My favorite engine.

[Oxbow]

Ok, I'll start. I have owned three trucks, the first was a 1983 359 with an A model 400, the second a 1989 T600 with 425 B model, and currently a 1989 378 with a 425 B model (slightly turned up)

I did have a problem with the A model. I bought it with a fresh in frame and OPT warranty on it that was done at an International dealer in Salt Lake City. Just before the warranty ran out I lost a head gasket in Los Angeles. Cat covered it completely.

I traded that old girl on the T600 (thought it was time to grow up and go for aerodynamics). That engine never let me down once, except for just North of Cedar City, Utah one day it started to die. I finally remembered while sitting on the shoulder of I-15 that someone had told me that some how or another the little dime sized check valves in the primer pump can flip upside down. 10 minutes later, after taking the primer pump off I found that indeed that had happened. It took me another 5 or so minutes to figure out which one had flipped, then back together and on my way.

I love those engines - simple, all mechanical, and pull like mad.

I got out of the trucking business in 94, and worked construction until 2008, when I had the bright idea to go into business for myself in construction (my crystal ball was a bit foggy). I have since bought the 89 378 with the same engine for our lowboy tractor. No EGR problems or DEF fluid in that old girl!

 

[Mitch504]

Wow, do I have to pick just one? Over the years I've run into a bunch of good ones, and a few turdballs.

The old mechanical L-10s are tough as nails, I bought an '86 IH 2375 in '98 that had an L10-270 and a lo-hole 9sp in it. It had started life as a heavy spec single axle tractor, then been retired as a spreader truck by Carolina Eastern. I fixed a few things and immediately put it in service to replace an older IH that had just blown it's 5th engine. I ran it 2 years, then did a complete frame up rebuild, on basically everything but the engine. I never added oil to that engine except to change it, and never did anything but the most minor repairs. In June 2011, it lost the boot between the airfilter and the turbo, while running in dry, dusty sand fields that were so dusty you had to keep stopping to see where you were. A few days later it dropped a valve with the last load of the season on it. It ran trouble free as a spreader truck for 21 years! I have been a truck mechanic for most types of trucking, and have never seen anything that compares to a spreader truck for severe service. I bought a used '87 truck with an L10-300 in it to replace it and it has been great for 2 years.

I had an old 3400 Ford skiploader that had an oil leak in the hydraulic pump that leaked engine oil into the rearend from it's freshly rebuilt engine. My father wanted to use it and my little dump truck real bad one Sunday back in 1990. I wanted to fix it first but he swore he'd be careful. He forgot to take any oil with him the first load, so he figured no point in checking it. He got back for the next load and realized he had forgotten it again. He did this all day, until just before dark, he had half a load on the truck when the oil light came on. He only needed a few buckets, so he tried to finish the load. When I got to work the next morning he told me this story, and that it had shut off and wouldn't turn over. I put 6.5 qts in a 7 qt oil pan. I had to use the pickup and the service truck to boost it's fully charged battery to get it to turn over. When it finally started, it was knocking hard. I left it idling and sat down on the bumper of the service truck. He asked what I was doing, I said, "You've put me out of business cause I don't have the money to rebuild it again. I'm just going to sit here and watch a rod come through the block as I've never actually seen it happen."
After a few minutes it sounded like the knocks were getting quieter. I left it just barely ticking over at about 500 rpm for about an hour and they were all gone. I still have it, but have only used it around the shop since about 2001. It still cranks easily, and holds 75lbs of oil pressure.

Oops, this is Heavy TRUCK forums, I guess I shouldn't have mentioned how much I liked 1970's Ford tractor engines.

 

[Oxbow]

I get confused too Mitch. Thanks alot Steve, now I will never get my paperwork done with one more forum to moniter!

I held of signing up for this one as long as I could, but curiosity got the best of me.