Vegas Teacher Posted June 11, 2020 Report Share Posted June 11, 2020 So I say good news, not cheap news but I still consider it a win....... Some of you may or may not remember my story from back at the end of November / first of December. I took my truck into TEC Volvo for them to inspect and see if they could figure out why it pulled to the left, why it leaned and why it hard hard starts along with anything that would fail a safety inspection . Long story short I was called back two days later, told I had gear failure and I would need to spend between 15K and 30K to fix my truck. I went home parked the truck and went on about Christmas planning and that kind of thing. I was about to get things rolling again then Corana - Covid 19 hit and the world went into hiding. So over the last few months, while my truck has been resting, I have been doing research on line and calling and talking to a lot of people, plus reading what you guys put on line...... I never ignore anybody who gives me good advice. Today I took my truck to True Blue Heavy Duty Repair Shop, 3451 Losee Road LV NV, 89030 702-908-5899. ( I put this information in, not to advertise but they also run an emergancy mobile mechanic service, I figure if you are running near Vegas and need help or live here in Vegas and looking for a good mechanic, this is good contact information to know.) Anyway I took it in. It was slow in the morning so 3 mechanics plus the owner came out to my truck. The owner name is Steve, he was a really nice guy. The mechanics went around the truck with the hood up and the hood off, they had me turn the truck on and back off. The lead mechanic and owner kept me with them and just kept telling me stuff they saw more and more and more. It amounted to a lot of little issues. The big issue was the air leaks, I have about a million air leaks from everywhere. Then there is a lot of maintance issues which are being addressed. So I left they called me back. They took my truck for a test drive, they are just a block off of I-15, and came back and evaluated my truck again. They called me with a list of things that needed to be done ASAP: AIR LEAKS, all filters of everykind. King Pins, All bags were shot (4 large air bags and cab air bags) Injectors / fittings, leveling arm, valves, inspect air leaks on dash along with all wiring on dash plus an air leak under the dash (some kind of T valve he said.) They were also going to "Run the Rack." (Can somebody tell me what it means to "Run the Rack" This will cost about $4000.00 with parts and labor. I have been saving for this so it is a lot but could be a lot worse, it isn't 30K like I Volvo said it would be. Steve told me when I got there they would take me for a drive in my truck and teach me stuff about it that they saw miss set, like my Jake, other stuff he could help me with. They are also going to make a list of things I need done but could do each month instead of all at once, that way I can earn some money and pay a little bit at a time. I am looking at a two year time table. So far I am happy with what I have seen. I appreciate they way they treated me and would recommend them to everybody. I like the fact they didn't try to price gouge me or tell me to go leave my truck in the middle of the desert (Volvo told me that, that p!$$ed me off) So I have faith once again in humanity. Later, Cory Ossana - Vegas Teacher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaydrvr Posted June 11, 2020 Report Share Posted June 11, 2020 (edited) "Run the rack" means to adjust the valves. On my Cummins, that's due about every 300k, and runs about $300-400.. If my memory's right. Sounds like you found a decent shop. That's great! Jay Edited June 11, 2020 by Jaydrvr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RKMoezee Posted June 12, 2020 Report Share Posted June 12, 2020 Use to call running the rack a tune up on a old Detroit diesel 2 stroke they had a rack that moved the injectors in and out for fuel and if you messed up it would run away. We all ways called a tune up on a Cummins running the overheads. Cat too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vegas Teacher Posted June 12, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 12, 2020 2 hours ago, Jaydrvr said: "Run the rack" means to adjust the valves. On my Cummins, that's due about every 300k, and runs about $300-400.. If my memory's right. Sounds like you found a decent shop. That's great! Jay Thanks, I had no idea what it was... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vegas Teacher Posted June 12, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 12, 2020 1 hour ago, iddy said: Use to call running the rack a tune up on a old Detroit diesel 2 stroke they had a rack that moved the injectors in and out for fuel and if you messed up it would run away. We all ways called a tune up on a Cummins running the overheads. Cat too. Thanks for you help, I am just not good with that information. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr. cob Posted June 12, 2020 Report Share Posted June 12, 2020 Howdy Cory, So glad to hear you may have found a decent shop that will treat you and your truck right. Running the rack, can be a simple valve clearance check or it may also include checking and setting all the Jake brake settings, fuel injector settings. Having this done as needed sure makes a difference on how your truck will run and how effective your Jake brake will be. Keep us in the loop as to what you need and get done. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cactus Posted June 12, 2020 Report Share Posted June 12, 2020 Cory Glad your back on the forum Good to see you are on the right track with your maintenance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vegas Teacher Posted June 12, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 12, 2020 1 hour ago, cactus said: Cory Glad your back on the forum Good to see you are on the right track with your maintenance It is good to be back and talking to everybody. I won't lie when I came home from TEC / Volvo and the guy behind the counter told me to leave my truck in the desert I about lost it, inside. I got off of the forum because I just did not want to deal with anything at all. I was ready to give up completely. I am willing to spend the money to get my truck running right but to be told it was 30K for the transmission and the long haul trucker, standing on my side of the counter was laughing at me, I was done. In many ways it was like they just didn't want to do the work, or they didn't want to do the little work that needed to be done. I felt like I wasn't worth the time. So I figured Christmas is coming so forget this stuff. So I planned on spending around 15 - 20K to get stuff done like tires, the bed and all of that, and the issues that were found at the Mechanics today. It did not surprise me or upset me at all. I figured par for the course here. As far as getting back on the forum, I am happy to be back too talking to the guys who know and can give me good advice. I am a pretty social person. It is fun to be off on summer break having a good time, talking to you and the rest of the people on the forum. I might even start feeling good enough to start teasing and having fun before long. I think I am going to put new tires on my truck after I get it from the Mechanics. Southern Tire Mart is just 200 yards from where I am getting my work done. They have been good to me too. Later, Cory Ossana - Vegas Teacher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dblr Posted June 12, 2020 Report Share Posted June 12, 2020 Glad to hear you found a decent shop to work with, I know the feeling, I used a shop that worked on my 6.0 Ford truck because they treated me well with it and they work on everything even construction equipment. They did a DOT inspection type on mine and also listed what needed done right away and what could wait, they even let me leave it over the winter and repaired things when they needed work in the shop and seeing I did not need it all worked out great for both of us, that was over 5 years ago and still use the same shop. Good luck on the repairs and hope your out enjoying the truck again soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noteven Posted June 12, 2020 Report Share Posted June 12, 2020 At the KW dealership I worked at daring to tell a customer to “leave his truck in the desert” (regardless of the truck brand) would earn you a personal visit to the dealer principal’s office for some ‘splaining & more training... a second offence you likely would be skidded... I don’t ever brand a whole organization by a bad experience. I call the owner / boss and have a yak and resolve it personally... I don’t report on socialized media mainly because I’m too dumb to figure out how to run it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pbdavenport Posted June 12, 2020 Report Share Posted June 12, 2020 I would wait on the tires until your ready to start out traveling. That way you have new tires not 2 or 3yo tires. Just my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darryl&Rita Posted June 12, 2020 Report Share Posted June 12, 2020 41 minutes ago, pbdavenport said: I would wait on the tires until your ready to start out traveling. That way you have new tires not 2 or 3yo tires. Just my opinion. Yup. Prioritize the expenses. Get all rubber under the truck checked. Hoses to the brake pots, cooling hoses, heater hoses (including the steel lines to the sleeper), cab air bags, suspension air bags, etc. Get the air leaks fixed. Get the suspension squared away. Tires are a finite life item, no point spending money to sit on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrap Posted June 12, 2020 Report Share Posted June 12, 2020 Air compressor bull gear......Air compressor bull gear......Air compressor bull gear. Not transmission gear. In the flywheel housing, not in the transmission. Don't lead the new shop astray. The Volvo tech thought he heard trouble, you owe it to the new shop to have a good listen, or pull the compressor and look at the gear, or whatever they need to do to form an opinion for something pre-emptive - I don't know what you do with a Volvo. If metal is missing it is in your engine. Google it. There is info out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darryl&Rita Posted June 12, 2020 Report Share Posted June 12, 2020 Good call, Scrap. I forgot that chapter. I'd make that #1, with a bullet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sculptor Posted June 13, 2020 Report Share Posted June 13, 2020 Good news Cory! Compared to the news that yahoo gave you awhile ago anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vegas Teacher Posted June 13, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 13, 2020 22 hours ago, Scrap said: Air compressor bull gear......Air compressor bull gear......Air compressor bull gear. Not transmission gear. In the flywheel housing, not in the transmission. Don't lead the new shop astray. The Volvo tech thought he heard trouble, you owe it to the new shop to have a good listen, or pull the compressor and look at the gear, or whatever they need to do to form an opinion for something pre-emptive - I don't know what you do with a Volvo. If metal is missing it is in your engine. Google it. There is info out there. What is the air compressor bull gear? If I asked the guys to look at it, it that the name they would know???? Like I said I do listen to you who have been there done that and like learning from you. Thanks for the heads up! Cory Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vegas Teacher Posted June 13, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 13, 2020 4 hours ago, Sculptor said: Good news Cory! Compared to the news that yahoo gave you awhile ago anyway. Like I said I can deal witht the stuff I thought would need to be looked at. I was planning on spending about 15 to 20K to get the truck back into good running condition. Tires alone will be about 3 to 4K but 30 grand on one project really caught me off gaurd. Plus I really liked the fact that they took my truck out and ran it up and down I-15 to see how it handled. They really seemed to listen to me and that I thought was a huge difference. I also like the fact they are going to take me out for a drive and show me things about my truck that I don't know. I will admit there is so much I don't know and I want to learn. Cory Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickeieio Posted June 13, 2020 Report Share Posted June 13, 2020 42 minutes ago, Vegas Teacher said: What is the air compressor bull gear? If I asked the guys to look at it, it that the name they would know???? Like I said I do listen to you who have been there done that and like learning from you. Thanks for the heads up! Cory I'm not a truck mechanic, in fact I'm barely a decent "steering wheel holder". But I think an air compressor bull gear is the drive gear on the compressor, which on your truck likely is mounted on the rear of the motor. If said gear fails, it could ruin your flywheel, which can get costly. Ask the shop if this might be the case on your truck. It's likely that the first shop heard a noise from the back of the engine/bell housing area, and assumed you needed a lot of work to correct it. It's a bit difficult to diagnose from 1800 miles away........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darryl&Rita Posted June 13, 2020 Report Share Posted June 13, 2020 23 minutes ago, rickeieio said: I'm not a truck mechanic, in fact I'm barely a decent "steering wheel holder". But I think an air compressor bull gear is the drive gear on the compressor, which on your truck likely is mounted on the rear of the motor. If said gear fails, it could ruin your flywheel, which can get costly. Ask the shop if this might be the case on your truck. It's likely that the first shop heard a noise from the back of the engine/bell housing area, and assumed you needed a lot of work to correct it. It's a bit difficult to diagnose from 1800 miles away........ And has a fairly good chance of blowing out part of the block. More than one truck has been scrapped because the accumulated expense is worth more than the truck. It`s right up there with the Killer Dowel Pin, in the early B series Cummins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vegas Teacher Posted June 13, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 13, 2020 1 hour ago, rickeieio said: I'm not a truck mechanic, in fact I'm barely a decent "steering wheel holder". But I think an air compressor bull gear is the drive gear on the compressor, which on your truck likely is mounted on the rear of the motor. If said gear fails, it could ruin your flywheel, which can get costly. Ask the shop if this might be the case on your truck. It's likely that the first shop heard a noise from the back of the engine/bell housing area, and assumed you needed a lot of work to correct it. It's a bit difficult to diagnose from 1800 miles away........ Thaks for the information, every little bit helps. When I started teaching in Stoctkon Missouri, (Yep Vegas is a ways from there) we sold the kids shirts with the school mascot holding a sign that said K.I.P. knowledge is power, each little bit of knowledge you accumulate gives you a little bit more power...... There is a lot to that saying I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrap Posted June 13, 2020 Report Share Posted June 13, 2020 Not saying this is what needs to be done to the truck, but it needs to be checked since Volvo tech heard it rub or chatter or whatever when the compressor was loaded. I don't know how you check a Volvo but I'm sure it's out on the internet somewhere, or the new shop has a way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickeieio Posted June 13, 2020 Report Share Posted June 13, 2020 So, after watching the video and reflecting on what Cory said back in his first post on this before Christmas, I can understand why the Volvo tech said $$$$. I'm not saying he was right, but it sure needs to be checked. As usual, Scrap comes up with answers.......👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrap Posted June 13, 2020 Report Share Posted June 13, 2020 Yea I think the $ disparity is if there are shavings or gear teeth OEM is going to want to do an overhaul to get all the pockets out, while independent can just do the spots that make sense like the vid. Carries more risk but a lot less $, doesn't open up things that don't need to be opened up, and may last just the same. Same kind of decision you have to make when rollers in the HP fuel pumps wear thru, ceramic plungers grenade, camshaft comes apart, etc, etc. Hope it all works out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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