10-4 Magazine April 2023

58 10-4 Magazine / April 2023 I had most of the gasket kits and seals in my inventory, and with a day or two of watching videos and collecting source materials, I was able to ask the right questions for my mechanic to advise me. Sure, I spent more money than I had budgeted for, but we fixed a lot more stuff than I originally thought I would, like the front accessory cover, the bearing for the idler pulleys, and the bull gear. How many of you have the Jake Brake (engine retarder) rebuilt when you go through the motor? That’s not traditionally part of a rebuild. Most rebuilders will wash up the valve train and set it aside until it’s time to reinstall. If you use a well-known shop, they will normally only fix the items on the work order. Seldom will a shop call you and ask if you want an extra issue fixed, since they will get paid again to repair it when it comes back, and that is future revenue for them. I was advised to check the rocker shafts on my Caterpillar for fretting or wear from chaffing. Again, not something normally found to be replaced at the time of a rebuild. But, that turned out to be good advice, because mine needed it. I’m not trying to be unnecessarily hard on the dealerships, but they would honestly rather do new truck warranty work, where they get paid book hours for labor at the company’s expense. I would advise anyone who is using one of these shops to stay on top of them. Visit them every couple of days unannounced to make sure they are actually working on your truck and, if not, find out why. There is no reason that it should take weeks or in some cases even months to get your ride back. In the time I took to build my motor and replace the clutch and transmission, I found myself in numerous different shop looking for and finding parts. And every one of them had vehicles sitting and waiting for parts. Some we’re waiting for the exact parts I was there to purchase. How is that even possible? I can get the part shipped there, but they can’t find it themselves. Once again, your personal involvement with your equipment can mean getting back to work or being unemployed. I like to save money when I can, but I’m not out to break the bank or beat the salesman up, unless he tries to take advantage of me. As I have mentioned before, price shop your parts. Don’t just accept the price offered to you by your local vendor. Check online to see what the normal price should be, then, when you call around to get quotes, you can see if it’s a bargain or not. And don’t fall for the line, “If it’s a Freightliner then only Freightliner will have the right part.” And don’t be afraid to mention what the price is online. They will often give a discount to accommodate you. I drive a Peterbilt, but I got the best price for my new transmission at a Kenworth store in Fremont, Indiana. I saved 700 bucks and upgraded from a 13-speed to an 18-speed. That’s when I realized I needed a new-styled bell housing to accept the halo oil ring. The salesman at Kenworth let me purchase it through them using their pricing, and all I had to do was drive 40 miles to pick it up from their vendor. Once again, I did much of the leg work, but I still saved a lot of time and aggravation. That’s not to say we didn’t have some mix-ups with wrong parts or missed communications, but since I was on top of everything, we never lost too much time waiting for parts to be shipped, because I did most of the running. But again, that saved me time, and time is money. All good things must to come to an end, or so goes the story. I have spent all the “MAGIC” out of my checkbook, so now I will need to go back to work. I really have done a lot more to the old truck than I originally started out to fix. It’s called “value added” when I talk with my accountant. It’s all deductible on our taxes, but more importantly it made my “Just Steppin” truck dependable again. I can now count on her to carry me through my day, from dispatch to delivery, once again. There really isn’t a more gratifying experience than one where you can see the positive results from your time, money, and labor. The reconstruction of our truck has started, and so far I have had help from friends, family, and neighbors, all of which I’m very grateful for. A big shout out goes to our star mechanic Phil Knowlan (AKA John Wayne). His talents are well appreciated, and his advice is always second to none. So, when time is money, and it always is, remember the ABC’s of trucking, and Always Be Conservative, 10-4! n