Should I Overhaul my N14 engine or trade it?
 

My 2000 freightliner truck, N14 Cummuns, has almost about a million
miles on it. Just recently it started to have very low oil presure like 20! should I overhaul it or trade it? I don't have any other major problems with the truck now, but my mechanic told me if I
overhaul cummins w/ 1 mill. on it, sometimes it leaks oil and
can't be repaired! If I decide to overhaul it
how much $ would it cost? any good advise and referrals would be appreciated.

Safari

What kind of fuel mileage are you getting?

You might get away with just doing a bearing roll. Very inexpensive, compared to an overhaul anyways.

Should I Overhaul my N14 engine or trade it?
 

I am getting 6.2m/g

Safari

I'd say trade it.

I would check all the easy stuff first. Make sure your gauge is correct first of all. Cummins generally don't run a lot of pressure anyhow. Then check the volume of the oil pump or examine it for wear. When they have the pan off you can decide about the bearing and get a look at the sleeves and piston skirts. I'd have reservations about any mechanics that says not to rebuild because of chances of oil leaks. BTW there's a lot of newer trucks out there getting worse mileage so you might get a newer one that costs more to run.

Who said anything about new?

Thanks, Allan5oh and Special K. I recently changed the fuel pump; my mechanic called me today, and said that he would put new bearings on it and see how it goes. Is that a good idea? I also called several shops to check how much it could cost if I decide to overhaul it. I was told that it could cost between $13,000 -$15,000 for level 3 overhaul w/ 200,000 M waranty or 2 years. Does it worth it? Allan5oh do you know how much I could trade for it? Thanks guys!

Safari I am an ex mechanic and drove many trucks with Cummins engines worked on them and overhauled them. I drove one that had 1.2 Million on it produced 720HP to the GROUND was a big cam 4 series 444 block and did not leak oil. Find a Cummins shop in your area and see what they would charge you for a Factory Overhaul. The N-14 is a very good motor and there are alot of them with 2 million or more out there and when they overhaul is done right they do not leak oil. If you are near Pittsburgh Call Diesel Injection of Pittsburgh they do High Performance Cummins engines.

Thanks IRONEAGLE, I am in MN.

They'd probably offer you about $10,000 unless they wanted to sell you a newer one that they could inflate the price on. You said the truck runs fine otherwise so I wouldn't be getting in a wild rush to dump it. If you're bound and bent to unload it than go to it.

2000 Freightshaker, with that many miles, worth nothing, in trade in value.
And 6.2 mpg, without knowing anything else, about job specifics, or driving stile, could be the best he will ever get.
I'm kinda on a Special K side! :)

Solo379 what are you suggesting..? I would appreciate if you elaborate more. Thx

Cant believe anyone didn't mention the plastic piston cooling nozzles. N14 is well known for these breaking and dropping the oil pressure. Its a cheap, easy fix. Now, I'd definately roll a set of bearings in to it while I had the pan off.

I'd overhaul rather than trade. But that's just my .02 - its the way we do things. Keeps us out of truck payments and with todays rates, that's what we're after.

It's a business decision, and tho personally, i don't believe in investing in repairs more, than the truck is actually worth, it's not wise to suggest you anything, other than Special K already posted!
Cause we don't have enough info to do so! And 6.2 mpg is definitely not a deciding moment here.

After you'll check all the "easy" things suggested, and still will come to conclusion, that you need an overhaul, and after you gather all the "numbers$$$", including your personal financial situation, and general conditions of you truck, than you, and only you, will make a decision, cause there is no 100% warranty either way you go! Good luck! 8)

Sure it is.

What kind of operation is it safari?

Bandit, Solo, and Allan thank you once again. Allan, we are OTR.

At 6.2 MPG with the newer trucks with all the emmison crap on them getting around 5.5 as long as you do not run CA overhaul it and keep it put an APU on it and that will let you run CA awhile longer also with a reflash of the ECM also. Why get rid of a truck that is getting 6.2 MPG and also saddle yourself with a payment on a newtruck is there anyother issues with the truck? I drove trucks that were not the newest but had the best maintance and they had fewer breakdowns than the newer ones that the companies refused to maintain.

OTR.. pulling what type of trailer, what part of the country, what kind of weights?

I pull 53 Reffer; we are based in MN and we follow the money! We dont have any particular lanes but mostly run from Midwest-South. Weights vary from light to 43K.

Re: Should I Overhaul my N14 engine or trade it?
 

N14 is one of the better h/d diesels ever built... as long as the rebuilder knows 'what' to look at during the overhaul, overhaul it !!

Re: Should I Overhaul my N14 engine or trade it?
 

N14 is one of the better h/d diesels ever built... as long as the rebuilder knows 'what' to look at during the overhaul, overhaul it !![/quote]

Thanks bob and all of you guys who gave me good advise. I talked to my mechanic and shared with your openions. He decided to change the bearings, but he found out the oil pan was not tightned well b/c (may be) the people who changed oil didn't do good job. Now, the psi is 40, and every thing seems alright.... :lol: THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT; NOW I CONSIDER YOU AS BROTHERS AT LARGE!

That makes no sence to me. The oil pan not tightened because of bad oil changes? Huh?

He's probably talking about the drain plug.