New to the forum, planning for O/O

Yeah all the engine stuff gets confusing. I believe the 6nz C15 was made from '99 thru '2003. It is basically the same as the 3406-e but the block is sculpted a bit different to make it about ~400 lbs lighter and less succeptible to leaks. The 475 hp also tends to be pretty good on fuel with factory ECM settings.

I've done a ton of research on every pre-emission engine and the only mildly recurring problem I could find on those cats is head gaskets after a rebuild. You gotta make sure the liner protrusion/counterbore is within specs if you get one rebuilt. You'll be fine with any of those engines you're looking at though. Detroits probably aren't gonna pull as hard but they're also reliable and tend to get a little better fuel mileage.

 

Hi Vampire...welcome to the forum!
I tend to research things until I can make my most confident decision. Sounds like you're going about things in the right way. As you've already noticed, there's plenty of helpful people here on the forum. Take advantage of their years of experience!

 

You'll have to ask Mr. Haney to be sure but if you have a 550 6nz c15 I believe an ECM tune can increase it's mileage but the 475 wont be helped much in the mileage dept. because it's pretty good to start with. Rather you're looking at stuff like switching to free flow mufflers, running a different exhaust manifold, maybe running a different tire setup. Bruce over at Pittsburgh Power build a Pete 389 with a CAT that gets 8+ mpg and you can read about all that he did to get it here:

http://www.pittsburghpower.com/support/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=849&sid=140a8d0cc5bf563e8d64e8d8c3eb0784

There are a ton of things you can do to the ECM on an ACERT to upgrade them definitely - tons of old threads on that topic over on the truck forum. The rebuild, if it were me and it got rebuilt at a mom and pop shop I'd call them and ask them if they have someone come out and check the liner protusion. Cat shops have someone that comes out and does that, I believe. But check with the CAT gurus over on the trucks forum to be sure. The great thing about running a pre-emission CAT is there are no shortage of diehards that know those engines inside and out, as you'll find if you spend much time over on the truck section.

Also have you tried running a search on truckpaper.com? They have a pretty cool search engine you can type in all your desirable specs for a truck and see what comes up around the entire U.S. I don't think it will take long to find what you're looking for on there. In fact here's a quick search for all '99-'03 w900 sleepercabs with an 18 speed.

http://www.truckpaper.com/list/list...x=contains&bcatid=27&Pref=0&pc=78383&scf=true

Also for your fuel specs take a look at mygauges.com you can find other people who run a particular truck with different motors/tranny setups etc. and see what they're getting for fuel efficiency.

 

You can't just go by those numbers... they are meaningless.

Your truck may break down far from home and you are stuck with whatever the shop charges you. Or you have a local guy do the overhaul and he refuses to use anything but his favorite brand of parts... whether that is OEM or aftermarket. Sale prices on certain parts will also blow your regular prices out of the water... and cheaper isn't necessarily better... I can buy IHC parts cheaper than other brands but would you want a DT 466 in a Peterbilt? I don't think so.

I can understand your enthusiasm but you are on information overload... this business will NEVER allow you to plan on how much you will spend on repairs or when they will need to be done.

You don't even have a job yet... it's a little early to get so gung-ho that you think you will have all the answers to all the questions when you have almost zero experience driving much less actually owning and maintaining a complex piece of machinery.

The only thing that will allow you to make educated guess on what truck to buy and how much it will cost to operate is experience... and that takes time.

Regarding the 'expensive' CAT rebuilds...I rebuilt my CAT 3406E last fall for $11,300... out the door with all genuine CAT parts.

I found a great shop (where my son used to work) that is owned by an ex-CAT technician. The labor rate was $65.00 per hour. He used an independent machine shop to rebuild the head...$1100.00 vs. $2500.00 at CAT. No corners were cut. The engine runs great now. No regrets... but I wasn't going to spend more money at a big shop when I could get my engine done at a more reasonable price.

Knowing WHERE to get repairs done is just as important as what parts you use... all shops are NOT created equal.

I had a question on another trucking forum asking the members there to guess how much the total bill for the engine work would be... I had guess's from $7K (obviously a non-trucker) to over $20,000 'because CAT's 'are so expensive to rebuild'... the truth is when it's time for a rebuild no one can make a firm estimate of the actual cost out the door until the engine is disassembled and everything is inspected, measured, magnafluxed and gone thru. Only then will you know your true costs.

I have owned Cummins, CATs and Detroit's... they all have their strong points... being cheap to repair isn't one of them. If you want expensive buy Volvo.

ACERT CAT'S are much maligned but the pre-2007 ACERTS have proven themselves to be some pretty good engines with the proper tune. No constant EGR problems like Detroit, Cummins and Volvo has. I think that, ultimately, the ACCERT will have a good place in the history of the diesel engine.

There are loggers here in northern Wisconsin hauling some big loads of pulp wood and, in the UP of Michigan, the guys have some pretty strong running ACERTS pulling 180K loads out of the woods. there were a few teething problems but the good diesel shops around here have those engines pretty well sorted out.

The big ISX's get around pretty good, too but many guys have pulled off the EGR systems to make them more reliable. I don't like the ISX as much as my CAT because you have to pull the camshafts out of the head before you can remove it... more labor costs for no return. Just my observation.

I don't know where you got the price from but I'll buy 100 CAT injectors for my 3406E at $89.00 each... I figure I'll save maybe $10,000 at those prices.

You have the prices of oil pumps listed.. there is seldom a reason to replace a pump when you can rebuild them for pennies on the dollar... I don't have my receipt handy but i think I spent under $200.00 for the kit.

You are a rookie... you will make lots of rookie mistakes. Even after you get a driving job you will still be a steering wheel holder for quite a while. And steering wheel holders make very poor truck owners...IMHO.

My suggestion is to take a deep breath, slow down.... get a driving job so you can learn the biz. Then, and only then, will you be in a position to TRY to successfully own your own truck.

It's takes a lot of experience before you become a 'trucker'...

 

Read the article too..... they don't give any tech data though.....probably did things like change the vale seat angle, pulse manifold etc.

I have always wondered if tech used on gas would work on diesel.....guess so...

The one thing they did say was the hp and torque were all the way up. Take that you stupid motor carrier ! The driver was right , cutting the horses cuts the fuel mileage!