Is 430 HP enough?

[merrick4]

Ok I'm looking at Freightliners. I found one, a 2005 with 325,000 that was a fleet tuck. It has some warranty left. They want low $60's for it. It has 435/515 HP. Then I found 2004 Freightliner with around the same miles on it but for about $15,000 cheaper. The only thing it has a 375/430 hp.

I plan on pulling reefer, most on the east coast, though I'd love to get out west. I'm based out of florida and a lot of the freight will be from there (no hills there). How is the lower HP? I was told by one person to stay away from it, but I don't know much about this. How will this affect my MPG? What exactly should I be looking at?

Also the bigger engine is a 14. L while the smaller one is 12.7. I don't even know what this means. (I hated auto shop.)

Can anyone give me some advice please?

[Jumbo]

My guess is that the bigger one is a Cat and the other is a Detroit. If that is the case I don't see where you could go wrong with either. Both motors have been good to me.

[no_worries]

I believe those are both Detroit Series 60, they have a 12.7 and a 14.0 Liter. The 370/430 is what many of the big fleets like Schneider run. You'll get better fuel mileage but be slower on the hills. As long as you don't have a huge ego, it's plenty of power to do the job.

[merrick4]

Yes they are both Detroit. Now that I will be paying for the fuel, the better the fuel MPG the better. The only thing I was wondering, if it's chugging up a hill doesn't that bring down the MPG? Sorry if that was a stupid question and thanks for your help.

[Jumbo]

I believe those are both Detroit Series 60, they have a 12.7 and a 14.0 Liter. The 370/430 is what many of the big fleets like Schneider run. You'll get better fuel mileage but be slower on the hills. As long as you don't have a huge ego, it's plenty of power to do the job.

I had a 435 Cat and I thought the 3406E was a 14 L motor. That is why I guessed one was a Cat but, you could be right.

[person]

I believe those are both Detroit Series 60, they have a 12.7 and a 14.0 Liter. The 370/430 is what many of the big fleets like Schneider run. You'll get better fuel mileage but be slower on the hills. As long as you don't have a huge ego, it's plenty of power to do the job.

[merrick4]

Person, are those smiles laughing in disagreement or you saying those two thing are worth smiling about?

[PackRatTDI]

430 hp is plenty for the average truck. Unless you're going to consistently be hauling 80k in the mountains, you won't need more than that unless all you want is bragging rights.

[Cam]

Ok I'm looking at Freightliners. I found one, a 2005 with 325,000 that was a fleet tuck. It has some warranty left. They want low $60's for it. It has 435/515 HP. Then I found 2004 Freightliner with around the same miles on it but for about $15,000 cheaper. The only thing it has a 375/430 hp.

I plan on pulling reefer, most on the east coast, though I'd love to get out west. I'm based out of florida and a lot of the freight will be from there (no hills there). How is the lower HP? I was told by one person to stay away from it, but I don't know much about this. How will this affect my MPG? What exactly should I be looking at?

Also the bigger engine is a 14. L while the smaller one is 12.7. I don't even know what this means. (I hated auto shop.)

Can anyone give me some advice please?

Be still my heart. Somebody as mechanical-dumb as me.

Those liters are the total volume of the cylinders summed up.

[merrick4]

Oh yeah I'm mechanically dumb all right. Even as a kid when the other kids would be babbling about duel polly overhead bla bla bla, I couldn't understand a word. Can't stand sports either (don't worry I know what you are thinking, yes I'm married and yes to a woman )

Anyway I see packrat chimed in and that's good cause I can never understand half of what he writes, that is he seems to know about this stuff so let me ask, when they say the engine has 375/430hp what does that mean? It can either be configured for 375 or 430? or at different gears it is at 375 or 430?

Thanks

[no_worries]

It means it's set up to run at the higher horsepower when you have the cruise on but derates to the lower hp when the cruise is off...another fuel-saving feature.

[Crash935]

It means it's set up to run at the higher horsepower when you have the cruise on but derates to the lower hp when the cruise is off...another fuel-saving feature.

Thats the trick to the split HP, hit that cruise while climbing and you will feel it pull, if you have to drop a gear, hit the cruise again when you get it in the lower gear and it will still keep pulling with more HP than mashing the throttle to the floor with your foot.

[Papa Rick]

I have a 350 Cummins, hual logs up and down mountains and it does fine. I would love to have more hp, but for a older engine that is all mechanical and avg 5.5 with loads avg 88,000 I can't complain.

[heavyhaulerss]

I wish i had a 375 or more horse. i got a 350 11.1 det and it does the job. it does not have big power but it will beat most bigger engines on m.p.g. 6.5 ave. with over 1 mil mi on engine with no work done to it. but if i had a big motor i would not get as good fuel mi cause i would have my foot in it more often..

[person]

Person, are those smiles laughing in disagreement or you saying those two thing are worth smiling about?

Excuse the smile things. I meant I thought that was excellent advice. Also this one

The 370/430 is what many of the big fleets like Schneider run. You'll get better fuel mileage but be slower on the hills. As long as you don't have a huge ego, it's plenty of power to do the job.

MPG is everything.

[PackRatTDI]

Oh yeah I'm mechanically dumb all right. Even as a kid when the other kids would be babbling about duel polly overhead bla bla bla, I couldn't understand a word. Can't stand sports either (don't worry I know what you are thinking, yes I'm married and yes to a woman )

Anyway I see packrat chimed in and that's good cause I can never understand half of what he writes, that is he seems to know about this stuff so let me ask, when they say the engine has 375/430hp what does that mean? It can either be configured for 375 or 430? or at different gears it is at 375 or 430?

Thanks

LOL, I don't know if I should be insulted or not?

[tracer]

How is the lower HP? I was told by one person to stay away from it, but I don't know much about this. How will this affect my MPG? What exactly should I be looking at?

I just bought a used truck with a 435 hp Cat C15. It has 1,650 lbs of torque, and if I could give advice, I'd say - go for a truck with higher torque rating and direct drive transmission. Torque is what moves the truck up the mountains and with direct drive transmission you have all the torque "at the wheels".

My truck has an overdrive transmission (13 speed), and in the top gear I have 0.73 ratio which means I can only get 1,650 times 0.73 of torque at the wheels Direct drive tranny would have the ratio of "1" meaning I'd get the entire 1,650 lbs of torque...

I tried to uprate the engine to 475 hp, 1650/1850 multitorque, but the previous owner had put in a 1,650 lbs rated tranny, so the dealer said, "No dice; you'll damage the transmission if you increase the torque."

On the positive side even with 435 hp I am doing okay. I run around and under 60 mph and my trips are between the North-East USA and Canada.

PS: If you have problems in the mountains with a lower HP engine, you can always save some money and: 1) switch to low profile tires; 2) change the axle ratio; 3) re-rate your engine if such an opportunity exists.

[merrick4]

Well Tracer thanks for the advice. Unfortunately I don't understand too much of it. But anyway I'm coming down to two trucks.

The first one has the smaller HP and has 385,000 miles on it. I actually like that one better. I've got them to go as low as they claim they'll go on the prices. The one thing he conceded on was he will put new tires on the truck. It is a 2004 Freightliner Century. I can get an extended warranty for that one.

The second one is a 2005 Freightliner Columbia with 325,000 miles on it. It still has a warranty on it. I don't have the info in front of me but the HP was I think 470/510. There is a difference of price of $9,000 between them.

They both are very clean. On the Columbia he won't come down on price anymore so I'm wondering what else can I squeeze him for? I'm going to talk with a few people this weekend and then decide I guess. I have the time to make them work for my money but I have a lot of work lined up so I want to get moving.

Any ideas what else to look for or what else a dealer will "throw in"?


By the way there are some Penske trucks coming in next week. 2005 with low miles in the 200,000 range. Basic models, don't have aluminum wheels etc

[person]

I would hire your own mech to take a look at whatever you choose before you actually seal the deal. Get a dyno too. Spend a tiny bit just to verify before spending so much.

[mikeymike]

My truck is a volvo and it has the volvo D12 465hp motor. Now it will back out a bit on steep hills if pulling @40K or so. BUt the fuel mileage avg @ 7.5 or higher. It makes me smile when the big motor trucks who pass me on the hills are getting fuel when I go by the truck stop. It is not a big issue to me since I pull a reefer and run ATl to Central Fl. and back.