Maybe it'll work now...

Tried posting this before but went back and checked and it was no where to be seen... Stupid computers anyway. This week I rebuilt the purge valve on a Wabco air dryer. Seemed like there must be a simpler way to make it work (Less moving parts would be good I think). Also picked up a side job mounting a flatbed on one of Knutzen Farm's trucks. Smiley's quoted around $40,000 to build a flatbed so they bought a truck with a flatbed on it for $10,000 and I'm doing the fab/mods to make it work on the new truck. Got the hinge laid out and welded in after deciding that plasma cutters work WAY better for cutting through doubled frames than a torch. Rust had started between the doubler and original frame on the donor truck and buckled the frame all the way up to the cab (I'll take pics next week) so I used the torch to cut the hinge out... Not doing that again. Moved a cross member a few inches to clear the hoist cylinders and I need to build a new bracket for the carrier bearing. I should be putting the wet kit on the truck next week.

Weeks hours: 54.5
Total: 207.5

Summer 2013

Learning how to deal with office staff this week... 4:00 yesterday, "yeah we need that truck at 7am." Well thanks for the heads up!

60 hours for the week
153 total

Summer 2013

Learning about how an ABS trailer brake valve is "not" supposed to work... Took it apart hoping it was just stuck but the cup seal is hardened up causing it to leak by and dump air pressure.

Also did some welding on a cross member mount after doing an inspection.

Weeks hours: 41.75
Total: 134.75

Summer 2013

This week I learned that sometimes it's not always leaking because the gasket it bad (See picture of isolators).

Workin' on getting my class B CDL and I am a new fan of a super 10 transmission.

Hours for week: 43

Total: 93

Summer 2013

Alright, so what is the "correct" way to install s-cam seals? Given square cut o-ring (Quad ring) and a traditional cup seal I'm putting the cup seal on the hub side with the o-ring on the inboard side (Towards the slack adjuster) so that it will purge the grease where you can see it. According to Danny the cup seal goes on the inboard side but reversed so that it will still purge grease correctly. Seems like it would work either way just fine to me? Every reference I've found has 2 cup seals with both installed towards the inboard but none reference the o-ring?

Also did some welding on a Ford L8000 12 yd dump truck. The box frame was breaking near the hinges so I air-arced out the cracks and welded front and back with 6011 and fabricated some stiffeners so that it will not break again. Had to weld up some cracks in the box floor too and learned how to weld on light gauge steel with 1/8" welding rod. With amperage around set around 50 you can feed a filler rod (With the flux scraped off) while you're welding (Similar to TIG welding).

Week: 50 hours
Quarter: 50

PM final part 2

Transmission: Eaton Fuller Super 10 spd

• Oil capacity of 11 liters
• Recommended RoadRanger synthetic SAE 50 spec PS-164 Rev 7
• MSDS for lubricant at http://www.roadranger.com/rr/CustomerSupport/Support/LiteratureCenter/index.htm?litlibtarget=1162919212455
• Oil must be changed every 180,000 miles or three years

Engine: 12.7 L Detroit Series 60

• Recommended oil is 15W-40 CI-4 or CH-4
• Capacity is 40 quarts including filters
• Recommended interval is 15,000 miles
• MSDS at  https://cglapps.chevron.com/msdspds/MSDSPage.aspx
• Recommended coolant is Detroit Diesel Power Cool 
• Part # 23518918
• Capacity is 58 quarts and change interval is 300,000 miles or 2 years

I learned the real cost to not keeping up with preventive maintenance and also the cost to doing the preventive maintenance. I counted 51 fittings on the Peterbuilt. I discoverer quite a bit more wrong with this truck than I anticipated.

PM final part 1

Apparently I've impressed our operations manager! Had a meeting with him a while back and I'm going to start taking over some of the maintenance management. Been busy with school but I'm working on a maintenance plan and inspection checklist. I did an inspection on one of what I thought was one of our better maintained trucks... We've only had this truck a few weeks so what could possibly go wrong? I used the inspection sheet in Heavy Duty Truck Systems.

1999 Freightliner FLD #285
12.7 Detroit 60 series rated at 500hp (We're an LTL company so you're just flying up the hills in this truck)
Eaton 10 spd
Spicer 3.90 rear ends

• Driver's side clearance light on hood
• Passenger side turn signal on hood
• Driver's seat belt not fastened to seat frame
  
• Missing dash screws (Rattles on rough roads)
• Turn signal switch loose (Held on by hose clamp)
• Hood rubbing on cowl 
  
• Loose alternator belt chirps on start up
• Transmission tail shaft is loose (Should have been written up as a vibration)

• Loose yoke on drive line between tandems (Should have been written up as a vibration)
• Both drive axles moving slightly on spring perches (Probably loose u-bolts)

• Cracked welds on cross member underneath cab (First time I've seen them break on a truck with an air ride cab). I need to look into why this truck is breaking here and the others are not.
  
• Oil leak behind oil cooler manifold (Battery died on flashlight so couldn't find where exactly the oil is coming from). Pretty common on Detroits... Surprisingly no leak on the front gear train cover!
  
• Bushings in front driver's side leaf spring worn out
• Clutch is out of adjustment... Not an EZ-adjust either : (
• Clutch throwout bearing is coated in gear oil... Umm, don't know what's going on there but I'm going to keep an eye on that. Truck has a new bell housing and reman transmission so maybe something isn't quite right here.
• Cold idle advance actually works! 

Week: 55

Total: 474