Cat 3116 in a 2 ton
Printed From: Unofficial Allis
Category: Other Topics
Forum Name: Shops, Barns, Varmints, and Trucks
Forum Description: anything you want to talk about except politics
URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=191098
Printed Date: 11 Aug 2025 at 8:17pm
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Topic: Cat 3116 in a 2 ton
Posted By: Thad in AR.
Subject: Cat 3116 in a 2 ton
Date Posted: 06 Oct 2022 at 7:40am
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Coworker looking at a 2 ton with a 3116 cat. Has 200000 miles on it. 1995 GM
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Replies:
Posted By: Coke-in-MN
Date Posted: 06 Oct 2022 at 10:19am
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https://www.skoolielivin.com/caterpillar-cat-3116-3126-diesel-engine/%20" rel="nofollow - https://www.skoolielivin.com/caterpillar-cat-3116-3126-diesel-engine/
Article page on engine
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Life lesson: If you’re being chased by a lion, you’re on a horse, to the left of you is a giraffe and on the right is a unicorn, what do you do? You stop drinking and get off the carousel.
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Posted By: PaulB
Date Posted: 07 Oct 2022 at 6:45am
After reading that article on the 3116/3126 I would never by a truck with either of those engines. 200,000 miles seems to be the limit of there durability, if they go that far. Something with a 5.9, 6.7, 8.3 or 9 Cummins would be my choice for an engine in a medium duty truck. I'd even consider repowering a medium duty truck with a Cummins if it was built with something else.
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If it was fun to pull in LOW gear, I could have a John Deere.
Real pullers don't have speed limits.
If you can't make it GO... make it SHINY
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Posted By: shameless dude
Date Posted: 07 Oct 2022 at 6:53am
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about everyone around here see's any type vehicle with a Cat in it, they keep on walking
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Posted By: Thad in AR.
Date Posted: 07 Oct 2022 at 7:18am
I sent him that article.
He bought it anyway.
Off it fetch it this morning.
I’d bet my next dozen doughnuts against a tofu burger that he didn’t read that article.
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Posted By: injpumpEd
Date Posted: 07 Oct 2022 at 7:35am
That article is pretty vague. They keep calling the 3116 a marine version of the 3126 lol! The 3116 came out in the late 80's or early 90's, and 3114 4 cylinder version was used in early CAT 416 backhoes. The 3114/3116 (1.1L/cyl) was a mechanical injection cam actuated (much like a detroit 2 cycle) operated by a governor/transfer pump mounted on front of engine. The shop I worked at in Peoria was the official Cat 3116 governor rebuilder back in the day, and would still get them in from all over the country. We didn't see many by the time I left 9 years ago, but they would still trickle in. Cat offers a reman on their own now I believe. Those engines were plagued with problems, so I've heard. As the article said, many improvements came with the 3126 (1.2L/cyl) some of which were still mechanical injected, soon replaced with electronic injection. The 3116/3126 was used in many top kick/brigadier trucks, row crop challenger tractors 35/45/55. Now days I don't think I'd be too afraid of one, all the issues have likely been dealt with, but I'd go for the 5.9/8.3L Cummins if given that choice lol!
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210 "too hot to farm" puller, part of the "insane pumpkin posse". Owner of Guenther Heritage Diesel, specializing in fuel injection systems on heritage era tractors. stock rebuilds to all out pullers!
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Posted By: Wes (VA)
Date Posted: 07 Oct 2022 at 7:59am
We had a top kick lime truck 20 years ago, I remember it was a hard starter, and it seemed like it had a narrow torque curve. Kinda like it would start pulling good in a gear, then it'd be up against the governor before ya knew it. Had a 5+2 in it.
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Posted By: DMiller
Date Posted: 07 Oct 2022 at 1:08pm
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Similar to the 1160/3208, bored NOT Sleeved blocks, when worn slick are just that, worn slick and basically scrap not rebuildable. CAT offers a Crate Engine replacement as a RECON Exch, is a New block, old head as nothing can do with old blocks. Dry Sleeved they run HOT, bored oversize and Get Hot, bored out to wet sleeves and leak like a infected sore.
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Posted By: DonDittmar
Date Posted: 08 Oct 2022 at 7:28pm
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Not the best article, it has a lot of holes in it. I would trust a 3116 or a 3126. It takes special tooling to tune them up and run the rack. When it comes time to tune it up, take it to someone who has the tooling AND knows how to use it and knows what they are doing. We have a guy at work that can tune a 3116 to run flat away from an 8.3 Cummins, and the 8.3 was a dang good motor.
As far as the comment about running away from anything with a CAT under the hood, that is all territorial. When I was in college, everything was Detroit Diesel. Up where a live where trucks are coming out of the woods grossing out at 160000 +, it’s all 15 and 16 liter CAT power.
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Experience is a fancy name for past mistakes. "Great moments are born from great opportunity"
1968 D15D,1962 D19D
Also 1965 Cub Loboy and 1958 JD 720 Diesel Pony Start
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Posted By: DMiller
Date Posted: 09 Oct 2022 at 6:10am
Cat is eyeing coming back to On Highway engines, they have produced a decent T4 construction and AG engine series where trucks were a problem child as was demanding too much change too fast from EPA.
Cat comes back the draw to DD13/15 engines drops as so expensive to work on, Cummins X series are faltering big time in HP and capacity values.
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