New Addition & A Question

[towcat]

scott-
a wiped turbo tells me lack of oil changes. You're in it this deep already, you can't turn back. If I were in your shoes, fix it and finish out your contract. when its done, sell the truck and find something else. You have money on the table, go work the truck gently and make your money. If you are worried of the motor goign south, you drive it and put someone else behind the wheel of your current ride. At least you're making money with three trucks in service
one more thing......
with my junk that I run, my rule is if the frame ain't shot, rebuild it until it falls apart. What fries me is I work on all these other F450's and these guys are looking at my truck and test driving it. Every single one who drives it, coments that its the tightest F450 they have ever driven. But none of them will come close to my asking price for my ride.

 

[apextrans]

I wasn't aware that indicated a lack of oil changes. I just figured a 1/2 million miles of spinning the impellar was to blame. But, in any case, you're right. I'm too far into it at this point to turn back. I really do think it will be a reliable unit, with me driving it, once it's road worthy. And in the realm of things, even with the 7-8000 I have to put into it, I'm still gonna be below market value even if I needed to get my money back out of it right away. I just wasn't planning on having to invest so much into it at the start.

Before I was able to add some newer tow trucks to my little fleet (of 3), I had 2 89 F450's, both with aluminium JerrDan beds. They were nothing fancy, very well maintained, clean solid trucks with stainless wheel covers & strobe bars. Now everyone around me (competetors) ran out & bought new 4700's and dressed them all up pretty then couldn't pay for them. So everything went up for sale at the same time. My plain jane 450's & a slew of mac daddy 4700's. Granted, some of them really were nice & sold very quickly. Mine didn't, which left them & the crappy 4700's. Long story short, mine were the last to sell because everyone want newer glitz & glamor instead of something that worked well. I sold them both to the same guy ( for 1000.00 less than I wanted) in PA & he still runs them today. I know for sure that 2 of those 4700's are long dead. Seems like few people want an older work truck nowadays.

 

[towcat]

scott-
I got no clue of how the nitty gritty on the chassis looks like on your new truck. But from "50feet" it looks pretty damn nice. fix it and run it.
anytime I find a "killer deal", there's always a slush fund for the pop-ups. You and I know they will always be there. you are still doing good with this deal, so run with it. It's kinda like my '92 when I bought it last dec. The deal was too good to be true, Up until then I swore no more internet deals(buying sight unseen) but the numbers was too good. As I expected, I did loose a motor on my way back to CA, but the closer I got to my destination, the cheaper the lowbed was going to be. I have another motor in here now. put 15k on the drop in and I know I will be doing another drop-in before return to TX in Mar/Apr. This one has a flat cam. Oh well, the buy-in was low enough. these are things we must deal with when working on the cheap.
there's a few things I check when looking at a used diesel. One, oil color. Two, blow-by. Three, obvious leaks. Four, Turbo impeller movement(if the truck has a turbo). Every step has a story without the PO having to say a word. Oh yea, if the price is really killer, I only look at the frame and work area, because the rest of the truck...I'm Ray Charles.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Hmm...wonder if, rather than lack of oil changes, the driver regulkarly shut down without spinning down the turbo?

As for the wreckers--you sound like Chuck, my boss. Not one truck at work with less than 328,000 miles (and that's a 2001 F-550), and one just short of 600,000 (1986 F-350).

 

[apextrans]

scott-
I got no clue of how the nitty gritty on the chassis looks like on your new truck. But from "50feet" it looks pretty damn nice. fix it and run it.

If nothing else, it's solid in the frame & rack/trailer. It will work out for the best. Anything does with enough money . That "slush fund" you mentioned is all gone now to put this **** on the road.

BTW, you have great avatars. Do you know these wemens? And how about the shipping cost for the FSV?

 

[towcat]

If nothing else, it's solid in the frame & rack/trailer. It will work out for the best. Anything does with enough money . That "slush fund" you mentioned is all gone now to put this **** on the road.

BTW, you have great avatars. Do you know these wemens? And how about the shipping cost for the FSV?

scott-
here's a suggestion....while you are babying this thing to get your contract done, BOL for a complete rollvoer That's how I used to repower my rigs for cheap.
As far as the avi's are concerned, the current one today is Jessica Alba . Most of the really slick avi's are ones I have pulled off the web. the ones that look like snapshots are friends of mime. I do B&W photography as a hobby, and I get girls who want to build up modeling portfolios as subjects for shoots. Digicams have made darkrooms obsolete but you can't computerize a photographer's experience in bringing out the best in a subject

 

[apextrans]

the ones that look like snapshots are friends of mime. I do B&W photography as a hobby, and I get girls who want to build up modeling portfolios as subjects for shoots. Digicams have made darkrooms obsolete but you can't computerize a photographer's experience in bringing out the best in a subject

Might Jessica be looking for a 34 yr.old truck driver with a wife & 2 kids? She would of course have to be the mistress. Please forward my information to her as I'm sure she is in great desire for it.....although she probably doesn't know it yet. How'd that sound?

 

[beretzs]

Hey, I have an FSV for you. Towcat is sending me another and I will forward you the one he sent me.. Take a look at the pic I posted and make sure yours does NOT look like mine. I think I always get the weird parts.. Anyhow, did you get that rig on the road yet? Maybe you could take it on a road trip to pick up my truck.. CHEAP..Scotty

 

[apextrans]

No, that @%##^&*&^^%ing truck is STILL in the shop. These idiots are just dragging their feet. The little Pete was in a wreck the day before I was supposed to pick it up. So that is sitting @ a Pete dealer's body shop in Easton, MD waiting for a hood. Got it cheaper than expected because of the wreck though. All cosmetic damage. There is nothing CHEAP about running to California. Snowbird season is gearing down for a short time so I may be able to get a better quote for you.

 

[maniac]

No, that @%##^&*&^^%ing truck is STILL in the shop

What are they doing to it? What else have they found?

 

[EMD Diesel Power]

And the saga continues..... NUTS. I just read and got caught up on the post. Im sorry I even suggested it was the turbo.

As for infrequent oil changes.... and the turbo going south..... its a possibility. However, driver(s) running it hot (overspeed), parking hot, and no cool-downs probably did this one in. (Remember... the boost sensor was inoperative... so overspeed with no warning of it would happen here. High boost means high EGTs too)

Reason I say that.... is because infrequent oil changes will also wipe out the bearings---especially mains with thier heavy loadings. Con-rod bearings will be damaged to a degree as well. Nothing was mentioned about bearings.... so I figured the oil was changed on a regular basis.

Anyways... keep us updated. As for the shop... well...

 

[apextrans]

What are they doing to it? What else have they found?

It's a little bit my fault I guess. I was working 2 shops against each other for the best price & told shop A (where the truck has been ) to hold off for a few days until I got prices from the other place. That however, was a over 2 weeks ago. I gave them the OK mid december. Still not done. It's good & bad because my new driver is worthless as **** on a bull so I only have one truck right now, MINE. Anyone between MD & NC that knows how to haul cars, drive a truck, keep the truck clean, show up for work, & not run a new truck into the ground P L E A S E pm me. Job pays 50,000- 70,000/yr. Run hard during the week( home a few nites) , home most weekends after February.
EMD, I haven't heard any noise about bearings yet. Doesn't mean it isn't there, just hasn't showed up yet. The PO has been telling fibs all along so who knows what this truck has been subjected to. I won't have a better idea of it's true condition until I can run it again.

 

[apextrans]

Well,

7600.00 or so later, IT RUNS. No smoke, runs strong, pulls hard (bobtail at least) & will go in a straight line if I let the wheel go. I would like to have the HP checked though. Doesn't qiute feel like 410 to me. None the less I'm pleased. That freakin Peterturd is in the shop again, so tommorrow will be "clean the interior" day. There are MANY years of crud to clean off.

 

[EMD Diesel Power]

Well thats cool..... now get a trailer on it and tell me how she runs.

A dyno test wouldnt hurt..... if you dont think you have the HP.... you probably dont.

As for you and shops.... geez..... if one truck isnt in... the other goes in. My car feels like that to me at times..... it costs me 500 bucks every time I take it in....

 

[apextrans]

The Pete is under warrenty ( thankfully or I'd be broke )so it costs me only in lost time & aggravation. But you're right, it seems I'm getting tag teamed by trucks, IDI included. The little Pete is history though so I don't have that to deal with anymore.