A question based on ignorance. If you rebuild an engine, do they essentially put in a new engine? That is these new truck engines are getting less mpg, so if you rebuild the engine is it to be expected that you will lose fuel efficiency?

 

It won't be a new engine, but will essentially have all the components replaced. For all practical purposes, it is like a new engine, but should get better fuel mileage than a new one from the factory with all the extra pollution stuff.

 

keep the truck. theone you buy will be worse.

 

I am in the same boat, love the old Pete but the "old" is starting to wear on me. I have a chance to buy a newer (by 16 years) Peterbilt from a guy in my yard at a fair price,I know him and the truck fairly well,but still am hesitant to jump into a payment when a couple grand into the old one will give me the "this truck aint so bad" feeling. I do think that the comfort level of a newer truck will help because I hesitate to book jobs that are further out. Freeway travel in a 27 year old truck with 4.44 rear ends is less than plesasent.

 

DON'T DO IT!!!! I did and sorely regretted it!!! Within 3 months I had the 359 in the shop for full restoration b/c we hated the new truck. We thought we'd drive the new one for the year that the 59r was in the shop... within another 3 mos we had the new one up for sale and bought a '92 to drive while the other is being done. Luckily we didn't lose a ton of $$ on the deal (enough though).

The ONLY thing that I liked better on the new truck was the bunk; when we bought new, we bought a bit bigger than our old truck was. When the new one sold so fast, we had to replace it fast and couldn't be too picky; so my bunk is 2.5 feet shorter and I don't have room for anything! Oh well, when the 359 gets done it'll seem like a mansion b/c its 5' longer than this one.

 

Your mileage may vary, but here's an inspiring tale for you.

I had a company truck, an '89 Pete cabover. It had some problems, and they always fixed the problems, hoping to get another two years out of the truck. It went another two years four more times before it was finally just shot all to hell. That was all on the original motor, with no rebuilds.

That truck just kept going and going and going.

That's why I will always love Cummins, no matter how much :dung: people here talk about them. Especially cat lovers.

From 1989 to 2006. 17 years of running on the original motor. Only needed a couple of head gaskets, a radiator, and incidental cheaper things.

Dayyyyyum.

 

What Cummins was in there? What's your estimate of miles put on it? What was the oil change interval and any special maintenance?

 

Papa Rick not trying to hijack your thread but it seems to apply to your situation, Truckdobe can you elaborate? I am looking to go from a 79 to a 95 no bunk local dump truck work. I have never driven anything newer than an 86 (pete 359) so I am nervous that I will make a mistake and not like the 95. My reasoning other than driver comfort is here in the communist state of CA they are pushing to get older (1990 and down) trucks off the road,they offer these crazy programs to pay 80% of a new 2007 truck but there are mileage guidelines that I don't meet plus they want to put a tracking device that records speed/miles/emissions,no thanks. They do want every diesel truck registered in the L.A. basin to be retrofitted with emissions equipment so either way I can't escape it. Any way is it your opinion that an overhauled 359 beats a late model? I love & hate my truck so I am on the fence but I think cheaper is better.

 

I'm not completely sure. It was mechanical, built in 1989, so what does that make it? It was a 315 HP engine.

I estimate at least 1,500,000 on it, and I think closer to 2,000,000 before it was all said and done, but it ate so many speedometers that we lost track. I'm not sure of the oil change interval, but it was conservative. This was a small company truck, and the one man dispatcher/fleet manager/mechanic took very good care of it.

 

Just keep in mind that if you decide to keep putting money into it, it will come to a point where you have sunk in more money than the truck is worth, and you will have no choice but to keep it because you won't be able to get anything for it if you try to sell it, especially for a truck that old. It will come to a point where it does make sense to get a newer truck.

That is why I decided to sell my 97 W900 while I could still get decent money for it. I paid 32,000 for it 3 years ago, I sold it for 28,000. I ordered a brand new one the way I wanted it. I know that in your work a new truck doesn't make sense, but in mine it does,

A guy I work with has an old truck, he had sunk in about 50,000 into it last year, he wants to sell it but can't even get 16,000 for it