Caterpillar 1160

The Caterpillar 1160 is not a complete machine but a bare truck diesel engine: a naturally aspirated, mechanically (direct) injected 90-degree V8, factory-rated V-225 in Cat's 1100-series truck engine line. It shares its 114.3 mm (4.5 in) bore and basic block/head architecture with the 1140 (V-150), 1145 (V-175) and 1150 (V-200), but runs the longest stroke and largest injection-pump plunger in the family, 127 mm (5.0 in) stroke and a 9.0 mm pump plunger versus 8.5 mm on the other three, to reach 10.4 L (636 cu in) displacement and the family's top rating of 168 kW (225 hp) at 2,800 rpm (some tagged units show 210 hp, depending on arrangement). Cat built the 1160 from roughly 1968 through 1974 and sold it as a bare or short engine to on-highway truck builders, chiefly Ford (F-8000/C-8000/T-8000 from January 1968, and the Louisville L-8000/LT-8000/LN-8000/LNT-8000 line from 1970) and International Harvester (Fleetstar 2050 and Paystar 5050), plus some school-bus bodies built on those Ford chassis. Only one configuration was offered: naturally aspirated, no turbo, no electronics. Documented dry weight runs around 1,022 kg (2,254 lb) for a bare long block; listings with accessories attached (flywheel housing, accessory drive) range higher, to roughly 1,134-1,361 kg (2,500-3,000 lb), so treat weight as approximate and dependent on accessory package since Cat published no chassis operating weight for a bare engine. The 1100 series had no direct Cat predecessor; it was Cat's first serious push into on-highway diesel power. The 1160's direct successor is the 3208, which reuses its block and head casting.

Within the 1100 series the four ratings, 1140, 1145, 1150 and 1160, are the same basic engine tuned upward mainly through injection-pump plunger size, with the 1150/1160 pair alone getting an integral crank pulley and vibration damper not fitted to the smaller two. Two production serial blocks are documented for the 1160 itself, 57V and 95B (a surviving 95B example carries a 1974 build date), with no functional difference reported between them. Ford and International Harvester phased the 1160 out around 1975 in favor of Cat's turbocharged 3208, which carried over the same block and heads but moved to a heavier three-ring piston pack, a longer front-sump crankshaft, and a different front cover and accessory-bracket layout, changes owners credit for fixing the 1100 series' lighter, wear-prone ring pack. Today the 1160 turns up mainly in classic-truck and bus restoration, and in stationary or marine repower projects where enthusiasts favor its cooler-running, mechanically simple layout over the turbo diesels that followed it. Factory parts support is long gone: gaskets, filters and belts are easy to source as generic stock, but 1160-specific pieces like the front cover, oil pan, and pump internals take real hunting, and rebuilders lean on the shared 3208 parts network and diesel-injection specialists wherever the two overlap.

Below: full specifications, fluids & capacities, the factory service schedule, common service parts, verified fault codes, what owners discuss, attachment guidance, the complete assembly directory, and a serial-number reference. Complete parts lists with full OEM part numbers, exploded diagrams, quantities, and fitment data are available free in Heavy Parts AI.