Bought a 359 Peterbilt with a Detroit 8v92. Did I get a good deal?

Something is only worth whatever somebody will pay for it. If you're happy with it, you got a good deal.

 

I appreciate the heads up. I tried to grease everything in the steering all the u joints that little hidden grease zurk by the flywheel had the rear ends both drained and filled up. The steering is tight and I can let go of the wheel and it stays straight as an arrow down the road.

 

My opinion is that buying it for $7,000 was a decent deal, assuming that you love the screaming sound of the Detroit 8V92.

However, painting it for another $7,000 was NOT a good deal.

 

Maybe not a good deal when it doubled the amount of initial cost but I looked at it this way. For the things that I was looking for transmission hp how many miles it had. I would have ended up spending way more for a comparable truck with decent paint and comparable transmission and hp. So why not make it look better especially if I'm going to be running it for a while?
As we used to say in the Infantry "what's the first rule of combat? Look good while doing it."

 

7k actually is pretty fair for an all over with stripes. A solid 359 with really nice paint will still fetch pretty decent coin. As far as the wiper motors you can rebuild them yourself pretty simple deal really. Finding a parts man that wants to help you is the biggest part of that deal. The switches give as much trouble as the motor itself.

 

I FINALLY got something to talk about in those pictures.

You got a old fashioned late 70's era 3 button brake set up.

DO WHATEVER YOU CAN to isolate the third button and stick strictly with a two button set up. IF at ALL possible.

Ima telling you. Paid for in fire, fear, blood and tears twice in my life time.

You should have a pair of half cans no spring in the front. There needs to be drain ####s under your wet tank at a minimum.

You need a air dryer before the contents of the wet gets to the dry. Have those brass drain ####s on the bottom of the dry as well, there should be two on each wet and dry, on the ends inside of the welds of the caps pointing straight down.

If your air dryer farts every 10 seconds to 20 or so you are in good shape. Make sure you aint got algae growing in it.

Whatever you do, carry a box of maxi bolts. at least 6.

Carry a box of drain ####s and some tool to pull the old one off, and install the new one. PLUS a tap and drill kit box if you can find one to fit. Anything you can do to carry these small fiddy diddy stuff will fight and prevent you from having to call a tow truck. Carry everything small, multiply by three and carry that many in spares, fuses, taps, airline connectors, splices, clamps most especially for your turbo from intercooler hose. It's on the upper right front of turbo 6 inches of hose and three clamps or four. Lose a clamp, leaks into the hose, you turn into a smoking 20 horsepower truck. You literally have the ability to pour unburnt fuel all over your nice trailer and anyone with you a half mile back. BEFORE you start puking oil.

I thought I was done. But no not yet.

You probably thought of all this and then some. What say you?

 

Blah, Blah, Blah! Come on x1Heavy! You sound like a driving school instructor!

 

Does it make YOU happy to have it?

IF so than it is worth it.

 

That's a real sharp old Pete. And $7k isn't out of line for a nicely done paint job. Sounds like your on top of things making sure its ready for the road.

 

$7K for a running truck is decent. I like it
I had the same powertrain in a COE IHC, I liked it but when she got old and tired owner retired it as fuel mileage was down to 2.5mpg but still pulled great and I was dragging loaded 5 leg trailers.