Caterpillar question. Need help

Depends on how bad it is. I will also say you can make a minor issue into a big deal trying to do the right thing.


As a rule for just an oil leak at the spacer plate you should be able to do a gasket kit with new spacer plate and heal that up. Unless there is some underlying deck issues that were overlooked last time

 

Well the 5EK is a 40 pin and an early E. Above 700hp they have some block issues. They also had some crank issues. However at this age the crank issue is either been fixed with an updated crank or it’s gonna be fine if that makes sense. Now I just don’t like buying a fresh overhaul. You got no way of knowing if it’s gonna hold or not till you see 75-100k TROUBLE free miles. If a real reputable guy built it I’d feel better however like I said it’s my policy to shy away from from anything that’s fresh. Just too many cause heart burn especially if it’s an unknown. It could have needed machine work it didn’t get, gotten bad machine work or have installation problems that won’t show for quite a bit.


As far as a general opinion of the 5EK I can show you several with a couple million on the factory crank that have done a stellar job. Of the 40 pins they are probably my favorite

 

Something else you run into with these old CATS is some Richard trying to pump em up that has no clue. Buys into the whole “marine” parts scam. Or thinks they are all the same and you end up with mix matched parts that don’t work well together or cause a splutter at low rpm etc. don’t get me wrong the right combination of mix matched parts can really do wonders but not knowing can make a guy wanna #### in hand and wipe it in his hair

 

A 2WS Cat is generally considered one of the good older CAT motors A lot of guys still hunt for them because they pull strong and are simpler than newer emissions engines.
At a million miles though, maintenance history matters way more than mileage alone. I’d check blow-by, cold starts, leaks, smoke, and whether it’s already had an inframe/rebuild. If it was taken care of, those engines can still have a lot of life left in them