I’ve heard/read in various places that Cat powered Fodens worked best at companies that ran Cat plant.
Does that mean that anyone with a Jcb couldn’t have a good cat powered foden ■■
Dan Punchard:
Does that mean that anyone with a Jcb couldn’t have a good cat powered foden ■■
Probably better buying a Perkins engined truck then Dan, you will be fine with Dennis the Menace!! 
Pete.
Back in the 80’s we operated Fodens with the 400bhp 3406b engine and had nothing but problems with them with regards to blowing head gaskets. Number 6 liner used to drop. Cat did a mod and there was some operator support depending on the age of the engine. Eventually saw the light and threw the CAT away and fitted a 14 litre ■■■■■■■ and never looked back.
Well so far on this thread the CAT seems to have taken a good bashing !reading the above posts and other s points towards the fact ,there is no replacement for displacement !!
Anyone who’s driven a big CAT has got to admit that the whining of a CAT turbo is a nice sound ,as all the ■■■■■■■ do is whistle .
Dan Punchard:
Anyone who’s driven a big CAT has got to admit that the whining of a CAT turbo is a nice sound ,as all the ■■■■■■■ do is whistle .
Cat plant don’t make anything like the noise they used to, I drove a 970F back in '99-2001and that made an embarassingly gay humming noise. It was one of those poofty “Blue Angel” engines that were meant for urban recycling and rail yards. Liebherr engines sound a bit tougher, it helps drown out the plasticy rattles. 
Dan Punchard:
Anyone who’s driven a big CAT has got to admit that the whining of a CAT turbo is a nice sound ,as all the ■■■■■■■ do is whistle .
hi all,
intresting thread and comments.i know that i am only playing toy lorries,but my 1983 peterbilt is powered by a cat 3406b which during my ownership has proven to be a phenomenal engine,performance,economy, sound,oh and that very very loud jake brake.i have been over the moon with it in every regard.the sound of the turbo when heading uphill dan is something i will remember for ever.personally based on all of this i would recommend cat 100%,the peterbilt dealership i have delt with has told me that during the early 80’s,the cat was the number 1 fitment,by far more popular than any other proprietary engine in that era……
regards andrew.
Dan Punchard:
Anyone who’s driven a big CAT has got to admit that the whining of a CAT turbo is a nice sound ,as all the ■■■■■■■ do is whistle .
I’ve read this Cat thread with interest. Never ran one, or really had anything to do with them, except - Ted Thomas, who Lance remembers, bought a White out in Saudi. Don’t remember any reliability problems, and of course the cost of diesel wasn’t a factor, but it was possibly the sweetest sounding Diesel engine I ever heard - even beating the Scania V8s (everything is of course subjective, my opinion only, but I notice that it seems to be a common factor on the thread).
John
They also very smooth compared with the rattly ■■■■■■■ ,I shouldn’t be saying this really being a ■■■■■■■ owner .
I drove a C15 CAT in a KW and IMO it was a great engine (even with servicing by Paclease) never a problem in the two years I drove it ,used more fuel than the Volvos the company operated(list for fuel bonus on the wall with each motors # fuel used). ,about one mpg down on the same work.
Have to admit I.m a fan of Cat products,I have driven several different models from 3208s in Ford loosely built tippers a couple of3408s set at 450hp very thirsty but always managed to get 1 to 1 in three trailer operation but reliable and never give in regardless of conditions,the last one was a C15 at 550hp found it to be a trouble free unit fuel consumption comparable in road train operation with Signature ■■■■■■■ not quite as powerful but I saw to many of them [Signatures] with a leg out of bed to ever want one.
Its a shame they have pulled out of supplying to the transport industry but understandable with engine design changing virtually on a weekly basis with the european emission controls, I figure thats why they acquired Perkins as I see they are starting to get some big horse power so possibly Cat will still have some market share.
Cheers DIG
They won’t supply anyone else when they make their own trucks.
John West:
Dan Punchard:
Anyone who’s driven a big CAT has got to admit that the whining of a CAT turbo is a nice sound ,as all the ■■■■■■■ do is whistle .I’ve read this Cat thread with interest. Never ran one, or really had anything to do with them, except - Ted Thomas, who Lance remembers, bought a White out in Saudi. Don’t remember any reliability problems, and of course the cost of diesel wasn’t a factor, but it was possibly the sweetest sounding Diesel engine I ever heard - even beating the Scania V8s (everything is of course subjective, my opinion only, but I notice that it seems to be a common factor on the thread).
John
Hi John West, you mention Ted Thomas ? is this the same Ted Thomas that lives at Clitheroe ?
I drive my brothers Foden most nights of every week delivering tarmac to motorways etc, she’s worked 7 days and 6 nights a week and she loves it, she’s got the 400 cat in and when she’s going up the m6 over shap and the moon’s out it’s a pleasure to listen to the engine…
john i:
John West:
Dan Punchard:
Anyone who’s driven a big CAT has got to admit that the whining of a CAT turbo is a nice sound ,as all the ■■■■■■■ do is whistle .I’ve read this Cat thread with interest. Never ran one, or really had anything to do with them, except - Ted Thomas, who Lance remembers, bought a White out in Saudi. Don’t remember any reliability problems, and of course the cost of diesel wasn’t a factor, but it was possibly the sweetest sounding Diesel engine I ever heard - even beating the Scania V8s (everything is of course subjective, my opinion only, but I notice that it seems to be a common factor on the thread).
John
Hi John West, you mention Ted Thomas ? is this the same Ted Thomas that lives at Clitheroe ?
I drive my brothers Foden most nights of every week delivering tarmac to motorways etc, she’s worked 7 days and 6 nights a week and she loves it, she’s got the 400 cat in and when she’s going up the m6 over shap and the moon’s out it’s a pleasure to listen to the engine…
I remember that on some of the early Foden 8 leggers we ran they had problems with electrics, items such as oil pressure sensors and such like, never knew if this was a Cat issue or Fodens. Although the fuel was OK and they were relatively reliable i think at the time the support around the country was questionable so we stuck with ■■■■■■■
john i:
John West:
Dan Punchard:
Anyone who’s driven a big CAT has got to admit that the whining of a CAT turbo is a nice sound ,as all the ■■■■■■■ do is whistle .I’ve read this Cat thread with interest. Never ran one, or really had anything to do with them, except - Ted Thomas, who Lance remembers, bought a White out in Saudi. Don’t remember any reliability problems, and of course the cost of diesel wasn’t a factor, but it was possibly the sweetest sounding Diesel engine I ever heard - even beating the Scania V8s (everything is of course subjective, my opinion only, but I notice that it seems to be a common factor on the thread).
John
Hi John West, you mention Ted Thomas ? is this the same Ted Thomas that lives at Clitheroe ?
I drive my brothers Foden most nights of every week delivering tarmac to motorways etc, she’s worked 7 days and 6 nights a week and she loves it, she’s got the 400 cat in and when she’s going up the m6 over shap and the moon’s out it’s a pleasure to listen to the engine…
Hi John,
Ted certainly used to live in Clitheroe. I haven’t seen him for 30 years. He’ll be about 66 or 67 now. Here’s what he used to look like in about 1981 (on the left), with Whirlinmerlin tucked under his arm, taken in our Dammam yard.
John
Sniffy:
I remember that on some of the early Foden 8 leggers we ran they had problems with electrics, items such as oil pressure sensors and such like, never knew if this was a Cat issue or Fodens. Although the fuel was OK and they were relatively reliable i think at the time the support around the country was questionable so we stuck with ■■■■■■■
Yes, one of our block hauliers had the oil sensor come on in his Foden and (I think) was towed in and lost a couple of days work, that was a faulty sensor! That engine was replaced with a ■■■■■■■ due to repeated headgasket failure I believe, Moose will probably know more.
Pete.
Several of Smiths had trouble with the header tanks leaking after 3 years or so on the “new” Alphas.
John West:
john i:
John West:
Dan Punchard:
Anyone who’s driven a big CAT has got to admit that the whining of a CAT turbo is a nice sound ,as all the ■■■■■■■ do is whistle .I’ve read this Cat thread with interest. Never ran one, or really had anything to do with them, except - Ted Thomas, who Lance remembers, bought a White out in Saudi. Don’t remember any reliability problems, and of course the cost of diesel wasn’t a factor, but it was possibly the sweetest sounding Diesel engine I ever heard - even beating the Scania V8s (everything is of course subjective, my opinion only, but I notice that it seems to be a common factor on the thread).
John
Hi John West, you mention Ted Thomas ? is this the same Ted Thomas that lives at Clitheroe ?
I drive my brothers Foden most nights of every week delivering tarmac to motorways etc, she’s worked 7 days and 6 nights a week and she loves it, she’s got the 400 cat in and when she’s going up the m6 over shap and the moon’s out it’s a pleasure to listen to the engine…Hi John,
Ted certainly used to live in Clitheroe. I haven’t seen him for 30 years. He’ll be about 66 or 67 now. Here’s what he used to look like in about 1981 (on the left), with Whirlinmerlin tucked under his arm, taken in our Dammam yard. Hello John West, That’s Ted, I worked with him at TNT Transport Systems, Clayton Le Moors, Accrington back in the 90’s. When the overnight pallet networks started up about 1998 - 99 the distance work stopped within a year and we left and we all went our own separate ways, I met up with ted again at Palletforce at Burton upon Trent in 2012 where he was doing work for Fagan & Whalley from Padiham and I was working for Redhead International from Bradford. Thanks for the reply John.
PS, Did you know Malcolm MacDonald ( Mac ) who lives in Colne, Lancashire ? He did the overland run to the middle east and ended up selling containers to the arabs before coming back to the UK and settling down.John
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