Helping Waterloo out with an inframe ...

[Waterloo]

(04-29-2018 )overshot Wrote:  WOW, that's sad Waterloo. I followed your 1st inframe. And thought, this poor guy. I'm glad Rawze and Mr. Hagg are helping you out. They are great!!

Last year i had to do an inframe on my Pete. I couldn't get to Mr. Hagg to get it done. So, a friend recommended a shop (not a stealershit) he uses. Which was closer to home, anyway. I went and talked to the shop owner. He answered all the questions, with all the right answers. So, i let them do the work. I told them what I wanted and how i wanted done (as i had learned on this forum & from Mr. Hagg & Rawze). No problem, I was told. So, I went home for a little R & R.

Being the anxious person that I am. I couldn't just stay at home. So, back to the shop I went. For the lack of a better title "the shop hand" was reassembling the engine. So, I started asking questions about what was done and how it was done. I was not exactly comforted by the responses.

In the end I just felt uneasy and worried is this thing gonna last. I didn't want to go through what you are now. Plus, i was just plain tired of spending money on this truck. OK Rawze go ahead and kick me in the arse. I went and bought a Freightliner Columbia S60 glider (not a Fitzgerald). Although I haven't had the maintenance cost as i did with cummins. I'm not jumping for joy. Fuel mileage SUCKS. With a Unilever tune it pulls dang good, but no better fuel mileage.

Anywho, I wish you luck and prosperity.

Thanks Overshot.

I don't blame you one bit for going with a new glider. If I was doing this again, I would look for an old Freightliner with a Series 60 or N-14 and go make some money. The cash outlay to own one of these EPA trucks is honestly beyond the pale, and it is easy to understand how they have bankrupted many an owner operator.

What do we do? Your shop, everything sounds good, until you see the finished product like I have. They say, we will do this and that, and come to find out they did not even get close to even what the manual says to reassemble. So many missed steps in my motor, parts that were reinstalled that should have went in the scrap can, lube and fastener procedures not even close to being followed from the evidence in front of our eyes. Hell, they put the wrong parts in the damn motor for Christ's sake!

Are there any shops out here doing this honestly simple work? When I say simple, it is all right there on Quickserve, with pictures none the less. These are mechanics, I don't drive on the sidewalk, why cannot they follow a few simple procedures to properly reassemble a motor? That is their JOB! This is not rocket science!

And when I say this is a simple procedure, I bet I could pull this off after my time with Rawze. Don't get me wrong, I am not running home and putting out a shingle saying come visit Mike the master engine builder, far from it. But, my confidence level is such that I could do this if I was in this position again. I truly believe that.

What pisses me off, going back to these shops and stealerships, is why do we have to stand there and tell them how to do THEIR jobs? None of us here on this forum need someone in the jump seat holding our hand every minute we go down the road, but apparently these shops do. Pretty sad commentary that there are only a few places in this entire country where it is safe to take a Cummins motor to have it rebuilt, any motor for that matter.

The only saving grace are men like Rawze, who have taken the time to figure these monstrosities out. Let's hope others come along. Or maybe one day some of us can get together and open a few shops around the country like Mr Haggs, where best practices are followed and the work is completed properly, per the book. If I had the money, I would certainly be looking in that direction. We need reliable shops and or at least advocates to do these jobs properly. I know I am getting sick and tired of being a full time mechanic, a mechanic that does not receive a paycheck. Hopefully by next week we will have this baby rolling down the road and me heading back to work. Thanks for all of the support! ;-)

[Nilao]

I just went by a little while ago...no time to stop unfortunately have a guy waiting for this load in Florida. Maybe next time.

[Waterloo]

Pistons are installed! Getting there!

[Nilao]

Woohoo...I remember my time at rawze's. Getting antsy and ready to get her started lol. I need to get by and get my tune updated though..really wish I had time to stop yesterday to meet you. But as it was I had to do a 8 and 2 split to get this load delivered on time.

[Waterloo]

Well, we should be going to get the head today, been kind of putzing around here. I was under the truck yesterday and Rawze came out and said let's go to Mr Haggs! So, we ran up there, Mr Hagg had a programming issue on a truck that he needed some help with. They test drove the truck and believe they found the issue. Maybe Rawze can chime in on that one, sounds like there may be an update coming for the 2250 or 2350.

While they were fixing the truck, I met a couple of really nice guys. One was Mark, I forget his screen name here, he will be doing some work today in Mr Hagg's parking lot. Mr Hagg is booked out two weeks and can't squeeze him in, but Mark is from CA and has some rattling under that front cover, sounds like it may be that same split gear that I had fail on my 871. Mr Hagg is going to show him what to do and let him have at it. How many shops would allow that, and help? Mr Hagg and his team are just a class act all the way around.

Mark, what a cool guy, he was there at Mr Haggs when we arrived. Rawze went in and went right to work. I was out front in the little drivers area in front of the shop. We got talking and I asked him what he was doing there in regards to his truck. He said he was on an ISX FB forum and that Mr Haggs was the shop recommended, he was excited to be there. Then he mentioned Rawze, who was this guy Rawze? Everyone talks about Rawze, he asked several shops if they had ever heard of him and where he was... I don't think Mark knew where he was... I told him Rawze was inside, that was the guy that just walked in to the shop with the laptop. His face lit up like a little kid on Christmas morning! LOL! He said I have to meet him! And he did, he was so excited, it was actually pretty cool.

Well, Rawze and Mr Hagg finished up on the truck and said "lunch time, let's go eat"! Mark was in the shop and was invited along, so, myself, Rawze and Mr. Hagg all went out for lunch. Mr Hagg took us to a little chicken joint, best damn chicken sandwich I have ever had, and French fries that were just incredible, LOL! Mark bought lunch, and we all had a good time.

Rawze invited Mr Hagg and Mark over for dinner that evening, as we just went shopping and I bought a ton of food. Rawze was worried when he saw all of the food I had bought, I told him don't worry, I was sure we were going to have company and that none would go to waste. Ha Ha! I was right! Rawze put on his chef hat and on the grill prepared a few pounds of Salmon and a few more pounds of Ribeye steaks. The food was AWESOME as usual, had good conversation with very good company, it was a fun evening.

So, that was our day yesterday, didn't get much done on the truck, and that is OK. I ALWAYS enjoy visiting Mr Haggs shop, so many good folks up there. It is actually fun to just sit out front and talk with the other owner operators and hearing their stories. I feel like I have a new family, some of the nicest folks I have ever met up there and here at the house, (a shout out to Joe and his wife along with Brian). And what I found interesting, the folks from the West Coast that were dropping off trucks and heading to the airport. I asked Mr Hagg about that, and he said it is normal. Folks are coming from all over the country to place their trucks in his care. It really is quite amazing, but after spending a little time in his shop, I can see why folks do that. I would.

Allright, going to take a shower and see if we can go get a head today! We are getting closer! Stay tuned for more updates!

[74bassman]

Waiting

[Waterloo]

Just arrived back to Rawze’s house, $4,500 lighter... Ordered a new ECM for the motor too, should be here Friday. The injector cam gear is the solid one, no more split gear! Also received the proper cap, the new design, for the cam with a new bolt. Ran by Home Depot on the way back and bought more buckets, never have enough Homer buckets! Stopped and picked up a case of Heineken, as I think we are having company today! Rawze is on the mower cutting grass, and I’m sitting on my ass sipping on a green bottle wrapping my head around all of this... $$$$$$... I don’t feel like doing much right now.

[hhow55]

Your funny Mr Waterloo. Sound's like life is better in the South!!!

[Brock]

So did you find a new ecm or was it a rx? Quickserve shows nx available for my engine but Cummins said nope so I ended up with a reman.