To buy or not to buy

I'd much rather have an ISX, having had such good luck with them in company trucks over the years, and tend to agree with your sentiments on Cats by and large. However, I've found a decent '04 379 Pete with one of those "emissions bridge" motors in it - a 435hp twin turbo c15 Cat. Truck has 670K on the clock with maintinence records oil changes every 20k that sort of thing. I know where the company that had the truck runs, regionally, and it's a solo outfit. So to my way of thinking - with the amount miles on this truck - it hasn't had any major downtime since new and probably still good for another 300K miles or more. I know an owner operator at my company running an early twin turbo c-15 with 850K on the clock and he likes the motor saying it's never given him any major problems. On the other hand I've heard way too many complaints about this particular engine. I find myself wondering if I should wait until I see a decent company spec'd 379 with an ISX or take a chance on this truck. If the cat bites the dust I could always get a crate ISX couldn't I? Can you chnage motors like that legally or do states have laws against it?

 

You can indeed get a crate engine or even another engine (preferably a pre-egr), rebuild it and put it in even a brand new '09 chassis and cab. You can, say, have a '06 tractor with an '06 engine, yank the engine and put in a rebuilt '98 engine. Perfectly legal to title. Of course, CARB issues will eventually hit you, but when that time comes just stay out of California and there will be no problem. Those laws won't effect you till 2014 anyway. If someone was going this route, the top engine for fuel mileage would be the 12.7 DDEC4 engine. I have been around some darn good pre emission N-14's also. There were some really good pre emission CAT engines.

Unlike autos, the emission standard is tied to the engine and NOT the truck. Right now, you can get a brand new Freightliner Columbia or Coronado (and I know Pete has one, not sure which model), minus the engine and drive train, and put whatever you want in it. Likewise, you can put whatever engine you want in a used truck you buy. I plan on getting a good old DD or Cummins engine, rebuild it, and replace the ISX in my '06 International when the time comes.

 

Thanks for the info it makes sense - for some reason my brain froze and I forgot all about glider kit trucks. Anyhow, as long as the price is right, I think I might take a chance on this truck and see how the motor works out. With regards to California that place needs to do us all a favor and sink into the Pacific. I dont go there anymore and never will again.