DD Series 60 - Leave it Stock or Not?

[2006Prevost]

Good Morning,

Sure would appreciate you professional guys opinions... Bought a new-to-us RV equipped with a completely stock November 2005 manufacture date Detroit Diesel Series 60 DDEC-V with 92,000 miles on it.

Previously we owned a 1997 rv with a purely mechanical Cummins C8.3 which was GREAT and that I maintained my self. (oil, coolant, hydraulic fluid filter changes etc , muffler delete, alternator, thermostats, air bags, shocks, ac, and more)

I always changed my oil every 5,000 miles and will do the same on this Detroit. Just prior to this first run, the oil was changed and now with only two thousand miles on it, it is as black as night.

The wife and me will likely only drive ten thousand miles a year, so wondering if a de-mandate or anything else would even be worth while or if we should just leave it completely stock.

Also, if there is anything I should do to it maintenance-wise, I sure would appreciate knowing that too as we really need this engine to last us the next 10+ years. I did get the over-head done at 92,000 miles and it did make the engine idle more smoothly.

Oh....on that old purely mechanical C8.3 I deleted the muffler and that made a significant difference. Has anyone done a muffler delete on a Series 60 or replaced the original with a better more flow through muffler?

THANK YOU VERY MUCH for sharing your time and experience! Jeff

[tree98]

I thought Detroit started putting emission components on in 2007.

[2006Prevost]

(07-14-2019 )tree98 Wrote:  I thought Detroit started putting emission components on in 2007.

This one does have an EGR...

[Rawze]

(07-14-2019 )2006Prevost Wrote:  

(07-14-2019 )tree98 Wrote:  I thought Detroit started putting emission components on in 2007.

This one does have an EGR...

If I owned it, I would leave it stock. Clean out the egr system and egr valve, + all sensors cleaned up once a year .. make sure everything was in really good shape,.. especially as little as you drive it.

-- However, the muffler would likely want to clog up faster then normal due to idling it, or driving it very little. An alternative to the muffler is not a bad option, or at least a spare that can be swapped out / cleaned every couple 3 years would be nice.

With the emissions system in tack, you will want an oil bypass system on it to keep the soot out of the engine. That will help tons towards engine longevity. Just don't fall into that trap of extended oil changes + synthetic garbage. that they try to push onto people who buy bypass systems.


I know commercial vehicles with that enigne, -- egr-only engines are illegal in the communist state, (California), you can get some pretty heavy fines for going there with it. An RV might be the same, not sure. Find out from CARB themselves, not someone else's opinion before you plan on going there with it.