Engine comparisons

[Goatherder]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

arent the 7.3's the 'T444E' used in many international busses? I always think a good transmission cooler is a must..
-Christopher

Maybe. I dunno. I have an F350 w/7.3L and the thing is a beast. Like 700lb/ft. No idea about bus or truck applications

[International]

Going on 9 yr.s with the 1991 7.3 and it stills runs great. Diesel man said its the easiest deisel engine to work on.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Wife of International.

[Famousinternetjesus]

Aside from differences like
Exhaust manifolds and intakes etc. the t444e is the exact same as the 7.3powerstroke. PowerStroke is just ford's name for it. I know more about the 6.9 and 7.3 IDI and their successor the PowerStroke than I ever wanted to lol. The PowerStroke is an excellent engine. And there is a huge aftermarket parts industry for it.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Tango

No guarantees on any used engines and they all have their own quirks... but...playing the odds to your favor by going with the most proven and reliable drivetrain you can find/afford makes for a very good start.

Starting with a known problem child isn't what I'd recommend for the average forum member.

[Famousinternetjesus]

Also for the most part any person with patience, a full set of tools, and a good manual can do most things to the 7.3 themselves.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Famousinternetjesus

Also for the most part any person with patience, a full set of tools, and a good manual can do most things to the 7.3 themselves.

Theres a very good, valid reason why 7.3 trucks and vans are worth 4-4x more than a newer one with the lemony 6.0.

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Theres a very good, valid reason why 7.3 trucks and vans are worth 4-4x more than a newer one with the lemony 6.0.

I made a KILLING in the 1990s as a HOBBY buying 1985-1988 short 'C-body' cadillacs for next to nothing.. the bodies were solid and the interiors held up well.. these cars looked like new but ran like crap...

they were KNOWN for the HT-4100 intake gasket to leak and for the aluminum engine grounds to fail messing up the computers..

I would buy them for a few hundred bucks spend about 500 and a couple weeks then sell them for 10X what i bought them for.. running and looking like new...

I swear im gonna buy that 2005 IC with a VT-365 , bulletproof it and drive it 20k in a year just to prove the fear mongerers wrong....

then again it wouldnt be as fun as driving my DT-360 old-school school bus..

-Christopher

[EastCoastCB]

You won't be though. You're an extremely tech-y person with LOTS of skills and enough money to get anything done you want.
YOu are NOT the average diy-er.
My anti-6.0 "fear mongering" is valid in that its almost entirely directed at questions like- "I know nothing about buses or engines, is the 6.0 a good engine?"
Or "I'm buying my first bus and have never even changed my own oil, the bus is a 6.0. Is that a good one".
For most of us idiots, the 6.0 is too much added complexity and expense to justify taking that risk. Ford and international messed up, I don't wanna take a bite of that sandwich when there are good, proven platforms out there that are cheaper, simpler, and proven.

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

You won't be though. You're an extremely tech-y person with LOTS of skills and enough money to get anything done you want.
YOu are NOT the average diy-er.
My anti-6.0 "fear mongering" is valid in that its almost entirely directed at questions like- "I know nothing about buses or engines, is the 6.0 a good engine?"
Or "I'm buying my first bus and have never even changed my own oil, the bus is a 6.0. Is that a good one".
For most of us idiots, the 6.0 is too much added complexity and expense to justify taking that risk. Ford and international messed up, I don't wanna take a bite of that sandwich when there are good, proven platforms out there that are cheaper, simpler, and proven.

ill 100% give you that.. the 6.0 isnt for the person who wants to stay out of the bonnet, wants to strip a bus and convert the interior..

if we are on that subject, then any of the 'E' series internationals have had their own set of issues.. even the DT-466E amd the T-444E.. we know the Cat's are reliable but if they do break they need the copletely specialized scan tools and expensive parts to repair..

the cummins seem to be the most reliable of the later mid 90s and up engines that are likely the most reliable and lowest cost / huge amount of parts availabe to repair...

we are gonna see a lot more of these electronic busses on the market and less mechanical...

Maxxforce 7 anyone? wait for it.. that "wonderful" (NOT!) beast will be on the used market before long too..

but YES I will agree that the 6.0 requires some technical expertise.. as does the T444E, the DT-466E, etc.. but Yes the 6.0 has had more issues than the other 2 i described..

-Christopher

[Tootalltechie]

I'm kinda glad I have a 1978 350 propane At540 drive train. KISS at least until I get it inspected and registered.

Sent from my SM-G530W using Tapatalk

[CaptainHooligan]

I love the 5.9 even though I'll end up with the bigger Cummins because I want a pusher. But I'll still get a 5.9 if the deal is right.

I work on a boat and our generators are 5.9 6BT engines. We put 60-70 thousand hours on them before they do a top end on them. And we run them usually 72 hours straight before swapping to the other one.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by CaptainHooligan

I love the 5.9 even though I'll end up with the bigger Cummins because I want a pusher. But I'll still get a 5.9 if the deal is right.

I work on a boat and our generators are 5.9 6BT engines. We put 60-70 thousand hours on them before they do a top end on them. And we run them usually 72 hours straight before swapping to the other one.

plenty of RE buses are setup with 5.9's.
70 thousand hours?

[Retired1]

Hi, from what I have found out by checking out the more recent Ford vans the 6.0l diesel is to be avoided. I'm assuming this is the same motor you are refering to. Regards.

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by Retired1

Hi, from what I have found out by checking out the more recent Ford vans the 6.0l diesel is to be avoided. I'm assuming this is the same motor you are refering to. Regards.

the 5.9 Cummins is a different enging altogether and is good.

the 6.0 diesel was used in a lot of the ford cutaway style shortie school busses.. and its also known as the VT-365 when used in an International chassis... thats the one no one likes.

-Christopher