I'm working on a small project trying to get a feel for the cost or rebuilding in trucks now days. I'm looking at a 2005 Pete 378 with a 3406E and I believe an eighteen speed transmission. I know I'm out of date on cost to rebuild each plus a new clutch and resurface on the flywheel. Can anyone out there give a ball park for a rebuild before failure? Thanks in advance!
Most of the truck parts places don't want to "rebuild" your transmission. They will "exchange" for a already reman trans, and send yours to the rebuilders for the next guy. Last 13 speed I had quoted was $3,500. I think a 18 would probably be another $500 or so. Someone who buys a lot of parts will get a little better deal. The clutch/ flywheel would be around $1,000- flywheels aren't that expensive if yours is really worn down. A guy I know- his dad just had Cat do a reman on a dump truck 3406, I think he said the cost was around $20,000, but I do not know what all they did and what kind of warranty they gave with that. I don't know if it was just a inframe pistons, rods and bearings, crank grind, injectors, etc. etc. etc. I can find out more if you want? I don't think the Cat man would be the cheapest reman option.
Thanks for the quick reply crane operator. I kind of had that in my thoughts but was scared a bit from some of the horror stories of $40,000 rebuilds just on engines coming out of the local Cat house. My recall from when I was rebuilding engines was about 120 hours with a removal, full teardown and rebuild and reinstall for a motor that size. At today's labor rate of $145 and hour that would put labor at $17,400 and then parts. I have personally seen $5,000 of machine work put into the components as well. Does worst case sound right at about $35,000 from the fan to the output of the transmission?
I would say that’s close short of finding something major wrong inside the motor. That should get a Cat rebuild with head, injectors etc for a really good warranty.
That would be more than I would want to spend on engine/ trans. right off the bat, but if you really wanted to know what you had, and have to have warranty, I could see that being a good figure. I'm sure labor costs on the coast are much more than here in the midwest. I guess if you went that far, a set of reman diff's and then wheel bearings/ brakes and drums in the rear would be on my list. I tend to buy things run them and fix what breaks. Actually, I tend to buy them already broken, so its no big surprise on what I need to start with fixing.
I remember when we could do the fanciest in frame imaginable on a 3406 for less than $10,000. I guess those days are over. We also used to rebuild transmissions. Did it all the time.
I know what you mean about costs from years ago. I bought a reman 3406 for a drill with a years warranty back in 1989 for about $8,000 from the dealer. I had a guy working for us that had been to the school for the Fullers and also had all the special assembly tools. Kit and labor were less than $1,000 in those days. The assignment is to build numbers that would forgo replacing units with new until the pollution controls start to resolve all the down time and costs. What do drop in diffs run now? We used to rebuild those pretty economically and exchanges were inexpensive as well.
There are a lot of exchange places that wouldn't be much over the $10,000 for a 3406. Here's a listing from ebay for a $12,500 exchange, 180 day warranty: https://www.ebay.com/itm/CATERPILLA...CK-REMANUFACTURED-EXCH-WARRANTY-/232138723669 $2,500-$3,500 on exchange for the diffs? Probably about like transmission exchange prices. Depends on who you trust to do it, and what kind of warranty you want with it.
We recently rebuilt a 3406b in house that needed a cam and the block cut, new head, injectors turbo and water pump. It was around 15,000 for parts and Cat to machine it in the truck at our shop. I didn't keep track of hours but it took about 3 weeks of getting to it when I could. We just had Cat rebuild a C-16 because I didn't have time that came in at about 51,000 instead of the 30,000 they figured because they had to pull it for the machine work it needed plus a bunch of other stuff. That was the most I have ever heard of for a rebuild, no remans available, the boss wasn't happy. The last Cat Platinum kit we bought for a 3406E was around 14,000. I believe an exchange 18 speed should be around 4,000 and rearends 2500 to 4000 depending on what they are.
It's real tough to estimate rebuilding and labor on large diesel engines until it's opened up. But I would guess $18,000 to $24,000, and would bet the block needs to be cut for liner shims. Most of the Series 60 14L run $17,000 to $22,000, the last one I did a year ago came in at $15,500 just for parts. The gear box really depends on who is doing it and whether they use aftermarket or genuine Eaton parts, plus just how good they are at rebuilding one. Several like to say they build a good gear box but it's not that common for shops to rebuild Eaton's anymore. Freightliner I believe is offering a hell of a deal right now on a reman plus a clutch included in the price. The problem with the gear box is the same as the engine until the top cover is removed you don't know what the front three gear sets look like. If the gears show pitting and the hard surfacing is mostly gone you my as well get a reman, the cost of the front three gear sets will put it in orbit on price. Figure a reman 18spd at $5,000 to $5,500. Eaton 404 front drop $2,100 rear $1,700 Rockwell 40-145 front $2,800 rear $1,850. Eaton 208925-25 2050 ftlb easy pedal clutch $770.00 SB200 clutch brake $24.00 6306 pilot bearing $9.63 lol. Usually you can figure $4,000 to 4,500 a cylinder on 6 cylinder=$24,000 to $27,000. Truck Shop
The exchange reman Meritor put in the Pete I was driving with intermediate shaft was almost $6500 through the shop labor and all. I can remember building them cheaper but the time to do them anymore is the detractor. Take up precious rapid turnover shop space, easier to step away to a rebuilder's warranty.
You hit on the big point I was considering. Yes it can be done in house but there are costs to doing that. Since this would be a front line unit, it has to be dependable and the time for the build has to be outside of everyday operations.
I did my RTO15615 a couple years back. Think it cost me around $1,500. That was bearings, seals, input shaft and 2 shift forks.