Hello all! I’m looking at a truck with one of these. Do they have wet sleeves? Engine has some blowby and I’m wondering about the prospect of an inframe. Thanks in advance.
Not really one you can in-frame. It’s a machine shop or swap. Hence the name throwaway motor. Unless it’s cheap run far and run fast. Last one I had a hand in was $10k.
We have one in our service truck and it's a good engine. 250k & runs great.
Count me as one of the ones that hate them. Like anything they can run a long time but they are prone to some extremely expensive problems. And not very fun to drive, either.
They seem to do fine until 300-350k depending on how they’re maintained. Not a powerhouse by any means.
I've seen them go at less than 100k. I think they do not like our hills. You have to run them at max RPM up and down and they don't like it if you let it run away downhill even a little bit. Also the HEUI pump likes to shell out inside the engine and nobody wants to do what it takes to really clean out the shards. I learned on Adept Ape channel that Cat just released an updated injector of all things after all these years but the screen is in the wrong spot and too little too late I think.
It is definitely not a Powerhouse by any means. You need to add a pack brake also if you have it in a truck.
we have a c7 acert in an 2005 Freightliner. Just getting to 275K miles and about 10,000 hours. No problems (yet) but I am waiting and have been told to expect them. People have told me to change oil at 5k intervals and keep the fuel clean (true of any engine) but that helps them avoid problems. we are sampling oil and last change was 7,500 miles and lab said oil was ok.
Well just posting an update back. My C7 acert now has 450K miles and is now "mostly" inoperable. We found metal bits when changing the oil and have low compression on one cylinder. She smokes like a train when you fire it up and sputters when you mash the peddle. Had a quote to replace with jasper motor for 25k. No thanks. Looking for other options or opinions. Not sure what to do with the truck because everything else is working order. Even got the cab cleaned up real nice a few months back. Any suggestions? Scrap it?
This is always the end result when kept too long---everything has a expiration date. Twenty year old truck with the rest of drivetrain in question at that mileage. Install a fresh engine producing full hp & torque, next item is transmission. Plus suspension is getting tired. * Other's will cringe at the thought of scraping, what's one worth running then add 25K. IMO---------------------------------------------------------------The Snip-pinch it where it hurts. * Devo--Snip it-Snip it Good--Snip it into Shape.
https://www.copart.com/lot/66437034/clean-title-2006-freightliner-chassis-x-line-motor-home-ar-fayetteville Look at the auction for a cheap donor
Used motors are available at $3-6,000. Out of buses, RV's, and military surplus.
Yes there are used--has any been dyno tested--why of coarse not--why do people go to Vegas--to gamble of coarse--------.
Have thought about a used motor but it's really a gamble like truck shop said. I think especially with these blocks which cannot be inflamed. I did see a couple c7's at DEX heavy duty parts with 250-350K miles. for about $2,000. Not sure about this because the HEUI pumps on these motors are also notorious for crapping out and ruining injectors. Luckily when the pump went out on our original motor we caught the issue immediately. I think the HEUI pumps are now $2,500 just to buy and CAT has to "reprogram" after so good luck doing that in the backyard.
Everything else works, I wouldn't be a bit afraid of buying a used motor for it. Yours made it to 450,000. Your choices are -spending $30,000 on a different used truck with a different set of problems ( and throwing away any value of your current truck) , $25,000 for a reman, or $3,000 for a junkyard runner and a truck you know? I don't care if it's been dyno'ed or not , if it's got oil pressure, the used engine is going in.
CO has an interesting idea, if they are so cheap used, you could do it. How much trouble is it for the OP owner to swing in an engine though? Do you have a crane or other equipment to do the job? And how much configuration change would be required to make the salvage engine fit the application? I'm sure the parts and labor would be worth a lot more than the engine itself, in this job.
The C7 has a history that is not necessarily a good one, if it was a 8.3 there probably wouldn't be much of a issue. But a engine that has a terrible history with it's fuel injection system is totally another. It's a complete roll of the dice and hope they don't come up snake eyes. * But you guys know definitely more about engines than I do----so carry on.
I've usually rolled the dice and taken my chances, because my pockets have never been deep enough to do it any other way. I've been burned once on a used motor, but all the other ones have worked. Win some, lose some. I can live with that. The guys that can't live with taking a few chances, are better off working for someone else who pays the bills. Just from personal experience, I own two 3126's/c7's, two ISL (bored out 8.3's), and had two older 8.3's. Somehow, the little cat's have done just as much as the cummins, with neglected maintenance, way too much idling, and being asked to drag around 60,000lbs. With similar operating costs. How? I've probably just been lucky, because they aren't known as a great powerplant. I sure thought I was going to have more problems with the little cat's than I have. But if the cat's go down, they are probably getting a used engine, and the cummins will get rebuilt. The little cat's aren't as cost effective to rebuild, especially with the availability of used, compared to the cummins.
Like I said you know more about this business than I do---.
The electric utility I worked for had a C7 Acert in a Freightliner M2 6x6 with a very heavy Altec A77 aerial unit and a steel service body. It was very under powered. It was working 650 miles north of here and when the finished and were going to head home it developed a miss. They decided to drive it home on five cylinders and actually made it. turned out it broke a valve bridge. Replaced the bridge and it ran as good as new but started using quite a bit of oil afterwards.
Is a truck with a Cummins 8.3 the best choice in this area? I have a flat bed single axle with a running hate.2 that is getting very long in the tooth. I need the truck for about 1,000 miles/year. I hope to find a replacement before spring.
Probably anything is better than the old fuel pincher.... 8.3 or M11 would probably be my preferences in that category. If you don't have much for weight, maybe a dt466.