Tractors and Engines Choice

Not much difference in trucks anymore.. They're all unreliable..

It's interesting though that you prefer either Peterbilt or Freightliner.. Both ends of the spectrum for sure..
Do their dealerships offer a better warranty or quality of service available in your area??

That's my advice because you're gonna be in the shop regardless, but maybe they won't get all your cash while you're in there.. :smt106

 

No Cats anymore. I think I woulg go with the Cummins ISX. Of all the engines avalible It been around the longest. The Paccar engines are very new and I think I would give them a little time to work the bugs out.
The Detroit DD 13, 15, 16 are fairley new also. The other guy is right though their all junk anymore. You could go buy a mid 80s Pete or KW with a mechanical Cat or Cummins with 2 million miles on it and have a more reliable truck than the junk they are selling today.

 

Did the 16 liter motor ever make it? I remember seeing it advertised in the trade magazines a year or two ago, but never hear anything about them?

And sad as it is, you are correct about the two million mile trucks...

 

The DD16 is available, I was on a post about SCR and the lies were flowing, so I Googled scr diesel technology and listened to the videos from the management types of different companies and they had a lot of positive comments about the DD15 and the 2011 compliant engines It is worth listening to the videos.
As far as transmissions I am a fan of an 18 speed. it gives you a 300 RPM gap between shifts keeping the motor in the optimum range at all speeds.
I worked at Freightliner and like the size of the cab and sleeper, better aerodynamics.
I would watch the videos, there are a lot of trucking companies making comments.
Just a thought!

 

Maybe I'm out of line here but why in the world would you be looking for new, with all the emmissions crap they put on? Check craigslist, ebay, etc. Found a '03 T600 w/230,000 on ebay a while back, $36,000. Plenty, yeah but new rubber and brakes. N-14 # 525. Look around, get out of the "new" mindset. IMHO. Good luck, Mike

 

The reason you would buy new is Warranty, also according to the videos from the fleet operators the new DD15 is getting better mileage than the pre EGR engines.
As far as the N14 that is a great engine I do not like the 525, the heads squirm on the block to much, as a 500 they will last a long time.
With new iron you get a better choice of companies. Just a thought!

 

Am I missing something, all of our Detroit 60 series motor always topped a million miles and got 6 mpg or better. Why can't they make the new motors last. I have a friend that has a new cummins with 350k, it already has blow by so bad it needs an in frame.

 

just my opinion but new trucks are basically disposable. I have 23 trucks my newest is a 99 oldest a 78 and i love every single one them to death because of their reliability

 

Rember the day a guy with basic hand tools and average mechanical ability could fix almost any thing on an engine except the injection pump. And we all knew a guy thet we could take the pump to, get it back 2 days later, bolt it on and go. Run them a million miles, rebuild them for 8 or 10 thousand and go another million. I miss the throttle responce too!