9400i Mack vision or pete386 HELP

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by earnies2, Apr 18, 2015.

  1. Ezrider_48501

    Ezrider_48501 Road Train Member

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    all of last year i had maybe 2 days of unplanned downtime due to repairs. the key is to not treat a old truck like a new one. you have to pay a little closer attention to them catch things early keep em greased up and take care of them they will. fix things before they break when you are going to have planned time at home anyway. being mechanically inclined is a plus as well. i could see a old truck to be very hard on someone that runs every single little repair into the shop. but if you got some mechanical aptitude and take on a lot of the small stuff yourself its not so bad and if you can do bigger stuff as well its even better
     
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  3. earnies2

    earnies2 Medium Load Member

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    Sorry for not replying...my mother passed away last week...now everything is on hold so i can take care of the estate....
     
  4. cliffster21

    cliffster21 Light Load Member

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    earnies,

    First of all, I am very sorry to hear about your mother and I offer my condolences. I thought I would chime in here because last year I bought a 2007 International 9400i 72" sleeper with ISX and 730,000 on the odometer. I like the truck overall and was surprised at how light it is. I pull a 48' combo flat and my truck and trailer with me in it weigh about 30,300 (no apu). I am also pleased with the fuel mileage I have been getting. I am able to get right around 7mpg average. I am a slow driver however, going 60-62 and letting all the super truckers blow by me. I think it is funny that the guys who really should be driving the aero trucks because they like to run 75 mph won't touch them and swear by their dual stacks, dual air cleaners and 18 speeds.

    Based on my experience I would give you these suggestions when looking at a truck with an ISX. Make sure you get good maintenance records for the truck. Take it to a mechanic you trust and have them take off the valve cover and look at the valves and the cam. If you can afford it, have them drop the pan to look for metal shavings and take a look at the main bearings. I have learned the hard way that ISX's are infamous for toasting camshafts. I have spent the last two weeks at the house because when I took my truck in for an overhead, they found that the injector cam was pitted and scarred on three lobes. The mechanic said it looked like the oil passages got blocked and starved the cam of oil causing it to overheat. When the cam overheated it spun three bearings and ruined the cylinder head. I also had them replace the main bearings, because they were worn when they dropped the pan and checked them. The truck currently has 800k on it. When you look at the maintenance records, make sure they weren't doing extended oil changes. Cummins recommends 25,000 miles, but I think that is too much, especially with that EGR valve putting soot into the oil. One good thing about my truck is you can unplug the EGR and the engine doesn't derate, you just get a fault code. I would recommend getting that EGR valve blocked off as soon as you possibly can, the engine will last a whole lot longer without it.

    This is just my .02 cents based on 10 months of running with my own authority with my 9400i. I would say no matter what used truck you buy you are going to have your fair share of problems with it. If you really check out the truck before you buy it, I think you can mitigate some of these problems. When I bought mine, I probably jumped the gun a little bit and should have waited until I had more money. Unfortunately I was very limited in startup money and therefore pretty limited in choices for a truck (bank would only finance 2007 or newer). If I had it to do it again I would check the truck out ALOT better and probably go with an older truck that had a recent inframe and some of the parts that start wearing out at around 650-700k replaced so I didn't have to do it all. Also look for a truck that was better taken care of.

    I hope some of this information helps you and wish you the best. I will say that even with all the problems I have had in my first year, and I have had a lot of issues with my truck I am glad I took the leap and would do it again. The freedom of doing it on your own is worth all of the headaches (in my opinion). Good luck and God bless.
     
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  5. earnies2

    earnies2 Medium Load Member

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    May 17, 2012
    Dedham, MA.
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    thanks for the reply...very use full info..since i started this post i have started looking at newer trucks and possibly rethinking my finances...i have a total of around 80K to start my trucking co..i was originally thinking about paying cash for a truck and trailer but after talking to my accountant he suggested putting that money in the bank and borrowing against it.. it would improve my credit rating,and give me a better and longer write-off..so if i bought a $40-$50K truck and put down $20 and financed the rest my payments would be almost nothing i would be in a newer truck and have more capital to work on....i also found a 2009 Mack with a 80" sleeper that i liked it is a mp8 505 with a 13 speed trany it also has an APU 550K on the clock for $42k that looks like a good truck for the money.......just food for thought...and i can buy a warrantee
     
    Last edited: May 11, 2015
    Reason for edit: forgot to post
  6. rollin coal

    rollin coal Road Train Member

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    You're throwing money away on any warranty for a used truck. Keep that money because you'll surely need it to self warranty. Would also avoid tractors from the years 2008-2010 these will be expensive money pits with trouble prone emissions systems.
     
  7. cliffster21

    cliffster21 Light Load Member

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    earnies,

    If I had 80k to start with I would find an older truck that was run by an owner op, and then go over the whole truck, make it as new as you can. That way you can avoid all of the emissions crap. From everything I've heard and from being a company driver with newer trucks, there are always problems with emissions systems. An older truck with a non-emissions engine or a glider would be my choice. Also, the ISX is not a bad engine, it just needs to be maintained, poor maintenance is what did mine in. Starting with a fresh overhaul, even if YOU have to get it done before you start driving would be better than starting with an engine you don't know with 500k on it. Just one driver's opinion.
     
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  8. cliffster21

    cliffster21 Light Load Member

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    Mechanicsburg, Pa
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    Also, I will second what rollin coal said about used truck warranty. I tried to make 2 claims on my truck, one for a differential that went out, and now for the cam and they found a loophole so they didn't have to stand behind the warranty both times.
     
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  9. earnies2

    earnies2 Medium Load Member

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    May 17, 2012
    Dedham, MA.
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    one hand tells me to look at nothing newer than 2003...
    another hand says buy new or you will spend a fortune on repairs...
    you suggest staying away from 08-10 trucks.....
    i am more confused than before i asked for advise...and i am receiving it
    and i realize that is why we have kenworths, pets, freightliners, macks, and volvo's
    its all personal
    preference and experiences with truck years modles and drive trains. i guess if i had an older truck and i wanted to update and bought a money pit i would have to say don't buy a newer truck...on the other hand if i had an older truck that was a money pit and bought a newer one and it ran just fine then i would say buy a newer truck and you won't have any problems.....
    i
    really appreciate the advice mabe i can look at 2011 and up but i don't think they are in my scope.... I guess i am looking for a good first truck that isn't a money pit....
     
  10. earnies2

    earnies2 Medium Load Member

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    May 17, 2012
    Dedham, MA.
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    who was the warranty company and what was their excuse
     
  11. cliffster21

    cliffster21 Light Load Member

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    Mechanicsburg, Pa
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    American Truck Protection, first time said it was my fault the differential broke, and with the cam they said it was improper maintenance and a pre-existing condition. I really do think that they will find any reason not to pay out, and the cost of an attorney (both money and time) is not worth me going after it. It seems to me that it was just a sales gimmick to sell the truck. I think you just have to realize that there is no free lunch. An older truck will need repairs, but if you can either plan for the bigger ones or make sure they are done before you buy the truck you won't go through a nightmare like I just did.
     
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