Biggest fix you've ever done in the field?

replaced a drivershaft carrier with 6x6 piece of wood from home depot on freightliner fld120

 

Dropped a 9speed an replaced it with a wore out 10sp with 2 4+4s laid across open door windows on a 4 lane paved shoulder.

 

It was around $70 for the overnight. Core was denied because of the hole in the cover, but it was no biggie I think it was only worth around $40. Only 1 push rod was bent. The one that caused the damage. Couldn't get a pigtail for the injector harness that was broken so had to buy a new injector

 

Replaced cracked fuel fitting in front head B.C. Cummins, Pete cabover . Only had 1 wrench- 3/4 in. Used pocket change for shims on smaller nuts/bolts, but I got it. Saved my boss the truck stop labor, he gave me a $50 tip. Learned to carry a toolbox after that.
Last year my friend duct-taped a U-joint together in Houston Tx ,prayed, and then drove home to Virginia with no further trouble.

 

, yeah the cheap tools lead to busted and bloody knuckles. Just not worth it.

 

Carrier bearing tore off the frame in the K100. Strapped it back to the frame, made it the last 20 miles to kick off 45,000lbs of steel, then spent 4 hours driving 60 miles from shop to shop looking for a carrier bearing that ended up being used on dozers and was big enough to fit the stock bearing inside of it. Went ahead and did the u-joints since it was 3pm on a Friday and Catco had all the parts in stock.

The most painful was swapping out the fuel pump on the VT-903 in 0 degree weather at the Loves outside Louisville. Ended up spending one day pulling it off taking breaks when I couldn't feel my arms anymore. Took a $200 cab ride into town the next day where they took 3 days and 2 cores to get one pump rebuilt. I spent the next day guessing at where everything went since I couldn't get the cab up high enough to see where anything went (cab jack froze up and the farm jacks I carried with me only went so high). Ended up putting it on with the shim and spring sitting in the engine valley, and got to pull it off and put it back on the next day.

 

I forgot about the water pump i replaced on a saturday night in complete darkness in pa and had to be in florida monday morning thank goodness it was a detriot 60 and thanks to frystown western star dealer for leaving the pump outside for me after hours.

 

Yeah, because I've never bloodied my knuckles with Snap on Tools.[emoji14]

 

ABS Controller valve box, various air line leaks, main fuel line from water separator to fuel tank on right side (Not difficult, just a serious PITA due to everything in the way under the cab and me being a 325lb 6'1 guy), main battery feed line to the ECM and then discovered other wires and connections that were corroded (Got it to start back up and limped it to auto parts store where I could buy the connectors and correct gauge cables I needed,.. thank God for rednecks), Tore dash apart to get at air leak behind trolly valve, Oh,.. and rewired my pigtail when trailer lights failed to come on while out in the middle of no where Wiliston ND in -9f weather.

'Most' company drivers would never consider repairing what we as an O/O look at as a survival trait. Its $85 - $125 minimum just to get road side service truck to show up. And thats no guarantee he can fix whats wrong. Even a flat tire,.. If its late at night and I can limp it 10 - 20 miles to get the tire replaced,.. you bet your buttocks I'm rolling down the back roads to save a few bills. And if its an outside tire for my trailer,.. I always have a spare (255/70 is not always available) I have a 25 ton jack, 2 breaker bars, a can of CRC and I'm not beyond replacing that tire at any rest area or off ramp.

I will survive in this business because I am willing to work as hard as I need to in order to get my load delivered and stay in business. They dont teach that in trucking schools.

Hurst