Looking for opinions and advice on what I am about to do.

What kind of set up are you running now?

 

That CAT motor is a boat anchor. Expect that it will lose A LOT of oil, you will be lucky to get around 300k before its time to overhaul. Keep that in mind. They are also loud as heck.

 

Good for you. Did you have the engine checked (dyno, oil analysis, etc. ...)??

Of course you did??

Again did you have the truck checked out?

So what if it passes a L-1 inspection, that's meaningless.

OK...

That's too much money for that year of an FL80 with that engine. it is a 7500 truck at best.

What company will pay you $1.5 a mile empty and loaded both?

There is something wrong with that. Or did I miss something?

AND?

That's all cheap, workers comp must be from Michigan... right?

Of course you can until the engine craps out on you, A 3126 is nearly impossible to rebuild in some parts of the country. I know one person who needed a complete overhaul and ended up dumping the truck off at the junk yard, he could not find the parts to rebuild his 3126.

Not really, it is open for interpretation by some DOT officers.

 

Read the FMCSR guide book on the definition of a sleeper and what it requires. You could always lay a cot outside the truck and go off duty. But again, that CAT motor is junk. Start it up and see how much smoke blows out, check acceleration and see how much it smokes. If you over heat it, the rings go. At Ryder, they liked to throw rods through the block. They also loved to consume oil. People would come in for fuel, I'd drop 2-3 gallons of oil in their crank case. Ridgeline is right, a DOT inspection means nothing except the lights work and the brakes are okay.

 

I have a 3126 Cat in my truck . Burned no oil what so ever . Finally let go at 800,000 miles . Pretty much a throw away engine . Bought a used one with 200,000 miles for $2,200.00 . . Pay a mechanic $2,000.00 to take out and install the used one and you are back in business . Not to mention getting $600.00 core charge credit because no holes in block .