RowdyRebel Posted June 22, 2016 Share Posted June 22, 2016 It took all of 1/4 mile to go from "crap...that vibration don't feel right" to (BANG) (hissssssssssssssss) "CRAP". Yolk on the short shaft let loose, sending the shaft a-twirling around. Put a good size ding in a shock (amazingly enough avoided the brake can), ripped holes in the front 2 air bags (setting the truck down hard enough to bend the upper brackets that hold the bags to the frame rails...luckily, new bags come with 'em), obliterating the leveling valve and mangling its bracket (which I was able to straighten). Anyway, they patched the air leaks on the side of the road so I could limp it to their shop, where I show up today and they were all standing around with their thumbs up their butts..."storm knocked the power out". Whatever. My brother (shop is MAYBE a mile from his house) gave me a ride over to Mack to get the other airbag we needed) only thought we needed 1 at first) and when I got back, nobody in sight...so I got to work. Had everything done except the driver's side air bag and leveling valve done before they came out and said "I don't care if you want to keep working, or if you want to stop and let my guys finish it, but I can't have them working along side you.". Whatever. I'm not paying for MY time spent wrenching, so if they don't want this truck on their clock, that's fine...but I have to get back on the road. "I know. Every truck in here needs to get back to work, but I'm short handed and..." I just need my truck back ASAP. Anyway, trying to figure out how the air lines are plumbed into the valve. 5 ports. 2 marked "I/E", one marked "C1", one marked "C2", and one labeled "Dump". That last one is easy enough to figure out. I'm assuming the I/E ports are the outputs to the airbags. They ran the supply line to C1 to get it back to the shop yesterday, and the valve seems to be working...so in theory, all I need to do is run the line to the front bags off that 2nd I/E port, leaving C2 plugged. Does that sound right? Not much left of the old one to go off of... Quote When approaching a 4-way stop, the vehicle with the biggest tires has the right of way! Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/45762-plumbing-for-the-leveling-valve/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
RowdyRebel Posted June 22, 2016 Author Share Posted June 22, 2016 Nevermind...figured it out. I/E gets supplied on one side, and exits the other. Dump is for an air supply from a dump switch. C1 & C2 were for the lines to the bags. 1 Quote When approaching a 4-way stop, the vehicle with the biggest tires has the right of way! Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/45762-plumbing-for-the-leveling-valve/#findComment-337380 Share on other sites More sharing options...
RowdyRebel Posted June 23, 2016 Author Share Posted June 23, 2016 Holy CRAP it's good to be home! I swear someone put a hex on that load. The truck that was supposed to run it burned up on its way to pick it up...so they called me. An hour away from delivering, my short shaft comes apart, taking the leveling valve and 2 air bags with it. Knicked some wires, too, but I can fix them this weekend. Anyway, Mack dealer couldn't get me in 'til the end of the week if I went there with it, and recommended a tow company that might know a shop that could get me in. Called them, and they suggested a road service company that would be cheaper than having it towed. So I called them & left a message. Took 30 minutes to get back to me and another hour to show up. 6 hours on the side of the road getting things figured out (including a parts run to Mack for a leveling valve and an air bag). Of course he's already back when he notices the OTHER air bag is also torn. So I call Mack to have them leave that one outside for him to pick up after we limp it to his shop. They don't...so he calls me all pissed off because he made a 10 mile trip out there for nothing. Overnight, a storm rolled through, so at 8 when I showed up (shop was about 2 miles from my brother's house...opened up @ 7), they were all just standing around not doing anything. So, I had my brother run me to Mack to get that other airbag. Get back @ 9 and nobody is in sight...so I get my tools out and start wrenchin. 10:30 rolls around, and they FINALLY make their way out to the shop. By this point, I've already got the bracket holding the air valve for the brakes straightened out, both airbags removed, and the leveler bracket pulled out. The right side bag was just about in...just snugging up the bolts. They give me the whole "Either you can keep working on it, or you can let my guy do the work...but I can't have you working along side him". I don't care WHO does the work, as long as it gets done QUICKLY. I figure if they are ready to get to work on it, they can have at it...but 30 minutes later, they still haven't made their way back to start in on it...so I picked up my wrenches and kept working. Just about had it together...all I needed was a 1/4" street elbow to connect the line to the dump switch, and they said "We don't have one. You can pay us to go get one for you, or you can go get it" before disappearing again. So, I pulled out my phone and there was a pipe supply company about 3/4 miles away...mile and a half following the road, but on foot you can cut a few corners. So, I hoofed it over there and when they heard my story, they GAVE me the fitting. I bought a couple Mountain Dews from their vending machine and headed back. Put it together, and just had to FIND them in order to pay my tab. The parts from Mack, I had put on my charge card over the phone...so all I was willing to pay for was the 6 or 7 hours they spent WORKING on the truck on the side of the road...not for anything they did (more like DIDN'T) do at their shop. $668. Fine. Here. Now time to get the F out of there. Make it over to where the load was going...31 hours after I had PLANNED to be there. Backhaul was taken from us, so it's a bounce home. Drop the loaded trailer, hook to the empty...NO BRAKE LIGHTS! Not even getting power to that wire at the junction block under the hood by the overflow tank, so it's definitely a truck issue. Screw it...it's late, won't be much traffic anyway. I'm going home! This morning, I ran a wire from a pin on the 6-round I have to run side dumps and aux lights on trailers that is on a switch on the dash up and spliced into the brake light line by the junction block. Throw the switch, brake lights come on. I think the problem is in that fuse/relay panel under the hood on the firewall, because I've got issues with the cab marker lights, too...need a jumper wire where the relay ought to be to light those up, but then they are on whether the dash switch is on or not...gotta pull the jumper to shut 'em off. I tried opening it up once before to check for a loose wire, but I guess you need a special tool or something to do that. All I know is I need a damn vacation. What's worse, I get to wrench on this thing this weekend when I had planned on swapping out the motor in the wife's Suburban to get it back on the road with about 50% more power. Most of what this still needs isn't too tough...yolk & seal on the rear of the front drive axle, yolk on the front of the rear drive axle, and a whole new shaft. Picked the old one up off the road, so I can drop it off at Napa and they can make another one just like it (minus the dings). Anyway, until I get that new shaft, I get to listen to the damn power divider buzzer screaming at me. That and it's like driving a single screw/dead axle truck. What a useless set-up...had to use the high range to get enough momentum backing up the ramp into the warehouse to get loaded today...low range wouldn't go fast enough to get me high enough on the ramp for the front drive axle to have the traction it needed to push me up the ramp. Pathetic. If I didn't like what I do so much, I'd be awful tempted to say "F it" and figure out something else to do with my time to earn a paycheck. Quote When approaching a 4-way stop, the vehicle with the biggest tires has the right of way! Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/45762-plumbing-for-the-leveling-valve/#findComment-337448 Share on other sites More sharing options...
hatcity Posted June 23, 2016 Share Posted June 23, 2016 that $688 was a fine for showing the shop boys how to get things done quickly. Y'all are making us look bad Quote Success is only a stones throw away.................................................................for a Palestinian Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/45762-plumbing-for-the-leveling-valve/#findComment-337449 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timmyb Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 Man, you earned your beer tonight! Some works, I wonder how they stay in business. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/45762-plumbing-for-the-leveling-valve/#findComment-337491 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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