Commercial · Heavy duty
Find a replacement commercial truck engine
Heavy-duty and medium-duty engine sourcing for trucks, fleets and commercial applications — identified from the serial number and the rating, not from the badge on the hood.
- Serial-number and CPL identification before quoting
- Rating matched to your transmission and axle specification
- Emissions configuration confirmed, aftertreatment itemised
- Freight quoted to your yard, terminal or shop
Diesel brands
Major diesel manufacturers
Select a manufacturer for its identification notes, or to start a quote with it already selected.
- Cummins
- Detroit Diesel
- Caterpillar
- PACCAR
- Volvo
- Mack
- International
- Hino
- Isuzu
- Freightliner
- Kenworth
- Perkins
- John Deere
- Deutz
- Kubota
Manufacturer names and trademarks are used for identification and compatibility purposes only. All trademarks are property of their respective owners. Viom Motors is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorized by any vehicle or engine manufacturer.
Engine families
Popular engine families
The families we're asked for most often, each with its own identification and configuration notes.
- Cummins ISXThe ISX is the most common heavy-duty diesel in the North American used market, and the single most important thing to establish about one is whether it is a single-cam or dual-cam engine.
- Cummins X15The X15 is offered as two distinct series aimed at different work, and picking the wrong one produces a truck that runs correctly and performs wrongly.
- Detroit DD15The DD15 is usually bought for an integrated Freightliner powertrain, which makes the control system as much a part of the purchase as the engine.
- Caterpillar C15Every meaningful question about a C15 is answered by its serial prefix, and none of them are answered by the truck it came out of.
- PACCAR MX-13The MX-13 is a Kenworth and Peterbilt engine, which narrows the search fast — and its European architecture makes parts-support confirmation part of the buying process.
Duty cycles
Fleet and vocational applications
What the truck did matters more than what the odometer says. These are the profiles we quote against.
Over-the-road linehaul
High-mileage, steady-state duty. Ratings chosen for fuel economy and gradeability, and engines whose wear profile reflects sustained highway load.
Regional and distribution
Stop-start cycles with frequent load changes. Hours and engine cycles describe wear here better than the odometer does.
Vocational and construction
Dump, mixer and heavy-haul work with substantial PTO time. Expect hours to significantly outrun mileage.
Municipal and severe service
Refuse, utility and fire apparatus, where idle and PTO hours dominate the engine's history entirely.
Identification
What we need from the dataplate
Every heavy-duty manufacturer identifies its engines differently. A photograph of the plate usually answers all of this at once.
The serial number
On the engine itself — gear housing, valve cover or block depending on the manufacturer. It identifies the exact build, which the truck's model year cannot.
The build code
A CPL on a Cummins, a serial prefix on a Caterpillar. These separate two engines that share a displacement and differ in pistons, injectors and calibration.
The rating
Horsepower and torque. Your transmission and axle ratio were specified around a particular rating, so it is part of fitment rather than a preference.
Process
How commercial sourcing works
- 01
Send the dataplate
Serial number, build code and rating. A photograph of the plate is usually enough.
- 02
We confirm configuration
Emissions era, aftertreatment, controls and rating checked against your truck's driveline.
- 03
Availability and quote
What can be sourced, at what completeness, with what coverage and what freight — itemised.
- 04
Freight to your yard
Crated or palletised delivery arranged to a location with the lifting equipment to receive it.
Freight
How shipping works
Heavy-duty diesel engines ship on a heavy pallet or in a crate and almost always require a forklift or overhead lift at the receiving end. Delivery is quoted to your terminal, yard or shop, and freight is confirmed in writing before anything moves.
Transit time depends on the source location and your destination, so it is confirmed on your written quote rather than promised in advance. Ask your specialist for the expected transit window before you commit — it is part of the quote, not an afterthought.
Inspect the pallet before you sign for it. Note any visible damage on the delivery receipt at the moment of delivery; a clean signature makes a freight claim substantially harder to pursue.
Coverage
How warranty works
Coverage varies by the unit itself — its condition, mileage or hours, and the source it comes from — so the term is stated on your written quote rather than advertised as a single blanket figure. Get it in writing before you pay, and read what it covers as well as how long it lasts.
Two questions matter more than the length of the term. Does the coverage include labor, or the part only? And does it require the installation to be performed by a licensed shop with documentation? Those two answers decide what a claim is actually worth.
Keep your installation invoice, and follow the break-in and fluid requirements for the unit. Skipping documented maintenance is the most common reason a legitimate claim gets denied.
- Fitment checkedConfirmed against your VIN or serial before you pay
- Written quotesPart, condition, coverage and freight, itemised
- Nationwide freightPalletised delivery to shop, yard or marina
- Coverage in writingTerms stated on your quote, not advertised vaguely
Need a specific engine?
A specialist can take the details over the phone instead.
Answers
Frequently asked questions
What do you need to quote a commercial engine?
The engine serial number from the dataplate, and the manufacturer's build code where one applies — the CPL on a Cummins, the serial prefix on a Caterpillar. Those identify the exact build, rating and configuration. Truck make, model and year get us to the shortlist; the serial confirms it.
Why does the emissions era matter?
Because the aftertreatment hardware, wiring and engine control programming follow it. Moving an engine across an emissions boundary means changing a system rather than a component, and for on-highway use it carries regulatory implications as well.
Do you supply the aftertreatment components?
It varies by engine and how it was removed, which is why it is itemised on the quote. DPF and SCR components carry real cost, and a quote that includes them is not comparable to one that doesn't.
Should I care about hours or miles?
Both, but on vocational, refuse, utility and fire apparatus, hours describe the work far better. A low-mileage engine from a truck that idled and ran PTO all day can have more wear than a higher-mileage linehaul engine.
How are heavy-duty engines shipped?
On a heavy pallet or in a crate, requiring a forklift or overhead lift at the receiving end. Freight is quoted to your terminal, yard or shop and confirmed in writing before anything moves.
Send us the serial number.
A photograph of the dataplate is enough to start. We'll confirm the rest before quoting.