Flatbed tractor questions

Well here's a couple of things to think about.

When you're talking about a truck that's from the 80s or even the 90s your best bet is to try to find one from an owner-operator somewhere that's retiring.

When you find that truck that will be a truck that he will have pages and pages and pages and pages of recent repairs and that's something that you'll be able to get in it and just go.

Anything that you buy from an auction or a dealer especially if you can't get the service records you should pass on. You will pay more for the truck that I'm talking about but it will be worth it.

If you buy one that has not been kept up with like I'm talking about you will have a lot of repairs that you will have to do and if you have to pay somebody will be really expensive. Take a trusted mechanic with you whatever you look at. It's well worth the money you pay him.

You also are going to have to do repairs on the truck even if you buy it and it's in a A-1 shape. Or you are going to have to have someone do those repairs for you.

I put a big cam Cummins into my 95 Freightliner and I absolutely love it. It was the greatest thing I've ever done in my life and I have no desire for anything else.

In the early 90s trucks had mechanical n14 engines they were very good. And as far as horsepower you can turn a big cam up but that's a whole other topic and there's a certain way that you do that and certain way to drive it so we can save that for another time.

If you can find something from an owner operator that you have the records and that you know you are getting something that truly is one good solid Dependable truck, you can't go wrong with the big cam.

You are absolutely correct. Computer repairs are expensive, sometimes guys spend 5 and $10,000 trying to figure out what the electronic problem is. Even the electronic injectors are more expensive not to mention the computer and all the sensors and blah blah blah.

And you are correct the caterpillar is much more expensive to have someone work on hands down no question about it.

As far as working on it, you probably need a mechanic near you that is familiar with those engines, but really there are probably all kinds of repairs if you're mechanical you can learn to do yourself.

There are quite a number of us on this site that know how to work on these engines so help would certainly be there for you if you needed it.

But the good news is even if you had to have someone work on it, they're very dependable and even the inframe kit for them literally cost like $1,000 or so plus gaskets.

On a caterpillar that will buy you a few nuts and bolts, LOL.

 

when I started a 300hp was a big engine...

You can do the northeast with a 400 easily......

 

Mines set at 375 hp. I get there almost as fast as everybody else.

 

As far as Pittsburgh power goes you really didn't need them in particular. Really there stuff is just way over priced.

But their articles do give you the basic idea of what's involved.

Why would 400 horsepower not be enough? Not that you would want to do it today, but back in the day they pulled 80,000 lbs with 238 horsepower Detroit diesels.

The gearing of the truck has a lot to do with it also.

The big Cam that I have in my truck is a 350 not a 400. With 390 Rears I do great pulling hills and often I am in the Pennsylvania Poconos. When it's time I'll rebuild it to 400 horsepower and I'll turn it up some, but honestly even more importantly than more power I would just rather have a 13 speed over the 10-speed I have. Maybe next year.

Unless you were somewhere that there are giant mountains you're going to be encountering every single solitary day and you have to be the first person to the top of it, I don't see why 400 horsepower would not be enough, especially coupled to a 13 speed with the right Rears.

The big cam really really pulls well.

 

Lol $1000 won't even buy ya a spacer plate for a Kitty!

 

No 450 plus is a luxury..... not really for someone starting out on a budget....


I’d tell you to get a C-15 cat and jack that up........ now that’s living .

But that’s not for the light of wallet....

 

To the OP, if your interested in a pre emissions truck, I know the company I sub for has a late model W900 flat top sleeper with a accert 475 Cat. Its been parked about a month due to CARB, it’s not compliant any longer in California.