Rob Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 I get a call this afternoon. Seems some guy has purchased an R model tractor and it will not quit "buzzing" in the cab. The air needles indicate 120 psi and the truck moves back and forth with no problems. I say it is possible to have a defective air pressure sensor indicating a low air alarm if everything seems normal. He decides to drop it off at the shop so I can get a look at it. About 10 minutes later, the phone rings and the driver says it feels like the brakes are dragging but it runs good. I ask if he noticed any strange "smells" from the truck and he says no, but his wife following behind says the tires are "smoking". Thinking he is driving this thing with the brakes either adjusted too tightly, or the spring brakes not releasing, I drive over there. Sure enough the area around this tractor smells very much like burnt brake linings. I climb up into the cab and look at the dashboard. All three actuator knobs for parking brakes, trailer air supply, and tractor only brakes are black, not yellow, red, and blue as customary. To top this off, none of the locations/functions of the push buttons are in the normal place. The tractor brake only valve is on the far left as opposed to the far right, the parking brake release valve is on the far right, and the trailer, or emergency supply is in the middle. What ultimately was happening is that he got the trailer emergency valve depressed, and the tractor brakes only depressed which actually did nothing as it has no air supplied to it until the service, or parking brake valve is depressed. The long and short is he drove the the tractor seven miles with the spring brakes applied. No wonder it was smoking. After getting this figgered out alongside the road, he drove to the shop without further fanfare. I am now hired to straighten the "rats nest" out and put it back correctly, install the correct color knobs for function, and ensure it works as the truck was built to do. I don't know how it got this way and the truck was purchased out of state recently being delivered by freight hauler, (all I know). Rob Quote Plodding along with no job nor practical application for my existence, but still trying to fix what's broke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umodelnut Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Sounds like a fun day lol. Any pictures? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Ditchkus Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Rob all the Squirells ain't in the woods. Joe D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted January 30, 2012 Author Share Posted January 30, 2012 Rob all the Squirells ain't in the woods. Joe D.If that ain't the truth.......Rob Quote Plodding along with no job nor practical application for my existence, but still trying to fix what's broke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randyp Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Heh heh,,,sounds like he bought into a real "quandary" Rob. I cant imagine how it wound up getting rigged up like that. Congratulations though Rob, sounds like you had your detective skills in high range, good work! Even with all working, those low air buzzers and pressure switches can be pesky lil rascals,,,,,,randyp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted January 30, 2012 Author Share Posted January 30, 2012 I've not pulled the dash panel yet for access. I'll bet this will be an adventure by the hour......Rob Quote Plodding along with no job nor practical application for my existence, but still trying to fix what's broke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freightrain Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Long live the WIG WAG!!!! LOL!! No annoying buzzing required! Quote Larry 1959 B61 Liv'n Large...................... Charter member of the "MACK PACK" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leversole Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 I've not pulled the dash panel yet for access. I'll bet this will be an adventure by the hour......RobRemember your camera! We love pictures! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Underdog Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 I don't know how it got this way and the truck was purchased out of state recently being delivered by freight hauler, (all I know).RobIt only gets that way from stupid people trying to fix things. I say stupid because that cannot be fixed. An ignorant person usually has the capacity to learn during the repair process or at least common sense enough to put something back the way it was. I am finding out this has been the case with the can of worms that is my Superliner. Most of my time and effort is spent trying to figure out what on earth has been done, what were they thinking (or not) and putting things back to the way it should be.Gregg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted January 30, 2012 Author Share Posted January 30, 2012 It only gets that way from stupid people trying to fix things. I say stupid because that cannot be fixed. An ignorant person usually has the capacity to learn during the repair process or at least common sense enough to put something back the way it was. I am finding out this has been the case with the can of worms that is my Superliner. Most of my time and effort is spent trying to figure out what on earth has been done, what were they thinking (or not) and putting things back to the way it should be.GreggI'm quite certain that is the way this job will go also. We will get into it a little tonight and see the bulk of what is wrong I hope. My shop smells like burnt brakes terrible.Rob Quote Plodding along with no job nor practical application for my existence, but still trying to fix what's broke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vision386 Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 I talked to a "newbie" not to long ago,who approached me with a question about his truck,seems his trans.temp gauge had been "pegged" for several weeks,and truck was riding "rough" personally i try to help people when i can,but as already stated you cant fix stupid! upon closer inspection,the drain plug was missing from the trans.the clue (to me anyway) was the thick coating of burnt black oil/grease down the inside of the frame! second problem regarding the ride,was it seems the suspension valve (on the dash) had been in the "dump" position for several weeks as well! he had come from school (in Omaha,NE) with no air in the bags,and a 44,000 load to boot! and when i tried to explain what was wrong " i aint know dat" was the answer i got!!...........................Mark Quote Mack Truck literate. Computer illiterate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randyp Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 That truck i just bought, i ran into a really screwed up taillight wiring nightmare! It began when i didnt think i would need backup lights on going down road in middle of day. I got to delving into it, sheeeeit,,,what were these morons thinking? LOL randyp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted January 31, 2012 Author Share Posted January 31, 2012 What a mess this thing is under the dash! There are air lines bent, and crimped all over the place. The actuator valve plumbing runs all over the place under there and the windshield wiper linkage pulls the shit outta the lines when operating. I picked up a couple new PP1, and a PP7 valve to just plain start over.Rob Quote Plodding along with no job nor practical application for my existence, but still trying to fix what's broke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randyp Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Good Luck,,,,,,,,,,randyp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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