Mitchco - 12/15/2025 06:38

There's a guy near here named Mark that rebuilt the big cam IV in our truck that has a reputation that preceeds him. He worked at an authorized Cummins service center in his younger years where his father was the service manager. We found him through the father in law of a friend who was an owner operator. Mark is known for taking an N14 electric engine and rebuilding it with a mechanical fuel system. Now there is a particular story about another OO who was friends with the father in law.

He has one of Marks special rebuilds. He ended up in Florida waiting for a load out of there. He struck up a conversation with another OO that had a built up CAT. There used to be a place in Pennsylvania that advertised 800 HP 3406s with a lot of warranty back in the 80s and that's where his was built. So being truck drivers they argued about whose truck had more power. They found a place with a wheel dyno and went to find out. The CAT went first and got up around 900 HP. Then the Cummins went. They found out the dyno only went to 1,000, but the truck had more to give. I wasn't there so I did not see this.

After this word got back to Cummins in Columbus Indiana. They tracked down the OO and offered him a brand new truck speced any way he wanted it in exchange for his truck. He declined as he had an agreement with Mark that no one would see the inside of that engine but Mark. When I met Mark I asked him if the story was true. He confirmed. I also asked him why he didn't sell his knowledge to Cummins. He said he didn't need the money.

We have a few trucks at work with ISXs at 600 HP and I've driven 1 a few times and know how well they pull. I went on a trip with my brother in law in a new to him truck. He bought it from a bull hauler and it had a C15 that was not stock. It pulled a lot better than the ISXs at work. There are plenty of trucks out there that are not stock putting out plenty of power.

Mitchco