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Caterpillar 3116 engine

mktopside

Banned
467
6
0
Location
Gainesville, Va
One of the guys at the Georgia Rally advised me against buying the M35A3 because of the Cat 3116. He said it was undependable and high maintenance, and he knew, because he worked on them. He says the multifuel is the only way to go. Can't recall his name, but he appeared to be very knowledgeable on them, as was his friend who agreed.

I still like the A3 though. Just thought I would pass it along.
Be that as it may. Lots of guys on here have blown their multifuels without abusing them, but as far as I know not one person has indicated a failure with their CAT. I know some variations of the motor had issues, but it is a popular engine that is in a lot of things.

My deuce has 9,000 miles on it....... if I make it to 100k and it explodes...... I think I got my money's worth.
 

goodguyzy

Active member
1,337
13
38
Location
medford oregon
there are a bunch of used 3116 with well over 100K, i don't know of anyone with a M/F that has that high of mileage. That said, the 3116 is a civi motor that gets used every day, the M/F not so.
 

flyxpl

New member
717
9
0
Location
Chatham IL
I have seen the 3116 cat on GL for sale . I have never really followed the auctions so I am not sure what they go for on gl .
 

Ruppster

Member of questionable origins
Steel Soldiers Supporter
608
13
18
Location
Lakeland, Florida

Ruppster

Member of questionable origins
Steel Soldiers Supporter
608
13
18
Location
Lakeland, Florida
Don't know if I would go as far as to say "no one cares about the A3" around here. I remember a thread a week or two ago where an SS member with an A3 said he was going to bob it and several other SS members tried to talk the guy in to doing it to a more common A2 and not the not as common A3. So it seems to me there is still support for them on SS.


EDIT: Just checked out the M35A3 web site you mentioned (nice site, even though I don't own one) and was reading the forums over there. Didn't know we were "a bunch of asses to newer equipment". From what I've seen if it's military related it's fair game to be talked about on SS. Whether it's new or old doesn't seem to matter from what I've seen. Is the "FMTV" section here not new enough for you?


Ruppster
 
Last edited:

AceHigh

Well-known member
2,175
30
48
Location
Princeton WV Lake City FL
One of the guys at the Georgia Rally advised me against buying the M35A3 because of the Cat 3116. He said it was undependable and high maintenance, and he knew, because he worked on them. He says the multifuel is the only way to go. Can't recall his name, but he appeared to be very knowledgeable on them, as was his friend who agreed.
Excellent advice, and everyone should heed it. This guy does know, he worked on them!

There. That should help me in my bids to get a winch truck.
 

supermechanic

Member
274
1
18
Location
poconos, pa
Overheat a 3116 once and the rings go soft.
Engine then uses oil.
Electronic version of this motor is the 3126.
The control interface on the 3126 will pull the fuel rate down when the temp. goes up, 3126 is a much better engine.
been there, done that, got the hat.
 

lonegunman

New member
298
3
0
Location
Eastern, Washington
Excellent advice, and everyone should heed it. This guy does know, he worked on them!

There. That should help me in my bids to get a winch truck.


That's what I'd do, take advice from someone who does not own an A3 and knows nearly nothing about them.

Somehow Cat managed to put a couple of hundred thousand 3116 engines in various things, from boats, buses, generators, heavy equipment and M35A3's in spite of the advice of A2 drivers everywhere.

The Cat guys who worked on my truck loved it and said it was the nicest 3116 set up they had ever seen. I drove cross country with mine without a single hiccup.

That being said, in 15 months of browsing this board, not once has the advice of the anti-A3 crowd been correct, much less useful.
 
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