Detroit 60 series frame leaking

Tear the engine down. Minimum gaskets and orings. Probably find its time for a overhaul.

 

What he is experiencing is a warning sign. If the plug was missing, I wouldnt care. But its missing and streaking. I could be wrong but the streaking color don't scream a cooling system thats been taken care of. He is not far from mixing fluids.

 

Thats $27,907 US. Sounds like an awful lot to me. I can’t say I’m surprised though. I myself wouldn’t overhaul it till it was leaking steady. The bottom o ring keeps coolant out of oil. A basic aftermarket kit, and a competent mechanic. IMO. You could even re use your head and injectors maybe. If it runs good, and fuel mileage is good. That’s my opinion. Spending a ton of money replacing turbo, Waterpump, and whatever else is required for the warranty is over kill. Been there, spent $21 k 12 yrs ago. My current 12.7 had a $9k inframe 11 yrs ago. It ran over a million.Just had it inframed again. for about 11k. If you’re going to spend a lot of money, it’s better to pick and choose. Other things like radiator, ata cooler, God knows what else with 740k miles is on the horizon. Just about all the aftermarket kits are just as good, and about 2/3 the cost. I’ve been told to avoid aftermarket heads. Based on what they’ve seen in factory tear downs. Detroit kits don’t come with rods and mains, they’re extra. Also have a core charge. They want the old ones for research study, supposedly. It all adds up. It’s your money. I wouldn’t waste it trying to but peace of mind. Sometimes a Dealer can do a good job, at a better price. Even parts are cheaper than a “Detroit”Dealer. They’re Detroit certified also.

 

I’m surprised only 1 yr. warranty. Looks like a step 3 overhaul to me. Rockers , Waterpump, and turbo, head. I’d think it would be 3 yrs. 300k miles. That’s basically the same overhaul I got 12 yrs ago. Except I didn’t get injector harness, and did get bull gear done, and jakes rebuilt. That’s just way too much money. I doubt you need rockers. I would have liked to get them last yr. mine have 2.3 million miles on them. I might do them in the future. But they were still good.

 

I did some quick searches. The overhaul kit is actually a competitive price for a OEM Kit. Aftermarket can be had for about $1300 Canadian less. Turbo can be found for less than half the price. About $1500. OEM head can be had for $3300 Canadian,$1400 less than your estimate. You have all the part #s on the estimate. Search the Internet. Check around with others in your area for a good mechanic, with a flat rate fee. For a good overhaul, you’ll need a kit. The oil pump elbow and valve, head, injectors. Oil cooler gasket/o ring kit.Valve cover gasket. Might as well get a new injector harness, for good luck. The rest is optional. Depending on how old they are. Might want to add Waterpump, oil cooler itself, Turbo, and check the ata cooler for leaks. I don’t know about EGR valve and cooler. See what the mechanics say. You can search the Internet. You have all the part #s already. That’s what I did anyways. Chased down all the parts, had them delivered, had the kit itself delivered to the shop. Only things I bought from Dealer was the OEM reman head, oil pump valve and elbow, valve cover gasket, and injector harness. Only because their prices were good. I wouldn’t be surprised if you can get everything important done for $9-12k in Parts, maybe 5-6k in Labor. Maybe less. It’s worth checking into. Good Luck.