Question For Mechanics!

[rod]

When I started my center had a few P600's that were Fords but most were GMC's with 292's. We had some old oddball stuff floating around like some funky P400's and even an old furniture truck.

I think back then they tried to keep the same engine make in each center. all Fords or all GM so the mechanics only needed to keep a few parts available. Once it went to a “parts on order” system anything went

 

[Wally]

What’s the best motor you guys have had luck with? GM, ford, cummins, mercedes? or the old international v8 diesel?

The late 80's stratified engines were the best!

 

[burrheadd]

The late 80's stratified engines were the best!

They’d run on anything from jet fuel to drip gas

 

[Maple Grove MN Driver]

They were almost bullet proof. In our center every truck we had in the early days had a 300 cc Ford six

300cc?
You really did have it tough

 

[Wally]

They’d run on anything from jet fuel to drip gas

Lol top speed of 40 mph.

 

[1BROWNWRENCH]

444e 7.3 was good, but they are on the way out. Prone to leaks, but they stayed fixed once you were done for the most part.
VT365. Too much bad stuff to list for this piece of trash
6.0 GM Good except for oil pump issues. Rebuilds last half as long if you are lucky. Same goes for the 4.8.
MB904 is great until it suddenly goes bang without warning.
4.3 was underpowered and overworked. Should have chosen the 305 V8 instead IMHO.
292 not powerful, but easy to keep running well until parts would not fit.
6BT was great except for oil leaks and injection pump problems.
ISB also great except for lift pump failure and injector line leaks.

 

[1BROWNWRENCH]

VT275 ...bastard little bro of the 365. Also garbage.

 

[1BROWNWRENCH]

Ford V10 is prone to dropping valves.

 

[1BROWNWRENCH]

Ford 300 with Borla headers was good with the main jet hogged out. The 28 year old car it was in was completely coming apart.

 

[1BROWNWRENCH]

ISB07 is so far ok. No problems yet, but hear reports of egr and urea injection issues.

Ford 7.8 was good and simple. Injection pumps were spendy and hard to get.

 

[1BROWNWRENCH]

Ford 429 was great except for the governor unit. Gobs of power, no leaks. Weird Lucas brakes that came with them were not great.

 

[1BROWNWRENCH]

I had a Workhorse P12 with a Chevy big block 396. Tons of power. I smoked everyone on the freeway. Loved that truck. Governed at 74mph.

It was 8.1L (496). They went out of production in 2008.

 

[cosmo1]

444e 7.3 was good, but they are on the way out. Prone to leaks, but they stayed fixed once you were done for the most part.
VT365. Too much bad stuff to list for this piece of trash
6.0 GM Good except for oil pump issues. Rebuilds last half as long if you are lucky. Same goes for the 4.8.
MB904 is great until it suddenly goes bang without warning.
4.3 was underpowered and overworked. Should have chosen the 305 V8 instead IMHO.
292 not powerful, but easy to keep running well until parts would not fit.
6BT was great except for oil leaks and injection pump problems.
ISB also great except for lift pump failure and injector line leaks.

The 444e I had was my all time favorite package car. I lost it once for a week to have the injector o-rings (?) replaced, and that was it.

They let me carry it across three different routes.

 

[1BROWNWRENCH]

The 444e I had was my all time favorite package car. I lost it once for a week to have the injector o-rings (?) replaced, and that was it.

They let me carry it across three different routes.

Injector o rings is a probable job. They do fail at times and cause starting issues when hot.

 

[cosmo1]

Injector o rings is a probable job. They do fail at times and cause starting issues when hot.

No matter how many times our mechanic told the newbs how to start out in them, I'd hear the clutches crying in the morning.

He said just to dump in in low, and then shift to first. I never had a problem with mine.

 

[1BROWNWRENCH]

Low is there for a reason. Just enough to break the inertia.

 

[Poop Head]

444e 7.3 was good, but they are on the way out. Prone to leaks, but they stayed fixed once you were done for the most part.

YES

 

[rod]

300cc?
You really did have it tough

Oops —300 ci not cc

 

[Wally]

The most important thing to a driver is having a hot post under the dash that we can hook our radios up to!

 

[brostalss]

The older inline sixes were great. I had one that had a sticky valve. You could set your watch to it. A few seconds after your turned the car off, BAM!!!! The valve drops or opened. Hilarious.