3126 Catarpillar engine ?
- Thread starter david11
- Start date
The Fuller 6 speed should be ok but i don!t know about the Cat.This engine doesn!t seem to hold up over the long haul,400,000 miles and it needs an overhaul or replacement..There is a moderator on this site named Weave who knows his engines and he can probably give you more useful information..make sure you get any maintenance records on the Cat..Curious ,if you can tell,what is the asking price for the truck??
I own a 2000 FL70 with a 250 hp cat 3126B and a eaton/fuller 6 speed tranny. I have 98000 on mine and no major problems yet. Had a high presure hose go bad but the warrenty took care of it. This engine and the rest of the small diesel engines don't last as long as the big rig engines. With good care, should last you 500000. I was told cat warrenties are non transferable so I would contact cat for verification and get it in writing if it is transferable. If you cannot get maintanence recorded showing oil changes at proper intervals, don't bother with the truck. You might also ask for a oil sample from the engine, tranny and rear end. This will give you information on ware and tare on those components. What size is the sleeper? Mine is the 26in flat top (right behind the seat). Its a legal sleeper but if yours is like this and you plan on staying out more than a week, it gets mighty cramped in there. You might want to look at a truck with a bigger sleeper. I am having a sleeper added on mine (bigger bunk) since I am getting ready to go out for a couple weeks at a time. I know were you can get a FL80 with a full sleeper for 39000 if your interested. Its in souther minnesota. Let me know. Good luck
Randy
Randy
Well, Weave told me so and now I'm searching for the check book.
My recently purchased 1998 FL70 with Eaton 6 speed and Cat 3126 went in for an oil change today at 386,000+ miles. When the oil drain plug was pulled, we found a 1/4" hardened washer (with that distinct Catapiller paint) on the side of the drain plug. What are those other pieces of metal that came out with the oil?
I can't wait to find out the "rest of the story".
There is a God afterall.
Took the washer into Catapillar (Novi) and the mechanic looked at it and said it was from the valve cover (painted on one side). Apparently it had fallen into the engine when someone did work on the prior to my purchasing the truck. There were no marks on the washer, so it did not get pushed into the moving parts. No other evidence of problems were noted. The engine went 8,000 miles between oil changes
and used very little oil (@ 1+ qts.).
The mechanic supported what Weave has said. That this is @ a 400,000
engine and is usually best to replace, than to try and rebuild. Labor on the possible rebuild would be about the same as a new engine. He also said that it is really touchy about clean oil and for my kind of driving (mostly local & less than 10,000 lbs of cargo) I should change the oil about every 6,000 miles.
My recently purchased 1998 FL70 with Eaton 6 speed and Cat 3126 went in for an oil change today at 386,000+ miles. When the oil drain plug was pulled, we found a 1/4" hardened washer (with that distinct Catapiller paint) on the side of the drain plug. What are those other pieces of metal that came out with the oil?
I can't wait to find out the "rest of the story".
There is a God afterall.
Took the washer into Catapillar (Novi) and the mechanic looked at it and said it was from the valve cover (painted on one side). Apparently it had fallen into the engine when someone did work on the prior to my purchasing the truck. There were no marks on the washer, so it did not get pushed into the moving parts. No other evidence of problems were noted. The engine went 8,000 miles between oil changes
and used very little oil (@ 1+ qts.).
The mechanic supported what Weave has said. That this is @ a 400,000
engine and is usually best to replace, than to try and rebuild. Labor on the possible rebuild would be about the same as a new engine. He also said that it is really touchy about clean oil and for my kind of driving (mostly local & less than 10,000 lbs of cargo) I should change the oil about every 6,000 miles.
Do you have a deep or shallow oil pan? I have a deep on mine and the book says change oil every 15000 but I still change mine at 10000. I know your breathing a little easier now knowing no problems from that washer. As far as 400000 before another engine, If properly taken care of, you can get more out of the engine.
Randy
Randy
I have been wondering if there are people out there with Cat 3126 engines that have taken them to 5 or 600,000 or more miles before rebuilding/replacing the engine. I know that this engine has had a new cam and new injectors. We ran a blow by test and it performed very well. Like is mentioned earlier, it does not use any appreciable amount of oil.
Thanks
Thanks
i had a 1997 fl70 w/3126 cat. broke a cam at 250,000. other than that no major problems. sold the truck at 480,000 and it still ran fine, but was starting to use oil, about 3 gallons in between every oil change. good luck with your decision.
No trouble with the Eaton 6 speed, but I would avoid the CAT 3126. If it's an FL70 you want (God help you! Buy something else! take it from the man who owns one), you will have no trouble finding a late model one with the Cummins ISC 8.3, which is an awesome engine, no comparison to the 3126 CAT. Shouldn't cost you too much more either as it is definitely a buyers market for expediter trucks now. The Pete 330 and KW T300 use Cummins ISC's now. It's powerful, quiet, and wet-sleeved for in frame rebuildability- really making a name for itself now in OTR coach busses. I would consider the ISC a small displacement "big truck" engine- it has all the same credentials.
If you get an FL70 with ISC, you'll have a great engine in a crappy truck, but it will last you a good deal of miles.
-Weave-
If you get an FL70 with ISC, you'll have a great engine in a crappy truck, but it will last you a good deal of miles.
-Weave-
BOBBYSGIRL
Expert Expediter
I'LL TELL YOU WHAT WE'VE DRIVEN A FL70, A FL80, A CENTURY CLASS STRAIGHT TRUCK AND NOW WERE DRIVING A KENWORTH T2000. THE T 2000 IS THE BEST TRUCK WE HAVE EVER DRIVEN. I WOULD NEVER GO BACK TO A CLASS 7 TRUCK. WE GET 12 TO 13 MILES TO THE GALLON. WE HAVE PLENTY OF PICK UP AND GO. WE CAN DO 70 MPH UP ANY MOUNTAIN AS LONG AS ITS NOT TO CURVY.THOSE CLASS SEVEN TRUCKS CAN'T COMPARE I WOULDN'T WASTE MY MONEY IF I WAS YOU. YOU COULD GET A USED TRACKOR AND STRETCH THE FRAME AND HAVE A LOT BETTER TRUCK. BUT THAT IS MY OPINION.SO TAKE IT AS YOU MAY. IT COST THE SAME TO GET AN OIL CHANGE.LIKE I SAID THATS MY OPINON.
BOBBYSGIRL
Expert Expediter
OK ITS A 1999 T2000 IT HAS A C 10 325 HP (I THINK THATS RIGHT).THE TRANS. IS AN 8 SPEED EATON FULLER. WE TALKED TO A COUPLE WHO HAS A 2001 AND THEY HAVE 10 SPEED AUTOMATIC AND THEY LOVE IT. I DO KNOW YOU CAN BYE ONE AND HAVE IT ALL SET UP FOR LESS THAN 100GS FOR A BRAND NEW ONE AND I'D GUESS A LOT LESS FOR A USED ONE. THIS IS ALSO A 10 YEAR TRUCK. THE CLASS 7 TRUCKS ONLYS LAST A FEW YEARS UNTIL THEY NEED TO BE REBUILT.
I had the small cat in myt last truck. At about 300,000 an injector cup let go, and i had them all replaced to the tune of about $2000..not to mention the loss of load i was on, and the down time. Before that the only engine i ever ran was a cummins, with little problem. I kept the cat well maintained. No more small cats for me.