Memories for us old truckers

[DMiller]

All I can think is LOL ROFL!!! Been there done that!!! Welcome to the Club!

 

[RZucker]

Lol yes I have the 63 A-car. I'm thinking the Pete will be a haul truck. I have no use for the wrecker setup. I've driven some pretty sketchy $hit a long way in the past. I'm older and wiser these days!

Motor supposedly only has about 10 hours on a complete OH. Last runaway I had the pleasure of starting and stopping was a 6-71. All the other guys scattered when it quit stumbling and wound to the moon. I calmly pulled the fuel line out of the 5 gallon jug and let it run itself out of fuel. Of course after that I heckled them for being chickens.

There's nothing worse than a Detroit that sits. I bought an 8V-71 once that had been overhauled ans sat for ten years, Hooked up batteries and spun it over and it sounded like a turbine. All the valves and injector plungers were stuck. PB blaster and a nylon hammer unstuck the valves and a new set of N-65's got her running. Luckily the valves weren't stuck tight enough for a piston strike to hurt anything.

 

[Truck Shop]

I saw that same truck in a post on another forum. Someone was after it you better run like hell to get it.
I like that Gimmer box

What's fun is when they don't shut down, it's so worn out it starts burning the crank case oil and the
governor is worn out. I purposely let a POS double 00 go till she spit one through the block. That old
engine would seep coolant out the breather tubes all day long it ate more coolant than oil.

Truck Shop

 

[Junkyard]

I have an 8v71 I need to find a use for. Got it this summer. Everything I've dreamt up so far it's gonna be overkill. That's not all bad I guess but I want it to work a little so I'm not washing cylinders down. Most of my ideas it would be a steady rpm and load so that would help I suppose.

I have a monster firewood processor idea in my head I've pondered using it for. Neighbors would love it! Gotta be straight pipes or just slightly muffled . I've been starting the search for pump drive adapters and whatnot. DMiller put me onto a site that has a lot of stuff. Perhaps tomorrow I'll pop the covers off the back and see what I have.

 

[Junkyard]

I saw that same truck in a post on another forum. Someone was after it you better run like hell to get it.

Truck Shop

If they beat me they beat me lol. If I wasn't spread thin with kiddos this weekend I'd be on my way down right now. Oh well. They're around, may just have to build one of my own if nothin else!

 

[RZucker]

I saw that same truck in a post on another forum. Someone was after it you better run like hell to get it.
I like that Gimmer box

What's fun is when they don't shut down, it's so worn out it starts burning the crank case oil and the
governor is worn out. I purposely let a POS double 00 go till she spit one through the block. That old
engine would seep coolant out the breather tubes all day long it ate more coolant than oil.

Truck Shop

Hmm. I must have brushed the wrong key...

 

[RZucker]

IIRC, the Double O blocks over 400HP liked to crack right over the rear main making them leak coolant from the aftercooler feed passages.

 

[DMiller]

Worst series DD ever built was the 53's for runaways, had an ag drainage pump 20' off grade with a 6v53 for a prime mover, engine ran but smoked really bad, owner decided to let me or rather have me overhaul it. Took three days out in the open in May but not a problem, all was good and everything noted as free(rack) so lit it up, surged three times then headed well over governor, owner was standing above me (engine was in a hole, story of my life) dumped a CO2 extinguisher in the intake.

Took all bottom end back down, on my own dime, had to replace a few spun bearings but saved the crank, Emory paper cleaned, rechecked EVERYTHING including pulling the governor and found Nothing to have caused the issue. Started the second time, ran like supposed to. That engine ran for 12 more years until he sold off the farm.

Second engine same design and install was not so fortunate, buddy was on that one, he was just setting rack/overhead, lit it up and chucked two rods before could shut it down.

 

[Birken Vogt]

Worst series DD ever built was the 53's for runaways, had an ag drainage pump 20' off grade with a 6v53 for a prime mover, engine ran but smoked really bad, owner decided to let me or rather have me overhaul it. Took three days out in the open in May but not a problem, all was good and everything noted as free(rack) so lit it up, surged three times then headed well over governor


Second engine same design and install was not so fortunate, buddy was on that one, he was just setting rack/overhead, lit it up and chucked two rods before could shut it down.

I wasn't there so I can't judge, but in both these cases, why wasn't the mechanic's hand directly on the rack when starting up, since the rack was obviously free in both cases, thought that was Detroit 101.

And also I was taught, if starting an engine after any disturbing of the fuel injection system, to have a plate IN HAND ready to throw on the intake, have the intake taken apart if necessary. I still follow this rule on anything with an injection pump or something like an injection pump to this day.

 

[DMiller]

Lack of bodies.
Always had two helpers, still walk with them everyday as did my buddy, was Me Myself And I, remote start and indications panels above where the engines and pump drive were set, pizz poor layout but it was what it was. When I started my project I was situated on a side platform with a remote starter button with the engine completely buttoned up, had not had the need prior to have covers off on restarts of these, a first bad day.

Buddy of mine had to access the work panel as the murphy system was functional, he had tried to start with remote but the murphy set up shut off fuel electronically, he too had not had a bad day with these. Both were in the open, dirty conditions, lots of field dust so engines were buttoned up. Never did find why the one I worked on overshot, was just luck the owner was standing by, he had not wanted to come out.

 

[Birken Vogt]

Understood, I work alone too. My rule is if I can't stop it if something goes wrong then I won't start it. I'll go find help before I ever take that chance.

 

[DMiller]

Back in the Olden Days when I was bulletproof did not think that hard on it!!

 

[mitch504]

My brother started one up after a rebuild, (8v71, ithink?), didn't have a piece of steel handy. He cut off a piece of brand new 3/4" plywood and set it there before he started. It ran away and so did his helper. by the time he ran around and grabbed the plywood, it was screaming. He threw the wood up there and it sucked a hole right through it and kept screaming. By time he got back with an extiguisher, it was toast. He nailed that piece of wood to the wall in his shop, and it's still there 30 years later.

 

[DMiller]

Have used a coat, a shop manual(another 4L71) and been there for the CO2, lots of ways to shut one down, when they fail walk away quickly!!

 

[Truck Shop]

Oh come on guy's the proper way to handle a start up and run away is to feed it ether and lots of it.
Get that S.O.B. really spinning just empty a whole can into that snorkel and it will kill it's self trying
to gobble it up.

Truck Shop

 

[RZucker]

Oh come on guy's the proper way to handle a start up and run away is to feed it ether and lots of it.
Get that S.O.B. really spinning just empty a whole can into that snorkel and it will kill it's self trying
to gobble it up.

Truck Shop

I've seen 4 in shop runaways... They do tend to frighten the horses. One was a 6V-53 that the guy had no clue about connecting the 2 piece fuel rods without binding them. Another was a 12V71 with the buffer screw set way too tight, actually not a runaway it just ran at 1200 rpm and would not stop with the normal stop lever. Another was a 6-71 inline the guy bound up the rack tube bearing on, and the final one was a Case tractor engine that some moron used weatherstrip adhesive on the gallery cover in the pump and dripped it into the rack. All but the Case were killed early enough to prevent damage, the Case dropped 2 valves when the keepers floated off.

 

[old-iron-habit]

My brother started one up after a rebuild, (8v71, ithink?), didn't have a piece of steel handy. He cut off a piece of brand new 3/4" plywood and set it there before he started. It ran away and so did his helper. by the time he ran around and grabbed the plywood, it was screaming. He threw the wood up there and it sucked a hole right through it and kept screaming. By time he got back with an extiguisher, it was toast. He nailed that piece of wood to the wall in his shop, and it's still there 30 years later.

I hope to not every build with plywood like that. Must be that new environmental glue. I would like to see what the blower looked like after all that 3/4" wood went thru the screws.

 

[Junkyard]

That 6-71 that ran away on me sounded like a tornado siren when it wound down after it ran out of fuel. It was a well seasoned motor so it was loose enough a little excess rpm didn't hurt it. The guys asked me if I was going to drop the pan and take a look. I laughed and said nope, all the rods are in it, she's good to go. I'll pull the valve cover and deal with the rack and/or injector issue.

That motor ran for a solid 10 years in the upper of an old P&H crane before they exported it to who knows where. Every time I picture those grown men scattering like their wives just caught them objectifying some female I laugh my a$$ off. Hell I was only 22-23 at the time. Cool as a cucumber I walked over and jerked that stratoflex fuel line out of the 5 gallon jug of fuel I had. On the inside I was running faster than Jessie Owens! (Don't tell them that!)

 

[Truck Shop]

Yeah well there fellers here in town at Walla Walla Community College one of the Einsteins that teach the diesel program was showing the class how to stop a runaway
with a clip board. They full throttled a B model and slammed the clip board over the turbo- That panther Cat sucked that clip board in and exploded the turbo to
everyone's amazement. Yes this is the proper way to stop a runaway class-Chester you have your hand up would you like to give it a try? .

Truck Shop

 

[RZucker]

That 6-71 that ran away on me sounded like a tornado siren when it wound down after it ran out of fuel. It was a well seasoned motor so it was loose enough a little excess rpm didn't hurt it. The guys asked me if I was going to drop the pan and take a look. I laughed and said nope, all the rods are in it, she's good to go. I'll pull the valve cover and deal with the rack and/or injector issue.

That motor ran for a solid 10 years in the upper of an old P&H crane before they exported it to who knows where. Every time I picture those grown men scattering like their wives just caught them objectifying some female I laugh my a$$ off. Hell I was only 22-23 at the time. Cool as a cucumber I walked over and jerked that stratoflex fuel line out of the 5 gallon jug of fuel I had. On the inside I was running faster than Jessie Owens! (Don't tell them that!)

I used to work with TS-24 Euclids with 6-71's in the rear, coming down off a steep stock pile you woud swear those critters were hitting 4,000 plus rpm at times and they just kept humming. One outfit tried a 250 cummins in the rear of a 24... it lasted 3 loads before the rod escaped.