Truck Specs

You’re right. If you have the tools and knowledge. A lot of guys don’t have the tools it would take to yank an engine out of frame. Heck a lot of OO can’t even change their own oil these days. I know of a few.

 

The maximum torque band is around 1350-1650. I find best mpg’s running flat ground to be at 1375 RPMs, any lower mpg's go down. For all practical purposes 1500 RPMs, right about in the middle is ideal. Runs out best around 1550-1650. I’ll wind it up to 1700, before going up a hill, dropping Less gears. Overall seems to keep the average mpg’s higher. Detroit recommended lugging them down to 12 or 1250, but their main concern was mpg’s for fleets. I don’t see much benefit to Lugging it, though I catch myself doing it sometimes. You can get Better mpg’s by not using the cruise, not dropping a gear, and babying it to the top, that gets tiresome, but really works. Letting up on fuel, going up a hill, and adding going down. I do it often using the cruise, at one click, ( 1 mph) increments. Again it gets tiresome, but really works. I’d rather give up the mpg’s and hammer down. Same with repairs. One look under the hood, compared to an aero Truck. Everything is so much easier to access. Wether you do the work, or pay someone. The amount of Labor, which will be plenty on any old Truck will be less. Again something to weigh out.

 

About .5 better. That’s based on Werners fleet numbers in 2000, comparing they’re Centuries vs Classics. I think they had about 5000 Trucks at the time. Maybe 1/4 or 1/3 of the fleet water Classics. Interesting note. The most common Truck on the road in 2000-2001 was a white Freightliner Classic. That’s exactly what I had. It was due to Swift buying them, like others, trying to attract Drivers, and improve resale. Freightliner flossed the market so bad, soon Repos were everywhere. They had so many, they opened a factory to convert them to day cabs. Sold with new interiors, as refurbished Trucks. Yellow freight even bought some of them. First time they ever bought used Trucks. The factory was closed a few yrs back. Maybe 10, I’m not sure. They killed the market so bad, FLD120s were worthless, thousands of them went to Mexico. Selling for just a few thousand, 7k at best. Wish I had a fleet of them today. Lol

 

If you’ve ever put the chain on a bicycle, or Changed a flat tire, you can learn to do minor repairs. There’s a lot of info available here and on Utube. The first step is getting familiar with the engine parts that can be seen. I’ve learned more in the past 5 yrs myself, than the previous 15 yrs. that I’ve owned Detroit’s. Once you start learning it gets interesting. Always a puzzle to figure out. Even if you pay someone else, best to learn all you can. Avoiding bad Shop experiences as much as possible. Most of the maintenance is just common sense parts changing. Paying for every little thing, will prove costly on an old Truck. Defeating the purpose of having lower operating costs.

 

You’re a good bloke.

 

Well, @macher, I see the Trucks been sold. Did you buy it?