Cummins Big Cam 400 motor in a Pete 377?

I know this is a late reply but, I hope this will help someone. This is a great motor that is tough, easy to work on and has plenty of parts for a fair price available.

If you're looking to make sure your engine is as reliable as possible make sure to do a few things:
Any time you are able to get near the piston cooler nozzles be sure to replace them. The nozzles are inexpensive and they're something that is worth replacing just for peace of mind.
Add a dual fuel line to your truck. The stock setup has fuel coming in only at the rear of the engine which causes the front cylinders to run a little lean when you're pulling hard. I imagine that gravity has an effect, though it would be near negligible, on this as well if you're going up hill. This isn't a major problem but, if you can keep from running lean you will extend the life of the cylinders by adding the dual fuel line. This modification also adds a little power to your truck, and helps your throttle response and makes your engine run a little smoother.

If you have an older big cam you can switch over from a log exhaust manifold to a pulse manifold which gives you more power, better fuel efficiency and will move the heat away from your engine more efficiently than the log manifold.

While this doesn't necessarily go for reliability (that I'm aware of) you can run an HT60 turbo from an N14 on your Big Cam with very little modification. This turbo costs less than the stock turbo, spools faster and moves a little more air than stock.

Don't lug your engine, this engine runs best at higher rpms. Watch your pyrometer and, if you don't have a pyrometer get one.

Not specific to a Big Cam Cummins are the obvious things like keeping the oil changed, using good oil, and keeping it cool. If you're in a dusty environment be sure to blow out the dust in your radiator regularly. A lot of heating problems are solved by taking an air fitting and blowing out your radiator fins. Keep your air filters or your oil bath clean. That paragraph wasn't meant to be condescending, I really wanted to get the point across that keeping your radiator able to flow air is really important.

I'm sure there are much more experienced and better mechanics than me who could help you better.

I hope this helped.

 

Helps a lot thank you soo much..I have an oddball of an engine..it’s a 475