NEED NEW ENGINE

[TaskP]

Greetings;

My DD13 engine just locked on me. I was wondering do y’all have any advice on purchasing a new motor?

[Rawze]

depends on your trucking operations.... if you want something you can work on yourself as to not get raped ... or if your a steering wheel holder that wants to do nothing but change the oil and hope fo the best.

This is a red engine forum mostly.. (cummins). An engine you can actually work on, make reliable and fix on yourself, etc.. and all drawings, diagrams.. and even the software is on the inter-webs easily abtained. I.E.> The red engines are a do-it-yourself-ers best friend... and that is its only advantage over other brands.

So this means that getting advice for a detroit around here is going to be biased. That engine is not friendly to do-it-yourself-ers so much.

- that being said.. i guess you need to determine your decisions on what kind of trucking operations you run. Are you a hand on person?.. or a steering wheel holder that does nothing but change oil and rush off to the stealers#its every time it gets a check engine light?. -- If so then i would say stay with what you got .. because it don't make any difference if your not doing at least minor to medium repairs yourself.


on the other hand, if your someone who is not afraid to turn a wrench when needed, and does not want to get ripped off by every stealer$shi#t and repair shop in the nation.. then a red engine is the wiser choice by far... as it is only more profitable (by quite a bit) if your wrenching on it and keeping after it yourself.

- Just an alternative opinion.. I like my red beast. Sure it has its flaws like anything else these days.. but at least I can keep after it myself without giving all my moneys away.

[tree98]

Whatever you decide to do, just REMEMBER TO CHECK YOUR OIL LEVEL. Having an engine lock up is not a common occurrence and most likely could have been prevented.

[TaskP]

Im actually a hand on person, as soon as I became an owner operator I learned quick that certain mechanic didn’t always have my best interest. I’m absolutely a hands on guy, but I had to because Detroit engine can nickel and dime you to death. So Rawze are you suggesting I replace my Detroit engine with a Cummins? And if so what model?

[smorgan87]

Task. Thats probably the advice of most everyone here. Dunno what truck youve got but the cm871 is a solid reliable red engine that can be tuned for outstanding mpg. I dont remember the name but there are aftermarket harnesses to plug em into most anything.

[JimT]

so probably gonna need more information about your truck to determine the correct engine replacement. make, model, YEAR, transmission (manual or auto?). Engine model years needs to match up with truck manufacture years to be in compliance with EPA regs. Basically you can't put an older model engine in a newer model truck. Gliders were getting around this by using older engines AND chassis and basically putting newer cabs on top.

I'm no expert on engine swaps, but going from one brand to another will require more parts and labor as piping and hoses and some wiring harnesses need to be changed to connect in different places. Other accessories, like a turbo, might not come with the engine and will also need to be replaced to match. And then there's probably going to be programming, both for the ECU and the truck, to match things up. If it's an autoshift transmission then there will probably be additional programming needed for that as well. And of course there's all the aftertreament components which are usually designed to function with specific engines, so there could be some changes needed there as well.

On the other hand, staying with the same engine would basically be a drop in replacement and would be cheaper and faster. If you want to switch engines manufacturers then the simpler and faster solution (though with current prices it might not be cheaper) might be to find a different truck with the engine and specs that you want. On the flip side, any used truck you buy will come with it's own set up unknowns, so there's no single best option.

[Colter]

Detroit sells a 3/4 engine (roughly 34k in Canada). If the emissions have been modified or removed it affects but does not void the warranty, such modifications are legal here so check with your dealer prior in case that's only applicable here. If a failure occurs in an aftertreatment part the damage would not be covered however unrelated (to emission system) failures remain warrantable.

I do like the DD15 more then the 16 however both are fairly disposable. An in-frame on them, we do a lot of extra components due to prompt failures post rebuild at one point, things like ensuring updated rods are installed + new cam/rocker housing if the old style is one the engine. More then half get 3/4 swapped.

To swap it out it can add 1-2 weeks extra labor if working normal days in addition to 10-15k cnd in parts. Things like engine mounts, harnesses, fan hub, fan shroud, starter and cables (Detroit's are passenger side) rad and charge air tubing, alternator and cable, AC compressor and lines, power steering pump and lines, appropriate reflashing and or additional datalink to diag port. There is a lot to do and always something unexpected but all thing are possible with time and money. Also as has been stated look into regulations, here in order for a truck to be legal and federally regulated it must have a E-log (sometime soon is the deadline) if the chassis is 2000+. This mean engines must be able to communicate with J1939. This makes say a 6NZ in a 2012 with an ECM serial of 6NZ4999 or less not compatible without a glider box (additional cost and time).

It'll depending on funds but if doing a swap I'd encourage having fun with it and going a bit extra, the cost is high enough that there's no reason to cut corners. For strictly work purposes I would do the 3/4 engine unless cost are diffrent enough from our area to make it worthwhile.

[TaskP]

I have a 2014 Freighliner cascadia with a dd13 engine automatic