Diesel engine rod and main bearings when its most important

I would like to talk about when you truckers should replace those rod and main bearings to make your Diesel motor last forever. Unlimited miles!

Rod and main bearings In your diesel engine are a very important part of a diesel motor that gets taken for granted and is a major cause or motor replacement!

Rod and main bearings used to get replaced from around 200,000 to 3 or 400,000 miles. The diesel engine bearings and the oil we run now a days makes them last much longer. But i have been finding that a lot of or I should say most truck drivers are avoiding changing them and taking a chance that they will make it to the next overhaul. But the time in between these is also changing to record numbers.

When to change them tho is the question since every diesel motor is different and is always changing.

Here we go I am going to give you a few and see if yours falls into one of them.

Detroit diesel 60 series 6 to 800,000 miles depending if hauling rock to over the road. I have seen them spin on out anywhere between 800,000 to mil 200,000 miles I have seen overhauls last to mil 6 or 8 before needing liner o rings and usually just gets overhauled since there but I would not of been scared to just use knowledge and little cleanup time and just re seal the motor if it would have had good bearings because everything else was very reusable . If it was mine I would have saved a few thousand and took the chance it wasn't using oil so why change it. I have done head gaskets and not changed the cyls and their still running daily With hundreds of thousands of miles more on them. The pistons hardly ever wear any at all. I have done it to a few tight truckers diesel engine and it worked great.

Cat engines are about the same mileage. The bigger the cat the longer you can go. Cat is a rpm motor to create power. The smaller the diesel engine the harder it cranks and the smaller the bearing. If your running a C 13 or smaller change them before 800,000 or else! Most motor replacements have been cat smaller engines from spinning a bearing. 8 hours labour and $200 in parts is one hell of allot cheaper than $ 10,000 eng plus core charges in the thousands plus labour and a few bugs to work out. The bigger cats I have seen bearings out of them up to mil 400,000 and they were shot but the cat cyls just don't make it they wear out from the outside and pit through and or liner o rings blow out and put coolant in the oil.

Cummins engines are the hardest on bearings they are more of a stoker diesel motor. Low end torque! This beats the bearings out but this is one of my most favorite motors to work on to make last for ever! Esp N14! N14 requires bearings every 500,000 you can go longer but the bearings look horrible and lots of brass showing. I have found the motors with this interval seem to last for ever and this is a motor that was designed like much larger motors that were make to fix one or 2 cyls at a time and last forever. Only reason to ever replace a block and crank is if you have a big hole in the block and it is almost imposable to do this unless you have very unusual special circumstances. L10 to M11 6 to 800,000 this motor will spin out of pushed to far . ISX. 1 mill This motor has been very good even tho its not my favorite and have had lots of complaints on HP it seems to be a very low maintenance motor.

Mercedes diesel this motor reminds me allot of smaller Cat diesels in the bearing department. Not many make it to mil without changing the bearings. It has very small bearings in it compared to others.

If you follow these guidelines for changing your rod and main bearings your diesel motor may out last you!

Tired of trucking and want a change or just want to truck part time?

How many of you truckers want a change but just cant find anything you know how to do to make the same or more money each month?

Have you ever considered being a broker?

I am one person that has the same problem. I have been turning wrenches for many years and believe me if I could find something else to do that would pay me the same and didn't half to get all dirty and full of grease and fuel everyday i would jump to the opportunity. Its not that i don't love what i do. Its what i do is a dirty, sweat dripping, bloody job! If i could find a job turning wrenches in an air conditioned building with no oil or fuel around and be able to fabricate without the fumes from the torch burning rubber or paint. If the grinder didn't plug my sinuses. I would have a perfect job! Diesel repair is what i know.

Trucking is what you know!

Being a broker to you would be as easy as me being the service wrighter.

I do the service wright er job on a daily basis when needed we all share the responsibility in our shop. We want our customers to have a personal relationship with our mechanics. We don't have you sign in and you never get to see what goes on behind the counter. We talk to you and get a feel for the problem and it helps us help you.

If i can do the service wright er job because i know about diesel repairs then i highly believe you can be a broker. You have the advantage of dealing with them everyday and you know all the tricks to every type of load you just half to have the ambition to make a change for the better. You can even broker from your truck you drive know for an extra income!
Being a broker will help you with your own loads, you wont half to run as many miles each week for the same income, you can even make so much money once you get started that you can retire and hire someone to run it for you on your computer. Its a win win situation all the way around all you half to do is just do it.
I have found a company that will give you all the necessary tools and training to become the most successful broker in the industry
freight broker boot camp Click Here!
You should check it out! I know if I had this kind of opportunity I would definitely check into it!

truck shocks

Here is a few tips on shocks and when to change them

Truck shocks are a very important item if you plan on keeping your truck for a very long time.
I know allot of you truckers neglect your shocks. Your shocks are a very important item in maintaining your truck from falling apart. Truck shocks keep your hood, dash, doors, switches, and everything else from rattling apart. I have seen trucks that do keep good shocks and trucks that don't and i can tell when i ck them over and test drive them.

I prefer gas shocks. Their close to the same price and my drivers always comment on how much better they drive and handle. I haven't as many truck drivers comment on fluid shocks.

The average mileage that I find fluid shocks leaking or when I find a gas shock is around 300,000. Some last longer but I recommend 300,000 because every time I change them on my customers that keep track of their repair bills. They always call me up and say they cant believe how much better it rides. That its a new truck again!

I know you don't want to spend no more than you half to but i would rather put a set of shocks on than repair a cracked hood, dash repair, wiring,switches,or kingpins from your front end shaking all day. Not to mention your back. OUCH

trucker repair cost saving tips: Here is a cheat sheet to pass your next CDL test

trucker repair cost saving tips: Here is a cheat sheet to pass your next CDL test

Here is a cheat sheet to pass your next CDL test

I have found a web page that will give you all the tests and answers!

You truckers can skip studding all those road rule books!
You truckers can up grade to doubles, triples, hazardous, or passenger vehicle
I don't know about you truckers but every time I have to take that dreaded CDL test I barley pass the computer tests. The questions are not worded as I would assume the situation is. The answers sometimes don't seem as they would be the most logical and the Numbers are sometimes irrelevant if your not a mechanic doing the repairs!

I have found a website for you truckers that has all the tests and answers click here to take the easy way out on your next CDL test.

This web sight is a powerful tool in my book!

My boss has just failed it twice in a row and is not to happy! He is studying it now!

How embarrassing would it be if A trucker had to tell dispatch that you failed the test and cant haul a load until you can retake the test again.

I know i don't want to have to tell a trucker that i cant test drive his truck because i don't have a license for it how would that make me look in your eyes?

How you truckers can get an extra 100,000 miles out of your closeed tread drive tires with out a premature blow out.

I have been seeing something over the last 5 to 10 years that is becoming a issue of mine on closed side tread drive tires and is getting lots worse.

Closed side tread tires is a awesome over the road drive tread for you Diesel truckers. Its a very high mileage tire that wears very well. I rarely see a open tread on any diesel truck that is over the road these days. But I have an issue that I have been seeing more and more. Especially when behind an automated transmission.

These closed side Diesel truck tires are blowing out and having ten 32nds or more tread on them!

These blow outs are because of embedded rocks!

Hear me out and get an extra year or so out of most of these tires!

I don't like changing tires, patching tires or trying to find a good used tire to match the tread depth of the tire next to it! Especially if I have told the driver about this a year before and have reminded him at services since! I don't like doing anything that has to do with tires. They are hard work and no one wants to pay $74 an hour for this service. I do do a fair amount of truck tire repair tho more than I like but it is a service that I provide to my diesel truckers because they want it done right and have no out of round tires like they have had from the tire repair shops that hire young kids and don't show them how to properly clean the buildup off of the rim, how to seat the bead, be centered, how to keep the bead lubricated until you have it full of air and still lubed while you put the first hundred miles on it. This is especially critical on front ends and drive tires! I mean what trucker wants their hood and dash shaking and falling apart? Not to mention the front end parts on your truck wearing out. I will discuss how to make sure your tire guy does this correctly another day.

Here's the issue with these tires. Who ever worries about their tires having the cords being exposed to the elements and being chewed on by rocks and blowing out when they are relatively new?
This is a issue that no one that i know of worries about.
I have found after checking into this that you half to clean all the marble size rocks out of your tread at least once a year. I recommend twice a year. It takes about an hour to do all 8 drives. I ck my customers truck tires during service intervals I will pick a few deep ones out and see how far they have dug in. I have found that when the tires are over half tread is when this is very critical! The rocks get embedded between the lugs and work their way to the cords and chew on them tel either you have a blow out or the tire wears down far enough that it finally spits the rock out after a couple hundred thousand miles. By the time the tire finally gets rid of the rocks the damage has already been done. The casing is ruined in my opinion. the cords are busted up and have been exposed to the elements and made fragile.

I have found in my studies that diesel trucks with automated trans are having this issue much worse! Its something about how smoothly they shift and torque up. It makes the rock dig and dig deep on these diesel truck tires. Not all tires do this but I would say half of them do.

Take a look at your newer diesel truck dual drive tires and if you see a few to several rocks in them. Dig them out and ck to see if they are starting a hole.

Lets get some life out of them expensive drive tires.

You may think I am crazy for recommending digging the rocks out of your diesel truck tires but after you have a blow out or 2, and noticing you still have quarter tread left. then you start checking the tires you notice chunks of rubber missing down to the rusty cords. You will have seen where a rock has been living for a couple years. Then all you can do by then is get the credit card, com ck or however you pay for those expensive new diesel truck drive tires a year before you were ready to. ouch!!!

Take a mechanics word on this I am one of the guys that sees this issue weekly and I am addressing it to you diesel truckers on how to save allot of bucks a year on your repair bills!

How you truckers can save $500 on your airconditioner repair bill this spring or summer !

Its that time of year again when you will raise that hood on your truck and turn those water valves off to get the maximum efficiency out of your air-conditioner.

You turned the valves off and your air conditioner is still hardly working at all. Your thinking not again, every time you have it worked on it cost at least $500 to $1200 and its only been a year or 2!


I. am going to give you a Quick lesson that anyone can do. how to know if your air conditioner is working properly and if the system is at full charge and a simple cheap way ck to find a leak

pay attention i am going to move along fast but in order!

This is what you can do to save you money and and speed up my repairs on your truck because I work at a hourly shop not a commission shop I do it the best I can the first time even if its going take longer or shorter than book time I don't care how long the book says it takes . I know how long it takes me to do it right. Every truck has its own personality and has different requirements.

I will give a tip on how to pay less on repairs at shops on your air conditioner.

Don't ask for a quote!
If you trust taking it there then you should trust them to do their best to keep it cheap as possible. Tell them to keep it as cheap as possible all shops have diff procedures but will do their best if you ask. A quote takes time to prepare for you and it gets marked up to make sure all expenses are covered . We never bill less even if we have less time in it to cover our expenses of giving you the quote. The only way its ever less is if That was not the repairs needed!


First you need to determine a few things
Is the compressor running?
If not is it electrical or empty?
If so is it running all the time or cycling under full capacity?

I have took the time to find a few cheap products that i have used and know of others that have used. I have listed them on my blog. These products are cheap and will work just fine for no more than you will use them. They are simple but to the point. I will not confuse you with the more complicated machinery.

Next you need to start the truck turn the blowers on hi and see how the system is operating. If the compressor is running you will have to make sure the system is full. To do this you will need to look at the sight glass on the drier you can follow the lines to find the drier ( It looks like a 40 ounce can Usually on pass side or the fire wall) that is used and on most all trucks there is a sight glass on the drier you need to have only some bubbles going thru it. A perfect system the compressor will stay running all the time and the glass will clear up then when the engine fan kicks on the glass will go to bubbles until aft the fan kicks off any where from 30 sec to 180 seconds depending if its on a timer but that don't matter here.

If its low go to any auto store and get a cheap can of freon and the cheapest thing they have to install it. I have found some links to very good products you can purchase to save a cupple hundred bucks. I Recommend the one with the plastic handle that just pierces the can and has a short hose with a coupler to hook to the low side coupler. This is the small blue one. Don't worry if it dont have a gauge if your truck has a sight glass.You hook it up to the truck running and fill the system tel the bubbles just go away stop its full.

Once the system is full. a normal truck holds around 3 lbs some Pete's and other large sleeper trucks hold up to 5 lbs these will have a tag and say it. Don't over fill to think that will help. It will actually make it almost a heater!

If it took less than one lb of freon and has been a year since you have had it worked on I wouldn't even take it to a shop! Your done! Wow I just saved you a couple hundred dollars by the time they put the machine charge, shop expenses,ect, ect.

If it took more than one can get your Windex bottle out pour at least half out and go inside a restroom somewhere and put a couple tablespoons of hand soap in it, fill it up three quarters full, shake it, go back to your truck, shut it off, and soap the whole system down every hose, fitting, valve,the condenser in front of radiator. Start at the ac compressor on the engine and follow the hoses and soap it all until you find it bubbling somewhere and there is the leak ! I use this exact mixture or at least soap to find a leak it is more reliable than any thousand dollar leak detector I have ever used I Quit buying them they all seem to quit working in less than a year and they are not cheap and their unreliable! I will demo any of them but i still rely on lots of soapy water in a squirt bottle. Bubbles don't lie!

When you take it to the shop you can show them what you need have the service wright er check on parts before they start and that will save you a couple hundred dollars for a mechanic to do the same thing then he don't half to track you down or your company give a quote ect ect. Then if they don't have the part they will half to order it, and then you will get 2 repair bills, Two trips to the shop, and allot of extra time charged to the ticket ect ect.If its a hassle your going get charged for it.

If you can do that with less than 30 bucks worth of auto supplies that you can get almost anywhere It will take you 30 min and save you up to $500 bucks real easy. Especially if its not a dealership that charges flat rate!

Also make sure Your heater valves are shut off make sure they are not flowing hot water to the cab This will sometimes raise the dash temp 20 deg If they don't shut off!

Check your cab filter anyone at a truck stop shop will show you where it is, if it has one. I have charged many of truckers to change a cab filter a machine fee ect ect and at least a minimum half hour and it was just a dirty ten dollar filter and he payed me couple hundred dollars to the shop to do it
.
If your system has psi in it but the compressor on the engine wont engage turn the motor off turn the key back on check the fuses turn blower on low so its not making a lot of noise. Check over the wiring on the switches you soaped down earlier and you will hear the clutch on the compressor snap if you touch a bad spot or you may find a broken wire you can repair.

If still no problem found Take it to a good shop and let them figure it out.you will need Their knowledge and tools. You did good and that's all you can do to save a couple hundred. It could be a switch which would b cheap. It may need a complete system overhaul and going to cost over a grand, But you did good by just trying a cheap simple procedure. Next time do it for a fellow trucker and maybe get a tip, or charge him for diagnostics if you find the leak, You did save him a couple hundred bucks.

Brouse the products i have listed and see what ones you like best and they will ship them wherever you want i have only listed the cheapest and simplest products you can buy.