3126 CAT Motor????

[strokerboy73]

Does anyone know anything about this motor???? is good or bad???? I know CAT had a throw away motor, but i cant remember which one it is.(3106 or 3126 or????) And does anyone know anything about horsepower on this motor? And how reliable is it compared to the 7.3l powerstroke and the 5.9l cummins. And what problems or signs to look for when i go look at it??

Here is a link: Hay truck F750 (might have to copy and paste)

All opinions welcome on the CAT Motor(i dont want this to turn into a 6.0l discussion, Thanks).Right now we pull with an 07 F450 CC LL Dually with a 6.0L Powerstroke And its the biggest piece of crap on the face of the earth. But thats another story. Anyway we just dont want a truck that has to spend more time in the shop than on the road.

[Big Tone]

The same motor as the C-7, decent engine its no 3406.

[cchase]

yeah its pretty solid. i have had alot of good luck with cats, i know some people at a dealer, and i get an *** load of free stuff! so thats good. but i hear strong motor, not the best but defintly a good motor

[dieseldan2005]

Early 3126s had problems with the blocks cracking up high in the front, causing the whole engine to be removed and either a new block put in with the old guts or a whole new crate engine. I have a newer 06 freightliner M2 with the C7 CAT which is the updated version of the 3126. I have 112k on it and i have only had to replace the fuel pressure regulator. Mine is set at 300hp which is the highest setting for this year and for an on road truck. They do go up to 350hp for RV's. My truck is rated to haul 57k and i have been overweight before and gone 75mph+ just fine. It just takes a little while. I recommend getting a 9 or 10spd manual and NOT the allison 6spd. I have that and its the downfall of the whole truck. Not enough gears, it can't work the powerband well enough. Overall, the 3126/C7 is a good engine. The throw away engine was the 3208 V8 CAT. Let me know if you have any more questions. I would be happy to answer them for ya!

[dieseldan2005]

I forgot to mention, check the air filter in that 750 since it was in hay fields. My old company had 5 3126's in sterling dumps and we had to do engine work in 3 of them at around 170k-220k But the drivers weren't easy on them. Here is a link to CAT's website if you need more engine specs. Caterpillar On-Highway Engines: Home

[SCUFFY828]

ive overhauled a couple of them and made several repairs to them, i dont see that they are bad , seem to hold up for the most part

[strokerboy73]

Originally Posted by dieseldan2005

Early 3126s had problems with the blocks cracking up high in the front, causing the whole engine to be removed and either a new block put in with the old guts or a whole new crate engine.

How do you tell if it is an early 3126 or a good one??? I am just curious, cause a friend of ours has had to put 3 or 4 new motors in his truck with in like a year or two. and i believe it is the 3126......

[strokerboy73]

So has anyone looked at the ad??? Is it a good deal or just a decent deal since the market is way down with fuel costs?

[ford_trck]

I'd say it's pretty good. I know a couple guys that had 3126's and traded them for the c7's and they wish they still had the 3126 back because of the HP mainly. As with any diesel you take care of them they will take care of you.

[bryanbrown]

we had a 3126 in a '97 kodiak, 300hp automatic. It ran pretty good for that level of hp. We had a TON of problems with the CAT service center when it started having problems. REALLY LONG story short, they changed all the injectors claiming that was our problem (no power, dropping cylinders), but after the $4k bill, I looked under the truck and they hadn't even changed the primary fuel filter (obviously the problem didn't go away). To say I'm not pleased with CAT is a serious understatement. Took it to a chevy dealer with truck service, and they fixed it in one day, for less than $800(just needed new fuel lines, filters).

Sorry for the rant, it looks like a good truck, but I would recommend finding a ford dealer who could work on it.