Old Trucks

And unless you’re a Mechanic, Newer Trucks, like cars, are too complicated.

 

They simply require a little more dedication to learn how to fix.

 

And more capital.. I went to automotive class long enough to know that there are some issues that require a 3 to 10 thousand dollar diagnostics computer to resolve. You might be able to get away without by doing a shoot and miss repair method.. sometimes not, depends on what's wrong.
I'm sure the same is true with trucks.

 

This is why since I'm considering becoming a O/O I would buy or lease New with a fully warranty on the engine and transmission for 5 years even if I pay some extra. Currently driving a old 2012 Volvo in the city at my day job and from the faring to even some minor issues the truck is written up one a week for something. I'm not driving the truck hard but it's the age and regular wear & tear. With 578,200 km (359,235 miles) multiple drivers before me being a day cab throughout the city it's going to maybe reach 900k km (559,170 miles) before it going to the junk yard. And comparing that to a Bunk truck for long haul it's a 1.1 Million km (683,430 Miles) equivalent. IMO with a payment of $750/weekly for 260 weeks and less problems it pays for it self and less headaches knowing the loads will make it to its destination. For quality and dependability you have to pay.

 

Most diagnostics these days can be done with an OBD scan tool for about $600. Tho trucks tend to have a lock out code to keep drivers from tampering with the settings. You can google the code to unlock the ECM. Also there are laptop interfaces that can be purchased.

As a business owner. The headache that comes with older equipment, especially with class 8 trucks will be metal fatigue. You cant see it short of doing a magna flux on the frame. The wiring in older trucks from the millions of miles driven may give you headaches as well. As the truck has bounced down the roads from the millions of miles. Wiring becomes brittle and will seperate in the wire casing. You will think you have what ever circuit repaired. Then go down the road and a crack in the road will seperate what ever break again and undo what ever repair you might have tried to repair.

An average truck is good for 2 million miles. There after to get away from the wiring gremlins, people will get truck gliders.

 

If your on youtube. You might want to watch the vids from twinstick garage and Ezrider92356. They both recently did restorations on older iron.

 

You can break these newer truck to make them work properly.

 

I once ran a 87 Pete with a mechanical 425 cat, 15 speed double over.. It’d out pull and out run any truck with a 475 at that time.
500 Detroit’s didn’t stand a chance against it.

 

I just heard on radio Cummins stopped making or very hard to get a ECM for the N14 engine. Even if you buy a rebuilt N14 from Cummins it come with I think they said M11 ECM. Detroit hear Detroit has trouble with pistons for the S60 not being balance correct. . You had company like Fitzgerald glider kits. That rebuilt engines themselves did really bad jobs. It sounds like getting part for older engine is getting more difficult today.