I need schooling: 350 Cummins

I'm sure the tires look great, but do you KNOW how old they are? Do you know where to look for their manufacture date? You'll never know about the seals until you start driving it, my guess is you'll be fixing leaks for months. That truck is going to be low-powered and inefficient by today's standards. You'll be lucky if you don't spend the purchase price over again getting it halfway reliable. I'll not bug you about anymore, but I think it's a bad idea.

 

That year is a Big Cam 4 engine. It had some of Cummins' newest additional like a low pressure oil pump , stamped steel oil pan, if I remember correctly a t-stat controlled after cooler which lowered inlet air temps for better fuel mileage.

 

I've found some decent info from another site...



N= 4 valve head
T= Turbo

A= aftercooled

C= "custom" rated (doesn't really mean much)

#They stopped useing the "A", as most of their turbo engines from the 70's on were aftercooled.

### Small vs. Big# cams:

## Cummins truck block went thru many changes. It had small bores then was bored out to 855 CID... They were haveing trouble with cam lobes wearing, and incressed the size of the cam allowing for longer "ramp" times on the lobes . So to tell the older 855 from the newer block, they called the new block the "Big Cam" as that was the main differance between it in the older "small cam" engine. Each time they made a design change to the "big cam" it got a new number. Hence big camI, II, III etc.

# There are changes, some of which can be retro-fitted to the older blocks, some can not.

## There are different rateing for each family... you can have a big camII that is 400 hp or a big cam IV that is 315 hp... it doesn't refer to the Hp setting but the design level when biult."

"
The biggest visual difference on a BC4 versus any other Big or Small Cam is the shape of the aftercooler and location of the air piping from the turbo to the aftercooler.# A BC4 has an aftercooler with a top that angles upward with the highest point at the front of the engine.# All other aftercoolers on BC3's and earlier had a peak at the center (above cyl's 3 and 4).# The BC4 charge air pipe passes around the front of the engine, while the earlier BC3's and before had the charge air pipe coming across the top center of the engine.# Personally, I love the looks of a BC4, especially a 444.
Cummins Reman pushed a Big Cam 440Plus that was basically a "latest tech" BC3 without the step timing and low flow cooling of a BC4 444.# The 440Plus' were Cummins beige and had a BC3 style aftercooler.# They were available into the late 90's, and maybe still are."
##

 

i hope you have freight that pays enough for 4mpg, replacing $50 head bolts every month, head gaskets eveeyyear, bearings every year and a half and overhaul every 3.
they are fun toys but i would never want to work one again on a regular basis.

 

Cruisecontrolking.com has a cruise control kit all wires switches everything you need I bought on for my 362 peterbilt its 595 20 shipping if you need a gear because you have a speedometer line its 30 you can even set it at idle for when parked has brake fuel shutoff decent kit

 

Its sad to see how many of you are bashing older equipment. Its a good thing you all aint buyin it. I say go for it and enjoy a nice original condition truck. I have a '84 K100 in the barn that sits there most of the time that I bought 4 years ago for $4000 and I haul the odd load with it n so far in 4 years and approx 120K miles I have put a starter on it. Who is gonna challenge me on this now...

 

I totally agree with you cbarM nothing wrong with older trucks, my truck is a 1996 international with a 350 m11 and it does a great job

 

why is it that i see more newer equipment late 2000's on the side of the road. post emissions....... then i see something out of the late 80s early 90s passing by it.

 

I have a 69pete conv. 400 big cam 15sp makes 6mpg + will pull with any isx. I like old trucks old whiskey & old women in that order.

 

Perhaps, but if your running with a properly running ISX, you will be the first to stop for fuel. I get 6 on a bad day.