Click Click Boom!!!!!

What amazes me is it went 2 months before they started backing off. I drove probably about 8,000 km in that time as well.

I hear you on the good help part. We're lucky we have gotten a decent crew built up. A lot of the guys are 21 or under but they're really good. They aren't afraid to ask questions, I actually encourage it. I don't mind dropping my tools for a few minutes to explain something or show them where to find the information they need.

I never understood why some people refuse to asist the newer guys. At the end of the day its about getting the customer their unit back fixed correctly and its easier to do when all the guys work together.

 

All the moaning on here about how nobody can fix anything. I see no line at the door for people signing up to wrench and yet the pay scale continues to skyrocket.

We have a good crew built as well. Team thru and thru and we all learn and teach together. Word on the street in our area is the shops like ours are rare as can be.

 

On one hand I'd like to see trades promoted more. On the other hand the folks that typically go to college I don't want anywhere near a shop.

I put the blame for a lousy reputation on shop management. Things change fast in this industry and the software, tooling and training eat up a massive chunk of revenue. I figure a one week technical training course probably costs a company upwards of $7k-$8k per tech when you factor in lost shop revenue, hotels/travel expenses, cost of the course and wages. A lot of the bad shops don't want to spend 6 figures a year keeping 5 or 6 employees up to date with 2 training classes per year.

 

Worked on this B model today. Boss wanted manifold removed so it can be planed and new gaskets installed.



Once I got down to the thermostat housing, I’ve been fighting with bolts that refuse to budge. Managed to get 4 out of the 5 out but snapped off the bolt flush at the bolt head.

I attempted to drill all 3 inches of 3/8 bolt to free the outer housing but only managed 1.25 inches.

After much pry bar wiggling, wedging, tapping with a hammer, it finally came free.



Then attempted to get the bolts out of the back housing. Got all out but one. Same thing as before, snapped the bolt head flush.

This I see is even worse. I can’t take anything apart from that back thermostat housing as it covered the bolts for the water pump plate.

Pry bar doesn’t move it, chisel doesn’t move it, heat from the torch doesn’t help move it.

Finally had enough, got the 8 pound sledge.

After a few blows, the housing separated from the head enough to allow me to get in there with a sawzall and cut the bolt off.



So now both halves of the thermostat housing is off.

Tomorrow I’ll get the cut bolt out of the head then remove the manifold.

All new bolts will be going in with lots of anti-seize.

And possibly a new turbo. The old one puked oil into the intercooler which I will have to clean out too.

I probably wouldn’t have to remove the thermostat housing but all the others I’ve removed came off easy and allowed more room to work in there when doing manifolds.

 

12.7 Detroit has a miss…sorry bud, your gonna need more than an injector fml the tread even managed to get wrapped around the axle and its not a recap
How the hell does this cylinder stay up when the piston seal looks like this
Oh it leaks a little where the rod comes out

 

for your viewing pleasure…
I know nothing about what happened it’s just a truck I bought for parts. Good thing I only want the rear housing and engine mounts lol

 

That’s easily repairable.

 

Currently working on a Mercedes MBE4000 in the shop.

It makes gun shot sounds when starting up and fumigated the cab with antifreeze mist.

Upon tear down, the cause of the head gasket failure is the head bolt.

Of all the diesels I’ve worked on, this one
Is easy.

 

I’ve never been into one of those. Are they torque to yield bolts?

 

I’m assuming they are for the Mercedes. I’ve pretty much always re-used the head bolts on every engine I’ve worked on and had no failures.

After learning from a friend of mine that worked as a trucker on a farm, his truck blew a gasket in the same brand engine and a mobile mechanic replaced them. He re-used the head bolts

Three days later the new gasket blew. The head bolts broke.

So for this engine I’m working on, all new bolts for sure. They are smaller diameter than cat bolts if held beside each other.