Geoff Weeks

Look closely at the mains, and main saddles. If the rods was that bad, and the pistons were that loose, I'd want to be sure the block will take a new crank without having to line bore the block. This is what I was getting after in a previous post. I worked briefly at a shop where the boss did a crank on an engine but didn't take the time to check the main bores, the crank didn't last but a few miles. Cost him big time, had to pull the engine back out and line bore (couldn't find a replacement cheap enough) the re work the crank for a 2nd time. With that rod being so loose, and no shell to see, along with the pistons being loose, tells me it was run long enough to do serious damage. At least roll the mains on either side of that rod and inspect. At this point I see only two paths, one is to pull the engine and take it to someone reputable with the tools to check main saddles and assess what it would take to build what you have, and the other is to replace the whole engine with used. No point sinking thousands into a replacement crank only to have it wiped in short order because the bearing bores aren't aligned. Anyway you go is going to cost serious coin, the goal is to spend wisely so you don't have to keep putting good money after bad. From how it looks, you're not going to get away with a "band-aid" fix. It is even possible that someone tried (writing on the crank) and that is how you ended up where you are. I feel for you, I have been there, but at least you don't have contracts waiting for you to deliver, and can invest the time and a little bit of money to prevent having to spend a ton of money on stuff that doesn't fix it right the 1st time. Your rod and pistons clearance was much more than mine was when I lost a rod bearing, Only indication I had was slightly lower oil pressure and much higher oil temp then normal. Once I idled down then it knocked a little. Still cost me a rod, a crank and a piston. My mains were ok but two were into the copper when I pulled it apart. I am not trying to be the profit of doom, but trying to keep you from spending any more money than you have to, in order not to have to fix it twice.

1st things 1st, find out the state of the parts he has. You can check the rods in the engine but you really need the crank out to check the mains good. Rod bearings can fail from excessive main clearance, as the oil goes 1st to the mains from the block, then through the crank drilling to the big end. Pistons rattling back and forth are another consideration. This wasn't a single failure but multiple problems. Before sinking good money into one part, assess the total condition of the engine and what it would take to bring it back. Repairing this engine may cost more than importing another complete engine, that has been run and tested. Will the block accept new liners? Any cracks to the block, main bearing webs etc? Will it need the main bearing saddles line bored? I myself, have been guilty at times, thinking I can fix "just one" problem only to discover several more after spending my money on the one part I thought it needed, hard learned experience when dealing with a big problem with expensive parts, is to make a complete assessment before spending dollar one. I am in one now, that I thought could be fixed with one rod, one piston, but is getting a new block. Part of that is because I can't get correct parts to fit, but it also is "mission creep".

Judging by the slop in the pictures it is beyond just grinding. it would need to be built back up and re ground, Can be done, question is: is it economical to do so? Most cases a used crank is cheaper.

In reality, that is just an adjustable "pin" that when the main gear nears the end of travel, it pushes on a ball-check valve and dumps pressure before the gear dead-heads. It doesn't hold the the head from coming off. I never touched it when doing mine, 'cause I didn't want to have to adjust it after repairs, just left it as is.

In the states, you wouldn't need to, there would be some close by. My Boss at the bus company once air freighted a Gardner short-block across the pond, I don't know what that cost him! No idea, but might be worth looking for freight-forwarder, and find out what it would cost to ship to you and what the duties would be.

yep, you did!

ok then screw the shaft and it will bring the cover with it. It may take some torque on the shaft . CCW IIRC I was having trouble with the picture because it didn't show the box well at that angle.

My experience it is almost always cheaper to go back with what it came with. That much movement in the Big end, means the crank is toast. You will have to assess the condition of the block and components. When I had something similar happen, I swapped in a used engine (for short term) and a re-ground crank (.010-.010) and saw many more miles out of the engine. engine swaps (for a different make/model) the devil is in the details. It will run you ragged looking for a special bracket or some other thing to get everything to play together. In some cases it make take a custom made part. If you are going to swap my vote would be Gardner 8LXB! (Since I'm spending your money not mine!).

SWAG, but I would look for a wire that rubbed through and make enough of a connection when wet to fowl things up, dry the resistance goes up and it works. Guy I knew with a KW had an intermittent problem, turned out a one point someone got some wires caught in the oil filter when it was tightened down. Must have pinched off some insulation and then when they were removed from the oil filter, would occasionally make contact with the block and the truck would die. Took many shops many tries to find that one!

turning the shaft should push the cap off the body. Likely just stuck. Nevermind, I thought I was looking at the steering box not the angle box.

The way I'm seeing it, there is a cotter pin hole near the vertical, so I doubt is screws in, but it might be serrated on the other end of the pin.

Anyway you could rig up a threaded rod through the hole on the left of the picture and make a jack-screw out of it to force the pin to the right?

Front rear looks like an early IHC, rear rear doesn't as far as I can see.

Looks a little dark, better run it though again!

Main thing to be careful of is making sure the pitman shaft is timed to the main gear. IIRC there will be some punch marks.

Done properly, it is a great system. Electrical equivalent of air start, lots of power for a limited time. Unlike air start, it can recharge itself even if the engine didn't start.

Interested in the "starting capacitor". Is it like Maxwells ESM, where all the cranking current comes from the supercapacitor and the rest of the trucks electrical is separate? I ran the Maxwell on one truck for many years and loved it. Still have it as the guy who bought the truck didn't care or know what it was. That essentially makes the trucks batteries all deep cycle service, where no high current loads are placed on them. With the Maxwell, as long as the truck batteries were over 10 volt and could supply around 18 amps at that voltage, it would charge and the truck would crank. 10volts is likely way too low for these newer "electronic" engine systems, but would start an older diesel just fine with batteries that low. Maxwell came in 2 voltages 12 and 24, but either could be charged off a 12 volt system. Then Elon Musk bought the company an suddenly the Maxwell was not long offered for sale!

vernier adjustable cables. Check with a tow truck supply house. Most often a large black knob with a red button in the center. Pull for rough adjustment, twist for fine. Push the red button for quick release. https://www.amazon.com/Vernier-Adjustable-VCGTX10-Locking-Control/dp/B0CNRPV957?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&psc=1&gQT=1

I have had some really old (30 year?) Firestone bags. There are too many variables to know why they lasted. Like tires they are subject to UV and Ozone damage. Comfort/ride quality is determined by the design of the suspension not the air bag itself. The rolling lobe type that Hendrickson used is a good design, the "bell" shaped piston increases area as the the bag compresses. The Hendrickson splits the load between the Z spring and the bag. The bag does better are smaller high frequency bumps and the spring handles the large "swells" in the road. That is what made that design so popular. The last two question I have no knowledge to share.

Are you just talking about the "center section" (Gears) and not the whole axle? I don't know how Mack does it, but Eaton and Meritor, you 1st ID the housing by casting number/ visual to get the basic model. To then know what rating housing it was built for you look at the diameter and spline of the side gears, and may be the diameter and spline of the input. Only difference between a 34K and a 45K diff is the side gear/axle shaft diameter. The next size up starts a 46K and goes up. 34-45 use a smaller ring gear and fit a smaller housing. Axle housings are ID'd by the bearings, brake and tube thickness. So, if trying to ID just the gear-set look to the axle shaft diameter and spline in the side gear of the differential. I guess what I'm trying to say, is the housing determines the capacity not the gearset.

With at least part of the hyd running over relief, it would let you know soon enough. A lot of heat is produced when that happens for a long enough time. It would happen on some manlifts (a valve would stick) and it wouldn't take long before it melted the hyd tank!

Yes, if the rack is physically stuck, it would not turn off, and it would not be governed (run a way) so it is not the rack is stuck, but either the signal to the actuator is not right. The fact that it would "de-rate" says the actuator is responding to inputs, both to de rate and to shut down.

You are asking for data not normally in any "spec" sheet when these vehicle were produced! I have a Dart and the spec sheet for it, and most of what you are looking for is not contained on it! In heavy trucks there are many engine and other options that can vary from truck to truck that are of the same model. My Dart oil field could have 3-4 engines running gasoline, butane or diesel! You can look up the spec's for the engine from the engine producer, but "number of gears" and "what it is used for" can vary widely. Fuel consumption depends on how it is used, and is never listed by truck! dimensions vary by how the truck was spec'd. Within the same model tire size alone can effect width, height etc. Once delivered to the 1st user, the trucks are often modified for their needs, adding beds, winches etc. In short, you are asking for something that doesn't exist on paper, and if it did would apply to one truck of that model only, not all trucks of that model!

Plenty, but without being able to see and feel, not much help. twisted shaft, bent or damaged fork, interlock fail, shift tower problems, bearing failure, the list goes on. Your going to have to investigate more.

What hasn't changed a bit from the early days, is the number of axles to haul the weight and therefore the number of brakes to slow the load. 140K, 170K at 70MPH with the same brakes that were used when the speed was 1/2 that is not an improvement. More power will help get the load up the grade, but takes a good hand to get it back down the other side. I once pulled Butte, MT westbound and was one gear up from bottom, I could have used more power! only had a 315 HP at 1800 RPM gov limit, if that. Now we have big power, but still the same 7-8 axles and brakes under the same load. More power and the temptation to grab more gears and speed when pulling a grade instead of selecting a gear and riding it to the top, Much easier to do damage shifting under that kind of load on a grade, then taking more time and pulling to the top a bit slower.