Good repair shop in Richmond, via ???

[joesherrie12]

Have 871 Cummins might need injector work, gonna check mettering valve and timmng valve today. If I need injectors I'm not comfortable doing myself! (Original bull in China shop) if it can break I will do it!!

[Rawze]

(01-05-2017 )joesherrie12 Wrote:  Have 871 Cummins might need injector work, gonna check mettering valve and timmng valve today. If I need injectors I'm not comfortable doing myself! (Original bull in China shop) if it can break I will do it!!

These days, unfortunately, you have to interview a shop before you can trust them, especially OEM shops.

Your first questions related to replacing injectors should be ...

-- "Do you use Cummins Insite?" (if non-oem).

-- "Do you have a proper injector leak-down test kit for an ISX 871?" and "How much does it cost to have this test done?". Shops who are clueless will say things like -- "You can't test injectors without sending them off" -- or -- "You have to remove them to have them leak tested". Or some other excuse.

https://youtu.be/Wu_WN8BA-LA
or...


For a newer 2250/2350 engine, ask them what the leak rate should be. This, they should be able to spout off the top of their heads.

-- I would also Inform them before hand and make them agree that you will require photo or video evidence (or be able to see the results with your own eyes directly) of any failed components or failed tests before the approval of any work or replacement parts can be made. <-- This is what many of the mega-fleet carriers do and require from ALL shops performing repairs. They got sick of being burned by bad mechanics who lie and run the bill up, claiming failed components with no hard evidence.

====

Good example. True story ...

I used to have a 1977 nova hatchback. VERY well taken care of, my first car all those years ago. I took it to a Tire Kingdom tire shop because they just happened to have some specialty high dollar racing tires for the front end I was looking to get. They absolutely would not let me near the repair/work bay or even watch. I had to sit in their waiting room. After 30 or so minutes of waiting, the mechanic walked in and said to me that my front wheel bearing were so shot, that he did not know how I made it here.

I replied that my car was in good shape, that I work on it myself, and had not noticed any problems. The manager then stepped over and told me that it would be so many hundreds of dollars extra to replace them before I could even reply. -- I told him fine, but not before seeing the evidence, as I was not aware of such a problem.

They got a bit angry that I would question their findings, so I pointed out to them that it was my money they wanted, not the other way around. I would have to see solid evidence to be willing to have the work done. they said it would be a bit, so I waited some more,.. then they led me into the shop, where the car was on a lift. the mechanic grabbed the passenger steer tire and wobbled it up and down, and it was floppy like a dead fish,.. sure enough, it was so bad, that one would wonder how it could even be driven,... i thought to myself,.. there is no way in hell I would not have felt that in the fron t end on the way over,... and looked aorund,,...guess what I saw..

IN THE TRASH CAN RIGHT BESIDE MY CAR --- Were the hub bearings out of my car, nothing wrong with them except dirt from the trash can and grease all over them. It was clear that the mechanic removed them, then put everything back together without them,. JUST TO RUN UP MY BILL!>

I ran into their office and called the cops, I then ran into their waiting room and yelled to everyone sitting there what these f##kers had done to me! -- I grabbed their other phone in the front and started to call the local TV news station ... and they yanked the phone out of my hands and i yelled at them to PUT MY BEARINGS BACK INTO MY WHEEL -- PROPERLY-- SO THAT I COULD LEAVE, AND EVERY MINUTE THEY DID NOT COMPLY, I WAS GOING TO GO OUTSIDE TO THE STREET AND YELL THEY WERE TRYING TO RIP ME OFF TO THE PASSING MOTORISTS WHILE I WAITED FOR THE COPS!.

I made damn sure that everyone in town knew about what they tried to pull on me before it was over with.

[joesherrie12]

(01-05-2017 )Rawze Wrote:  

(01-05-2017 )joesherrie12 Wrote:  Have 871 Cummins might need injector work, gonna check mettering valve and timmng valve today. If I need injectors I'm not comfortable doing myself! (Original bull in China shop) if it can break I will do it!!

Your first question when looking and calling around should be ...

-- "Do you use Cummins Insite?"

-- "Do you have a proper injector leak-down test kit for an ISX 871?" and "How much does it cost to have this test done?". Shops who are clueless will say things like -- "You can't test injectors without sending them off" -- or -- "You have to remove them to have them leak tested". Or some other excuse.

https://youtu.be/Wu_WN8BA-LA
or...
https://youtu.be/eH9GRkeozTM

-- I would also Inform them before hand and make them agree that you will require photo or video evidence (or be able to see the results with your own eyes directly) of any failed components or failed tests before the approval of any work or replacement parts can be made. <-- This is what many of the mega-fleet carriers do and require from ALL shops performing repairs. They got sick of being burned by bad mechanics who lie and run the bill up, claiming failed components with no hard evidence.

Thanks rawze! What I was going to do is test my valves and go to Cummins and buy the leak down test for myself that way I know at least to narrow it down to which ones were leaking!

[joesherrie12]

Follow up question is if I do have 1 or 2 injectors bad should I just shell out the extra money and replace all of them or just do the 1 or 2? Thanks again

[Rawze]

(01-05-2017 )joesherrie12 Wrote:  Follow up question is if I do have 1 or 2 injectors bad should I just shell out the extra money and replace all of them or just do the 1 or 2? Thanks again

That depends on how they got that way. if it is simply a leaky injector then
I would only replace the leaky one.

If you know for sure that it has been driven against a bunch of check engine lights and a blocked up dpf can,.. running rough too, then it is likely that all 6 are cooked, and/or damaged to some degree from it. I have seen lots of drivers weaken and kill injectors by ignoring check engine lights and blocked up emissions systems.

more than 2 leaky,... replace them all, or at least 3, then the other soon after when you get more money to do so.

Last time I priced them locally here (about 2 months ago) they were $580 each from dealer. I have heard stories of people paying more than $1200 for injectors for ISX. Actuators were about $480 or so.

[Mr Hagg]

I dont know any shops in VA but about 200 miles north of you is Gear Head. We all know he will take good care of you and a very likable guy too. I think it would be worth the drive for a piece of mind... Just as Rawze said I have also seen many cases where a shop will lie to customer. Just a few months ago we had a guy who just spent 30K with a local KW dealership and when we was looking over it we noticed the rocker arms had streaks on them. I told the customer and he replied thats impossible they had just replaced. Well I removed them and measured them out to find they were never changed. 3K they charged for them and never installed them.

[joesherrie12]

Where is gear head located at? I will take a trip for a good mechanic! There's a place in Harrisonburg pa I use to go to triple k fleet service they have taken care of me before. Thanks again.