Cat Engine in a Discovery

[Jf57]

Hi, i would like to know if its possible to find the exact diesel motor model from the coach serial number i'm looking to buy a 2004 Fleetwood Discovery 39S with a Cat engine 3126 or C7, i know that they switch motor by the end of 2003. Thanks

[theroc]

Welcome to the forum.

While you're waiting for somebody to respond who can give you the most accurate manner in which to find the exact engine or serial number, you might want to quickly try one of the free online VIN number check sites.

If you put the VIN into a site like this one: Vehicle History - VIN

--it will give a lot of specifications at the bottom of the page including a brief engine description.

It's fun to play with regardless of how accurate these types of sites are.

I searched the forum for a random VIN number, put the number into that site, and attached below is the information it gave:

[theroc]

Actually, after thinking about it, the Feds give a site where similar information can be found although the specifications are not quite as extensive. Give this a try too as it may or may not be more accurate ...but could be a slightly less complete --this is the information that the chassis manufacturer reports to the Feds (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration):

NHTSA VIN Decoder




Same coach (VIN#) as above put into the NHTSA decoder ...less descriptive engine description, however:

[mrboyer]

You probably have a FREIGHTLINER chassis. You need your vin # which should be on wall near drivers seat. Call FREIGHTLINER and ask for serial number of your engine. They may even have model of the engine.

I think you have 3126E engine.

[theroc]

You're right, the transition period was late 2003. The chassis could very well have been assembled before that so I too might think it would have the 3126. However, I know many designated 2004 coaches had a C7.

I'm wondering, though, if it's going to make a huge difference. They were really pretty close and I seem to recall, identical in size, HP and and torque specifications.

[Jf57]

Thanks everybody for the help, i find it out with the first two post so engine is a 3126/CFE now what i am looking for is the meanning of that CFE. Again thank you all.

[FIRE UP]

Our coach is a 2004 Itasca Horizon 36GD with the CAT C-7 330HP. The chassis build date was 10/03. The coach build date was 12/03. We've owned this coach now for over 10 years and in my early research on it, I found there were coaches in front and behind ours on the assembly line with 3126 engines in them. There are some minor differences in the two engines, the C-7 and 3126. Both can be rated at 330HP. The C-7, has also 350HP version that made its way into many coaches. Both also can be rated at 300HP.

About 99.9999999999$ of the C-7's came with a permanently lubed fan bearing whereas the 3126 had a lube fitting right behind the fan pulley. It's pretty darn difficult to get to so, it quite often is overlooked. Hense, the prime reason CAT decided to go to a permanently lubed version. All three versions of the C-7 and both the 300 and 330HP version of the 3126 have 860 ft.lbs. of torque at 1400 rpms. Great engines. We now have 104,300 miles on our C-7 and it runs like a charm.
Scott

[theroc]

Again, the experts here (Scott, Wolf, etc. ...too many to mention) will be able to correct my undertanding as I'm going to just guess at this one. I believe that all 3126 engines used in Freightliner applications, including FCCC, had the CFE designation from what I can remember. So could it be "Certified Freightliner Engine" or something similar? I have no idea.

I do think I would personally prefer to have the 3126. I had a C7 in one of my rigs and although I didn't have any trouble with it, I did hear of all kinds of problems with the ACERT system in the years that followed.

As you know, engines back then progressively had more and more restrictions each year pertaining to emissions. The later 3126 engines started to use rudimentary ACERT technology but it wasn't until the full ACERT was used in the C7 that problems started to pop up.

Just my guess but I think you'd have a bit better fuel mileage with a 3126 and probably less to worry about with the emissions system and related restrictions than if you had a C7.

[Bigd9]

On the passenger side of the engine, near the HELI fuel pump there should be several stickers showing the engine serial and model number. I had to use my cell phone camera to get a picture so I could see them. Hopes this helps. Here is a picture of mine: