Are Detroits THAT bad?

That makes sense.

Cause both the Detroits are the 11.1L and everyone ive talked to says they should walk all over the M11's, but it just dont happen

 

its all about ecm programming. I recently bumped my 515 to 540hp just by changing the valve opening timing. Very simple. Pulls better and alot of other engine manuf cant touch me on the hills or in the fuel mileage area.

 

If you go to JD power listings the Detroit's give a lot less problems than any other engine, they are a lot easier to work on.
I worked at Freightliner, I have done hundreds of front covers on a Cat compared to a Detroit, and many more on Cummins than Detroit.
I have done hundreds of Cams in a Cat, than I ever have a Detroit.
I have done more Cams in Cummins than Detroit's.
I have replaced more Cummins for catastrophic failures than I ever have Detroit's.
I have never been directed to glue a cylinder head and front cover on an engine, on a Detroit, I have on a Cat.
I have repaired many more Cats and Cummins for cylinder head and dropped liner problems than I ever did on a Detroit.
When you brought in a truck with a Cat as a used truck EVERY single engine was bottle tested, not so on a Cummins or Detroit
I have changed may more injectors on a Cummins than a Detroit.
Detroit had a wiring harness problem they recalled them and had us pull all the injectors to repair a compression in the fuel problem.
The ISX's had so much exhaust in the return fuel the vent line would wipe back and forth. On a government inspection I rejected them for exhaust leaks, the only way you could get Cummins to fix them.
The N14 after the injectors were fixed was a great engine, if it was kept as a 460
If you want to make money Detroit was the way to go.
3% of what Freightliner sold was Cat, I spent 50% of my time working on Cats.
I have replaced many more turbo's on Cat"s than Detroit"s, and with the Acsert, the tubes breaking that is an all day job, to replace the turbo's and the manifold gaskets.
A Detroit has one cam and it has to be timed properly. it is impossible to change the intake valve opening without changing the exhaust and Injector ramp speed.

 

How about the best of both worlds! Most people do not know that detroit even made this engine. The picture is generic. The engine is a 14.0L 575hp 1850tq ddec IV PRE-EGR! We see fuel mileage of anywhere of 6.5 to 7 mpg.

 

Are you the guys up there that build all the cool stuff?

 

I can't speak for all Detroits but the one I did have the misfortune of owning was a oil leaking, no pulling, money pit and the mileage that everybody brags about quite frankly sucked..

Now in defense of Detroit I did not buy that truck new so I may have inherited the problems from the previous owner....It was in a Classic XL so I made two very LARGE errors at once when I bought that truck..

 

This 475 HP. 8V92TA was one of the best motors I've ever owned. It had more than enough power and no oil leaks thanks to the guys at Delaney & Ahlf in Bakersfield. It ran smooth, it ran strong and it ran thirsty which was the only down side. It liked fuel. I used to get a kick out of some of the looks I'd get while fueling. I'd always open the hood and check things out. Drivers would walk by and look......" What kinda motor ya got there?" I'd usually answer with " Thats a Big Block Chevy with a Blower". The look on about 3/4 of these drivers faces said it all. Yeah....they got allot to learn.

 

We take on alot of interesting projects if that's what you mean.

 

I fixed them all, I have seen more guys go broke driving a Cat that I ever did a Detroit, the oil leaks on a Cat are at least twice as costly as a Detroit.
Oil leakage is easy to check next time you are at a stop and a truck is Idling, look on the ground, then look at the oil pan the coulor will tell you who's engine it is.
I made a list of engine problems Oil pans is something I forgot, I have change at least 50 on Cats for cracks, maybe 10 on steel Cummins pans, for corossion. I did one S60 a forklift in the yard pulling a truck got out of position and the forks hit it.
A truck is there to make you money, PERIOD, if you drive at max RPM you will go broke

 

Delaney & Ahlf built my 92 back in the late 70's. That was one sweet running motor. It did everything except get fuel mileage.

I think a C15 Cat is the best driving modern motor. But if I was buying my own truck to make money I would lean to a Detroit. I have a friend with a 12.7 who has totally abused his, done virtually no PM & is closing in on a million miles. I think he gets at least 1 mpg better than I do with a C15.