URGENT-FLAGSTAFF AZ Need Tow advice

[Jay Are]

Hi.My bus broke down today outside of Flagstaff. It’s Easter Sunday but tomorrow I need to get towed to a mechanic that can replace the water pump. 2001 7.3 liter turbo diesel Thomas. 928-242-4270 . ANY suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Rock-N-Ruth]

Don't. Unless your pockets are very deep, you are better off doing it yourself. The tow will likely run 600 bucks or more. Shop labor will run $245.00/hour at least 3 hours shop labor. Parts will be another 300-500 bucks.

Even if you have no tools, make a trip to Harbor freight. Get your parts through NAPA, CarQuest, Possibly Advance Auto. It is possible to have parts delivered to your broken down bus.

A couple tears ago I did the water pump on our T444E (7.3L) International on the side of mountain rd. Got the parts guy to bring me the pump, serpentine belt, and a large wrench that I didn't have.
I paid through the nose for the wrench, my my total out of pocket was less than $500.00

If you don't know anything about mechanics, this is a good time to start learning. From the repair and maintenance end of it, Skoolie life is not cheap, even doing it yourself. It can be a real economic challenge if you pay others to do it for you.

Youtube university is a usefull tool

Change 7.3 Water Pump YouTube

 

[Jay Are]

Don't. Unless your pockets are very deep, you are better off doing it yourself. The tow will likely run 600 bucks or more. Shop labor will run $245.00/hour at least 3 hours shop labor. Parts will be another 300-500 bucks.

Even if you have no tools, make a trip to Harbor freight. Get your parts through NAPA, CarQuest, Possibly Advance Auto. It is possible to have parts delivered to your broken down bus.

A couple tears ago I did the water pump on our T444E (7.3L) International on the side of mountain rd. Got the parts guy to bring me the pump, serpentine belt, and a large wrench that I didn't have.
I paid through the nose for the wrench, my my total out of pocket was less than $500.00

If you don't know anything about mechanics, this is a good time to start learning. From the repair and maintenance end of it, Skoolie life is not cheap, even doing it yourself. It can be a real economic challenge if you pay others to do it for you.

Youtube university is a usefull tool

Change 7.3 Water Pump YouTu

Thanks Ruth, yeah I feel like I got taken advantage of here at the shop in Flagstaff next to Little America, Rocky Mountain truck. $7000 dollars later and I'm in not much better shape than I was. Radiator, fan and water pump is replaced now but won't start put in a new IPC sensor late last night still no start. I was an aircraft mechanic before I got injured so I do know the working end of a wrench but I'm in so much pain day to day that sometimes it's hard to just think straight, so doing it myself is just out of the question. That's impressive you did the work the you did out in the wild.
I'm paying my bill tomorrow and then I don't know what to do. The storages I called won't accept a vehicle from a tow truck. Little America already wants to see me gone cause the shop took so long.
I desperately need to find a place to tow it to and store it while I find a shop here in Flagstaff that can get it running.

 

[PorchDog]

My worst fear is a breakdown on the road. There is so little competition on heavy truck repair, and towing is a huge expense, so you are left in a very vulnerable position. A smaller independent shop is usually cheaper, but-- you have to find them, and then getting a disabled bus to their location is an undertaking.

The T444E is so close to a Ford Pickup-- surely an independent garage who works on Fords can help you out. As someone else has pointed out-- it may be that some sensor wiring got damaged either when the fan came off-- or when the repairs were performed... it can't be much-- you were going down the road when all this happened...

Hang in there.

 

[Rock-N-Ruth]

Thanks Ruth, yeah I feel like I got taken advantage of here at the shop in Flagstaff next to Little America, Rocky Mountain truck. $7000 dollars later and I'm in not much better shape than I was. Radiator, fan and water pump is replaced now but won't start put in a new IPC sensor late last night still no start. I was an aircraft mechanic before I got injured so I do know the working end of a wrench but I'm in so much pain day to day that sometimes it's hard to just think straight, so doing it myself is just out of the question. That's impressive you did the work the you did out in the wild.
I'm paying my bill tomorrow and then I don't know what to do. The storages I called won't accept a vehicle from a tow truck. Little America already wants to see me gone cause the shop took so long.
I desperately need to find a place to tow it to and store it while I find a shop here in Flagstaff that can get it running.

That really does sound like you got taken for a ride. We are sorry to hear that. Was it a no start situation before the water pump replace?

 

[Jay Are]

No it was running and driving like a dream and all the sudden a pop and woosh sound. Luckily I got it pulled over within seconds so she didn't get hot. A most wonderful friend is getting me a tow back to Bullhead where I have a storage unit for winters. I got the shop owner to discount me for $1400 so it wasn't as bad as it could have been. If anyone is curious it's $1800 for a tow from Flagstaff to Bullhead, I hope that info is never useful to anyone

 

[Mr P]

Uh, based on your descriptions, you LIKELY need a repair to the CMP and/or harness. Harness and sensor replacement should take an hour or less working on a "creeper".

 

[Jay Are]

Uh, based on your descriptions, you LIKELY need a repair to the CMP and/or harness. Harness and sensor replacement should take an hour or less working on a "creeper".

Yeah thank you that's gonna be the first thing I look into once I get it back"home". Fingers crossed.

 

[Rock-N-Ruth]

No it was running and driving like a dream and all the sudden a pop and woosh sound. Luckily I got it pulled over within seconds so she didn't get hot. A most wonderful friend is getting me a tow back to Bullhead where I have a storage unit for winters. I got the shop owner to discount me for $1400 so it wasn't as bad as it could have been. If anyone is curious it's $1800 for a tow from Flagstaff to Bullhead, I hope that info is never useful to anyone

So the bus was running and the water pump failed, you shut it down right away, the shop replaced the water pump, and now it doesn't run?
That's some shoddy work. And even if they took 1400 off the 7000 dollar bill , that is way too much to pay for a water pup replacement. How do you even know if they did it right if they can't start it and run coolant through it?

 

[Mr P]

From what I gathered, the pump failed allowing the fan to destroy the radiator. I'd bet money the belt tore up the CMP sensor and that's why the engine won't run. ASSUMING it did, it would take a rookie mechanic to overlook that problem.