Ranking the Cat Diesel Truck Engines from BEST to WORST!!!

[@TheREALLibertyOrDeath]

Cat really dropped the ball on trying to keep up with emissions. Too bad government ruined such a good line of engines

[@larselder874]

The California epa arrived with their advisors in 2007 as caterpillar began 2010 tier 4 with ACERT. They said to provide clean air with contaminated diesel fuel. I asked what the contaminants would be, and how much. No answer. So I asked again. Still no answer. The calif. party boys left for Chicago to play golf. Suggest taxpayers sponsored their Illinois vacation.

[@kencleg7721]

Correct cat just stepped away there weren’t w all the emissions test all reduced engine performance and longevity so the just stopped for the big trucks and as we see and know the rest of the story. A crap def system. Not sure why they didn’t go propane injection to clean it up or maybe a changeable exhaust filters ? I think cat tried this route to no avail

[@rbwoodwork1890]

I agree, the 3176 was horrible! I did 25 repower to the C13. Not too bad after the first two.

[@esikowalski]

I have C15 ACERT (none-regen) on my W900. What a beast !!!

[@solomonstello]

I need it!

[@sargepent9815]

3406 series was an epic design. It was the mandates for emissions that things went sideways. The 3116 had a flaw in which the injector cups would fail. The C7 was "virgin bore" (without sleeves) and was saddly a throw away engine. The C15/C18s were very outstanding engines. I'd take them over an ISX Cummins or 60 series any way

[@ArielJRodriguez]

I love my 3406B with 2,300,000 miles on it. Great videos, always interesting.

[@AdeptApe]

Still breaking it in there.

[@lestheindependentunlesslik6882]

Wow AJ you need to let us in on your secret how to get long life out of a cat

[@elijahrobinson2362]

Old & simple = reliable & cheaper to fix.

[@solomonstello]

Wow!

[@sebastiangarla8558]

My 03 W900L has a 6NZ in it with 1,920,000 on it and it was redone at 1,330,000 miles, and she still rips down the road 😃 I'll never get rid of this truck, even though I've had quite a few offers, in 5 yrs I've owned it

[@gibbsey9579]

I only had experience with two cat engines. 3306 in a 966c loader, and 3208 in a large forklift. Never had any trouble with either of them. I agree with you that the 3208 was a great starter, seems half a turn on the starter and it was running.

[@thomaswilson8634]

After having several Cats back in the day then the move to Detroit Diesel in 1998 was a eye opener. It was just as good but omg the fuel mileage was so much better. I never went back to cats for that reason. When operating a business to make money its a no brainer that fuel mileage is critical.

[@adamfpv8294]

I’m not saying you’re lying, but I was wondering if anyone else had the same experience?

[@billyjack8119]

@@adamfpv8294 cats got 4 and my cummins got 6 was a big deal.

[@adamfpv8294]

@@billyjack8119 wow 4 is pretty bad.

[@dwnsouthtrucking7307]

I spent 30k on a platinum rebuilt/3 Year Warranty on a C15 Acert BXS Good or Bad Decision. Thoughts Anyone?

[@solomonstello]

@@dwnsouthtrucking7307 good I say.

[@bwwatson16]

I recently sold my Western Star with a C10. It had 750,000 miles and about 24,000 hrs. Never had an overhaul and was still running strong.

[@jeepzjfan2]

I'm watching this video sitting In my safari motorcoach with a C12, I'm happy it made it on this list

[@ICYPROFITS]

My guess is the C-15 (not c15)... Nailed it! Lol only because you've told us before

[@fatlarry1184]

I know why you only went back 30 years. In the '70s-'90s we ran 1693TAs up and down hill NY to San Jose ...56 hours! Those were the best days to truck. ( Fleet also had KTA600s and 12V Detroits )

[@harlingpark723]

My favorite cat engines were the 3406 and 3408.:)

[@tjg1989]

I’m over in Australia behind the wheel and gear stick of a kenworth with an X15 Cummins in it, it’s doing a great job but my favourites have always been the big bore Cats that I’ve had the pleasure of driving. Even the little C12 I drove for a few years would always give everything it had The most impressive were, of course, the C15’s and 16’s I got to drive, the torque and reliability where remarkable There is still countless big bore Cats pulling multi-trailer setups and heavy over mass loads over here Always enjoy Your videos mate

[@timgiles9413]

The 2005 KCB Cat C13 Acert non regen I have is, as you have said, a Great engine.

[@vcummins]

I’ve been on a fishing boat in Oregon with a cat 3208 with a aftermarket turbocharger. Amazing sounding engine.

[@dmjames1994dj]

I would swear by my 3406c at least once we took the electronics off and threw a B model pump on it. You are definitely spot on with the leaks though. plug 1 then 2 more spring up

[@amsoiladam]

Glad to see that my 3406e is one of the “Great” ones!

[@electric7487]

IPD came out with a kit that'll convert a C15 Acert into a "C17" by enlarging the bore to that of a C18. Displacement goes up from 15.2L to 16.9L. I heard that they're also coming out with Big Bore kits for the 3406E and C-15, which will turn them into C16's by upping the displacement from 14.6L to 16.3L. So you could make the 3406E even greater than it already is.

[@carmello000jp]

@@electric7487 is it already out? I'm plan on buy a 2ws 3406e kw9001 studio sleeper

[@electric7487]

@@carmello000jp I believe so. Look up "3406e big bore kit".

[@johncholmes643]

3406C was a great engine. It either PEEC or mechanical. Had round port cylinder head, articulated pistons,and a larger crankshaft same as 3406E. I've built them to 800hp and gotten 700,plus miles. And there were 3406B PEEC engines. It's funny your opinion on the block stiffener, it was actually first introduced on the 3406C 460hp engine. I use these plates on a lot of builds, especially with the last few 17 liter Acert builds. I've had a few blocks crack around the pan rail, I dont think the ladder plate is worth a shit. You can always see how much fretting happens between the it and block. Plus 40 pan bolts, as opposed to 20, in my opinion adds strength to the block.

[@davidsauceda2618]

I've worked on all of these, plus 3516 3512 3508 and the big boy C-175

[@stevek6921]

I was kinda skeered when my C13, non-ARD (RV) motor was evidently going to be one of "the rest", especially when I looked hard at getting one with a KCB serial number, but...whew. Great video, Josh. Thanks!

[@josefkrakel9136]

A week without destruction is like a week without sunshine.

[@AdeptApe]

Oh no, that is true, but some weeks don't bring the destruction for me to film.

[@brucelee64485]

The worst thing also about the C7S/C9S engines was that they ALWAYS went into the WORST chassis to work on!! Ford F650/750, Blue Bird vision school busses, and the dreaded RV chassis! Not only did they fall apart at every turn, but the parts that fell apart were always in the worst places to get to! I have worked on a lot of the PEEC engines, and the biggest problem with them that we have now is that Cat does not support them very well on the electronic parts, and since the electronics on those engine were so rudimentary they always had problems, now the sensors are an arm and a leg, so pulling it all off and finding a donor fuel package is now worth while. 3406B/E, any of the C15 series engines, and the C-12 engines were all great, but my favorite to work on believe it or not was the 3116/3126, C7 engines. They paid a lot of bills for me over the years, and the mechanical 3116 engines were the last of the Cat engines that you could tune yourself. Once you understood the fuel system, you could make one of them sing a song!! And since all the old guys at that time didn't want to work on them, I was the one who got good at making them sing. Even my competition quit trying to work on them and would tell their customers to go over to my place and talk to me. Quite a complement when your competition sends their work to you and your the young tech in the shop!

[@AdeptApe]

I think you should get some sort of award or something from Caterpillar if you can do a 3116 rack sync yourself in a GM chassis. I was good at setting them, but the Cat instructions were terribly written for a person trying to figure it out.

[@brucelee64485]

@@AdeptApe The "Carpenter tools" sure made it a lot easier and much more accurate than the Cat tool set. I agree, I think you could turn the service manual upside down and try to read it backwards and get a better idea on how to use the Cat tools to setup the rack synchronization and injector heights. I had lots of the GM chassis truck in the local power company fleets not to mention all the other places that ran the GM trucks so you got good at the fuel system when the injector sleeves or the tip seals on the injectors would leak.

[@mhmedbadra1986]

Best youtube channel ever relating to Cat engine familiarization

[@dennisbisconti4583]

What no 3408 hummmm

[@starlord872]

Had a C15 Acert twin for 6 years, almost a million miles and the only issue I had was a broken stud on the exhaust manifold and it pulled like a MOFO in the Rocky Mountains.

[@romanshevy257]

I have that too. Yes, pulls great.

[@cesar9496]

Love my acert twin

[@dmvideos6637]

Just bought a truck 2005 sterling at9500 with a C13 always wanted a cat engine having a strange issue but watching your videos is helping me narrow down the problem so thanks for all your videos and explanation of things it’s been a huge help to me

[@AdeptApe]

You can always email me as well. I answer all my emails at [e-mail]

[@Nathan-pw7do]

3306 is the most reliable engine cat ever made!

[@isaac8334]

My truck has Cat C15 Acert 2009 model and the engine still in perfect condition after 1.2 million KM , if you want it to stay good service it on time and don't leave it going over 10km local without service or 15km highway

[@jamieebersole6755]

The last truck I ran before I bought my own had a 3406c fully mechanical engine so not the stupid electronic peec one. As far as I know it's still giving no problems with terrible maintenance

[@ebenlogah7500]

Hey Josh I want you to know you are awesome! I like you videos even before I watch them. Great content!!

[@AdeptApe]

Hey thank you Eben. It can be irritating when you make a video that doesn't get a lot of views, but nice comments really are motivating.

[@lestheindependentunlesslik6882]

@@AdeptApe hey josh I love nice people the world would be so much better if we all were nice even if we thought people are stupid we were nice

[@cecilneely4869]

As a over 40 year caterpillar tech,totally agree with both lists,I would rate the peec engines lower,they had too many intermittent problems, making for harder diagnostics.

[@hermanjohnson9904]

I have a 1996 Fld that has a 12.7 with a 600hp tune that gets 6.4 mpg. I also Have a 2000 International 9900i with a C-15 550 that gets about 6 and they both are awesome engines. I pull dump trailer with the Detroit and step deck with the Cat.

[@jacobfehr6515]

Thanks for explaining in the video got a C15 I took all the region off and singled the turbo that motor ,best motor ever for my use so far

[@darrellbedford4857]

I agree with you about the 33-6 engine. We had 4 of them when I worked at Maid of the Mist in the 1990s and up. They were great engines, better than the D333 which you forgot, Those were a PITA because of the spacer plate between the block and the head. Also some of the parts were getting hard to get. Love your videos.

[@billdennis2993]

Thanks AA for informative and interesting video FWIW I worked at Cat dlr in 70s and thought the 1693 was the best engine they produced with 500k mile between valve jobs and million mile BTO features like twin overhead cams with twist to adjust valve lash. Took a trained ear to tell when the bottom end was rattlin cause the whole engine was a clattering. Some how I ended up getting most of the rear seal replacement jobs and dreaded the ones with brake savers on conventional cab with sleepers nothing like working in a cave and wrestling a 13spd Road Ranger off with a tranny jack. Glad I went on to work on aircraft where most of the parts were lighter. Stay healthy.

[@AdeptApe]

I hear a lot if praise for the 1693, but have never worked on one in the decade and a half I've been working on Cat Engines. I have worked on a couple 399 engines, which were the same era, but a larger generator engine.

[@jim-zx7gz]

brings back memories....the 1683 definitely went thru rear main seals...fuel spray nozzles stuck..the water pump repair kit required you to rebuild the water pump yourself...Also if you got mire than 2 gallons low on coolant ut cracked the head . But in the 1970ies we still thought it was an awesome engine.

[@Faithinthedock]

I find your videos really interesting.. You clearly know your stuff about Cats.. I run a couple of 3126B's in a boat in the UK. The unfortunate thing here is that they aren't massively common here and Cat UK parts are painfully expensive, not to mention expertise on the engines is a bit thin on the ground and come at a heavy premium. But a year in i'm gradually getting to know my engines and one that wants to leak everything..

[@six-pac2120]

Was watching ice road truckers and noticed their trucks were using C-15's for the massive loads and mountains in ak some loads were so heavy they had to use a pusher , Carlisle is using C-15's up there it's good enough for anything down here in the states personally I drove a 3406e untouched just like driving a car with a lot of Hp except it an 80,000 lb load or less man I was sold on cats right then

[@romanshevy257]

I pull with a c15 acert (non regen) through the Alcan and it’s a beast. My dad has the 3406E and it isn’t as powerful. (Duh)

[@slowaf12v]

Great Video josh!!! C13 is one of my favorites as well!

[@lavidaesone9631]

Great Video josh!!! C13 is one of my favorites as well!

[@lavidaesone9631]

Hello friend, I want to buy a 2007 Columbia with a C13, would you recommend it?

[@chrisleggett685]

Interesting that you like the C-12. Company had 80 series 60's and 20 with the C-12. The C-12's were always blowing up or coming home on a hook. They got rid of all 20 as they were too much trouble.

[@eilersmusic]

Probably heavily depends on how they're taken care of and how they're driven

[@Nathangies]

@@eilersmusicI agree the c12 is a solid engine if maintained well

[@vcxmp2k124]

I’ve got a cat 3406b Pete 379 it’s a farm truck, 1994 model. Ran it 1.7 million miles before having to reman.

[@379Pete]

Been running a C-15 18spd for years now. Wouldn’t trade that combination for anything.

[@hoost3056]

Except for a built C16 or C18....that'll get you up the road👍

[@badgermoon9229]

Same here. Love my 6NZ.

[@MrBigR928]

Hate I had to get rid of my 1996 W900L 3406e 5ek block😭

[@justinstallings7844]

I’ve got a NA 3208 rated 1760 RPM. Worked on a pump a couple of weeks ago with a NA 3208 rated at 3000 RPM. Talk about a screaming engine! I thought I had a governor issue until I saw the nameplate lol

[@MRALBERT571]

When I started driving truck in 1971 in a C8000 ford it had a brand new 3208 cat 225 HP @ 3000 RPM ask cat how it should be driven they said 2500-3000 turned out to be a very good engine. Worked that thing hard on the rug all the time but took good care of it ran a long time no oil between changes.

[@chief1193]

The c15 ACERT MXS is a beast of an engine, it just needs to be tuned right and nothing compares.

[@charlesb4267]

Since I have that exact engine or at least in the MXS form, tell me more about the tuning you have had done, if the IVA's are still actively part of the system and what boost pressure you are able to attain, theoretical hp and torque its rated at with the tune.

[@tolatruckinginc7979]

My MXS gets 40psi of boost.

[@charlesb4267]

@@tolatruckinginc7979 I was expecting a number quite a bit higher then that. So what hp is it set at and does it have an aftermarket tune ? . Also does it have the stock compound turbo setup ?

[@TolaTrucking]

@@charlesb4267 It's all stock setup.

[@charlesb4267]

@@TolaTrucking I am surprised for the simple reason that you commented on it being a beast and yet is stock. I have a 2005 Pete with that same MXS and although well used when I bought it I could look back at some history of the truck at the local Pete dealer and complains of low power and changing out turbos because there was a failure there and also at other times checking it over and saying there is nothing wrong etc, they had boosted it from 475 to 550 which they did to all their trucks anyway and then put on the heavy haul program which is also a Cat program to move the torque higher up in the rpm range to use the torque along with the hp for better pulling ( not fuel economy though ) . I've put on low restriction mufflers, put a new fuel pump on with the stiffer spring to ensure good fuel pressure but that is all I have done other then a top end set and having the ECM checked for any codes and the mufflers did get the boost up by a couple of pounds. Boost will get up to 46 or so if its cool out as in winter but more like 44 otherwise. I haven't driven another C15 to compare it to but I personally think it should have more power then it does. My loads are in that 104000 lb range with a tridem trailer ( I farm so its grain ) Equipped with the special heavy wall 46 rears and 4.30 gearing

[@brucejones2354]

That 3208 was used in the 225 backhoe. It was Extremely Noisy with poor fuel economy, but was close to indestructible. Had one that the operator put a piece of rebar through the coolant hose and continued operation until the engine quit running. The piston rings had been SO HOT that I was able to twist one 8 rotations and it still Didn't break! 2 new heads (the old ones had cracks big enough to put your fingers in), same pistons, hone the cylinders just enough to get the cross hatch, new bearings everywhere, new rings, and 6 years later was still running!

[@davebarnhart9415]

Have a 3208 in a pulling tractor. Love it

[@popper2815]

2KS and KCB are my favorite, less power but i grow up with the story little engine that could.

[@Coyner4321]

I have a KCB for sale if you're interested? Needs to be overhauled though. But we can't find a buyer for it! We replaced it with a 6NZ.

[@chevrolet355]

My 2005 terex advance mixer truck has a c13 cat. Thing is a beast

[@dwk7375]

The D-318 in a 1952 8T series #12 motor grader my dad ran for the county hydept had over 15,000 hours when they decided to over haul it, everything was still within specs,

[@Upsideofoutside]

We love watching your content at my dealer in Virginia!

[@leonsolohov8014]

Thank you Adept :) ! Great video as always

[@hoost3056]

Here are my picks..... 1693TA...the original "Four and a Quarter Cat" 3406B,C and E The 6NZ C15 The twin turbo 3412...although it was never installed in a road truck. The Worst..... C13 twin turbo ACERT C7 3176

[@zedstierwalt6088]

You forgot one of the greats the Cat 3408 just gotta keep your foot out of it for any fuel mileage

[@mitchstephen5491]

I have to say that I have a ct660 cat truck with the ct13 engine. I has been a great truck and I have had virtually no problems with it. I bought it new in 2013 and l couldn’t possibly complain about it. As with most things I think at lot of the problems are caused by the operators.

[@electric7487]

That's a Navistar engine.

[@AdeptApe]

I have heard of such things, but the few Cat Trucks we had in our territory were constant problems, all of them. Doesn't mean every single one ever was bad, but just a bad reputation at least from me and every other person I know that has worked on them.

[@millertime8835]

Sad, emissions ruined all diesel engines really

[@thetowndrunk988]

Yup. Detroit had a proven winner in the series 60. Then of course reliability went down when they did EGR. Then, as if to double down on crap reliability, they came out with the DD15…….. Worst dang engine I’ve ever seen. Of course I’ve always been a Cat guy, but emissions bs has them completely out of the game now.

[@ADHDcisGinger]

2000 gallons per hour at 8000ppm C02 is cheaper.... Thanks biden

[@joemac3118]

Government ruins everything!!!

[@thetowndrunk988]

@Doco KD7OCO glad you’re having luck with em. I got one freightshaker with one, and it’s had all kinds of issues. Never going that route again. Gonna stick with a Cummins

[@717weston2]

You repair emissions systems With a laptop

[@jerrykinnin7941]

3406B, 1693, 3408, C7

[@nate4036]

Let’s take a moment to appreciate the power made by c15-c16 and c18. Three fast truck engines

[@thelaststarfighter]

You forgot the 3408. Great engine

[@elijahrobinson2362]

It wasn’t made during the period he was discussing. He said ‘over the last 30 years’. The 3408 was last produced in the mid-80s. That is why it doesn’t appear here.

[@wesleychanie1774]

I've got a 6NZ 550HP "King of the Hill" in my 2001 W900L with 2,700,000 on it and still going strong! I owned a 3406B 425HP

[@wesleychanie1774]

Oops. I got over a million on the 3406B 425HP. I tried a series 60 Detroit and went thru 5 injectors in the first 200,000 miles in a 660 Volvo back many years ago. Piece of crap. That's why they say a Detroit and a banana have one thing in common. They ain't worth a crap until they turn yellow. 😂

[@brucejones2354]

I've had 3 trucks with C-12 engines. With the exceptions of 2 broken valves, 1 cracked injector, and bad cam followers which took out the cams, I consider the C-12 to be a good engine. I still have one today, a 2000 Freightliner that currently has 2,040,000 miles, and this truck is in the shop less than the new trucks.

[@AdeptApe]

You should get your 2 million mile jacket and watch from Cat

[@waults]

SDP and LEE put a lot of truckers out of business. I would argue the MXS/NXS C15 are the very best over the C-15 and earlier 3406E, but a 5EK is really close. 6NZ is over rated, they are strong and fun to drive, but nowhere near as robust as a MXS.

[@elijahrobinson2362]

Ran a Sterling with a C-12/13 speed pulling a van/reefer mostly from Winnipeg to Chicago area. Great engine for that type of hauling. C-15 6NZ/C-16 7CZ is the king, and the 3406E/B are also great engines but behind the -15. ACERT are a decent engine, but not with the regen crap. You need to learn to run them at 1325 rpm instead of 1450-1550 like the 3406E/C-15 engines. A 6NZ with the ACERT crank and pistons gives you a 15.2L no emission/IVA engine. 😍

[@jpmaintenancesvc4749]

When I started out, I got to get a fairly good amount of experience on the 3176’s. One of our customers had about 10 of them in their fleet. First overhaul I ever did was on one that had a valve train failure, and busted a hole in the aluminum upper block.

[@AdeptApe]

The Cam boxes are a pretty weird design by the engineers at Cat.

[@johngoldsmith6629]

@@AdeptApe Cat bragged that it was the top HP to weight ratio ever produced.

[@taylor11089]

In All Honesty, there are A LOT of C13 Non Regen (04’-07’) Motor Owners who will Largely Disagree with You on that Cat C13 Motor. Once that Motor was DeAcerted it was a GOOD Motor. I would put a C-12 Up Against a C13 ANY Day of the Week. I agree with you on Every Other Best Motor Pick. But in All Honesty, All Diesel Truck Manufacturers between 1995’-2003 Made GREAT Motors (other than leaking some oil, and maybe some injectors), International DT466, Cat 3116, Cummins ISC 8.3L, Cat 3126, Cat C-10, Cummins L10/M11/ISM, Detroit S60 11.1L Non EGR, Cat C-12, Detroit S60 12.7L Non EGR, Detroit S60 14.0L Non EGR, Cummins N14 525 RedTop, Cat 3406E, Cat C-15, Cummins Signature 600 Non EGR, Cat C-16, ALL of these are NON EGR Motors. ALL are GREAT Motors that all have their Place in Different Applications, All where Produced during the MOST Fuel Efficient and Produced The LEAST Amount of Emissions Period of Diesel Motors, which was from 1995-2003. That was The HOLY GRAIL of Electronic Diesel Motor History. That’s why these Motors are so Sought After, that’s why they Sold a RECORD Amount of Gliders from 2008-2020.

[@KeepingitAnalog]

3406B is king!

[@davidwalle5025]

Great video. The worst cat engine is still better than most of the other truck engines.

[@aaronjames7124]

Lol you have blinders on!! Cat definitely didn't make the best over the road engine for longevity and mileage.. That should go to DETROIT DIESEL series 60 probably the best engine ever made for a trucker to make the most money! I'd take a Cummins over a cat any day to! There's a reason cats don't make truck engine's anymore

[@cesar9496]

@@aaronjames7124Detroit is good but Cummins? The only Cummins I’ll take is an n14, the rest of the isx are junk.

[@ericcrosco6271]

I own both the 6nz and 3406e engines in my w900s.i love the engines but have had horrible problems with head gasget issues on the 3406e.And oil pan leaks.Tearing it down again from a POS turbo flying to pieces causing it to run off!I'm not looking forward to see what all is destroyed!Love your videos!!

[@AdeptApe]

I'm about to say something that will make your life a little easier, there is a one piece oil pan gasket that Cat makes for those engines instead of the puzzle gasket. If you want to part number send me an email and I'll get my notebook on Monday and tell you it.

[@brucelee64485]

Cat has also just released a new head gasket set up that has a new ferrule that is supposed to help funnel the engine oil that comes down from the head to the passages in the block. I have done a few with this head gasket setup and so far so good on the engine oil leaking from under the spacer deck. You will have to ask for it as so far I haven't seen the updated head gasket with the ferrules in the head gasket kits. Been seeing them in the gold and platinum overhaul kits though. Liner heights might be off if your blowing head gaskets, or the deck of the block might be needing machined too.

[@jaydunbar7538]

@@brucelee64485 my cat doesn't leak from everywhere, it just marks its territory very well.

[@THEDC81025]

@@AdeptApe do they have a one piece for Bmodel cat 4mg46394

[@johngoldsmith6629]

@@THEDC81025 3450412

[@ats-3693]

Nothing beats the sound of a 3406 at full noise under load..

[@nfarnell1]

I started my trucking with a WT 9000 Ford (1976) with a 3406PC @ 365 hp. It had plenty of power and was the most reliable engine I ever had. Really got spoiled as I got closer to today. Trucks got much nicer but no engine got even close to cent/mile cost.

[@johngoldsmith6629]

Never heard of a 3406 PCTA 365 HP. Worked on a lot of 3406 PCTA 360 HP, that used a turbo off a 1693.

[@nfarnell1]

@@johngoldsmith6629 Well that was what I had, first year it was available in the Ford in Canada. That was also the first year for the 365 hp 8v92 in the WT9000, not a great engine. The Turbo was huge and you could hear the whistle a mile away.

[@CWAcres]

You happened to skip over the c-10 and c12 but great video none the less. Thank you for the content and knowledge.

[@AdeptApe]

The C-10 and C-12 were in the "Best" category so they were mentioned early in the video. I didn't go into depth on any of the engine as the video would have turned into an hour.

[@yodstube4897]

Very good, clear and helpful! Thank you!

[@jeremyfreeman866]

Had the c-15 in my motorhome. I was happy with mileage and power.

[@blauer2551]

If only you had 13 speed to enjoy it with

[@gary4507]

3406B was hands down the best Cat engine ever. I also had a 3406E and a 3176. Not bad engines,but nowhere nearly as reliable or easy to work with as the 3406B. You can have everything that came after 2006. I never pumped the first gallon of that piss water into a truck and thankfully,I never will.

[@shallowtrapper9873]

I have a 3176 in my dump truck it has been overhauled and works decently, lacks a bit of power but I don’t race either. I will probably swap it for a c12 when it goes out.

[@mohammadalissa8255]

useful video thx mr.josh

[@roneycrespo]

My personal experience with C-12 was horrible. I had 3 mounted all on sterlings 2000s. dump trucks. the camshaft, piston oil rings, engine heads, everything was a disaster At the same time I had a 3406E mounted on a Western Star. I put a million three hundred thousand miles on it and sold it just as strong

[@maisonlittle9093]

every truck shop i go in i see more cats broke down than anything

[@randybrechbiel9748]

Company I work for had some 3176 in 6 of the trucks. One driver they told him he never needed to call in because they would just call the next Cat shop and see if he made it

[@Incrediblebowlesmodels]

I believe the army has the c 15 in the newer hemtt a4 engines never had to replace hardly anything on them the c7 acert is in the matv and newer mtv trucks usually the fuel pump goes out on them along with exhuast manifold leaks never had to replace components on the matv thank God

[@AbcXyz-rn2lz]

I know of c15 trucks that are decades in with no rebuild. 3406b is the coolest but counter bore and oil leaks from puzzle gasket; still on par with c15 uptime though

[@daveritchie7611]

You did not mention the C 18. What are your thoughts on this one? Thanks, I enjoy your videos, you do a great job.

[@sebastiangarla8558]

I'm shocked the 6NZ is not on here. It's the best one out of all CATS I've ever had !

[@wadebullard9463]

6NZ is a C-15. So is the MBN.

[@speaknup1]

that is a c-15

[@brokendown63]

Can't have a legit comparison without the 1693!

[@jimmyrockstar907]

I've got the c-15 MBN "bridge" motor and while it's not as good as the 6nz, it's been pretty reliable since 2004.

[@tomhaddon350]

Those bridge motors lasted for ever had one new broke a couple rocker arm studs ran it a million miles had rebuilt ran another million three rebuilt again it almost to 3 million now

[@kylemartin-jz7ur]

I have the same engine I took the mufflers off ran a straight pipe aftermarket turbo I would say it where a 6nz is or really close

[@maxrobbins8872]

What’s your thoughts on a 3408 v8 CAT

[@mattt198654321]

You know, I used to think the 3208 was a 'junk' engine until I actually drove one, it had outstanding power for a NA diesel.

[@johndebree5091]

Can you please do a video on the 3208 marine version and how we should be using them and in your appinon what would be a good upgrade. Thanks for all your previous videos I watched them all

[@glynpayne4393]

That would be awesome if Josh could recommend a switch from twin 3208's to 3306's or c-10's? easiest, or least complicated, would be welcomed.

[@j.d.saccociates3313]

One of the boats I look after has twin 3208 na engines in it. It's just shy of of 50 foot, not sure what she displaces but I would assume about 30t. They're a decent fit for the boat, SLOW but cheap as borscht of fuel, so there's that. The oil coolers are prone to leaks. The services are affordable... don't have much more input than that. One windowed the block a year and a half ago and a replacement was only 10k so thats kinda nice, they've been out of production so long though they'll be hard to find eventually.

[@j.d.saccociates3313]

@@glynpayne4393 repowering from twin 3208's? Well the first questions are: how much money do you have and how fast do you wanna go? I can't really get on board replacing 40 year old engines with a set of 35 or 25 year old engines... let alone sourcing a matched set of them in good condition or paying to have them rebuilt and re rated to match each other. Marine engines don't have def, dpf or egr. At least right now they dont so don't be afraid of the new stuff if you can afford it!

[@glynpayne4393]

@@j.d.saccociates3313 7-10 knots. It's a live aboard trawler. Slow, steady, reliable and fairly economical. Prefer mechanical over electronic any day!

[@j.d.saccociates3313]

@@glynpayne4393 hmm most of those boats were single screw, don't think I've ever seen one with twins. I cant imagine you'd need much power, 200 a side, tops. Continuous rated qsb6.7 cummins would be awesome, a bit too much power and expensive. There's some pretty good yanmar stuff out there in that power range but parts and service can be tricky depending where you are Electronic engines aren't some new thing, they're well proven and have been around for years. Sure they can be complex but so is an injection pump. Without emissions stuff on them they're perfectly reliable.

[@matthewstrzelecki4280]

See - 15 that's great it's in the coach I'm looking at

[@dhillonsavee]

Very well ranking !!!

[@johngoldsmith6629]

The 3176 is divided into five groups. The 2YG, biggest POS. 9CK better of the group, still had problems but the electronics was improved. And the 7LG series, which is three groups by serial number breaks.

[@AdeptApe]

5, like the layers of seals between the cylinder block to valve cover on those things. Block to Cam box to cylinder head to valve cover base base to the valve cover base to the valve cover. No oil leaks in that design 😁. I'm sure you know more about them than me, like I said in the video, they are the engine I'm least familiar with in the list.

[@johngoldsmith6629]

@@AdeptApe That is a good thing. The first 2YG had numerous problems, Cat stopped production for 6 months. The orings between the block and spacer deck was low quality. If you had fuel in the radiator it would swell the only coolant seal up and start leaking coolant. We had one that had a gear failure. It lifted the camshaft up and cracked the spacer deck. Which required a lot of work to replace all the failed parts. On the 2YG the oil cooler has been updated and you have to replace all parts from the back of the water pump to the cover that mounts on the side of the spacer deck. How would like to change one of those in the frame.

[@leetheron3932]

I had freightliner argosy cat c16 power is awesome 👌👌👌

[@zedstierwalt6088]

Great Video I run a 3406B that I just overhauled and it’s great I love it! I would like it to smoke some and have seen a video on turning the pump up, what is your thoughts would you be willing to give your ideas

[@johngoldsmith6629]

If your talking about on acceleration it's your FRC. 1988 and back the FRC cocks with boost. 1989 and up cocks with oil. You can not tell them apart. So the best way is to remove the line off the FRC cover. Remove the cover (two bolts). Some older FRC's has a gasket. (The cover would warp and gasket would leak) The new style has a oring which is better. You can't buy just the oring cover and put on the old style. Back to FRC adjustment. With cover off start the engine and push in on the valve. Accelerate rapidly and look at smoke. Turn adjustment screw in to increase acceleration, smoke and fuel consumption. Turn screw out to decrease smoke, making engine more sluggish. Depending on your serial number the VTU is a known problem and needs to be inspected every two years or so. Also fuel pump bypassing, if the bushings are off the old style design.

[@zedstierwalt6088]

@@johngoldsmith6629 Mine is a 4MG engine

[@johngoldsmith6629]

@@zedstierwalt6088 4MG's was the worst timing advance problem engines. Had around 6 or so updates. Once done they would hold up fairly well. Also some engines had a recall where the pin would fall out of the governor and the engine would run away, and very early engines on VTU and governor dowels. It was the first engine to get the asbestos free gaskets and leaked oil and would blow head gaskets. Again once fixed they was good engines. 4MG's was two design's below 03600, which was still a 7FB and 03600 and up which is a true 4MG.

[@brownwrench]

3 and 4 valve versions of the 3126. Had issues with heui lines blowing off

[@chrisdixon2685]

Josh, I really appreciate your videos. They are always very informative even though I am interested in marine applications. I got an old boat with Cat 3116s. What do you think about pulling them and replacing with C-15s? Crazy idea? Any idea how costly that would be?

[@samdittmar5142]

A brand new 6nz is like 50k lol

[@bohenderson811]

3208s get a bad rap, most people call em boat anchors but I've seen them go a long time.

[@sdpistolero327]

There is a reason why the military uses primarily C12NR and C15NR, they can take massive amounts of abuse.

[@casualtrucker]

Great vid

[@Senkino5o]

Good stuff. In your opinion how do CAT engines in general compare with QSK Cummins, Paccar or 4-stroke Detroits?

[@qsk2348]

QSK cummins are marine applications their MONSTERS but way to expensive

[@jeriwollmann7366]

Definitely much better. Great job man. 👍💪😊😊

[@AdeptApe]

Yeah, the video editing software had something that is wanted to save 3 minutes after the video ended. I redid it, but somehow it still saved in the background somehow. Thanks for pointing it out.

[@randyrudder2451]

Yep government regulations screwed up production of the E model putting the brakes on best truck engines available. That is why I built my truck running a 1MM 600 it will be my last one

[@michaelbeck5567]

I would argue about being a happy trucker with a MBN C-15. It has no balls what do ever And doesn't pull half as good as a 6nz or 5ek or 2ws.

[@robertquast9684]

Love my 3406c but it’s not the peec model. 3208 is okay if you drive them like a 2 stroke Detroit

[@electric7487]

Where do you think the current C7.1, C9.3, C13, and C15 would rank on your list if Cat were still putting them in trucks?

[@rognavolter]

Thanks!

[@brownwrench]

I know the 3126 by sound alone. Hated the belt arrangement.