Cat’s didn’t seem to do very well in eightwheeler’s around our area, we had one but it was soon ripped out and a ■■■■■■■ dropped in. Head gasket’s, main bearing’s, big end’s were just some of the problems. Surprising really as the same engine’s were brilliant when in loading shovel’s etc.
Pete.
scotstrucker:
my boss had a cat 450 foden alpha, we were warned that the fuel returns on them werent that great and reliability wasnt good either, best fuel it ever got was 5.3 mpg and out of the 18 months he kept it it only gave 3 whole weeks trouble free motoring. the wiring on it was [zb], it needed 2 turbos, a radiator, 3 intercoolers, 1 piston n ring n liner, 1 clutch, 2 compressors, 4 airdryers, complete rewire from ecu too engine sensors and switches, big end bearings, new gearbox, new diff, there was lots of other pokey electrical things but there the main big things that went wrong with it.
Our returns are all over; my 6w gets 9.5, the other 6s anywhere from 7.5 to 8. The 8ws are around the 6.5 to 7 mark and Dads unit does 7.3mpg Did your boss have problems with the ABS light aswell? Mine plays up around 2 tp 3 times a year and the cooling systems aren’t that reliable over the Foden fleet. I’m on my 2nd clutch and it’s only done 403000km in 6 years 
oh yes, gearbox bearings, and a new diff come to think of it. I still love traditional Fodens though 
windrush:
Cat’s didn’t seem to do very well in eightwheeler’s around our area, we had one but it was soon ripped out and a ■■■■■■■ dropped in. Head gasket’s, main bearing’s, big end’s were just some of the problems. Surprising really as the same engine’s were brilliant when in loading shovel’s etc.Pete.
We had the opposite, Pete; The ■■■■■■■ engined 3000series kept losing power every few years and needed overhauls. Our last 2 ■■■■■■■ motors on W regs were thirsty as hell (Celect 10ltr 340s). You were lucky if you got 7mpg.
Muckaway:
scotstrucker:
my boss had a cat 450 foden alpha, we were warned that the fuel returns on them werent that great and reliability wasnt good either, best fuel it ever got was 5.3 mpg and out of the 18 months he kept it it only gave 3 whole weeks trouble free motoring. the wiring on it was [zb], it needed 2 turbos, a radiator, 3 intercoolers, 1 piston n ring n liner, 1 clutch, 2 compressors, 4 airdryers, complete rewire from ecu too engine sensors and switches, big end bearings, new gearbox, new diff, there was lots of other pokey electrical things but there the main big things that went wrong with it.Our returns are all over; my 6w gets 9.5, the other 6s anywhere from 7.5 to 8. The 8ws are around the 6.5 to 7 mark and Dads unit does 7.3mpg Did your boss have problems with the ABS light aswell? Mine plays up around 2 tp 3 times a year and the cooling systems aren’t that reliable over the Foden fleet. I’m on my 2nd clutch and it’s only done 403000km in 6 years
yes abs was very popular with it, slightest bump and up it came, he rewired all abs from the abs box in the cab too every wheel, think he also replaced the sensors and rings too later on, cracking windscreens was another problem, yet he still has 2 foden alphas with the ■■■■■■■ 420 in them and they have never been a problem, 1 has a million and half km’s on it and only comes out in the harvest time, the other 1 has about the same km’s and is still in daily use
I have a C15 twin turbo CAT in my truck, it’s done c975000miles and has been trouble free for the most part, it had new injectors a couple of months ago, apart from that it’s just been silly things, it still doesn’t need topping off with oil between (15000mile) services, so it’s still got plenty of life in it too.
It also pulls like a train, it is a bit juicy if you don’t drive it properly, but then so is any engine.
Over here the big three, CAT, ■■■■■■■ and Detroit used to be available in any truck, now Detroit are only available in Freightliner or Western Star, CAT as has been said, have pulled out of the market, their last go at the emission stuff needed to comply with EPA07 regs was a total disaster and that engine is useful only as a boat anchor.
They are ■■■■■■■ with Navistar (International) the 15ltr Navistar engine is based on the C15, but it has intercoolers and radiators galore, it runs a very high percentage of EGR to avoid using SCR to meet the EPA10 rules, another boat anchor in the making if you ask me.
Their quarry plant doesn’t have as much grunt about it either in comparisson to the old types such as the 966 and 980B and C models loaders.
custom built V12
youtube.com/watch?v=aDG7aMtQKKM
the older cats fitted to foden around E reg wernt v good but the later c10 and c12 were good as fitted to the alpha fodens
■■■■■■■ have always been good in this area on fuel and power all they need is the top end setting up at regular intervals to get the best from them, some firms think they are saving money by not bothering and they are usually to ones moaning about poor fuel returns!!
most modern engines work the way ■■■■■■■ have been building for years anyway
When I started driving in 2001, my first lorry was an F reg Foden 4000 with 300 Cat and although a bit slow in comparisson to the newer ones, was a lovely motor to drive, was great fun to hit the throttle and watch the nice cloud of black smoke 
despite being a bit tired by then. Some of the ■■■■■■■ C10s used to smoke like idling Gardners but passed the mot easily.
I drive a Foden Alpha with a cat 345 engine, it’s an eight wheel tipper on aggregate work.
Only trouble in the 3 years I’ve been driving it is a snapped shaft in the turbo a few months ago.
The wiring has caused a few headaches though, more ABS warnings than kms being clocked at one stage.
ABS wiring has nothing to do with the CAT part of the lorry, the electronics on the CAT can be a bit hit and miss though, there’s a lot of wiring inside the engine, it can get a bit brittle due to the heat, but I don’t think they’re any different from anything else on the market.
Over here they’re known for reliability and power, my experience confirms that, I often run at gross weight and not a lot comes past me on the hills.
If CAT engines were an option in DAFs it might make me clean my old girl a bit more… 
I always thought the Cat engines to be a bit more livelier than the ■■■■■■■ equivalent. The 3306 fitted in Fodens about the 1980s/1990s suffered a bit from erosion of the deck under the liner and they would pressurise the cooling system. The C12s that are still found in the Foden Alphas do have a few problems too, I believe the camshaft/ followers can wear badly and have also heard of turbo failures. I will say most of these engines are found in 6/8 wheeler tippers and have a hard life and are as good as anything else out there.
Unless Cat/Navistar start importing their construction trucks to Europe I dont think we will see anymore Cat engines in trucks here.
when i worked at aveling barford they used to fit them in the 30/40/50 ton dump trucks,
I drove a Foden 4400 with a big CAT for a while. Loads were split between pulling a Humber Kitchens trailer with about 8 tonne in it and hauling potatoes into McCains in Scarborough. That thing pulled like a train with the bulker, but just wouldn’t go very well lightly loaded.
Thinking about it, that could have been the very vehicle I drove.
pursy:
I always thought the Cat engines to be a bit more livelier than the ■■■■■■■ equivalent. The 3306 fitted in Fodens about the 1980s/1990s suffered a bit from erosion of the deck under the liner and they would pressurise the cooling system. The C12s that are still found in the Foden Alphas do have a few problems too, I believe the camshaft/ followers can wear badly and have also heard of turbo failures. I will say most of these engines are found in 6/8 wheeler tippers and have a hard life and are as good as anything else out there.
Unless Cat/Navistar start importing their construction trucks to Europe I dont think we will see anymore Cat engines in trucks here.
We have cooling system problems Pursy; intercoolers, header tanks leaking, and leaks from the associated pipeworkhave been common with our Alphas.
Have you seen the size of the water pump on them muckaway? They’re enormous!
Mine has experienced a header tank problem, the neck had gone porous so the system wasn’t pressurised, I’ve also had a couple of hoses blow, but again, none of these are CAT parts, the yellow bits under my bonnet have all been good 
They’re noisier than other engine makes on our fleet, so God knows why on the Alphas the exhaust pipe is stuck behind the driver. I had the tailpipe turned towards the rear instead of toward the o/side but it makes little difference. Throw a Jake Brake into the mix and it’s great fun fully loaded going down Burford High Street
Muckaway:
They’re noisier than other engine makes on our fleet, so God knows why on the Alphas the exhaust pipe is stuck behind the driver. I had the tailpipe turned towards the rear instead of toward the o/side but it makes little difference. Throw a Jake Brake into the mix and it’s great fun fully loaded going down Burford High Street
brilliant for setting off the car alarms lol