JoeH

The PennDOT paperwork is far more stressful than the blowout. Some bureaucrat in an office somewhere gets to decide if/when I've provided sufficient documentation before I even get a pa title for the truck.

It's home, have to sort out some paperwork with PennDOT. We added a lift axle and tried to up the GVWR. Already had the truck in Iowa by the time we got the request for more info and pics from PennDOT. Temporary registration expires April 30th. Have to sort out paperwork, repair fenders and lighting, get through factory required "on site" training/calibration this coming week, repair flywheel/rear main seal... before the truck will hit the road. Can't use the truck for deliveries with how big the puddles are it's leaving. Can't tear the truck apart til the factory rep comes to run us through training/calibration.

In the suburbs of Philly there's a barrel truck company in every town. Guys with trucks like ours run 1-2 trucks to cover the smaller stuff the barrels do a poor job handling. Out in your neck of the country things are probably pretty well spaced out. Barrel trucks would likely lose a load before they even got to their job.

The timing covers might be different. I think that's where the front mount grabs the engine.

The rear main seal is leaking pretty good, or the flywheel housing is cracked. Won't know til I get it he and apart....

Controls are mostly ok, minor damage to (very easily replaced/fabricated) brackets holding the levers. Truck will get our steel diamond plate fenders pretty quick. I knew these chinsy aluminum ones would be a problem, was just hoping it wouldn't have been this soon!

Finally got pictures. Flew out to Iowa yesterday, picked up the truck and ran around town getting the "hope I don't need this" Kit they don't let you fly with. In the factory's yard On the side of Interstate 74 near Knoxville, IL. Shout out to mobile mechanics like our own @Joey MackMack, they keep truck's rolling! We stole a lift axle tire for the drive positions, took the lights out then bent/beat the fender into submission, put the lights in and he wired it back up! License plate is now in the cab, it looks like shit!

*waiting patiently for the jaw drop*

Any luck finding anything? I know you didn't specifically say you "deleted" the emissions, but that seemed to be the implication. Sadly Mack trucks don't respond well to being deleted, it brings on a whole plethora of problems. You might consider reinstalling the emissions crap (hopefully you didn't toss it....) So that you can use the dealer as a resource for diagnostics... I learned 15 years ago that once you venture away from Stock, you're pretty much on your own. Engines are engineered to work in a certain way, once you start changing variables it can get ugly fast. I suspect Mack (Volvo) engineers their programming to make their trucks go to shit if you try any funny business with the emissions.

Pics please...

My MR had a loose fuse for the VECU that caused a 9-2 (I believe that's engine power loss without key off) had to tighten the fuse connectors to get better contact.

"repair manuals" aren't single books... They're generally several 4+ inch binders with tons of books in them. Engines, transmissions, frame, suspension, wheels/axles, air systems, cabs, fuel system,. Etc. Every component gets its own book. Or at least that's how Mack used to do it...

Post your location, you might be surprised to find someone on here lives local to you and could put an experienced set of eyes on your truck.

The E7 engines had a high volume oil pump option if I recall. Would it be compatible with this engine? Does t solve coolant issues, blue smoke, etc, but it could up the oil pressure...

Cold oil is thick. Warm oil is thin. Hence the pressure drop.

It should, there's Active and Inactive fault codes. Active trip the light, inactive are stored faults that were an issue but are not currently. Or at least that's my understanding on the ETECH motors. No idea what year/model you're dealing with though.

I'm just popping in to this thread, haven't been following. Sometimes the spot welds fail on these pushrods and the end inserts (ball and cup ends) are loose. I've seen a couple that way on our endt676 engines.

The first 2 seem minor to me. Need to be fixed, but minor. That 291 perplexes me. "See Diesel Repair"? Is that code for "something mechanical is broken so we're derating"? Pull valve covers maybe to see if there's anything outside of ordinary with your valve train? How's the oil pressure and fuel pressure?

Try Mack Default and select whatever USB port # you're plugged in to...

Can't open the file, can you take a picture of the codes on your screen? Diesel Explorer should be fairly descriptive on what they mean.

If it's VMAC III and your check engine light is on you can pull 2 digit "blink codes" by holding the bottom function of the cruise control (I think it's Set/Decel) with the key on. Cruise on/off switch needs to be off to do it. Count the flashes of the lightning bolt and post them here, someone can tell you what they mean. After one code is spat our push the button to request another code. Keep doing it til it starts repeating itself.

What year and model.are you trying to connect to? There should be a rocker switch to flip from ABS to Diagnostics. You should be set on Diagnostics. And key should be on. On Diesel Explorer there's a "Components" tab, that shows you which computers the Diesel Link sees. If it's a VMAC III you should see listed the EECU, VECU, as well as ABS module if it has one. If one is missing then you could have a power fault in the wiring to the missing ECU.

You guys should have had more sex with less condoms! Then we wouldn't be in this mess!

In all honesty I think what's going on is the Boomer Generation is retiring and there simply isn't enough population in my generation to fill the void. (I'm 32). Covid pushed a fair amount of Boomers out of the workforce I bet. Guys that didn't want to deal with all the BS of vaccine/mask mandates changing every other week, etc. Meanwhile these folks still have homes, still need plumbers, are still investing in the hardscaping around their houses, etc. The generations behind them simply don't have the population to carry the workload. Thats my observation and I'm sticking to it! Look around, I'll bet you see a lot less young folks in the companies you work with than you remember from your youth.

I do about 10k miles/year on my triaxle, usually replace 2+ pairs of drive tires in a year. I keep a pair of recaps mounted and ready to go in the garage. When that set goes on the truck I go to Bergeys Tires and get the bald set recapped or I get a retread on one of their cases. Once in a while I'll work in a set of new drive tires. Truck has 11R24.5 drives, 315's on the steer and lift axle. Steer usually gets new Continental's, the old steering tires get capped for the lift axle. Not worth new tires, I'll just grind the tread off delivering concrete to postage stamp driveways with a long wheelbase. Most driveways are a 3-5 point turn for me to get into. We bought an MR688S, and that truck uses 315's for steer, lift, and drive! No way in hell is this truck ever getting new drive tires, not at 800-1000 a piece! New 315's for the steer, but that's it for new tires on this truck. Steers from both trucks will start making their way into the drive positions.