would get all huffy and say no one else complains, You had to order an extra yellow "O" ring for the gasket kit, for the separator plate as they only send three and you need 4.
    We had a lot of customers running the same roughts and when they were compared between a Cat and a Detroit, never once saw the Cat come anywhere close.
     
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  6. Hurst

    Hurst Registered Member

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    Aug 24, 2011
    Tampa, Fl
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    I think much has to do with how the engine and truck were treated over the course of their life.

    I have an 05 Columbia with a Pre DPF C15 ACERT and I'm at 1.2 million miles. Never been rebuilt. I bought the truck at 992k. I've had zero mechanical issue with it. OEM hoses, wires rubbing and shorting, ECM etc,.. lots of Freightliner specific issues.

    My carrier has an 09 Cascadia with the Detroit and its smoking bad and down on power at 830k miles. Its probably gone in for an inframe by now. The driver beats the dog snot out of that truck,.. so it is what it is.

    I dont run my truck hard. The worst I do is constantly idle it. I bump the idle up while sleeping to keep oil pressure up. I'm a strong supporter for CAT motors. They have been good for me. I dont have any hate for Detroits,.. I'd give up some big torq to save fuel with a 12.7. But for 15L engines,.. I personally prefer CAT or Cummins.

    Hurst:smt111
     
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  7. Superhauler

    Superhauler TEACHER OF MEN

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    Jan 30, 2010
    keep stroking.
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    ...........
     
    Last edited: Nov 29, 2014
  8. Superhauler

    Superhauler TEACHER OF MEN

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    Jan 30, 2010
    keep stroking.
    0
    had a long respond but ended up deleting it. just going to ignore the one track mindset of certain individuals.
     
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  9. cnsper

    cnsper Road Train Member

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    Well with what I pull, mileage is not even a consideration. When you gross over 100k regularly and run the rockies it does not matter the mileage a truck is "said" to get, you won't get that here. I don't want just a few Shetland ponies, I want the whole Percheron herd.

    Oh and a 10 speed, isn't that a bicycle?
     
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  10. wore out

    wore out Numbered Classic

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    CHASIN THE DEVIL'S HERD
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    There are good and bad in all of them. For me there are only two engines made,CAT and all them others. I am biased I know but I was raised on them its not my fault.
     
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  11. swaan

    swaan Road Train Member

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    Jul 12, 2009
    BC canada
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    Well I thought I would add my 2 cents.
    Ive only been trucking for the last 24 years , so not as long as some, but long enough to have a good understanding on what seems to work and what doesn't.
    I've generally always loved my cats. They have treated me great over the years. There is a reason everybody seems to be biased towards them it's because there just a nice engine too drive. Very smooth with lots of torque off the bottom, makes for a pleasing engine to operate. Very dependable and not much at all for oil leaks. Seem to go very long time between overhauls also if treated right.

    Having said all that, I'm not sure where cat is going to be in 10-15 years from now. It seems now that they are out of the OTR truck market they don't seem to care anymore. Prices of new parts have shot thru the roof and quality of some of the parts have gone downhill also. This is the reason I'm going with a cummins on my next truck. I've also never been a big Detroit fan.

    I will be ordering a 2016 WS glider 4900fa soon and it will be coming with a 525 N14 celect plus factory installed. Wish me luck venturing off to the dark side!
     
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