Cummins N14
A legend, and the last of the big mechanical-feeling Cummins engines before electronics took over completely. Celect and Celect Plus versions are electronically fuelled but have no exhaust hardware at all.
Output
310-525 hp
1150-1850 lb-ft peak torque
Fuel per mile
$0.675
at 6.0 mpg and $4.049 a gallon
Fuel a year
$80,980
over 120,000 miles
In-frame overhaul
$14k-$22k
rough, and shop rates move it
In the exhaust
None
Before exhaust gas recirculation. Mechanical or lightly electronic, no filter, no fluid, nothing in the exhaust to clog. They are old, they are dirty, and owner-operators still pay a premium for them for exactly one reason: there is far less on them that can strand you.
Known issues
Injector and cam follower wear, and the well-known cam gear and lash issues on high-hour examples. Everything on it is serviceable, which is the point.
Verdict
Bought for what it does not have rather than what it does. Nothing in the exhaust means nothing in the exhaust to strand you, and parts are everywhere.