New O/O with some basic PM questions

Do yourself a favor.

Take it in to do it.

Not because you can't.

But getting rid of all that waste material is as big a pain as making the mess.

It's worth my time to just have someone else do it.

I have been turning wrenches on big machines since 1990. Bradleys have a Cummins 903-v8 turbo in them. I have gone all the way to adjusting the valves, governors and injectors. Same thing with HEMTT 8X8 trucks with wedge brakes. I started driving before auto-slack adjusters came out. Got out of driving for a while just as they were coming into service.

Other than just piddly stuff like lights and pm greasing. I don't plan on doing any of my own service maintenance. It's worth it to me to pay someone to do that work from the cost it will be to invest in tools.

There's a reason they have those stickers all plastered over their boxes, "I make a living with my tools, don't ask to borrow them".

There's upwards of $15-20K worth of tools in them boxes.

The parts houses and the dealers spend a lot of money making sure those guys stay up to date on what's new and important service wise. Tap that resource.

BS with the service writer when you get your truck serviced. He might help you get that extra bit of MPG or HP out of the truck.

 

I wouldn't worry about front wheels, but with that said, peace of mind is more important. Just make sure you get a set of gaskets and some sealer. I usually use Lucas hub oil for the front wheels. 1 bottle should do both hubs.


Check these links (pdf) 1st link has fluid requirement for the tranny. I can't see how the rears would take more then a 5 gal pale.

http://www.eaton.com/ecm/groups/public/@pub/@eaton/@roadranger/documents/content/ct_042148.pdf


http://www.eaton.com/ecm/groups/public/@pub/@eaton/@roadranger/documents/content/rr_rrsl-0001.pdf

 

I can recommend something, use Schaeffer brand lubes in your truck. AWESOME STUFF!!! Costly but it is awesome. If you do end up changing everything and doing your own oil changes, find a dealer near you and buy a 55 gallon drum of the synthetic oil. Its a lot cheaper then buying 5 gallon buckets or gallon jugs. Stuff is worth it!

 

Getting rid of the fluids is easy. Find a local independant tire dealer or oil distributor, they will take it off your hands. Heck, even Wal Mart or Auto Zone will take old oil. I buy my oil in 5 gallon buckets, when I'm done I take an old gallon jug and cut it off to make a scoop, scoop up the old oil and dump it into the bucket... Put the lid on and haul it off to someone who recyles it. You may also have some local independant truck shops who burn the stuff in the winter to heat their shops and will be glad to get all you can give them... Anyways, why pay someone $100 or more plus overpaying for filters when you can DIY easily? Go to Tractor Supply and look for one of their 15 gallon plastic or rubber like feed/water troughs for livestock. You can also pick up a cheap 1.5" wrench, to remove the oil drain plug, in there while you're at it. Lay a big piece of cardboard under the work area and have at it. Always prefill your new oil filter with oil before installing.. Speedco, TA, Petor... those shops never do that. They just put a dry filter on there and then your turbo bearing gets starved until the oil flows through good.. When you grease it make sure to wipe dirt off the zerks with a rag.... .....again speedco, ta, petro etc they dont take the time to do this they just shoot dirt and grit right up into the bearings... I just can't think of any good reasons to pay someone service my truck.. They won't do the little things right and it's very easy to take care of one's self...

 

there's a difference between a truck stop monkey and a service shop technician.

 

Tranny should take around 4 gallons, rear ends should between 3 to 5 gallons depending on which ones they are. Drain plugs on the bottom, fill plugs on the side. Fill until oil starts running out of the hole

 

If you are really wanting to do your own services, then get with a local oil distributor. I have oil delivered for free in 55 drum, last buy was just over $11 a gallon for a synthetic blend oil. I put used oil in previously empty drum and they haul that away for free as well. When they deliver motor oil, I can have them throw in 5 gallon cans of diff or tranny lube as well. You can get a pump at Northern Tool or other parts place and have tranny/diffs changed in little time.

But.... There is a good case for having a good shop do the services. They can do it a lot quicker and, since time is money, not really that expensive. Especially since synthetic lube change recommendations by the tranny and diff OEM's are such that you sure won't be doing it that often. But you should still have a good grease gun and crawl under that truck a few times between oil changes and look over everything and grease it. I feel more confident giving my truck a thorough look over underneath than trusting a lube service guy all the time.

 

I'll tell you what. When it's 20 or 30* outside there's not many service shops who can change the oil and grease a truck quicker than I can lol.

 

I answered your questions above. Also, while under there, make it a practice to check everything from front to back. Wear safety glasses because debris will be falling and plan to get your hands dirty. Take a flashlight with you. Start at front and check all hoses, tie rod, tie rod ends, springs, shocks, brake chambers, etc. What I mean by check is brab them and move them, shake them, feel them and see if they move, rub, leak, etc. Then move towards the back of the truck checking everything as you go along. Sloly move your eyes in a cross pattern. I go from driver to passenger, then move an inch or two and look again, sometimes checking the important safety items twice just to get a different view (brakes, brake lines, steering components, etc). Get used to what everything is supposed to look like so when you see something out of place, you will know it right off the bat. If something looks out of place, it probably is. If in doubt, look again and then get a professional to take a quick look.

As another poster said, there is a difference between lube/service techs and diesel techs. Most of the PM guys you find doing your services are new at being a tech and therefore, are not trained yet or just started their training. Most shops put them there to learn about what to look for. Most of these guys just do the basics and go through the trucks rather quickly. When I do a PM service, I spend about an hour and a half going through the truck. When I'm done, there will be a list of everything I found wrong with your equipment, including the paint chips missing on the bumper. That is how I was trained as a diesel technician. This accomplishes two things.

1) It tells the operator of everything wrong with his vehicle so he knows what is wrong with it to prevent breakdowns or DOT shut downs.

2) It is a possible revenue generator for me since I am paid flat rate for all repairs done on the vehicle.

This is the difference between a trained and ASE certified Truck Technician and the lube tech/shade tree mechanic changing only the parts he was told to change.

If you find a good tech (they are out there) I would suggest having him go through the whole truck and you get the ok to follow him around. He can point out everthing wrong with your truck or what to keep an eye on. Also, if possible, buy the service manual for your truck. It will also help you on what to keep an eye on.

Good luck in your new venture of being a O/O.