Prostar and Volvo

[smorgan87]

Fleets do what they have to so dot leaves em alone. That includes things like tires, brakes, lights etc. What they dont do? Run an engine at its safe operating speed for longevity, change the oil at a reasonable interval, clean egr's etc. Then... they sell em b4 the 4-500k mile major parts break.

[Chamberpains]

They don't sell them before the mileage warranty is up unless that unit is a problem, they have a sucker on the hook for a lease purchase or they have to down size the fleet by a few trucks. Other than that they run it right up to the 500,000 miles with minimal services and anything warranty replaced. Its safe to say that they are driven by some of the most inexperienced,(some mind numbingly dumb), don't give a damn in the least people out on the roads. I used to be a wrench for 1 of these companies. I did a pile of P.I.S. (piss) and P.O.O.S. (poo's) thats Put in Service and Put out of Service on a work order.

Where fleet trucks are good is that they replace a pile of parts. If it needs it or if they shotgun it with parts because they can't figure out a problem. Then you essentially get a newer truck. But thats a double edged sword. That also usually means it was beat by the driver, has a very strange problem (usually factory defect that is really hard to find. Think lemon law type stuff) or if you're lucky the mechanics are the dumbest person you'll ever meet and they just throw things at it. The last is very common too.

This is back when they only ran them to 30,000 mile oil changes with 1 grease job in between (A and B Service) and this was pre emissions so the soot levels in the oil were normal for a diesel. Now they run them to an idiotic time of 50,000 miles with 1 grease job in between and these engines are eating their own waste the entire time. Carbon packing is really bad with them.

So you can find yourself a really nice looking truck with both rears replaced, new clutch and transmission some nice new shiney under hood parts and think wow I got a deal. Only to pay a fairly hefty price for a carbon packed engine, an abused driveline and nightmare of electrical problems and the high likelihoodit was wrecked fairly hard, maybe multiple times. Mega fleets are all self insured and dont have to report a damn thing to anyone as long as they can get the truck away from the scene without a police report. You had better be very aware of these situations and how to remedy them physically and financially if you choose that road.

[GAguy912]

Have any of y’all ever checked out the TruckYoo videos and podcast. Very informative information about the the new trucks the two guys are really knowledgeable about the Volvo’s and ISX and a little DD14&15.

It a seems that the only good engine is the one that most of you have, but it’s so many horror stories about these ISX engines. Also it seems that you need to spend $$$ and a few weeks to make these ISX engines run right. I’m just not a hundred percent sure this is a great route for me maybe if I can get that prostar for $7000-$9000 and than spend another $5000-$7000 getting it right. Well time will tell

[Evotrucker]

So I’ve got a cm870 in a 06 Volvo, it’s the older brother to the cm871 but it’s almost the same.

The pros and cons depends on the which devil you Prefer to deal with, the isx is a good motor and I would and will only deal with the tuners from this forum on my truck. I wouldn’t go anywhere else and that’s even if I had newer cummins just because rawze and many of the other memebrs on here have tried just about everything and have many many many years of experience!.

If you do get a isx you will need to do it properly or it won’t last but you can say that for anything so any of the recommended shops or advise that will be given for a rebuild will be for good reason and trust me on this when I say, we all try to skimp out on a thing or two here only to be bitten hard down the road. Their are many posts on this on this forum to prove it. You go with the isx you get manual for free and any other manual for free, don’t ask for the software here because that’s not how we roll here.

The D13 is a great motor and the newer gens don’t have many of the defects while trying to run lower rpms like the isx. One of the most commons issues you will run into is the sensors and emission system but their are many D13 that have gone a million miles with proper maintaince with out deleting the entire same thing can be said about the isx. Also one of those main issues is injectors and injector cups, since Volvo has updated the tools to properly do the job and properly updated the injector cups style, when done right it should hold for 2-3 years, also you need to do a over head every year regardless and of the miles!. The injectors and injector cups work different then they do with the Isx. Volvo truck masters on Facebook has also a great amount of mechanics that know what they are doing. I have recommended some of those guys and the drivers have found another shop to go to other then Volvo to do some repairs. Sadly you won’t get the manuals for free from volvo but you can buy the manuals online for a decent price. I think it’s called emanualonline or something like that. The software isn’t shared here as I mentioned earlier but for Volvo I’m not sure if you can find a pirated software version of it or not.

The rebuild on volvo and ISX is close but might be 3k-6k different at the end of it but that depends on what kind of shape the entire motor is in and what you should replace and what you don’t need to.

There is a lot to think about but if it were me I’d go with the D13 just my 2 cents which to add up much compared to the other guys opinions lol. Best of luck!

[Volvo8873]

Cummins ISX


I come from driving a Volvo D12... I have never looked back either. Especially with this forum!

Honestly, the knowledge that I have attained on this forum sometimes makes me sit back and "Where the f** would I be if I did not have this forum to go to for problems?"

Keep in mind that the Volvo D13 have problems with the injector cups. You can have a shop do the cups but to me that is just a band aid repair. I did my own cups on D12 and you need a special tool for it and you have to be very careful about doing it.... Which I can guarantee no mechanic really does! IMO just a very poor design...

[JimT]

I think, when comparing engine manufacturers, the biggest question to answer is who will be working on it. If all you plan to do is pay shops/dealers to maintain and repair your equipment then any engine (except those POS Maxxforce engines or the mid 2000's Mercedes engines) would get the job done. However if you plan to work on your own truck then Cummins is the clear winner. Even if you don't plan on doing all your maintainence, Cummins parts and service can be obtained at nearly any shop out there since they are not tied to any single OEM.

Beyond that, you really need to match the equipment configuration to your operation. If you're hauling containers, reefers, or any type of dryvan/box then an aerodynamic raised roof with as short a wheelbase as you are comfortable with (to keep the trailer as close to the cab as possible). I'd only consider a mid-roof if you're pulling a tanker or some type of open/platform trailer (flatbed, stepdeck, lowboy). Anything sticking up above the top of that mid-roof will create VERY noticeable drag and lower fuel mileage. I run a mid-roof with a flatbed and any time my load goes over 6-6.5 feet high I loose .5-1 mpg compared to a comparable load that was lower. (I get better fuel mileage pulling a 45,000lb 4' high tarped load compared to a 6,000lb 8.5' high load).

When comparing different trucks don't just look at age and mileage. Also take in to account engine hours. That can be very telling. A truck with higher miles but lower engine hours means it's been idled less and more likely run mostly at highway speeds (less stop and go). This is especially important to the life and health of the emissions systems (EGR, DOC, DPF and SCR) as they perform best during normal or heavy operation.

[Rawze]

rear end ratio should be highly prioritized too. Tall rears = worn out engine prematurely + can't get out of its own way for crap when heavy.