Looking for help/advice on truck purchase

[RStewart]

I'm thinking about trading my cascadia for a different truck. The trucks I'm looking at are: 2013 & 2014 Pete 386s, low to mid 400k. 450 hp ISX in them. Trucks have APUs on them as well. Trucks were owned by a fleet that has about 400 trucks I believe. Prices are $56k-$63k depending on year & mileage.

2015 Pete 579 same specs & mileage as above. Price $77k.

Here's a link to the trucks if anyone wants to see them. http://m.heartlandusedtrucks.com/List/Truck/ForSale

I'm also interested in a KW T660 because I want the studio sleeper. So I'm looking for one in the 2013-2015 years.

I don't know much about these ISX engines yet so I'm not sure what years/engines to avoid.

I appreciate any help/advice from you guys. I'm not against demandating it if that needs to be done.

[MBlazevic]

They are good looking trucks having said that, whenever you are buying a used truck you are buying someone else's problems so have some money set aside. I would hope you are planing to remove mandate and fine tune it by someone like Rawze or Gearhead or Unveilers. Plan to work on it your self and READ READ READ everything on this site and watch all the videos you will learn a lot from this crew. Good Luck

[RStewart]

I have no problem working on the truck myself nor do I mind having it demandated. I realize I'm inheriting someone else's problem but I don't want to buy a new truck. Lol.

[dhirocz]

Are you paying out right for it or financing it?

Make sure you leave yourself a budget for repairs. I'm sure there will be some needs to make sure it's 100%.

Pay attention to the engine for valvetrain noises and scorched paint under the oil pan rail which could signify a spun cam bearing or cam problems.

Put a bypass filter on it and flush that oil ASAP.
Personally check the fuel pump plungers. They tend to fail around that mileage and it is a catastrophic failure usually.
Finally, get that thing tuned right so it lives a long, healthy life! A number of folks on this forum can help with that. I would do these before planning on putting the truck into service, preferably.

It was a fleet truck so expect things to need fixing and repairs done to the bare minimum or maybe even not done correctly.

Everything you need to know you can find right here. Just gotta search and read. It made all the difference for me!

Just a few things to think about. So other than the sleeper, is it spec'd the way you want?

[Fergie]

This is just my opinion and I give my opinion for free. They seem pretty proud of these trucks, $$. I started looking about 4 years ago, I'm picking as hell. Finely found my perfect truck in June from a fleet in St Cloud MN. I was excited,blue Pete 386 with dual exhaust at the cab. Right up my alley and thought it came from a fleet with a huge shop so was probably well maintained. Didn't take long and I had emission sensor going off. That's when I found the wonderful world of Rawze. Truck was well maintained EXCEPT for the EGR system. IMAP sensor was packed full of soot and was original sensor. I do believe now this was my issue that caused other emission issues. I didn't fix I got a hold off Unilever and for what it cost to have a dealership put in a nox sensor I got it demandated. So I'd look the egr over good. First CEL with emissions I'd be talking with { one of the guys who can tune them on here }. I don't like letting my business be known but I'll say it here I bought on June 27 a 2012 Pete 386 with 450cummins with 560k miles for $32k. With the demandated and doing the manual work myself it's less than $35k. Same year of truck but red with 480k was $38k.

[RStewart]

Thanks guys. If I buy one I'll be financing it. I know it comes from a fleet & most fleets don't take great care of their equipment. I bought my current truck from a big fleet.

My first plan if I buy one is to do a service & an EGR tune up before it ever leaves my house.

I know there are some years of the ISX that were more problematic than others & I wasn't sure if these were any of those.

[Waterloo]

I would look for a fresh in frame 871, but that is just me. I now know that motor, and since ridding myself of the mandate a few years ago, it is a very solid. The 2250 and 2350 have their own issues, SCR and Fuel Pumps. The fuel pump is enough to scare me away. I was just up at the international dealer getting a part, and guess what was sitting on the shop floor. A grenaded 2250, fuel pump, all crated up and ready to go to the ship yard to be made into an anchor.

[RStewart]

I knew they had fuel pump issues buy I thought I read by 2013 they had that problem pretty much fixed. But I don't know.

How do I know if it's an 870 or 871? What years were they used in the trucks?

[Waterloo]

(08-12-2017 )RStewart Wrote:  I knew they had fuel pump issues buy I thought I read by 2013 they had that problem pretty much fixed. But I don't know.

How do I know if it's an 870 or 871? What years were they used in the trucks?

The 871 will have the DPF DOC can, no SCR. The 870 has no cans, but EGR and normal exhaust components and is also a solid motor with the correct tuning, 2007 and earlier. Gearhead is said to be the master 870 tuner here. The 871's were manufactured between late 2007 and up to 2011 I believe. There may be a few 2012 models running them too.

The fuel pump issue on the 2250 and 2350 had a recall, but even those are failing and wiping out motors. Rawze and other here have stated that once rebuilt, or replaced, these pump should be either replaced or rebuilt every 300,000 to 400,000 miles. They tend to blow apart around the 400 mark if what I have been reading, and seeing is correct. I believe a new pump is running $6-$8,000. A rebuild kit is also available for a few hundred or there about. But, it is a regular maintenance item, one that if skipped, could destroy your motor. When they go, you normally get no warning.

A ticking time bomb that personally, I would avoid.