3406B 7FB inframe overhaul average cost.

I'm not sure if you were replying to MY post or someone else's spsauerland...forgive me if I was wrong thinking it was mine...

I don't know....you tell me. 22 months ago I dumped in excess of $65,000.00 into this truck before it left the shop. Another several thousand between that time and a couple weeks ago. (Round it off to around another $20,000.00 in upgrades, changes, improvements, etc.) 882k original miles, not been over the million mark yet. Tight truck, very nice looking, driving, but now has a problem and should be in framed.

I'm sick of it all, I'm done, I ain't a kid anymore...I want to change the scenery. If I didn't get my last truck, (a 2000 W900L) wrecked by a no good for nothin' foreigner dope dealer in a BMW that wiped me out and threw me into a state of chaos that I'm still paying and awaiting restitution for over his negligence, I'd be happy with that 2000 KW.

I can't muster the ambition to do another motor job, I'm tired from the inside out. I just put this one in back in June of '18. I have the truck for sale currently,and I have a guy interested and flying in from Missouri next Monday to look at, touch, feel, hug and fall in love with it based off everything I just did, and he doesn't want me to fix the motor. He's got a 3406E he wants to drop in it. Win-win for both of us if he takes it, or I should say more of a win for him...he's getting a whole lotta A Model KW for the money.

You look online at A Models and 359's...they're asking ridiculous prices for wore out, absolute junk. Even '99 and down pre emissions/ELD trucks are stupid money now, as I'm looking at '99's and down myself.

I looked for a running A model when my 2000 got wrecked, all I saw was junk... new paint, trashed interiors, million miles on running gear, up in the high 50's to 75k dollars. I got mine listed for $44,000.00 OBO, with a brand spanking new set of Eaton DS 402 38K lb. 3:90 ratio differentials sitting here that I was planning on putting in the truck this week, had I not had this disaster happen. It also comes with two 3406A PCTA engines, one running, one parts engine...to sweeten the deal even more.

I can't see giving it away any less than that, for the blood, sweat, tears and money I put into this restoration...so it's either he buys it, or it sits around and rots like all the rest of these guys that don't wanna give their stuff away either.

Funny how some internet YouTube heroes can sell a piece of junk for 75k dollars, but a working man with no recognition or internet fame can't, lol.

These truck's will kill ya.

 

Age plays a BIG role in this. I'm looking to get back to something with a tilt/telescopic wheel, air ride cab, quieter, a few creature comforts.

And yes, I agree on the other options for engines. I have had more heartaches with a B model Cat than anybody you ever met in your lifetime. What bugs me is, I do everything right. I change the oil religiously, and do samples every time. I never ever shut an engine down hot; it gets idled for a few minutes to cool the turbo, etc, get the water temp down with the fan ON...I maintain everything to the highest standards. Then I watch these guys that never change the oil, never grease nothing, shut them down while they're still rolling and pull the brakes on and skid to a stop...fire them up with their foot on the floor with no oil pressure yet...and they never break down. I will always and forever be curious as to why that is, LOL.

We all know you can go so overboard with these things when you get to doing upgrades, repairs, etc. I am such a meticulous guy that I don't like to skimp on parts or let things go, so it can be expensive when you do things that way. But I never had to lay underneath the last few trucks I owned in a rest area fixing stuff either, so that's worth a lot too.

 

I have a fella from Missiouri that flew in yesterday looking at it, he's at the motel and I have to pick him up later and we'll be discussing the sale. If it flies, then yeah...I'm gonna go grab that 359 with the Cummins and get back to work.

 

There's always a debate going on about using Interstate McBee parts. I myself have no problem with it. Although I haven't used their heads or cylinder kits personally, I have used their exhaust manifold stud kits and they're about a 1/3rd the price of Cat parts.

28 years ago in one of my last problematic 3406B's, I bought a whole rebuild kit from some ad I saw in the TruckPaper...those people were ITP (Indiana Truck Parts,) who if I am correct are now Interstate McBee. I may be wrong as heck about that, but that's been the rumor anyways. I used that kit and it worked out fine.

Cat also offers an aftermarket head you can buy cheaper too now, lol...they thought they were missing out on too much revenue, so they joined the knockoff club.