What to buy?

Stay away from the Mercedes engine.......Nightmares.

 

One major issue with the mercedes engines is when the head gasket start to leak you have to have the block split and liners installed. Some reason some of these engines the liners are not recest enough. We have had to overhaul these engines as early as 200k miles because of excessive blow by. They are hell on egr valves, its kinda the luck of the draw we have some with 650k on them and not one issue. There either really decent or a freaking nightmare that can nickel and dime you to death, not to mention a turbo alone is around 4500 because of the exhaust brake. Also numerous electrical issues, and everytime you turn around another fuel line recal. The fuel lines is a major issue with these they leak like a siv for no reason. This is probly why they discontinued these engines in freightliner in 2010

 

We've got 2 Shakers with the Mercs. I vote no. My problem with the Shakers is cab integrity, doors won't shut, loud, etc..

 

Shakers with Mercedes motors are spec'd by mega fleets who order them by the 100's, and these companies know going in from the start that a certain percentage of them will be problematic. Most any megafleet can absorb the costs of premature breakdowns on a few of these trucks, as this cost is more than offset by cheap how they are to buy in the first place. A one man show truck owner doesnt have this luxury.

Don't for one second let the cost of these used POS trucks fool you. Ya get what ya pay for. Personaly, I'd make the carear change into burger flipping before I'd buy a shaker columbia with a mercedes.

 

detroit or cummins are the best

 

virgil.............yer loopy

if it aint a cat, it's a dog

 

my brothers 1997 freightliner has a detroit 1.200.000 miles and has never been over hauled. my 1999 kenworth has an n 14 with 996112 miles and has never had anything but an over head done on it..my cousin in minnesota has a 2004 pete with a c15 and has nothing but trouble cost alot to maintain and gets bad fuel mileage my ex boss also had a pete with a c15 and recently bought a 2005 kw with an isx and likes it alot better