Cat 3406E Tired and Needs Replacement

[rshackleford]

I called Tractor and Equipment of Billings, Peterbilt of Billings, and Motorpower of Billings and all were in the same price range. These wetter all authorised Cat service centers.

The four year warranty ishonest but i am sure will require oil samples.

You can look up the platinum kit on Cat's web site to see what parts i am getting.

 

[forestroad]

As rshackleford replied, the quote is an honest one. I would check the fine print regarding the clutch as it may not be covered, however the 2" Dana Spicer unit should easily give you 4 years of trouble free service. Others are available at half the cost but I have found them to last half as long.

Caterpillar has always been more expensive then their competitors in N. America. I am told that excessive price increases in the heavy truck market in recent years are a result of U.S. emissions standards???????????? and CAT's introduction of the ACERT engine series. CAT has been slow in response to the excessive warranty and quality control issues that have become the namesake of these engines. This forced dealers to respond as they quickly became burried in warranty work which CAT was slow to pay for. Not 100% sure if this is true but it seems to explain why in these parts most CAT authorized repair shops other than the dealers have stopped doing any warranty repairs or stopped doing any CAT engine repair whatsoever.

One more word of caution. If you have reprogramed your ECM for more power some states require repair facilities to reprogram or remove and replace them, which of course you will be charged for!!!! California comes to mind.

 

[rshackleford]

The local cat dealer is simply overwhelmed by emissions warranty issues. My engine is older than that though.

 

[forestroad]

I run early E models as well, been very happy with both. Have had C models with no major problems as well. Both great engines, shame they were discontinued due to government mandated EXCESSIVE emission requirements. I understand early ISX Cummins have there own issues as well.

 

[tctractors]

The 3406 motor is still sold in the U.K. with a Perkins name to it, the C series engines are not common power units Europe wide and only realy get a look in with 1 truck builder,the breakers yards have plenty of these C series engines for sale?? Foden a name from the past used to fit as an option CAT motors, the best of the bunch was the 3406B rated at 450 hp, it was common to see on the backs of the cabs " 450 horses driven by a Donkey" I know in the U.S. the 3406 was often tricked up to poke out around 800hp, U.K. wise I think it was never taken past 650hp on a road going truck, the black smoke issue was to easy for our road inspectors and police to pick up on, no one in the U.K. would warranty any clutch for 2 years never mind 4 years, the 2" Dana clutch thing was my choice as a strong unit it might not be the clutch fitted??? I would love to know what you get for 20 large in the US it must be a new engine.

 

[rshackleford]

Look up the platinum kit on the cat website.

 

[Nige]

I think we are leaning towards having the Cat dealer overhaul. It will be about $20,000 with the rear main and clutch. This will also give us a 4 year unlimited miles warranty.

Just a thought. What will the Cat Dealer quote you for a complete Reman engine as opposed to rebuilding yours ..? That way your truck gets turned round a lot faster.

 

[rshackleford]

reman was $24k plus labor and clutch.

my bill on the rebuilt is up to $24k with seals, hoses, clutch, labor, ect.

 

[great lakes]

stay away from great lakes diesel! NOT a reputable shop.

Obviously, some of the comments posted here are troubling because they simply don't paint the proper picture of what Great Lakes Diesel is about. It should also be pointed out that of my endless line of customers, only one seems to complain. It started as a misunderstanding and has blown into a series of threads questioning my integrity, professionalism and workmanship, so much that I feel the need to defend my name. Did this customer have a turbo failure in Arizona? Yes, but I exhausted every possibility of making things right and nothing seemed to be good enough. The customer complained of how the truck ran and the black smoke, etc. After setting him up for 800 hp, I test drove the vehicle at the right RPM and it performed remarkably. I also switched turbos for him on three occasions to keep him happy, all at my cost, along the way renting him a car so he could go home. I then switched turbos again, once again at my own expense. It became clear to me--and is also clear from the comments from other drivers--that this customer doesn't yet have the skills to handle a vehicle like this properly. His second truck is still in my yard, and I haven't charged him a penny for storage. He's welcome to pick it up at any time, and I will give him a 5EK running engine for free, or build him a new 3406C engine. I'm an honest, professional business owner who runs a well-respected business, one that's been built on the principles, professionalism and know-how I've gained through decades in this industry. I invite any critics or prospective customers to visit my website, www.GreatLakesDieselEngine.net. In response to the comments posted about Great Lakes Diesel, I feel I have done all I can to satisfy this customer, and if there are feelings of ill will, I truly regret it. My record stands for itself, and every customer I've had--many of them professional drivers who have navigated this country's highways for decade after decade, will attest to the kind of honesty, integrity and work that define my business.

 

[Dualie]

there was also complaints from a man in new Zealand that purchased some injectors from you that he had nothing but trouble with.

 

[chevota84]

there was also complaints from a man in new Zealand that purchased some injectors from you that he had nothing but trouble with.

That was one of the guys I was talking about. Didn't he get burned for like 12k dualie?

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

 

[Dualie]

I do remember it was a very ridiculous number. 12K might be close. and these are just 2 of the tales of great lakes diesel that i know off hand.

 

[rshackleford]

Either way. I used Butler Cat in Bismarck and was extremely happy with their service. I am also happy to have the four year unlimited mile warranty although the truck will probably never see over 20,000 miles per year.

 

[chucks1999]

cat is your best bet