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Junkyard's work thread.....maybe haha

Junkyard

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Jun 5, 2016
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3,621
Location
Claremore, OK
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Field Mechanic
Back to wrench bending. A couple weeks ago the “guys” pulled the trans out of the newest 2500. I have the pleasure of installing the rebuilt trans. Boy they sure did it the hard way. I went ahead and pulled the skid out with the engine so I could comfortably install the trans and mounts then put the whole mess back in. Way easier than standing up on the rig.

I still have hoses to swab and coolers to clean out as well as some wiring to tidy up. She might be running tomorrow.

664E425D-660E-4044-9F23-C255CFA7A5D8.jpeg 32060F04-16C8-4023-B99D-CF318A184949.jpeg DCB5B9AC-2205-4846-A92E-D98FB1A9005F.jpeg 04D878B4-3311-4CE6-B923-659F70EB7574.jpeg
 

DMiller

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Feb 21, 2010
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16,424
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Hermann, Missouri
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Cheap "old" Geezer
Less time to peel the Skid and install than to stand on head trying to get that trans aligned!! At least SOME Shade. Gonna wash out the crap hole?
 

Junkyard

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Jun 5, 2016
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Claremore, OK
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Hmmm let’s see here. Usual rig moves. On a rock job in AR that’s doing a good job of kicking our a$$. Got our hands on a down hole hammer that’s been doing a great job of perforating the 96” shafts.

It’s been freakin HOT. Just now starting to cool down. I’ll probably start piddling in my shop again soon. We’ve been so busy at work I haven’t done much but mow the grass there.

I did manage to take a couple days off and even had time to harass DMiller on the way home from a little trip up to MI. I’m so ready to get out in the woods and gather up some firewood!

What’s going on over there? Looks like the hurricane wasn’t as bad as they were expecting.
 
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WRA

Active Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2016
Messages
33
Location
NC
What hurricane? Just kidding.

It rained for about a day, and we spent the next day shuffling equipment around so that the pipe and grading crews could work on other jobs. So we had it very easy here in the Raleigh area. Since the hurricane, it has been very dry and dusty, I can't even remember if it has rained since then.
 

hvy 1ton

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2006
Messages
1,942
Location
Lawrence, KS
Hmmm let’s see here. Usual rig moves. On a rock job in AR that’s doing a good job of kicking our a$$. Got our hands on a down hole hammer that’s been doing a great job of perforating the 96” shafts.
Just saw your youtube clip of the DTH. So, the plan is to swiss cheese the 96" hole with the DTH hammer and come back with a 96" rock bit? Is this in the Ouachitas? I know there is some hard rock in those mountains.
 

Junkyard

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Jun 5, 2016
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Claremore, OK
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Field Mechanic
More or less yeah. 8 24” perforations then we run a 36” auger to depth, then a 48”, then a 60”, 72”, 84” and finish with a 96” core barrel (giant hole saw).

It’s a bridge on the buffalo river near Jasper. Dolomite or dolostone is what they call the rock.
 

Oldcatpusher

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 29, 2019
Messages
161
Location
Arkansas
Just saw your youtube clip of the DTH. So, the plan is to swiss cheese the 96" hole with the DTH hammer and come back with a 96" rock bit? Is this in the Ouachitas? I know there is some hard rock in those mountains.


I know exactly how hard it is. The now entering ouchita national forest sign is at the end of my driveway. Had to hammer about 3 hours on every culvert I put in on it
 

Junkyard

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Jun 5, 2016
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Claremore, OK
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We’ve done some work over that way, I’m not aware of a current job there. It’s probably Tulsa Pier or Manhattan doing that one.
 

Junkyard

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Jun 5, 2016
Messages
3,621
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Claremore, OK
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Field Mechanic
Holy crap I didn’t realize how long it’s been since I posted on my thread!! Where has the time gone?!?!

Got a good one for y’all. Friends of mine own a dirt pit. They have a well used 320C Cat to load with. Always been a hard starter. They sold it a few years back and ended up buying it back for the dirt pit. They decided to put some $$ into it, offered me the work which I politely declined as I didn’t have time. They hauled it to Cat for a new monitor, stepper motor and cables plus addressing the hard start. It always took a snort of ether but once it started it ran great. No blow by, good power, no oil consumption etc. This will be important.....

Cat does the monitor, stepper and proceeds to diagnose hard start. Come back to them after a compression test and say she’s wore smooth out and needs a new motor. They pass out and when they come back to conscious they call me. My first question was what were the numbers.....???
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Once I saw those numbers I said bull f’n $hit. We all know it wouldn’t run at all with those numbers. I asked if they looked into fuel system, checked blow by etc etc. Nope they condemned this engine on compression test alone. I told them load that sucker up I want to lay my hands on it.

Upon getting the rig I pulled the CW and gave it a bath. First thing I noticed was the top of the motor was FILTHY. No way a tech had been there. Even Pigpen would have blown the big chunks off. Once in the shop I pull injectors, sealing washers have been in there a long time.....various hardware doesn’t appear to have been touched in many hours let alone a day or two ago.

I call my injection shop connections and ask for a junk injector to build a compression tester. Meanwhile I send them all six injectors for inspection and any necessary repairs. He quickly calls and says they’re junk and he suspects pump is too.

I run my test and all six holes hit around 340 psi. Hmmmm. Injectors come back, I stick them in and give it a whirl. It still won’t bust off but we suspected the pump anyway. It comes off, gets rebuilt. Cam was junk as were plungers and barrels.

I throw on the new pump, don’t even bleed the injectors just hit the key and it starts before I can even let off. Of course she’s running WFO because the stepper calibration was for the old pump and now it’s waaaay off. I get that sorted and feel like I’ve got them by the short hairs on this deal.

Monday morning we meet with Cat. Lots of guys looking for somebody to pass blame to. Tech isn’t in the meeting which didn’t surprise me as I feel like they were not being honest with us and he’d have outed them. Heated debate ensues for an hour. They assure us they’ll figure it out and get back to us.

About 3:00 we get a call. Hey guys! We figured it out!! Our compression tester had a faulty hose. Are you kidding me? I believe I added a few adjectives when I said that. A 20+ year tech didn’t notice the hose pissing air and on top of that didn’t add 2+2 realizing that it wouldn’t run at all with those numbers. What the actual ****!

This is Cat. I’ve always operated under the assumption that if anybody was going to do things right it was them. They tried or accidentally tried to cornhole my friends for $30,000 due to a bad compression tester hose?!?!

I did have a rather heated debate with one of the guys at the injection shop. When the motor was warm the idle really loped, way more pronounced that the old Detroit’s would do when somebody monkeyed with the buffer spring. After chatting with Miller I called the injection shop and inquired about adjusting the buffer. Said inquiry resulted in an argument about how that machine controls the pump. Once I beat into his head how it worked he explained where the adjustment was. 1-3/4 turns and it runs like a Singer sewing machine and starts if you just look at the key.

I can not believe how Cat has handled this. If a shade tree hack like myself can figure this out why didn’t they? And if they did know the truth and tried this BS then I have lost all faith in our local establishment.

Rant over lol.
 

JPV

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Joined
Aug 20, 2015
Messages
756
Location
S.W. Washington
Great job the rant, nice work on the motor too! Cats got some 'splainin to do, that is sure disappointing to hear about those guys.
 
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