Witch engine is most reliable

Looking at getting a tri or quad axle dump truck they all have 500k or more miles price range from 30-60k need opinions on witch motor is the most reliable and the easiest/cheapest to fix..
The big cam 400
The 3406 it didn't have the E on the end.
Or the c12.
Any help would be great it's getting to spring and I'd like to get this business up and running.im not worried about speed or none of that just reliable.everything I'm looking at has no emissions or def.hell with that junk it's just another headache

"Witch" engine? Probably the broom- powered engine.. I know, some days I am just a smart a$$.

Anything Pre T3 or 4 will be High Miles and likely due for full rebuild. Get into the T3&4 engines then a NEW can of worms with Emissions components and indeterminate time lines between fails, more engine wear/time in service and worse likely to Fault fail on sensors or Cartridges in Emissions systems.

mike zickefoose said:

Eat sh$t

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Some of us on here are old hecklers just joking, Mowingman was just joking that's all.
Don't tell him to eat sh!t. Others on here will say the same.

Yes we will

Another issue been tagged a few times on here is the Older engines parts become a Issue. Some manufacturers are discontinuing model line parts supplies so they become a pays your money takes your chances game. Pre BC II Cummins are scarce in inventories, Detroit Two Stroke pieces are almost all Second rate aftermarket. Even the Cat pre E engine parts get really hard to come by for certain models.

LOL! Why do I always miss the good stuff?

Most reliable engine.....Detroit 6-71 TI.

Now sitting back with my popcorn and a Coke...

12.7 dd.

Yamaha XS650, abused one for 15 to 20 years riding 1 mile one way to work year round and at the most changed oil half a dozen times!

Now if talking Diesels how about a K19 Cummins? There is one in a Komatsu WA600 that was new in October 1996 and last I talked to the current mechanic at the quarry it is still running, machine is semiretired but still used semi-regularly when needed when another machine is down for service or repairs.

Only major work to that engine while I was there was when it broke a valve spring in 2012 at just short of 24,000 hours. Pulled the heads and had them rebuilt and reassembled as injectors had 12,000 hours on them they were rebuilt at that time.

kshansen said:

Now if talking Diesels

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A grain company we did outside work for had a 98 KW T800 {6TS 3406 with 37,000 hrs and 1 million on it}.
It ran for another year before a ELECTRICAL fire burned it to the ground. Plus that engine only lost
one cam position sensor, the ecm and all other sensors were original along with injectors. Original
main and rod bearings. adjusted the valves twice. Born under a lucky star. Pulled 105,500 every day.

There are countless 12.7 liters that have well over a million miles with original head gasket.

Gas engine----------When I worked for a towing company years ago after so many abandon cars would
collect a brick party was in order. Mechanics from other shops would show up and bet.
Two 445 buicks-both ran less that 30 seconds before through the pan. 440 dodge made it over a minute.
Never had a big block chevy make it more that a minute, best small block chevy 2.5 minutes floating the
valves, small block dodge almost four minutes. big block ford 429/460 just over 1.5 minutes.

Best V8 without a doubt----351 Cleveland 2BB with a 135,000 miles. ran wide open semi floating valves
till it ran out of gas which was about 5 minutes. Added more gas fired back up ran another 4 minutes,
shut it down/cut the belt fired back up. Ran another 6 minutes manifolds were glowing cherry red ignited
the spark plug boots. Never threw a rod or seized-lost ring tension and sputtered to a stop.

Take that cheeby.

mike zickefoose said:

Looking at getting a tri or quad axle dump truck they all have 500k or more miles price range from 30-60k need opinions on witch motor is the most reliable and the easiest/cheapest to fix..
The big cam 400
The 3406 it didn't have the E on the end.
Or the c12.
Any help would be great it's getting to spring and I'd like to get this business up and running.im not worried about speed or none of that just reliable.everything I'm looking at has no emissions or def.hell with that junk it's just another headache

Click to expand...

Personally I do not have any issue with any of these engines, I would also be concerned with what chassis they were in, for instance I would take a T800Kw with a c12 over a Sterling with a 3406 Cat. Also with a dump truck the suspension/transmission/front axle/rear axle rating can be as important as the engine choice.

2 are internationals and 1 is a peterbilt

I have no issues with them either, just locate parts readily for them is my point, getting harder by the month. Buddy of mine is still in the Independent Repair Business, also MY age and fraught with same Arthritis and old age maladies, has had Several engines, primarily 1970s vintage could not adequately or Timely acquire parts, ended up convincing owners to do full engine swaps to something later. Cannot have machines taking up space in extended storage in a working shop and expect to not lose some income.

mike zickefoose said:

2 are internationals and 1 is a peterbilt

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Still need more info to give an opinion on the question.

1 international has the big cam 400 with 2 drop axles and a eaton 8ll trans the other international just has 1 drop axle and the 8ll trans with the 3406.and the peterbilt has 1 drop axle and the 8ll trans with the c12 under the hood the price is between 30-50k with 500k-625 miles

As others have already mentioned, for a dump truck what suspension setup is underneath it is probably just as important as what's under the hood and the rest of the power train.
There seems to be two schools of thought. First, something steel such as Hendricksen or similar.
Second is that a truck that originally left the OEM built as a dump truck with factory-installed air suspension is acceptable.
What everyone seems to agree on is that an on-highway tractor built with air suspension then converted in later life to become a dump truck is not the way to go.

You can check out this thread for more details. There are some other links posted within that thread that are also worthwile you taking the time to read.
https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/threads/newer-air-ride-dump-trucks-in-rough-terrain.93406/

Sterling parts availability is going to vary depending on location, there is a TON of sterlings still around here, the place that use to be the dealer still has lots of parts for them, I got stuff from them for my 88 Ford. Regardless of your choice if you're buying a older dump truck I doubt you are going to be spending the coin on OEM parts, for my Western star a new window crank handle is $250, you'll go broke if you try to replace a bunch of that stuff. Different if it's a brand new truck, but I would be more looking for used parts availability for things like that, or just fabbing something up to make it work.

I don't think any of those are a bad choice, I would more be looking at suspension as said, and overall condition, asking price, etc to decide which is the better way to go. Also maybe one has had a long time owner that you know has looked after it, that's a big factor. It is worth looking at axles too, being hard to find it cost me $1000 for a set of front drums for my WS, little things like that can make a difference in what it costs to maintain.

I wouldn't trade my 3406B for any other engine though, never given me any problems, great power and mileage.