glider or new

Dont take what I'm saying as trying to put Detroit down. During my search for a new truck I was actually looking for ones that had either the N14 or the 12.7 in it,.. and really tried hard to have the 12.7. Just happened I found what I wanted with a CAT in it.

Hurst

 

It was a cat

 

my detroit had close to a million and never been opened up.

 

My last 12.7 i tore apart at something like 1.15 million. It wasn't showing any signs of problems but the mileage was concerning me. The liners still had the #### crosshatch marks. And the pistons and rings were plenty tight. But once ya got it open and the pistons out, its silly not to go ahead and slap new ones in.

 

I'm not sure how many CAT engines will do this and still run after.

 

It's a crap shoot either way. Odds do favor a glider in my opinion. However rebuilt or remanufactered never equals new. New any more doesn't seem to equal reliable either.

Buying an old beat down truck for peanuts and rebuilding it. Just isn't feasible once you start it just grows. Since the future is not foretold for any of us it's a huge gamble. What if you become unable to work and have to dump a truck you have a 100k in for maybe just maybe 30k. Talk about taking a bath. In my opinion if older is your preference find a nice clean well cared for rig and you don't have to drop a wad in it right off the bat. Bringing one back from near dead is never as nice an end result as starting with a good base. .

Detroit or CAT well I bleed yellow at the end of the day could be anything from one had been hot due to a leak, air filter installed wrong and doesn't seal, clamp loose on the clean side, or even driver error that puts one at half life. Taken care of and a little luck yea they will all go past a million. I have a 90 model 3406 that was 26 years old and 1.1 million miles before the head come off the first time. #2 liner was barely pitted thru. Not too shabby honestly. 7500 later it's back togather getting 6.2 mpg. It woulda in framed but I pulled it because I wanted the block decked not counter bored. And I wouldn't have been able to put the C15 crank, rods, etc in it. Made it easy to put a new cam in it too. Wait whaaaat CATS are too expensive? No they are no better but they are what I was raised on. What I have parts laying around for, and what has always keep food on our table and roof over our heads. And a bass boat in the garage so why change now. Stick to what your most comfortable with to hell what the rest think

 

And that means what? Oh an idiot was involved. Who ever owns that truck got lucky.

I have run narrow journal 3406B's with a 14613 and 3.70 rears at 2150 all night night after night hauling cattle out of South Florida to liberal. Never lost a crank in one of mine. But I know plenty of people have. Wonder what the difference is???

 

I run 100k alot with a 12.7. I have no complaints. I dont accelerate quick, nice and stead, slow. Ive driven all brands and makes. It does fine.

 

I have 2 friends with 12.7 both bought them new.
1. 2000 model 1.6 million
2. 2001 model 1.9 million
Neither have had anything done to them, not even rod and main bearings. I tell them they are brave souls, I would have had to at least put bearings in them.

 

So did they change oil every week?? Overhead needs ran every year.