Build Thread For Haulin' Oats (and goats) - Page 6

USMCRockinRV · 08-06-2015, 02:17 PM

Dear lord - what's their number?

dond · 08-06-2015, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by onenationundergoat

WE GOT INSURANCE! WE GOT INSURANCE! WE GOT INSURANCE!

Farm Bureau was glad to help. They said that every insurance company is required to at least cover you with liability, so they didn't know why anyone wouldn't do it. But we got a 50/100/50 liability coverage for $222 a year! They already spoke to the underwriter too, and it's written as a regular RV policy so it shouldn't get cancelled.

Ta-dah! FB comes through again! My premium is $116, also shows as an RV.

onenationundergoat · 08-06-2015, 04:44 PM

Went and got tags. Went and got inspection two miles from my house. On the way back the engine overheated and the oil/coolant alarm went off. Stopped in the driveway and ALL of the coolant is in the oil pan.

I am grumpy. And sad.

Farm Bureau's number in Statesville NC is 7048762373. They're very helpful. I think the lady's name was Sandy but I'm not sure.

USMCRockinRV · 08-06-2015, 04:59 PM

OMG NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so sorry!!!!!

M1031A1 · 08-07-2015, 07:16 AM

OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!

USMCRockinRV · 08-07-2015, 07:33 AM

Hopefully just a Head Gasket...

onenationundergoat · 08-09-2015, 01:52 PM

Turns out it was the O-rings on the cylinder sleeves. Dan and my dad and myself pulled the head and pistons and a couple sleeves so far. Gaskets were fine (although still need to be replaced) and the pistons and sleeves looked like new. We're thinking that it was previously overhauled because they look so good. Apparently when they put the pistons in they sheared or otherwise damaged the top of the three O-rings on each cylinder. The middle ring on one was busted completely, and the other one is solid. It seems that the engine must have been overheating frequently to turn the rubber into plastic. Bearings look fine. Injector cups are fine. Injector nozzles are very dirty, so we'll have them cleaned and tested tomorrow. Maybe that's where our loss of power is from.

So it looks like (fingers crossed that the other four cylinders are good) we'll just have to buy a top gasket set and O-rings!

HolyBus · 08-09-2015, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by onenationundergoat

Turns out it was the O-rings on the cylinder sleeves... Maybe that's where our loss of power is from.

So it looks like (fingers crossed that the other four cylinders are good) we'll just have to buy a top gasket set and O-rings!

Wow, that would be great news. Keep us posted!

dond · 08-09-2015, 03:34 PM

Woo-Hoo! Hope that's all!! We're all pulling for you!!!

M1031A1 · 08-09-2015, 03:57 PM

Talk about dodging more than one bullet!!!!!

onenationundergoat · 08-09-2015, 07:18 PM

Went to O'Reillys to get oil filters and coolant. The guy there said if you give O'Reilly's a business card they can give you a commercial account and that gets you half off or sometimes more on oil filters. We got our two for $22 with that discount.

Tractor Supply carries 2.5 gallon jugs of Rotella 15w-40 for $30. Or a 5-gallon bucket for $70. Go figure. But $60 for two 2.5 gallons is cheaper than anywhere else, plus they frequently have either a 10% off coupon or a $10 off coupon in the mail. And once a year Shell seems to offer a $20 rebate on 5 gallons as well. So you could potentially get your 5 gallons for $30-$34.

onenationundergoat · 08-09-2015, 07:22 PM

Oh, and it looks like the head gasket kit runs around $115 and the O-rings are $20-$30 for the whole set.

Phew. Still four sleeves to pull and inspect, but it's looking like we've found the culprit.

Since the top O-ring was severed like that and it was still pliable like new rubber as opposed to the hardened ones that were still attached, we think this problem has existed since it was originally installed. So either it has ran for 200k like this or they overhauled it at some point.

USMCRockinRV · 08-10-2015, 02:08 PM

Man - what a chore but you can feel good about things after you get'r all zipped up again.

onenationundergoat · 08-10-2015, 08:19 PM

Every single top O ring looked like the second picture. All the rest were solid and many were broken.

M1031A1 · 08-10-2015, 08:57 PM

Holy COW!!!!! THAT'S messed up!!!!! Good save!!!!!

USMCRockinRV · 08-10-2015, 10:30 PM

Yep - what He said... ^^^^^^^^^

Tango · 08-10-2015, 11:32 PM

Well...THERE'S the problem. They used "U" rings instead of "O" rings.

onenationundergoat · 08-11-2015, 02:45 PM

Here's Dan removing the valve cover. We took out a few injector nozzles first to look at them. Then I believe there are five bolts on top of the valve cover. There's a gasket there that has to be replaced.

Here's what was under the valve cover.

Close up of the gook. It's a thick layer of condensation of coolant and oil. Not stuck on, just thick and lumpy lookin'.

This is a pic with everything still attached but the valve cover. The rods are still in, the rocker arms are still all together. The big wide rusty thing on the side is the exhaust manifold. The round part coming off the side of the exhaust manifold is the turbo, and the big white pipe is the exhaust pipe.

In this pic the exhaust manifold and turbo have been taken out. The rods and rocker arms have also been removed. There are 26 bolts holding the head in place, and one row of them holds in place the rocker arm assembly. The bolts are arranged in circles around the valve springs, and to reassemble you're supposed to slowly tighten them in an X-pattern from the middle to the outside. The exhaust manifold (removed from this picture, was on the right) and the intake manifold (green thing on the left) are each held in by six bolts on the top and six bolts on the bottom feeding into the head. The ones on the bottom are a PITA to get out.

Once all of that is removed, we had to detach a few hoses and a pipe to make room for the head to come out. For some reason the school district plumbed a garden spigot into the coolant system, maybe to turn the heat on/off in the cab? When we removed the exhaust manifold we also had to take the thermometer out of it. The head sits flat on the engine block, but there is one 1/2" dowel sticking up to help you align it later. Careful not to drag it on anythig, it took two people to lift it out. Make sure not to set it flat on the ground if the injector nozzles are still in it. In the pic you can see the head gasket moving out of position. It will also have to be replaced.

To get the pistons out one person went under and turned the crankshaft so that the bolts on the bottom of the piston where the rod bearings are was accessible with a socket. Unbolt piston, then chrank the shaft until the piston is at the top of the cylinder, where it can then be removed. You can tap on the bottom of the piston rod carefully with a soft stick and hammer to help push it up and out. Careful not to damage the cylinder as it comes out and not to damage the piston after it's out.

The do the same sort of thing to get the cylinder out. My dad made a tool out of a rod and nut and base that lets you pull the cylinder up by turning the nut.

Here's the piston with the rod bearing. Looks new.

Here's the engine block sans pistons and cylinders.

Hone marks on the insides of the cylinders make it look new, too.

But the O-rings are terrible. The outsides of the cylinders have minor corrosion, and one has a very small area of shallow pits. Nothing that would cause a leak for a long time.

No wonder we had a leak! Every single O-ring is bad on all of them!

The engine is outside the bus basically. Scary.

Not sure if video will work or not, but this proves I can do it!

Tango · 08-11-2015, 03:59 PM

By the livin' Gawd that made you,. You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din!

Looking good guys. Be sure to check and abide by all related torque specs when going back together. Do you have a factory book for your motor?

HolyBus · 08-11-2015, 06:52 PM

I might be wrong (usually am) but I thought a DT360 had 4 rings on each piston.
Help me out somebody.

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