So far, no luck on buying a truck, BUT, I'm going to look at one Monday that looks/sounds pretty good from what I've seen and been told. (Like all the others)

Anyway, this one has a C12 Cat in it. What's the deal with these clams? Any good? I've heard from some people they like to pop rods out thru the side of the block. Heard from others that they're great motors. It has a lot of miles on it but it's a one owner, owner/operator truck.

Good? Bad? Some of you guys told me to run from one of the trucks I was looking at and it's a good thing I did... saw it on a hook yesterday!

So, advise me on these itty bitty kitty's!

 

How many miles on it? They were typically a good engine. I never seen one with a rod through the block, however, some were known to be cam munchers. I would exercise caution if it has over 500k without an recent inframe. We have a C12 in the ladder truck I work on, it is rated at 504hp and it runs very strong. It is a 2004 Pierce with a 2003 engine, no issues so far. It has about 42k on the clock with tons and tons of idle time.

 

It has a TON of miles. 850k to be exact. But if the truck is as good as it looks, it still might be worth the 8 grand I'm going to offer him. What's an in-frame cost, 4 or 5 grand? It's a 2003 truck, fairly new by MY standards!

Once again, THANK YOU TIM!

 

My '98 cabover has a C12 in it. no issues for me. it had a cam done with some other things on warrantee around 2000 IIRC.

 

The year or miles?

 

I said '98 cabover right there, you even quoted it? It has 967,000 km on it right now.

 

Yes, you're right. Got me!

Thanks Luke.

 

C12 was indeed a cam eater. But, as long as you feed them a steady diet of lumpy cylindrical objects, they seem quite happy.

The biggest problems I have noticed. Injectors, they stop, usually in the up position, putting tremendous strain on the cam followers, which in turn, chew up the cam..

Had one fellow in this neck of the woods, injector went south, with follower and cam. So, rather than do 6 sticks, 1 stick, one follower, one cam. Very next trip, 500 miles down the road, loses another injector/follower/cam. Changes 1 injector/follower/cam, and goes. 900 miles down the trail, another injector/follower/cam.

Mind you, this is not a small job to do. I finally convinced him that we "MIGHT" just want to change all of the other injectors this time, as I wouldn't be pulling this thing down again....

You can't fix stupid.

 

Several years ago, Cat issued a service letter indicating that if the engine had a "hard seizure" of a fuel injector where the injector pushtube was damaged and/or forced from its normal position, you immediately pull the camshaft/followers for inspection.
I don't see many of these low power small engines, but I know revisions were made to the fuel injectors to help prevent the hard seizure condition. It doesnt happen as much as it used to, good fuel filtration and occasional use of a lubricant should help....
You could always pop a valve cover, get the p/n off of the injector and have it ran to see if its got the latest sticks...

 

Thanks!

 

I'm s l o w. What are these lumpy cylindrical objects you refer to?

 

I took it as the CAM......LOL

 

Good point! Thanks!