Are Detroits THAT bad?

I have been around several Detroits and not had any more issues than with any other brand of engine. I actually found that, generally, parts are cheaper for the Detroits than other engines, and, in some cases, the Detroits were easier to work on. It is hard to just make general statements though. There are lemon engines from every manufacturer now and then.

 

i work on all makes and models.i think that cowpie took the words right out of my mouth.in fact from what i see the detroit's seem to take abuse better than the rest.

 

I used to work on many engines and DD Series 60 is not so bad. Yeah, I love N14 and 3406E, but I do not think ISX ore Scania HPI are better Series 60.

Mercedes/Detroit engines are the different thing. OM 457/460 are good, but they will be discontinued soon like all big PLD engines by Mercedes. The next generation is DT15. It is CRD engine with long stroke. Very high exaust temperature. it is a product of Detroit and Mercedes cooperation. They will use it in EU next year, it is not used now, becouse it is too tall for Actros MP3 and they designed a mix of Argosy and Actros, they call it Actros MP4. The will introduce MP4 next year.

So all the engines will be Common Rail soon. The first was MAND20/Maxxforce, now Mercedes/Detroitt.

 

It depends on what model of Detroit.

Everything breaks and everything needs fixed.

 

Detroit parts are less expensive. overall. the parts are available everywhere. labor is less expensive over all compared to cat. it may not have the power that the cat or cummins do, but the series 60 is a #### good engine.

 

Ouh yeah, it is about Series 60. Mercedes Engines sold with Detroit label are OM 457 and OM460. These engines are made in Turkey and in Brazil, but not in EU ore USA that's why dealers need some delay for parts that these engines do not share with OM501/502.

OM904 and OM906 used on mid size trucks and buses are easy to get parts, becouse they are very popular in EU and UK.

DT15 is the new generation engine. It is common rail like MAN/Maxxforce. It is good and it is bad. This is the different fuel system, very accurate and suffisticated. More complex and more expensive. But it is not all. DT15 is long stroke engine like Volvo D13/D16. That's why exaust gas is very hot and, more thermal stress for exaust valves (need other, new technology steel), and that's why more NOx in exaust. This engine may be used with SCR only. Mercedes managment say they will introduce Actros MP4 next year with Euro-6 DT15. So seems to me new EPA standard will appeare soon, more difficult EPA 2010.

 

I know at work we have 5 yardhorses (2 detroits, and 2 M11's and 1 N14) Reliabilty wise only the M11 had to be over hauled, but it litrally ran untill it lost so much compression it wouldnt start.

From a power standpoint i think the M11's run the hardest, The N14 would be but its neutered with a super 10 and 3.55 gears. The Detroit trucks seem to have no power at all compared to the Cummins, and the cummins seem to actually have some range to them, the detroits seem like they make power in a very small band. But to the detroit's credit one of them has a Super 10 and the other a 7 speed.

......and i hate the Super 10's

 

small power band is a software thing. They do this programming to get more MPG. You cant drive in non optimal range