"Cat Diesel" powered '94 Chev dually ? Need info?

Pantera · #1 04-16-2004, 05:20 AM

I am wondering if anyone has ever seen a Cat V8 Turbo Diesel in a Chev 1 ton Dually? I am looking at one and it is real nice and my buddy is all excited that it has a Turbo V8 Cat motor from the factory in it.

he says, it is the best Diesel motor that I could have for over the road use. Of course he is a over the road truck driver, so he feels that he really knows diesel motors. Of course after 26 years at it, I am not so sure that he not right.

This is a 118k mile unit and is clean as can be. I had my heart all set for a 2002-3 Dodge with the Cummings and a 6 speed but this is so clean that I am considering it instead. The price is only a little over $9,000 so that is also a big consideration after buying the Nova.

That is almost $17,000 less and it would also leave me more money to buy a new 5th wheel trailer. My current rig is a '78 454 Chev dually and a '78 Chapparal 32' dual axle trailer. I for sure want to get a triple for the safety of the extra axle.

Does anybody deal in these things and have a value that this truck might be worth?

I am a little concerned about the chev auto Tranny that it could give me trouble. I am sure that the motor can be repaired by any diesel shop anywhere in the country and with only 100k on it I would not expect to have too many problems with it for a year or so which is all I plan on using it. I am putting out too much money this year with the new garage and everything else I am trying to do.

I would like to try to try to buy this one so if you know anything about this special ordered,(COPO???) motor combo please let me know either good or bad? (Would this qualifity as a "Super Truck" I wonder..????)

Thanks to all, for your time on this mater.

Pantera

Chevy454 · #2 04-16-2004, 05:34 AM

Unfortunately, not from the factory. In '94 the medium duty CAT diesel would have been the 3116, which was an I6. This replaced the 3208 somewhere around 1990(Moparts?), but it was a V8...but NEITHER of those went into a 1-ton.

I have heard of people transplanting 3208s into trucks, but I've personally never seen one. As for the auto tranny, being as the truck is a '94 it's gonna have the 4L80E, and I went through 2 of them in my '91...and this was PRIOR to my Paxton install. While the 4L80E is an electronic 400TH with overdrive, it's rediculously expensive to rebuild/replace if you trash it...trust me, 5 years ago when I went through it it was in the $2k neighborhood. I ended up going with a HD 4-speed with a gear splitter...

GaryH · #3 04-16-2004, 05:34 AM

Which Cat is it? The only V8 I can think of would be a 3208 and that one would have to be really shoe horned in there. They are big. Find out the model number, how many miles are on the engine itself, if it's been properly maintained including the proper coolant additive and cooling system maint. etc. The V8's are smooth but hard to get the torque of the inline 6. Fuel mileage may not be as good either. It depends on which Cat it is.

Norm reynolds · #4 04-16-2004, 05:58 AM

If it’s a cat it will most likely come with a Allison tranny
We had them in our fleet put over 300.000 miles and still running strong
I would take a cat V8 over a cummings any day and if it has the Allison trans you
Cant get any better than that That cat WILL out run the cummings all day long I know we had both of them

GaryH · #5 04-16-2004, 06:05 AM

Just a pet peave of mine but it's Cummins. Not Cummings. One of these days we'll have to get together and I'll show you how bad a Cummins can kill a Cat. Much cheaper to opperate also. In any case, I can't imagine what V8 Cat is in this PU.

Chevy454 · #6 04-16-2004, 06:06 AM

Hadn't thought about that, Norm. If it's the Allison, then you're golden...if it's the 4L80E, then you'd better know a good tranny shop...

We went from a Paxton powered 454 with a 4-speed/gear splitter with 3" dual exhaust w/headers, to a TopKick with a 3116 6-speed. I feel STUPID for not making the move sooner. I love that CAT...

Norm reynolds · #7 04-16-2004, 06:13 AM

I have a 4L80E in my 91 blazer never had any problem with the Trans
What I did when I first got it was first put in the biggest trans cooler you could get second thing I did was install a spin on oil filter kit on the return trans cooler line like the Allison trans has
And the third thing is I run all synthetic oil and fluids in it when I was working I
Towed& pulled in and out of 4x4 and really used her and as of today the tranny still works great at 150.000 miles
Every 5000 miles when I change the oil I just spin on a new filter for the trans fluid is still red This might sound like over kill but it works

Chevy454 · #8 04-16-2004, 06:17 AM

Not to be argumentative as I honestly don't know, but I would have figured a Blazer would have came with a 4L60E as opposed to the 4L80E like the bbc & diesel got?

Norm reynolds · #9 04-16-2004, 06:30 AM

Rob Your right my Blazer is a 4L60E me and my head injury all ways mixing up the numbers but Basic the guts is the same as a 80 What kills them is heat
I run the trans cooler with out going to the radiator

mahoy78spyder · #10 04-16-2004, 07:19 AM

I may be a little biased, but I would bet on the CAT motor any day over the Cummins. My bread and butter is the big truck market, and where I work, we actually hot forge all the crankshafts for the CAT motors that are assembled right here in Illinois. I have several friends who work at CAT as well and I can attest to the durability of their motors. (We also forge many Cummins crankshafts as well). As for the tranny, it's most likely an Allison auto. Both my Dad and Grandad (who was in charge of quality) both retired from Allison's in Indy and they really have the market on big truck auto tranny's - great track record. I grew up on Allison tranny's, and now I make my living off of CAT crankshafts, so pardon the bias, but if you've got a CAT/Allison combo, go for it! You won't be disappointed, even with the mileage.

Just my .02 worth...

Ken