rhasler

Looking at the Australian Mack website today I see that the MP10 engine is not offered there. Instead, the only Mack engine offering is the MP8 Export engine (which is turned up quite a bit from the US version). I'm really impressed with the way the Trident, Titan, and Super Liner look. If any of you guys in Australia have any pictures of the drivetrain, engine compartment, or interior please post some pictures. Thanks in advance.

Rowdy, your measurement should be 4 1/4" +/- 1/4". Check your PM.

The VECU software will not match with the EECU software and will cause a 6-4 code unless the VECU is programmed with the software and datafile for the truck by a dealer.

If you can't communicate with it your J1587 is not functioning either. One or the other of the datalinks has to be operational to start the engine. Check for worn wires on both datlinks that may be shorting out. I am doing the same thing right now. The datlink wires for the J1939 were still intact but the insulation was rubbed through allowing an intermittant short that was causing a fault.

It means the truck electrical system lost power while the ignition was still on. Happens a lot with loose battery connections or bad batteries and also if a master battery switch is turned off before the VMAC system powers down.

Sorry fjh, I somehow missed your earlier post.

There is a plate on the bottom of the flywheel housing held on with six small bolts. Remove the plate and you should be able to see the outside edge of the flywheel. There are several marks on the flywheel that denote degrees of rotation (used for timing the fuel pump), continue turning the engine, clockwise as viewed from the front of the engine, from the "TC" mark and you should come up on a mark that says "1 & 6 VS" or just "1 & 6". This is the valve set mark for cylinders one and six. You will need to determine which set of valves (cylinder 1 or cylinder 6) to adjust. The set to be adjusted will have the pushrods lower in the block, so less of the pushrod is visible sticking up out of the head. Adjust the valves on that cylinder and then "bar" the engine, in normal rotation to the next valve set mark (which is 120 degrees from the last one) which will read "2 & 5". If, on the last cylinder you adjusted cylinder one, then this time you will adjust cylinder 5. You can recheck the pushrods as described previously just to make sure of your positioning. Continue on with your adjustments in this fashion until all six cylinder are adjusted. It will take two full revolutions of the engine to adjust all six cylinders. You may need to clean the edge of the flywheel off in order to see the marks as they are stamped or punched prettly lightly into the flywheel.

Sounds right. You used the marks on the flywheel? Did you do any other work on the truck at the same time? You might check to make sure you didn't kick or step on any of the electrical connections on the fuel pump.

How sure are you of your valve adjustment? What I mean is did you adjust the valves in firing order 1-5-3-6-2-4, do you know for sure which is the intake valve and which is the exhaust? I don't mean to imply anything with these questions, but it seems like something must have happened while you were adjusting the valves.

I wouldn't think all four power relays would go out at once. It's more likely that the pins in the fuse panel are loose, but that's not necessarily the problem either. Try checking the grounds at the engine block, frame rail, cab ground breaker, etc. Check the 15 pin connector that is over the top of the transmission too. If you have another truck you might try swapping the ECU's around.

The modules have to power up in sequence, VECU first EECU second. Check fuse 16 for power with the key on. This is the fuse that supplies switched power to the VECU. The VECU puts this power out on wire VJ3-13 as the control wire to the coil on the power relays. If you have power at the fuse with the key on check to see if you also have power at pin 85 on the power relays (you should). Next check that there is no power at pin 85 of the relays with the key off (you shouldn't have power there with the key off). If everything so far is ok, check pin 86 for continuity to ground (should have continuity to ground). If the coil wires (pins 85 and 86) are correct then check to see if you have power at fuse 40 (EECU power). This fuse outputs power to the EECU on wires EJ2-10, EJ2-22, and EJ2-41. If you get power here with the key on check for continuity to ground on wires EJ2-12, EJ2-24, and EJ2-43 If you don't want to do all of these checks you might try replacing the power relays and checking the female terminals in the fuse panel for a loose fit, I've seen that happen more than once.

You should have known that had disaster written all over it.

I think trying to use the Prolink on step 10 software and higher is supposed to corrupt module data. Is you diagnostic connector 6 pin or is it 9 pin? I've seen some problems with the 9 pin connectors not communicating due to damaged or unseated pins. If your EML is flashing a 6-4 the problem is likely in the wiring to the engine or in the power up sequence of the modules. You probably have no communication on the J1587 datalink as well as on the J1939. It kind of sounds like power relay #3 may be sticking which causes incorrect power up of the modules or no power up at the engine ECU.

I've had similar thoughts. There was an episode of "Dirty Jobs" where they were refurbishing old US Military tanks because it was cheaper than manufacturing new ones.

Hey, wait a minute.....that doesn't look like any hypothetical crack I've ever seen.

Bullhusk, did you buy this truck?

The early E-Tech engine rocker shafts had an expansion plug in each end to seal in the oil used to lube the valve train and supply oil to the Jake Brake. It is not uncommon for the expansion plugs to blow out of the shafts (usually the front plug on the front rocker shaft in my eperience) resulting in low oil pressure to the valve train and Jake Brake.

There was a mine looking for parts for an SR70/80 differential in an RD800 haul truck they had. The parts for it were no longer available. The report I heard was that they replaced the truck with some Caterpillar equipment.

The first thing I would find out is why the EML isn't coming on when the key is turned on. Being a used 1998 RD there is a high likelyhood that the bulb is either burnt out or missing. Remove the dash panel with the speedometer and tachometer and trace the bulb down. It should be a standard 194 bulb. The VMAC III engine can be set to shutdown for low coolant level, high coolant temperature, low oil pressure, high oil temperature, high transmission temperature, and high pyrometer temperature. Based on the conditions you described I would look toward the temperature readings. If you get the EML working you should be able to flash a blink code out, which save a lot of searching for a problem. The oil supply for the turbo will come off of the top of the oil filter housing just beneath the intake manifold with a bundle type oil cooler, and off of the top rear side of the filter housing for an engine with the plate type oil cooler. On the plate type oil cooler setup the exxternal ol lines to the engine brake are tee'd off of the same fitting supplying the turbo.

I have seen some other "Brand X" trucks with (I think) a Korean made planetary differential that didn't last and cost way too much to repair. Same thoughts on the Chalmers suspension, otherwise I still think it's a pretty decent looking truck.

Pretty rugged looking truck(s) there. Doe's anybody know what type of planetaries they're using in these?

One of the bonuses of the military equipment is that they don't meet enviromental regulations. Add to that the lack of electronic engine controls and the ease with which they can be reoriented for rotation and you have a pretty versatile combination. Don't they also start easier too?

You're on the right path it sounds like, just a word of caution on buying a used fleet truck: I've seen some of these that had been neglected in the general maintenance area (engine oil was not changed regularly), so check it out before jumping in to it. After 10 years or so the E-Tech engines have proven to be pretty solid engines, and there are still plenty of repair parts for both the engine and the cab. Good luck.

There is a service bulletin from Mack concerning this. It it SB 121-036. The bulletin requires replacement of the crossmember with a new cross member part number 48QL432M10.

Probably not but it wouldn't hurt anything to try. If you have a temperature gun shoot it at the wheel bearings too. I've seen a couple of posts on here lately related to bearing failures on super single tires, so it might not be a bad idea to check all of them out if you haven't. Is your vibration gone after fixing the brake spring? If not, do you fell it more coming up through the steering wheel or more through the seat? If it coming through the steering wheel check out the front some more, if it's coming through the seat check out the rear of the truck.