So... NOW I Need to Know About

[Griff]

Tremonton, UT!

1st it was grass fires that closed I-84 in Idaho last night... Sure hope no one was affected by them, other'n bein' inconvenienced, as all that was it was to me. However, today...

Stranded again. Anyone need an over-weight, aged (maybe that equates to experienced), general nev'r-do-well and bon-vivant? Salary negotiable... Hours negotiable... miniscule knowledge on a LOT of subjects... less on really important stuff... but firmly opinionated...

[gamekeeper]

I can't help with your location but I do like your profile......

[Nath]

I can't help with your location but I do like your profile......

You'll do fine bro, tough old boots never die!

N.

[Grizz]

stranded how? time for the rest of the story....

I'm 12h away if that's any help

[mod71alaska]

Pictures...where are the pictures?

You'r welcome to camp out here for however long you need to, Griff, if you want to back track a little. Plenty of work projects going on, too!

[Griff]

stranded how? time for the rest of the story....
I'm 12h away if that's any help

It's a sad tale of age and the decline of civilization... or just a broke engine!

Shop is closed today & tomorrow... so I'm just a'chillin'! Nothin' to do but bug you guys and the folks over on the SASS Wire... which I should go check on to see if I got a rise outta them on a post late last night... or was that this am?

[plowboy 45]

Griff
How long you been truckin

[Griff]

Griff
How long you been truckin

Part time? About 47 years... full-time about 18. It's still a mystery as to why!

[J Miller]

Griff,

Maybe that old pirate ship of yours is telling you it's time to retire. 47 years is a long time be running all over the country.

Sorry bout the engine. What's cause, do you know?

Joe

[plowboy 45]

31 years myself but sold out on 911 guess ill never forget when I was done owning one
Just been a driver sense then
Maybe it ain't to serious

[41 Redhawk]

It's been about 15 years since I was last in Tremonton but there wasn't much there then. If you can get south down to Brigham City there is a bit more to do there. Maddux's (SP) steak house comes to mind.

[Griff]

Well... it wouldn't be too serious if we were talkin' about a small block chevy... but... it' not... it is kinda serious. #6 rod bearing spun... seizing up. So, the engine has to come out to remove the crank. For all the labor involved, it might just be better to buy a new crate engine... warranty an all considered.

Back to the grindstone, work, work, work... no takin' a week or more every a month off! Yuck!!! Payments!!!

[piller]

Are the most current engines made as well as yours was? Do the new ones run any more efficiently? Just a couple of questions that might need to be answered to determine if it is worth it to repair or replace.

I am getting a vehicle repaired right now. The Oxygen sensors in the catalytic converters went bad, the converters were overheating, and the transmission was damaged. I should find out today if it is repairable. My son was the primary driver, and he is like his mother, blissfully oblivious to anything happening in the vehicle until it quits and won't restart.

[Griff]

Are the most current engines made as well as yours was? Do the new ones run any more efficiently? Just a couple of questions that might need to be answered to determine if it is worth it to repair or replace.

I am getting a vehicle repaired right now. The Oxygen sensors in the catalytic converters went bad, the converters were overheating, and the transmission was damaged. I should find out today if it is repairable. My son was the primary driver, and he is like his mother, blissfully oblivious to anything happening in the vehicle until it quits and won't restart.

I don't think so... and while just as with gasoline engines... the higher temps in the new diesels are more fuel efficient... that higher heat means more breakdowns and shortened life.

I doubt seriously that ANY of the post 2003 diesels will ever see 2million miles. In talking to repair shops, the common thing seems to be that the majority of their business is now the servicing of exhaust filtration systems. I've had a couple tell me that easily 75% of their business are these DEF and EGR systems.

[horsesoldier03]

Good Luck! Did you get that truck rolling and producing a cash flow yet?

[Sixgun]

Griff,
I hear 'ya bro! As you know, I load tractor trailers for a living and I hear the stories everyday. Last week, my bud, who hauls for Food Lion and owns a one man trucking outfit showed me a flat tire on his trailer with a huge nail sticking out of it. He bought the $300 tires (each...8 of them) for his trailer the week before.

The very next day he showed me how the bracket on the passenger side smoke stack broke and the whole stack fell sideways. His had it rigged with straps and load locks. As he has a very nice Peterbuilt, he replaced the whole gizmo for something like $1600. Had he not been in the hammer lane, someone could have been killed had they been passing him.

THE NEXT day, the clutch compressor went and he burned up his clutch but not to the point where it needed replacing.

All of this happened the week after some idiot in a truck stop forget to set his breaks (no trailer, just the tractor) and it rolled into my buds front end and destroyed that 15 square foot chrome bumper and right fender.

Yea, you guessed it, the idiot was an import from Romania driving a beat up '92 Freightliner.

Your not alone bro. Obama happens!----------6

[Griff]

Back in Tremonton... Decided that if it'd take a week to 10 days to repair... I could loaf at home cheaper... (maybe not after car rental, gas, food & lodging two ways), BUT... I could bug the wife. Which I did. Left Sunday and arrived yesterday... truck still not done... troubles getting stuff to fit back together.

As to what happened initially, on Friday, 8/1, the truck was making a "weird noise". I couldn't identify it... so I shut it down. It wouldn't restart. Called a repair service, he asked me to start it up... cranked and cranked, and cranked some more. Finally started. Making more noise... shut if off. "Mechanic" asked me to start it up again and look at oil pressure gauge... I had some, but... to double check I cranked it up again... turned over a couple of time and seized.

Towed it to a shop here in Tremonton. The following Monday they pulled the pan off:

That shiny stuff ain't supposed to be in there. It's supposed to be around the crankshaft, for your rods to spin on, sometimes called bearings!

More of same:

That round thing is plastic, is part of the system that sprays oil on the underside of the piston to keep 'em cool... relatively so, anyway. They changed them a few months ago and that one broke off as they removed it. Told me it would drain out with my next oil change... Obviously not!

This pic is looking up from the right side of the engine, at the rear:

You can just see the discolored rod cap between main cap #s 6 & 7. It's the one that let go and seized.

Anyway, with only a $1500 difference between rebuilding mine with a new crankshaft and buying a crate motor, I went with the crate engine. It's 100HP more, with 100ftlbs more torque. 3 year warranty vs a 1 year on the parts they replace in my old one... kind've a no-brainer!

They got it all back together yesterday... but blew an A/C line... had to order it in... and having a bit of an issue recharging my A/C. I don't drive w/o A/C!

No sympathy cards... send MONEY!

[BrentD]

No sympathy cards... send MONEY!

And I thought I was having vehicle issues of late. I'll send money as soon as I can print some up. I think you are going to need a WHOLE BUNCH!

Good luck.
Brent

[1894]

No sympathy cards... send MONEY!

And I thought I was having vehicle issues of late. I'll send money as soon as I can print some up. I think you are going to need a WHOLE BUNCH!

Good luck.
Brent

This ^^^^^

Getting the third flex-plate put in my avalanche right now .
Maybe I can get to 70 k miles before anything else breaks on it.
Chump change compared to what you are doing though .