Need Engine Advice

* 500/1700 on the latest X12. Cummins says 150 lbs lighter than competition. I thought the 425s ran good for a smaller engine

 

I’ve been truck shopping and will say I’m kinda sold on the Dd15

 

I'm 700 k on my 2014 DD15 . This truck has had a Apu its life span , so low idle hours . Replaced injectors at around 500k and clutch about 50k miles ago . Replaced def pump , inlet and outlet sensors and repaired a def heater hose . Kingpins were done around 550k . I know they tune them up to 500 hp but mine is at 450 mated with a 10 speed Eaton , pulls like a champ .

 

Back in 2010-2011 an oilfield company that hauled rock in belly dumps had two pinnacle mack trucks that i believe where mp-8, but may have been bigger. They were 18 speeds and those would haul some ###. They were very dependable. He also had some older macks, cant recall what size engine but mack also of course and they were slow as hell. Gave you that gonna catch an ### whippin before you catch 10th gear kinda feeling. To macks defense though the mechanic he had full time to take care of the trucks really didn't do anything besides try to sabotage them. Nothing major ever happened to either of them though. Hes probably still running those trucks now even.. My own two cents im looking for a truck myself and think I'm gonna get a cascadia with a Detroit if I do make that jump.

 

No it won't hurt it, it will be easier on everything.


Here is my take.

Detroit is as reliable as any other engine.

It is always a crapshoot with any engine.

I have all three different types in my trucks with a couple paccars.

Detroit, Cummins and Mack.

Detroit is cheaper to rebuild and repair than Cummins or Mack.

Cummins is the a little more expensive to rebuild and repair.

Mack is more expensive than the other two.

All of them are the same when to comes to servicing, synthetic oil used in all, oil analysis taken at specific miles to track condition of the oil and engine, and metrics collected to determine when it is time to retire the truck.

All of them have given me the same service.

I had a bunch of mack MPx engines that gave me a lot of problems, had firmware changed and the problems vanished. Cummins gave me fits with emissions on 2016 trucks but it was all covered.

People have their favorite, mine is Cummins because I have two trucks as daily drivers with a Cummins and have driven with Cummins for years.

 

The general consensus is that a 15L which is running light doesn't generate enough heat to optimise the after threatment system.
So yes,my advice (and @AModelCat ) would be for lighter loads get a 13L or 12L engine.
Volvo D13
Paccar MX 13.
Detroit 13L.......................

I run a MX 11 @ 96 000lbs but at slower speeds(55mph max average speed is around 32mph )
1 Nox sensor replaced .........nothing else in 5y.
No DPF cleaned.............really nothing done but the exhaust is allways hot.
DPF gauge is at 0% ash.