ISX engines
 

Anybody running an ISX that would like to comment on it? I'm looking at a truck that has an ISX 435 hp in it and would like some information on your experience with it and your thoughts.

Rev, if I remember right you have an ISX 600? (I think) care to critique? even though you are a HHG man :lol:

Re: ISX engines
 

We've got one in a dump truck where I work, and the other trucks in the fleet with Cat C12's and C13's with roughly the same HP will pass it like it's standing still.

That's because CAT seems to underrate their engines.

I am very interested to hear the comments on the ISX also, I have heard they have lots of trouble with the EGR valves and wonder if this is true since I would like to trade my 02' KW in for an 06' sometime within the next 6months to a year and would consider a cummins if they don't have to many problems. A driver I was considering hireing said he'd been driving an 07' cat and had 180 codes already and has had to stop twice for an hour or better to let the PF burn clean.

Yes the EGR valves are a problem. I think not idling would definitely help out with that though. Underhood temps skyrocket idling in summer.

2006 ISX 475 now at 550 with 300,000 miles. Been a good engine with minimal trouble. Knowing what I know about Cats offered at the same time, I'd spec the same engine again in a heartbeat.

I had an 07 International with a 565 ISX. The thing belched black soot like it was going out of style, and the mileage went from 6.2 to 4.75 before we turned it back in. Cummins said it was some kind of computer problem but they didn't know how to fix it :shock: . The wash rack was always a waste of money.

Wow, good comments thanks guys. What about the the average life of the ISX before rebuild?

I do recall my 475 kitty yanking Bandits Cousin through the hills of eastern oklahoma and on the flat ground...we were only 1k lbs. apart weight wise. My motor has about 800k on it without being touched, and his has less than 200k on it. His is a 525 isx with 3.70 rears and a 13 speed, and I have 3.55's with a 13 and tall 24.5's. Something tells me his extra 50 horsies and better gearing for pulling hills should have made the outcome different. 8)

This might not be a bad deal here.

2004 Int. 9400, 51" Low roof, ISX 435, EF 10 sp OD, Fontaine A/S, 3.73 ratio, 214" wb, 237,000 mi.

All maintenance records, and oil analysis. I can get a recent one done if I want to. It's coming off an Ideal Lease.

40 K or M whatever you prefer. :lol:

Anything comparable on truck paper was 47 to 49.

Thoughts?

ISX engines are great for people like me who do repair work when their not on the road, I think every company should own a couple thousand of em :D

I would be prepared to do an in-frame at around 750,000 miles. I have spoken to owner operators who have gotten more than a million miles on a Cummins before having to do an overhaul. It is all about the maintenance.

Can't speak to the ISX per se. My old truck had an ISM, the small bore little cousin. At 750,000 miles, it started to go all to hell. Kept having problems with injectors until they figured out it wasn't just one or two but all six that needed replacing. Then it broke a ring, the A/C compressor broke off, and a couple other things. It really needed an in-frame bad, but the company dodged that bullet by closing its doors instead. I limped along with that gimp for a few months, and then sayonora, no more job.

In contrast, my old old truck had... Dang. I keep forgetting what it was. NS-9? The one that came before the N14. It was an old mechanical engine, and we got every bit of 1.75 million miles on it, and that motor was still running, albeit not as well as she used to, when she went to the scrap heap. We were hauling light stuff, which helped, but that old truck did me right proud. I parked her before she finally gave up on me, barely. It was a near thing, but you can't fault a truck for being in nearly catastrophic need of a rebuild at pushing two million miles.

I'm a Cummins man. Driving an N14 now. I love that engine too.

I've got a ISX 500hp with 810000 miles on it right now. 13 speed 3.55 gears Runs great no major probles. I don't idel to much becouse I mostly come back home everynight. Or just shut off my truck when I stop. Only problem I've had was A/c compresser broke I changed that and the air dryer took a shit last year. It's a strong motor Them kittys wish whey could pull hills like this truck does. Cats are over rated just paying for a name on the parts. I had one for a few years nothing like this ISX motor.

Cummins removed the EGR valve from the hot side of the engine and placed it on the cool side which should eliminate most of the EGR issues. I think that took place in '05 or '06.

I think not idling would eliminate that too.

Everyone that bitches about the EGR valves on the ISX engines I always ask them how much they idle. "A lot"

Underhood gets hot as hell, and they have problems with EGR valves, alternators, hoses, etc..

Just wait until the new CAT engines, they're going to be even worse.

:roll: 500 cummins, a cat killer? lol...whatever dude

It's not hard to be a cat killer, especially when they're all broken down on the side of the road. :P

lol.....the newer ones maybe...I'll stick to my e-model. I've got a hard-on for a new studio w900l to replace my aerocab model...but the new motors have me running scared!

cummins out run my cat? :lol: theres a c15 in my KW and a 3406b in my wifes kw....


a cummins trying to outpull either of em is like bringing a knife to a gunfight. :lol:

I will agree with that. Sorry if Cumaparts were so good WHY DO THE MAJORS flatbed fleets like TMC and Melton NOT HAVE THEM then. Sorry I ran a early signature 600 Cumapart and I was BEGGING MY SHOP FOR MY LITTLE 500 60 SERIES BACK AFTER 2 WEEKS. Thing had no torque or pulling power even in the higher band. I drove a 550 Cat for about 10 months and NEVER saw the shop except for PM work same loaded weight that 550 would pull Sherman eastbound 10mph faster. That 500 Detroit was 12mph faster than that Sig 600 at the same weight and it was geared per Cummions for the runs.

Before anyone says I did not know how to drive a Cumapart I had a very HIGH HP Cummions at one company boss rebuit it for me special since he knew I would not abuse it I had 720 HP to the ground out of a 444 Big Cam 4 series thanks to Bruce and Pittsburgh Diesel Injections wonderful parts.

Was the signature cummins an ISX or not? I thought signatures came out before the ISX?

The Signature was the first ISX series.

Wow, we are impressed. I hope we can all sleep after all that excitement.

The ISX incorporated all the design innovations that were debued in the Signature series (DOHC head, Intebrake, etc.) Mechanically they are nearly identical. However the Signature series wasn't able to meet EPA 2002 emissions requirements and was dropped from the US/Canada market though it's available in other markets, such as Mexico and Australia which offers a 630hp version of the Signature.

EPA 2002 also nailed the coffin of the CAT C16.

For those flashy owner-operators, you can order the chrome valve cover installed on the ISX that was standard on the Signature. 8)