Shopping for pre-ELD truck: getting inspection

Google engine shops near the truck you find is your best place to start. In my opinion I would try a shop with a Dyno near the tractor that works on that type of motor. I feel a few hundred for a dyno and thorough DOT style inspection is worth the money. It gives you bargaining power to negotiate the price down depending on what the shop finds. If you call them ahead of time and schedule a flexible appointment some shops will work with you.

 

Price is pretty important at that age . Almost everything will need something done to it. I drive a 2003 to get away from emission problems . Truck is very well maintained and lots of preventative work done to it. I still have the odd issue on the road though but the same could occur on a newer model. The great thing is any diesel mechanic can fix my small issues. PS boss couldn’t believe it when I wanted into this truck when I was driving a 2018 . Best move I’ve made since selling mine 3 years ago.

 

In this day and age, I find your post unsettling, wide open for crooks. Make is of personal choice, they all do the same thing, but if you are looking for pre-eld, (2005?) that's a different story. I go for Pete or KW, for resale, but the best thing, is to buy one from a driver that is hanging it up, had the truck for years, and can tell you everything they did to it. A dealer is always going to gouge you, they have to, it's how they stay in business. What you want is a double edged deal. Since you know nothing about trucks, a pre-eld truck will need more service than a newer one, generally, and just be ready for that if you can't do it yourself. I'm not really sure who you'd ask today about a truck. I know there are folks that will check out a classic car for a price, maybe a mechanic would do that on the side. With liability today, good luck.

 

I wouldn’t even waste time/money bringing someone, you buy old trucks knowing they need a motor/work

everyone wants a pre emissions pre elog truck until it’s time to either wrench or spend money on said pre emissions pre elog truck

I just called KW a few weeks ago for my uncles 1976 w900, after they got done laughing at still owning a 1976 truck they told me parts were in stock and on the way

 

In practice, the idea of buying a pre emission truck for less than $20k and hoping it will produce quick returns on investment is irrational for someone without mechanical know- how. Even if you are knowledgeable, you still need an available garage place to work on it ever week, almost every trip. There is an endless "things to do list" and relying on the shop to knock the items out would be too costly.
Besides, shops may not be willing to undertake all those little jobs for they require too much attention and detailed work, absorbing too much worker's time in figuring out this and that, while more profitable jobs would need to be passed on because that old truck is still taking up the floor space.
It is all right for someone who is a mechanic and has a hangar on his backyard and likes wrenching.

 

I have found Truckpaper.com to be the easiest site to search for exactly what you are looking for. I agree with your desire to have a Pre Emissions” 2002-2003 and older (EGR style emissions started in late 2002 to early 2003 depending on motor) which is exactly why I built a Glider. If you look enough you can find exactly what you want. When you do have issues you won’t be spending 4-5 weeks in a shop with them throwing parts at a system they often aren’t fully familiar with. Talk to an owner operator who has an emissions vehicle that started experiencing EGR, DPF or other emission related issues. It is a rarity when the shop fully repaired the problem first try. Some people confuse PreELD and Pre Electronic motors. Electronic diesel motors that can communicate with an ELD have been around since the early 90’s or before. While my 1996 Pre EGR, motor is not legally required to run an ELD it can and does because the carrier I choose to lease to requires it to be lease to them.

 

It’s a lot easier to go through a truck sitting in the yard that doesn’t have a $2000+ a month insurance premium and $1800 in plates that are a few weeks old on it... you are either going to pay top dollar for a full resto or ~12k for a truck that needs a full resto, hoping for the best and throwing parts at it is going to get expensive quick

I believe Mack was the only one still offering a mechanical into the late 90s but the early pin ecms can’t handle the elog either