1998 Cat 3126 Diesel
Anyone have any experience with Cat 3126 diesel engine . This one has 150,000 miles in a 1998 .I have heard good and very bad about this engine. Should I run away ?
Forum Discussion
I have owned 4 medium/heavy duty trucks with that engine. All were purchased used and all had over 200,000 when I bought them. All had well over 300,000 when I sold them off. I like that engine, as well as the very similar 3116 Cat.
However, these are not your typical heavy duty Cat engine. They are rather lightly designed and not designed for really heavy service. They also require much better/more regular service than a typical heavy duty Cat engine.
If you can get maint. records, that would be great. If not, check for things such as oil pressure, water temps, and engine blowby at the oil filler cap or dipstick.
One problem with these engines, is that a lot of truck shops are not trained or equipped to work on them, especially the fuel injector pumps. Also, these are generally considered to be "throwaway" engines. They are not rebuildable at an affordable price. If it gets weak, it is best to replace it with a used takeout, or a new engine.
Having said all that, I really liked the ones I had. Very dependable and not bad on fuel use.
However, these are not your typical heavy duty Cat engine. They are rather lightly designed and not designed for really heavy service. They also require much better/more regular service than a typical heavy duty Cat engine.
If you can get maint. records, that would be great. If not, check for things such as oil pressure, water temps, and engine blowby at the oil filler cap or dipstick.
One problem with these engines, is that a lot of truck shops are not trained or equipped to work on them, especially the fuel injector pumps. Also, these are generally considered to be "throwaway" engines. They are not rebuildable at an affordable price. If it gets weak, it is best to replace it with a used takeout, or a new engine.
Having said all that, I really liked the ones I had. Very dependable and not bad on fuel use.
