With the recent surge in Glider Kit Truck sales, the option for a factory re-man Caterpillar engine can be appealing to many people. A Glider Kit Truck is the only way a customer can install a pre-emission engine in a current production chassis. Caterpillar 1999 EPA certified C-15 and C-16 Cat engines don't require DPF or SCR integration unless the vehicle is operated in geographical areas that have mandated all trucks meet certain EPA standards. The benefit of the 1999 EPA Caterpillar OEM re-man engine is that the operator can typically count on superior fuel economy, proven performance and better reliability as well as some less tangible benefits. Since the Glider Kit Truck is covered under new truck warranty from the respective manufacturer, it only makes sense to install an engine that has similar engine warranty.
Most customers don't realize the advantage of a New Truck Engine Warranty compared to that of an overhaul engine warranty. All Caterpillar Factory re-man Engines qualify for a new truck engine warranty that covers the engine from flywheel to front cover. Depending on the specific CAT engine, the standard base warranty can range from 24 months to 36 months, or 100,000 to unlimited miles. All Caterpillar Factory re-man engines have the option to add an ESC Plus warranty that can extend that coverage out to 60 months or 500,000 miles to include the Turbo, Water Pump and Injectors. The base warranty typically covers parts and labor as well as towing to the nearest authorized repair facility while the Cat ESC warranties cover parts and Labor.
On the other hand overhaul protection warranty (OPT warranty) is not as comprehensive as a re-man warranty. Although current OPT warranties can be extended out to 4 years in many cases eligible engines and component coverage is limited and doesn't typically include engine parts such as sensors, harnesses, engine brakes and ECMs.
In addition to offering the OEM re-man engine assembly, Kustom Truck offers various engine up-fit kits (i.e. chassis installation brackets, fan hubs, ECM programming, and harnessing options) that can be specified with the purchase of the engine to insure that the customer receives an engine assembly that is ready to drop into the chassis for correct fitment as well as being electronically compatible with the chassis that the engine is installed in.
Kustom Truck also has the ability to provide the electronic interface between the engine and the chassis. Paccar Glider Kit Trucks (Peterbilt and Kenworth) typically do not provide engine control packages for current production engines with the glider kit. Kustom Truck has designed and offers an OEM engine control harness that connects the firewall connector to OEM connector on the Cat engine for any 99 - 2007 EPA Caterpillar engine with Adam 3 or Adam 4 electronics including feeds for the a/c high pressure switch, fan solenoid, vehicle speed sensor, main power and ground to starter, clutch switch and low coolant level sensor.
