New here! CAT 3208... Too small or can you fellas help?

Hi guys! I know you're mostly 18-wheelers over here but I don't know where else to go, I can't find ANY info on the Internet about this except a 10 minute YouTube video.

I'm wondering if I have CAT's brake saver on my 3208. The truck is a '70 F7000. Was that even an option on these? The engine is from '92, it's a reman. I know Jakes weren't an option on these, but I'm wondering if the brake saver was.

Long story short, I haven't driven this truck much but when I drove this truck (just bought it, I was test driving it) I downshifted to try and engine brake. Well... It engine brakes REALLY well. Like, surprisingly well. Works almost better than the service brakes. I had several theories as to why this might be, but I dismissed it until I found this video on the brake saver.

It has two oil filters on the engine which I hear on 3406s/3408s means you have brake saver. I also hear your oil cooler is substantially bigger with brake saver. How do I tell if I have the bigger oil cooler? Is it obvious?

If I do have it, I hear you want to drain the reservoir of the brake saver as well as the oil pan. I don't know where that is. Obviously it's around the flywheel somewhere but I can't find it. However, I did find a missing plate on the bottom of the engine immediately behind the oil pan with exposed machinery inside. I'm not enough of a mechanic to know what I'm looking at exactly. I'll attach my reddit post with the video. Anyone care to help there? What is this plate and where do I find a replacement and the appropriate bolts?

Thanks guys

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/Diesel/comments/1fysyao/cat_3208_brakesaver_also_lots_of_questions_with/

 

@Oxbow @wore out may be able to help.

 

That missing plate is to cover the flywheel from dirt and water. They use that access location to turn the engine over with a specialized tool to do overhead work. Adjusting valve lash if I’m not mistaken.

buy one and replace it.

 

You do not have a break saver.

 

As ElmerFudpucker mentioned you do not have a Brakesaver.

Cat may have had a Brakesaver on an early 613 scraper with a 3208, but I can't recall ever seeing a retarder behind one.

I have three 3406 engines with retarders and they do have larger oil coolers, but none of them have more than one oil filter. I do drain the retarder separate of the oil pan when changing oil.

These large oil lines go from the oil cooler to the retarder:
The photo above shows the control mechanism. An air hose from the in/cab valve attaches to it.

The photo below shows plumbing from the oil pan to the retarder.

 

You would also have a control valve in the cab. This photo shows the retarder (Brakesaver) valve below the trailer brake valve:

 

Thanks for the info everyone. Yeah there's definitely no return lines or anything going to the oil pan so I agree. Thanks though. Any ideas on where I could get the flywheel cover and the bolts to match?

 

If I ain’t mistaken they are just 5/16 course thread about a half to 3/4 of an inch long. You can just make the plate out of a thin piece of plate. Or just leave it off. It’s not going to hurt a thing

 

My 3406A only has the one oil filter as well.