Whats it worth?

With a borg warner 171702 turbo and a reprogram that truck could put 600 hp to the ground and get 7 mpg or better easy. I'd think 10k-12k would be fair, tires seem to be in good shape. If he will let you get a dyno, maybe an oil sample and see what's really going on.

 

Also, the main thing to look for on these 12.7 is the bull gear being replaced. If not, and it jumps timing or the lash is set incorrectly, you are rebuilding the entire valve train. It's due at 800k if it hasn't been replaced yet, and your looking at several thousand in labor and parts.

 

Yea bull gear is weak link. My uncles is starting to leak around the whole front cover.

Thats a sohc right? Not dohc? Im a pushrod fan and old school injection pump. No extra lobe on the cam none of that.

 

Single cam. There was a guy on here named Rebel127 who can really work magic with that ecm, then there's serious series60 performance too. That 12.7 can put serious power down with a few changes. You could get it in framed for 10k and still be money ahead of these emission nightmares. Run the overhead every 100k, change oil and fuel filters, and that's a million mile motor with little maintenance.

 

The DDEC 3 engines only went to 470hp. The DDEC 4 engines were up to 500hp. The 14L had both a bigger bore and longer stroke than the 12.7L.
Anyone who says a 12.7 is too small doesn't have a clue what they're talking about. I learned to drive in a '97 Freightliner with a 470hp 12.7 pulling B-trains regularly grossed at 140000lbs and it did the work just fine. My first job was hauling bridges with a 2000 international, 12.7, 470hp pulling 4 and 5 axle trailers. Passed everything on the highway. The replacement for displacement is efficiently and Detroit had that figured out in 1987 with the series 60

 

They are very hard to get parts for.

 

They are very hard to get parts for.

 

Ive always been partial to the series 60 engines, but don't know enough about them to open my mouth and confirm to everyone just how little I know about them. I usually pay attention to where the engine wants to shift up or down and stay in that range and do well. Once in a while I am confronted with a situation that I get to be unsure if it can be done... there was this 24%er I had to tackle once with a little 350 cat. Took two hours before all of the needles returned to normal across that entire dash and side board. The pyro in particular.

I try to avoid simple thoughts about cummins, cat and detriots because all three have a personality to me. And I can and do make any of the three work. But my heart is in the detriot into the mountains. I will say that the little Cummins never quit other than burning out the ECM once or twice that year I had it. I asked it to do certain work and it's literally a little engine that can from the childs book. I think I can, I think I can... CAT has been pretty impressive when presented with a scenario where as long you are running you don't lose fluid but shut it off with a existing leak it will drain it all by morning once it cools and contracts. I once smelled coolant through Philly and made it all the way to Kenly NC I think is it or SC, anyhow on that 95. Shut down for the night and morning come there is a green lake under me. New coolant and water pump later back on the road. Easy fix.

Ive said my little two cents worth. All of you are way ahead of me and i learned a few things today about why some of those engines did well. And I thank you for taking time.

 

I have a ddec 2 and have no issues getting parts.