Diesel with 100,000 miles -- too many?

People don't realize that with diesel engines the diesel fuel they run on is also a lubricant, hence the long engine life. With gasoline engines the gasoline fuel is a detergent with no or almost no lubrication value.
Steve

Back when I had a Kitty Litter motor, a guy ask the Cat rep at what point should he consider a rebuild. The rep ask how many miles, the guy answered 80,000. The rep said to come see him when he had 400,000 and they would talk.

100,000 miles on a diesel is nothing.

By the time we get the coach back from Country Coach, it will have well over 160,000 miles on it, and we plan to keep it another two years. Engine runs fine, see no reason it won't run for another 3-400,000 miles!

Buy the one with the best and most complete service records-------------and the one that the "house" part is in the best shape (which will likely be the one with the best service records).

We have over 120,000 miles on our '02 coach. She just keeps going and we make sure that all maintenance is done to keep her going. 100K in 10 years = 10K a year, something that we routinely do.

Barb

We just passed the 60,000 mile mark on our coach. Cummins told me not to even think about adjusting the valves until 250,000 miles. Cat's do require it at 30,000 miles.

As most everyone has posted, check the records and go from there. Ours will have 100,000+ when it's 10 yrs. old too if we keep it that long and I will have every record of maintenance as I follow it to the letter.

MM.

wny_pat wrote:
That engine, properly maintained, will still be running long after the coach crumbles. Laboratory tests and engine disassembly analyses indicate that the Cat C7 engine has a B50 life of 450,000 to 500,000 miles. After you hit that mark, you can rebuilt it and start off new again.

And those B50 estimates assume 30k to 50k miles a year so you'll likely drive much longer without needing a rebuild especially in a MH.

Unfortunately, many folks look at diesels like the gas engines of the 60s/70s.. 100,000 miles and it's lived its lifetime. Not anymore...even gas engines are designed to last 200,000 miles. If you look at NADA, it says not to take mileage into consideration when pricing diesels. Sellers though, like to tout "low mileage". That, to me, is a red flag as it usually means the INTERIOR of the coach has been used while the owner's sit in one spot for months at a time. Also, a coach that's not being driven will have all the rubber compounds drying up and the rubber splitting. Finally, remember, all these diesel engines are computer monitored. That means hooking up the computer and taking a quick trip through the innards of the engine will tell you in a few minutes where that engine has been in its lifetime.

When looking at a coach, I had a preference list that I'll share with you...
1. Whatever the wife likes.
2. Year of the coach. Improvements are made from year to year.
3. Condition of the interior. Was it maintained or were things put off until they broke.
4. Condition of the drivetrain. Is the engine compartment clean or a filthy mess.
5. Records, records, records.
6. Fit and finish of the cabinets and appliances.
7. Date codes on the tires. Over 5 years, figure $5-6k to replace.
8. Whatever the wife likes.

Keep in mind, most stuff can be covered up by the seller. Things like steam cleaning the engine, armorall the interiors, a good detail for everything else will make the coach shine. You need to look underneath those things. Check for rusty connections in the wiring compartment. Rusty connections mean bad connections eventually that could leave you stranded someplace.

Spend that $8k on updating a 10 yr old coach. Save a little to take the wife out to a celebratory dinner...:B

Happy Fourth of July.......Dennis

That's pretty much what I thought, but it's nice to have folks who know more about Diesels confirm.

I've got a list of stuff I want to check on the other mechanicals. We'll see what the boss thinks of the interior.

I expect to spend some money updating things and fixing smaller stuff, hopefully no more than $10K. It's a Winnebago, so I think it was well-built to begin with.

Thanks again.

Wayne

Roman Duck wrote:
Most diesels don't get there 1st valve adjustments until 75,000 + miles.

I agree 100k is not too high if properly maintained.

But, you are incorrect on initial valve adjustment on many diesel engines. Caterpillar recommends initial valve adjustment around 30k miles.