I am looking at purchasing 2 D8K machines, one a 77V 3333, the other 77V 5357.
The owner mentioned that one hase the spacer plate engine, the other doesn't.
Just having a look, they both seem the same.
Dide they change engines during this modle as I thought they all has the spacer plate model?

They upgraded the block during production. Old counterbore block had studs spacer plate block had head bolts.
Later Bob

Which where the better engine?

I think Bob will agree that there isn,t too much difference in the engines as they are both the D342 but I liked the pacer plate engine as it seemed the liners didn,t eat away at the block if the liner height got out of wack like the regular block.I,m not saying the spacer plate doesn,t or won,t wear the block but was easier to repair. I have repaired dozens of both style blocks by using either thicker shims or Cat had inserts to machine the block and install if they were eat away too much esp. in the regular block.I also have fixed lots of them regular blocks that were not only eat away down in them but saw so many cracked so that,s were the special inserts came to use when you found one cracked and eat away.

Thanks Guys for the advice,

Are the liners the same or are they different in the spacer plate engine. What about the other components.

I have bought them anyway so I hoe I get a good run out of them.
I have bought a back up machine incase I have reliability issues but on this forum I wouldn't like to mention the brand for fear of getting allot of shit hung on me.

Cheers

The liners should be the same as the spacer makes up the depth of where the regular block is bored down in it.Don,t get the idea that the regular block is no good but the main thing is keep good head gaskets on them and head torqued to specs and will prolong the life much longer.The regular block was not a problem block but did see the results of not proper maintaining of them.