87 KW, would you buy this truck?

Boss replaced the Rods and Mains at 400K intervals. The boss had never pulled the heads off this one only time the Valve covers came off were for vave adjustments. One thing you would want to do for better piece of mind would be to retrofit the Cooling system. The 444 ran the Stupid POS low Flow cummins had beyond that sucker was more reliable than anything Yellow out there. The one I drove is Still in use by a Farmer he hauls all his Grain with it last time I ran into him the Truck an 88 International had 2.4 Million Miles on it he had not had to do anything to the motor but roll a couple sets of Bearings into it and run the overhead. He told me I have tried 4 other trucks to replace this thing and NOT one of them can get it done.

 

The rumors I heard about hte 444's was something to do with the injectors and/or the injector wells. Also heard something about the fuel pumps on them. Them problems should've been taken care of long ago so you shouldn't have problems with them.

 

I have done a lot of work on the 444, it is an engine that needs quite a bit of knowledge to get it to run right. The step timing controls, are susceptible to sticking, the injectors, the cavity for advancing the timing leak the plastic piece that goes into the injector from the wish bone they break, the "O" rings wear out the wish bones crack.
If it needs an overhaul do not let them tell you to upgrade to 3 ring pistons.
If you know how to take care of it, and a mechanic to do the valve sets and tests it will do you fine.
If you live close enough I have the time.

 

The biggest problem with the 444 was the step timing deal...many were switched over to the regular Cummins set-up when they went bad.

My son had an '88 379 with a 365 Cummins... kinda an odd duck. The local Cummins independent repair guy converted it over to a 444 without the step timing. He used all the correct 444 parts and it ran very good.

The kid found a buyer for it (made a few $$$) and sold it after less than a year but he really regretted it. It was paid for and ran great.

That said, an old KW like that would be a great truck for short and medium hauls for most people. I'd run it coast to coast if I needed to but most guys wouldn't. Those old Cummins are great engines... not sure where they got a reputation for not be reliable... I drove a whole lot of them over the years.

 

It's your story, so tell it however you want driver..
But I'm nominating you for bs'er of the month after reading that..

Now I got a few questions..
Are you saying your 444 melted a piston then "swallowed a valve" on another cylinder and kept running..
Surely you're not saying you were able to keep on truckin with two bad cylinders..

Maybe it was all the same cylinder.. That don't make sense neither.. Why would a valve drop after you melted a piston?? After the meltdown did the valve just -- fall out?? Maybe it was all that 444 compression keeping it pushed up before the meltdown..
You must have a 444 for sale or something because you sure are exagerating them a helluvalot..

What happened is you had that old "hummin cummins" wound up like a fiddle because you were in a helluva hurry and it dropped a valve and when you kept on truckin it busted a piston..

I like the n-series cummins and overall they're pretty good motors, but the 444 has issues with the low-fool cooling and stc timing..
When they're right they'll do a pretty good job, but start talking trash about 425 Cats you're gonna get your asshanded to you..

Nothing really compares to a 3406 cat.. Older trucks are worth less with cummins mechanical, those motors pretty much going the way of the dinosaur.. Cat quit trying to improve truck motors anymore.. Some think it's because they can't meet the new emission standards..
Thanks to epa tree-huggers truck efficiency and reliability has been declining over the last 10 years..

As long as Cat offers reman engines and service clear back to the 3406a that's as good as it's gonna get..

 

Easy #2 Melted the Piston #3 Swalled the Valve She still got ME HOME. I can call the boss that redid it and get the Repair INVOICE if you want for all the Parts he had to use in it. That day I will never forget what happened. I also was asked what I wanted in the REBUILD for that engine.