mbe 4000

That engine is a piece of crap, don't buy it!!

 

The biggest problem with MBE4000's is the untrained mechanics that worked on therm and the unscrupulous shops that took advantage of owners. Mine has been nothing short of fantastic.


The issue with them was a bad head gasket design. The proper fix was and updated liner with an O ring on the top as well as the bottom and a new style head gasket this was all fixed under warranty. BUT since the heads are individual and the cam is in the block it was very easy for some shops to just slap in a new gasket and send the driver on his way, only to have another problem shortly thereafter.

The major complaints were lack of power and weak engine brake.
My personal view is that most of them were geared way too fast and specked without the optional Turbo Brake which produces 600 braking HP.


But to answer your original question. Yes a 13 speed is perfect for this engine. Just make sure it's not geared faster than about 60 @ 1350.

 

MBE 4000.

I own three trucks- the best is a 1994 peterbilt with 4. 4 million KM as per the mechanic that did my main bearings in July of this year . The engine is a 435 electronic Cat. WE have never touched the engine other than that, 2 injectors were changed by mistake in 2009 , the problem was a shorting wire that cut the signal to the engine when it touched the block. Truck bought used in 2001, had to change the water pump then did it myself. the trucks still gets around 8 mpg.

The other two are a 2004 Columbia non EGR , and yes it is less problematic than the EGR engine. We are at 1.9 million KM with thsi one and engine has not been touched, other turbo replacement.

The problematic one is the 2005 MBE4000 with the EGR and the problem is with the people that fix it badly. Detroit diesel took all the heads off within the warranty looking for an EGR sensor or valve that was sucked into the engine. Until then all was ok.
A year later when unit is no longer under warranty , two head gaskest start to leak. Take the truck to supposed detroit diesel authorized dealer, fixes engine three times to no avail, invents lots of stories and says he shaves the heads. Cost arount $7000.00 in all and heads leak within a month. Take it to second idiot who cahnges all the heads for $4000.00 good for another 6 months and leak re appears.
In the end , find a French Canadian mechanic that has been overhauling large cranes with German engines for the last 20 years.
Costs $7500.00 to fix the two bad heads . This guy is an expert , all it took was a small shim which looks like a metal gasket that goes on the bottom of the liner between the block and lip of the liner ( crankshat must be removed) that positions the liner properly so that the liner does not cut into the head gasket., part is worth $20.00 . No problems since engine is now at 1.7 million KM . Also you are not supposed to re surface or mill the EGR heads they are heat treated and new ones cost around $400.00 cdn each. So if the mechanic does not know this , run - run out of the shop and find a pro.

Found this site because trying to find an answer to a hesiation problem realting to fuel , getting a check engine light and code 12.8 .
Any ideas.

By the way both columbias average over the 9 mpg mark ( Canadian gallon)

 

Welcome here Alex1010!

About that hesitation problem, I have something similar going on and started a thread here:

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/showthread.php?t=192619

check it out and see if we have the same problem.

 

Took the truck to our local specialty engine shop, the same shop that did the main bearings on our Pete.
His computer pulled up a few injector codes right away , but by the sound the engine was making he knew that it was fuel starved. We could not see fuel through the water separator glass. An hour later he called back and found the problem. Our local garage was close. They had changed the primary fuel pump. That was almost it.
The real problem is that the drive for the fuel pump behind the front cover is stripped, and not engaging enough to not allow slippage.

They must take of the front covers and replace the drive gear. I was told the part is around $300.00 and about 10 hours to carry out the repair.

We will let you know on Monday how things worked out.

 

Alex: any news?

 

My driver picked the tractor up yesterday and it seems fine. Bill was $1400.00 including the 15% tax here. They also changed the complete fuel filter assembly , including the Aluminium casting, there is a corrugated plastic shaft that often brakes that runs up the middle of the filter. They just changed the whole assembly. ( this is not the fuel water separator)
He said I was lucky if we would have continued we may have had to change a cam that the fuel pump drive runs off of.