I have a Cat 246 with a 3034 Turbo. I bought with a bad engine...rod threw the block. I am finding this is an expensive reman. Any know of another engine I could get adapted to fit in this machine? The machine is an '02.
I don't know If that has a perkins in it or a cat. Which is the same thing. I would say a deere 4024 or 4045 but thats a whole nother can of worms.You can tune them to just about any level of performance. And yes I have saw deere engines in cats and liebherrs before.
JT. A Mitsupillar 3044C engine is the best option.
I agree, the Mitsubishi made 3044C would be a great engine. I would suggest avoiding the Perkins.
Thanks....Yes it is a Perkins. Is the 3044 a popular engine? And would you know what I would need to convert to that engine?
The 3044C is the stock engine for the 246B/248B.
Thanks for the help does anyone know of anywhere to get a used or rebuilt skidloader engine here in the U.S.?
Just curious why would you say avoid the perkins? Maybe its different with there smaller motors but we have a massey Ferguson 1100 it has a perkins in it and i love that motor. good power starts good in winter and there some of the most fuel efficient diesels. at least in tractors
Ditto
The 3024 CT which is made by Perkins is know to have problems with their head gaskets (blown) and with the engine oil pick up tube (low/no oil pressure). Some guys have been dusting them but that is more related to the fact that the intake clamps and intake boot are not properly fitted, so that doesn't necessarily mean the engine is a bad design just poorly assembled from the factory. Not related to failure but FYI, compared to the 3044 DIT (Mitsubishi) the Perkins makes about 11 net horsepower less. Anyways, those are my thoughts and feelings regarding that particular Perkins. I have nothing against Perkins engines or Cat machines.
Ok thanks for the information I know there are several perkins dealers in my area. but i don't think i've seen a mitsubishi dealer around thought
Don't look for it as a Mitsy, it will be called a Cat.
I've decided to go with the 3024t,mostly due to price and availability of it. Can anyone elaborate on the oiling issue mentioned with the 3024, and is there anything I can do about it before installing the motor. Thanks for all the input,all opinions are appreciated.
The first Cat skid I ran was a 226 (226A) with the perkapillar 3024.....that machine went past 8000 hrs before the hour meter failed..and was traded to another guy who still uses it daily. It never had a problem. I have the C2.2.(basically a 3024) in the 226BII I have now and it seems a very good engine. I have never heard of any common failures with the 3024 and we have had a number down on the farm (Massey Fergusons). I think you will find the 246 somewhat underpowered though...I could be wrong but I say this on the basis of having owned a 246B and a 248B both with the 3044 engine at around 80 Hp and they were brilliant. The 248B had more hydraulic grunt than was useable.
just finished installing the new 3024t last night and gave it a test run. so far everything looks good, and sounds good, I am very impressed with how quiet it is. As far as power goes I am happy with it. I bought the machine not running so I'm not sure how the motors compare, but it seems to load the bucket and raise it with minimal effort. I like the joystick controls just not used to them yet, I always ran a case at work. I think it will serve me well.
The 3024 isn't a bad engine if it's been updated. The headgaskets have been updated which were blowing it the same place on all of them. The oil pickup tube was getting sucked up into the block and blocking off the oil going to the pump, the update was basically a washer brazed to it so it couldn't get sucked the oil passage to the pump. Good luck to you.
would my 3024 be an updated version since i purchased it new, is this something the factory did. if so when did they begin doing this. is it possible mine could be old stock that wasnt updated. thanks for the info.
It depends if it was from older stock. Was your engine specifically from/for a Cat skid steer?. The update (for skid steers) included an increased size in the sump pan. If you can get a hold of a parts manual you should be able to check but otherwise ask a switched on spare parts guy at your Cat dealer.
I'm glad to hear you were able to get your problem resolved, can I ask what you had to pay for the new engine and was it reman, new or used?
I wanted to agree with this. There was a problem and it has been updated on later model machines. There seemed to be the most problems with 05-06 year models small frame machines. Anyone who is having this issue with a Cat unit they purchased direct from their dealer new, should have gotten a letter asking it to be brought in for update on the "B" series machines. The 246 "A" had the older series Perkins engine, I'd be interested to know how many hours your engine had when it failed. The "A" series machines have been bulletproof in my opinion. There were some problems on many of CAT's early "B" series machines (Track and Tire units) that were related to their business growing much faster than they anticipated and the engineering had not had a chance to catch up with demand. In my opinion they rushed the "B" series to market in the construction boom earlier this decade. I had been on a factory tour of their plant in NC after the introduction of their "B2" and "C" series and I can tell you that they have put an emphasis on "quality" more so than ever. I have close friends who work for a local dealer that has been astonished at the reduction in warranty repairs and overall improvements in the "B2" and "C" series machines. The new "B2" machines were all engineered with the updates mentioned above. If you own a used unit second hand or more you might want to call your dealer and ask them if your serial number was due for an update. Some of the update timeframes have expired but if you have a relationship with the dealership, I'd think they would want to try and help.
Nice info there, I paid $4300 for the engine and it was new not a reman. The machine had 1736 hours on it when it failed, thats about all I know. Like I said before I bought it that way so I really dont have any other info
I am in need of one of these engines for an ASV RC-60. Where did you get it?
If you are in need of the 3024T I bought mine from a guy in Minnesota. Tim at JT Services 651-429-9012. He was very friendly and informative. Hope this helps.
Amazing. I just got off the phone with them. I found them on the web about 15 minutes ago. They have several of these. The price is a little higher now, $4550. Still the best I've found by far. Thanks for the info. I assume you've had no problems with yours so far, right?
I did not have any trouble with it while I had it. I sold the machine last fall after putting about 100 hrs on it. I would have liked to keep it but I got my yard in and needed the money. It was a very quiet and smooth running engine I was very pleased with it.
do you have this listed on craigs list
Do you mean the skidloader or the engine? I sold the skidloader about two years ago but I still have some parts from the 3034T engine that was orignally in the skidloader. If you are interested in engine parts let me know I am willing to sell them. Thanks
I'm interested in the 3034T parts if you still have them.
Sorry I scraped all the parts I had left this summer.
What are you looking for we have rebuilt a few of ours through the years I may have something laying around. We also had one throw a rod if I remember right it was due oil pump failure Pj
Hey guys. I'm new here. I just bought a cat 246. It's got the cat 3034 engine. The vin is 5sz00377. It's an older machine, I'm guessing 2000 model give or take. Anyone know how I can pinpoint the year model? It seems to run good, but I wanna service it before I run it much. Atleast an oil&filter change, air filter change. Anything else y'all would recommend servicing before putting her to work? Thanks
That's a very early 246. It dates from mid-1999. The best investment you can make if you don't have one already is to buy an Operation & Maintenance Manual. These guys will do you a genuine Cat manual for $35 on CD or $45 on paper. For an additional $70 you can get a Parts Manual on CD. https://servicemanualpro.com/?page=Products&searchbox=5SZ00377
I'd recommend you try to determine whether the engine was manufactured in China or not. If it was, you might consider replacing the oil pump housing. They are prone to breaking resulting in an instant loss of oil pressure accompanied by rod #4 attempting to exit the crankcase. If that happens parts alone will cost around $10,000, plus $2500 to $3000 to have the engine swapped. I once found a website that explained how to decode the engine serial number but no longer have the address.
Thanks nige. I ve got that manual on the way.
Man that sounds scary steve. I will look in to it. Do you think that's prone to happen after a certain amount of hours? Mine has 2500.
Mine let go at between 1200 and 1300 hours. I don't know if that's typical or if it happens randomly. I posted a full thread on it and I've seen several other threads here about it too. In 2010 when mine blew a rebuilt engine was over $9000. I can't imagine they've come down in price.