Jump to content

31,780.9 hours/1,003,867.2 miles


RowdyRebel
Go to solution Solved by Freightrain,

Recommended Posts

Is what is showing on the display right now where I sit waiting on a hook. She done give up 34.1 miles into my day. Oil was @ the full line & antifreeze was @ the cold full line when I fired up the truck in the driveway. Heading north on the interstate, 26.8 miles from my delivery, the engine started rattling and white smoke pouring from the stacks. I shut it down, knocked it into neutral, and coasted a little over a mile up the road to a "truck parking" area (former rest area)...she's off the road and in a safe parking spot...just hope I didn't toast the transmission getting her there. Anyway, wrecker will be on the way just as soon as the company gets back to me as to whether they have a driver and truck who can come up here and either deliver the load or take the trailer back to the yard less than 20 miles back behind me. Be a whole lot cheaper if the wrecker company can send a smaller unit to just tow the tractor as opposed to a loaded T/T combo. Anyway, like I said, no rush because I'm off the road (otherwise I'd just pay for the big gun to get me out of harms way ASAP). In the mean time, there's a big ol' puddle of oil under my truck...but the oil is 1 gallon (maybe more) over filled...and the overflow tank is empty (haven't cracked open the top tank yet to look). So, looks like it dumped the antifreeze into the oil, but the oil isn't the tell-tale milky white, so I don't know. Had my overhaul scheduled for the first week of next month. She didn't quite make it, though. At least it happened today (close to home) instead of yesterday (ever drive AR9 from Mountain View up to Melbourne? I LOVE roads like that, but not someplace you want to be when something breaks). Anyway, probably rent a freightshaker from the company for a few weeks 'til Mack can get it fixed for me...otherwise I'm done for a few weeks because they're pretty well booked up for the next week or two before they can get my truck in.

post-1673-0-33888000-1447182862_thumb.jp

When approaching a 4-way stop, the vehicle with the biggest tires has the right of way!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 miles from where the wife works. 12 miles from her horses. Hell, as the crow flies, I'm only 15 miles from home...just gotta swim if that's the way I wanna route it. Anyway, company has trucks but no drivers, so I called an O/O friend with his own authority who runs in this area quite a bit. It'll be a couple hours, but I'm safe where I sit so that's OK. Called the wrecker co and they'll head up this way when I get word from him that he's on his way. Like Hannibal used to say on the A-Team..."I love it when a plan comes together". Anyway, I crawled under her as best I could (without laying in the oil) and I don't see any protrusions or big gaping holes anywhere. Be funny as hell if it were just the air compressor that exploded internally, but at this point, we're down for the overhaul. Can't see having the truck in the shop for 2-3 weeks and NOT getting it done, when it'd be scheduled to go back only a few days later anyway. Hopefully when I get it back, it won't be consuming/leaking any oil.

post-1673-0-08605700-1447185239_thumb.jp

When approaching a 4-way stop, the vehicle with the biggest tires has the right of way!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Probably be 3-4 weeks. Mack dealer is booked up solid for the next couple weeks and are down a couple mechanics out for vacation. Company has some spare trucks, so I'll be talking with them about renting/borrowing one until I get my truck back. Gonna suck driving a freightshaker again...but it beats sitting at home NOT working and wondering how I'm going to pay for everything.

When approaching a 4-way stop, the vehicle with the biggest tires has the right of way!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Anyway, the O/O friend who pulled the trailer back to Mack and gave me a ride home had tore up his trailer a little today...so I did some welding and got him patched up & on his way again. At least I could help him out for helping me, even though the help would have been given either way whether or not there was a reciprocal favor to be done. That's one reason I like running local...never too far from friends to help get you out of a bind. Sure, I could've had the whole truck & trailer towed...but it would've cost me more than the $168.75 I was charged. Overall, considering how bad it COULD have been, I'm going to bed tonight feeling lucky. I may be snapped back to reality when I find out how bad it broke...but I had a major overhaul planned 3 weeks from now, anyway...so as long as nothing broke that wouldn't have been fixed anyway, I got off lucky.

  • Like 2
When approaching a 4-way stop, the vehicle with the biggest tires has the right of way!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was pretty quick shutting 'er down. I'm just hoping the mile and a half or so I coasted into the old rest area didn't hurt the transmission. I had it suggested to me to price a ReMack engine instead of just having this one overhauled...gotta weigh the cost vs. down time each way and go from there. The one benefit of a new engine would be that with it split from the transmission, there would be no extra cost (other than the parts) to do the clutch. Never have been happy with this one...won't keep adjusted and doesn't even come close to pinching the clutch brake, so it may as well not even have one in there. But, like I said, it all depends upon what everything costs and how long it'll take them to get it done. If I can rent/borrow a company truck to keep working, whatever it costs me to do that is definitely going to be factored into the equation...not to mention I'll have to drive a freightshaker. Anyway, that's the one good thing about being leased onto a company...loaner truck. If I was on my own, I'd REALLY be hurting. I can afford to take a couple weeks off...or I can afford to fix my truck...but NOT both!

When approaching a 4-way stop, the vehicle with the biggest tires has the right of way!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Low miles. One quarter of a mile at a time.

One really, really slow 1/4 miles at a time. LOL!!! It only went 26.xx at 49 mph.............................LMAO!!!! Ya, real barn stormer............

Took my one friends wife for a ride down the track and she hopped in and was looking for the seat belt. I told here she went faster getting here in their motorhome then I will be going down the track.

  • Like 1

IMG-20180116-202556-655.jpg

Larry

1959 B61 Liv'n Large......................

Charter member of the "MACK PACK"

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Damn Rowdy I hate to hear that not that it matters at this point but if you are over full on oil and not milky you could have fuel in the oil pan a sign of a hole in the top of a piston. If you drive a freight shaker for awhile I won't know it's you if I meet you on the road because I never pay any attention to freight shakers like I do Macks

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

...at least it's a pretty nice day weather-wise. They're expecting severe weather tomorrow.

The only positive quote to the moment.

Wish you to come dry out of that wet story.

Никогда не бывает слишком много грузовиков! leversole 11.2012

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, got me a rental truck lined up. Costs me per day, 5 days per week plus mileage. Not TOO bad...more than I'd HOPED, but less than it COULD have been. Keeps money coming in to keep bills paid and save up for the BIG bill when the truck is fixed. Talked to Mack today, and they said they can control costs better doing the overhaul in-house as opposed to buying a whole new engine (which is what it is). As long as the block is good, that's the route we're going. Haven't even drove a mile in the freightshaker and I'm already anxious to get my Mack back. Company shop is running it through fixing a few minor things before I take it, and dispatch is checking to see if I can deliver a load tomorrow that wasn't scheduled 'til Friday. If I can't deliver 'til Friday, we'll push the rental start date off until tomorrow...either way.

As for recognizing me, as of now I won't have a CB in the truck. Not sure it's worth the effort pulling one out of my truck to install in this one for a couple weeks. Besides, not certain I want to be recognized driving a freightshaker. Could be worse, though. Company used to have V****'s. I think I would've just taken the time off if that were the case.

  • Like 2
When approaching a 4-way stop, the vehicle with the biggest tires has the right of way!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Motor was a 2000 E7-460 with the 460P file. Cam done around 450K along with the oil pump and mains, and the cam was so badly worn I kinda figured I was on borrowed time ever since. Otherwise, it hasn't been touched internally to the best of my knowledge (bought it @ 260K). Mileage is actually higher than indicated due to several weeks over the years when the VSS was broken or malfunctioning...them round tuits are tough to come by sometimes.

When approaching a 4-way stop, the vehicle with the biggest tires has the right of way!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...