steelsoldiers

Well, stupid a$$ GM should have know better than to equip them with 3.08 gears and 31" tires. They were slow in stock form. One of the first things I did was get rid of the Gov-lock diff. and change to 3.73s. They can be a real SOB > to start if the glow system is not working right, but half the problem with the military ones is the 12/24v split system with all the dang relays and resistors and crap :P. If they would have just put a 10 sec relay on the glow plugs and left off all the other crap, they would have been a lot better off. My CUCV will start on the second crank all the way down to 15 degrees or so ;D. Much below that it will take a little more cranking. I've never had a head problem with mine, but maybe I've just been lucky. [undecided] We'll see what happens in the next 100k, hopefully.

P Kennedy

The story is true 2 of those HD3500 were on test here with a local heavy hauler, they had 3116 I6 Cats in them. Front end and frames would not support the weight had multiple driveline problems, units were sent back 7-8 months later. Series 50 4 cylinder Detroits were also looked at too heavy. Even though I own a CTD and would recommend to anybody, in a highway/heavy truck I still don't like NTC or N14's. For under 100,000 gross I prefer 60 series and for heavy haul and B trains Cat still makes a better puller. The majority of the electronics on all these engines was pioneered by Detroit including unit injectors, the 60 series 4 stroke inline 6 was a John Deere/ Detroit invention. 10-15 years ago while loading at Moline Ill. we saw 2 GMC generals with JD I6 diesels rated at 400HP backed by 13spd's. Volvo has tried to bring there engines over here like Mercedes with limited success, but most are still inline 6 configuration. One of the posts was praising the V8 diesel from IH and they have had success, however reading a post the other day on school bus ordering every recommendation was to order the 466 block not the 444V8. Gleaner had used V8 Deutz diesels and were discontinued in favor of there I6. Another post brought up an old memory with farm tractor V8's and talked how good they were (Cummins 555 and 903) now extinct from production lines. If instant power is what you want I would suggest any V8, if low end lugging for towing is what your after the I6 at the same HP/Torque rating will at lower RPM's outpull the V8 with heavier loads. In Canada our OTR trucks are set up to haul super B's (140,000lbs gross) continously, the engine and its components must be able to withstand and maintain this all day. A CTD pushed to the same 600HP will not survive this heat and torque stress, the drivelines are not even close to being able to handle this. The history of V8 diesels in automotive application along with industrial applications is convincing enough for me not to buy obsolete new vehicles.

steelsoldiers

If GM would go back to the original c-channel or boxed K30 frames with the Dana 60 front end under them, they could handle the CAT3116, but it's still a heavy-a$$ engine. The dang hydroformed drop frame and the IFS just can't handle the load. If you are going to build a so-called HD truck, then build the dang thing HD. If I were to go and buy a new 1-ton or 3/4 ton HD truck today it would be Furd or Dodge all power plant considerations aside. A friend of mine took his K30 4x4 welding truck and dropped a 1st gen CTD in it. It's a very cool truck and I'd love to build one myself! ;D I plan on picking up a M1008 1-1/4 ton CUCV truck without the powerplant at gov. auction for cheap and doing the very same transplant as he did. Oh yeah! 8)

ridofpwrstroke

the military cucv's had 3.73 or 4.10's in em. That's why they only could go 55mph down the road. They sounded like they were going to explode. The only thing good about the truck is the heavy duty axles in them.

steelsoldiers

Believe it or not, they are actually 4.56s. They had a Detroit No-spin in the back and the front was open. The M1008s and and others like it had the NP208 t-case which is definitely the weak link in the system. The TH400, 14-bolt, and Dana 60 are all plenty stout. If you can find one, the M1028 CUCV has the NP205 which would definitely top off the package. I am going to run at least 38" tires so that will help with the rpm's at 70mph. Adds up to around 2882 rpm at 70 , dang...guess I'll need to run bigger tires than that or I could regear the big pig to 3.73 which would give me 2308. Just dreaming here guys, I don't even own a Dodge with a CTD :'( much less another old military Chevy truck for a project. The wife is going to string me up by the....

Luke S

I'd go to some 19.5"s 8)

Paws

I fully agree with dieseldude4x4 on this one, there isn't anything that can touch that little six banger that we all love so much. I know for a fact that you'll never see any of those Powerjokes or Undurables out there turning the big 1,000,000 like that hot shot just did in his 96'. The big question I have is when is Cat going to get in the picture. I don't really care for the Cat engines but that little 3116 or 3126 would give the Cummins at least a little more competition in the department of mpg and reaching that one million mile mark.