Truck engine problems WCV

[stehansen]

Here is a picture of the motor when I bought and then a couple of pictures from on Friday. It is just about ready to go in. The fan of the Caterpillar motor is going to be at least 3 inches higher than the detroit fan so I am thinking about putting an electric fan on it. Does anyone have experience with electric fans on trucks?

 

[Jonseredbred]

I am thinking an electric fan will not pull enough air to keep that engine cool.

 

[sotc]

wow can you close the hood with that compressor up high like that?

 

[stehansen]

I measured it Willie. The engine sits way down in the truck. The top of the frame is about even with the exhaust manifold bolts. I don't have air brakes but the compresser came with the donor motor so I thought I would rig it up to have compressed air to blow off a saw or air up a tire.

Thanks Jonsared. I'm worried about that.

 

[Jonseredbred]

Steve is it a non turbo??

 

[Cobleskill]

Can you adapt the fan shroud so it will work or maybe use a different shroud?

 

[Jonseredbred]

Good idea. Even if the fan is not centered in the rad, a good shroud will keep it effective.

 

[sawinredneck]

The electric fan is iffy Steve. Deisels like heat, but too much and it's toast! Unless you can figure out the optimum temp to run it at, then set up a thermostate control on it, so it kicks on and off at the right temps.
You will also need a LOT of fan to cool that beast!!!
I would suggest you try and make what you have work first.

 

[sotc]

Steve is it a non turbo??

looks like it, see the intake on top?

 

[Burnham]

These are some of the best on the market, but I am also doubtful about your application. Might consider contacting the company direct to talk to a technical person on your application, Steve.

http://www.flex-a-lite.com/auto/html/electric-fans.html

 

[stehansen]

Yeah, it's a non turbo. I'm going to make every effort to get a belt driven fan on it. The shroud will be the hard part. I might see about adapting the shroud that was on the donor motor. Both shrouds are made of plastic so it's kind of hard to work with. You only really need a fan when you are stationary, but in a tree truck that is quite a bit. So I think it would be too much work for an electric fan. I got the transmission bolted to the engine today. Had a hell of a time getting the torque converter put on the transmission. There are 2 sets of splines and another shoulder that all have to line up.

 

[sotc]

nice shop! concrete floors and all!

 

[stehansen]

You can see the floor? The place is so full of stuff that you can't really work on much in there.

 

[Cobleskill]

Does the rad go all the way up to the hood ? If not it might be easier to raise rad and shroud and remount the whole deal.

 

[sotc]

ohhh good idea

 

[stehansen]

I have a scheme on the shroud I think I can put it upside down and be close. I removed the motor this afternoon.

 

[stehansen]

Today I did some pretty boring stuff with the truck. My cousin and I switched the fuel injector pump from the donor motor to the new motor as it was recommended to us that the governor on the industrial motor would be way too sensitive to use in a truck. We resealed the governor while we had it apart, I had to drive to Stockton to get the seal and O-rings at the Caterpillar dealer. My cousin made a little plate and we put the fuel injector pump in his motor stand to hold it to work on it. That way we could tip it up and all the springs wouldn't fall out when we took the cap off. The pictures are starting with the injector pump and ending with the motor with the pump installed and the injector lines and intake manifold put back. I know this is probably TMI.

 

[stehansen]

Here are some pictures from today. I hooked up the bottom of the transmission shifting cable, and worked on making a bracket to hold the emergency brake cable. The first picture is from underneath the truck looking forward on the right hand side. I have to make a bracket that will hold the emergency brake cable and pull on the lever that you can see just under the brake drum. The second picture shows how little room there is between the motor and the radiator, we ended up putting an electric fan in front of the radiator.

 

[Frans]

wow good work Steve!

Better make sure your radiator is in real good shape. The electric fans sometimes go out so also make sure your thermostat gauge is working and visible. An audible alarm is a good idea if it gets too hot. Or an idiot light.

 

[sotc]

great advice frans

 

[stehansen]

I'm considering getting another set of fans and I think I would have room to put them in back of the radiator on the top. I'm worried about having electric fans as you are only a bad electric connection away from a hot motor, which in most cases is a ruined motor. But there was nothing else I could do given the space constraints. I have wired the fans right in the wire that goes from the alternator to the battery so they will be live all the time and thus eliminate a few more connections, but the fans will stay on after you shut the motor off for a while. We will see how it works out. I will check out the alarm thing. If you are up in the bucket the guage isn't going to be seen and I'm reluctant to have to engine automatically shut down as it would leave me stranded up there, so an alarm may be the best option for when the bucket is in operation.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Do they still make lifts with pony motors? I've always kinda liked that set up.

 

[Al Smith]

Do they still make lifts with pony motors? I've always kinda liked that set up.

They usually are add ons . It really is not that big of a deal to hook one up .

It's a lot easier on the pocket book say running a 20 HP Honda engine as dumping diesel fuel into and maintaining the road engine to run the lift .

 

[stehansen]

Do they still make lifts with pony motors? I've always kinda liked that set up.

You see quite a few of them for sale. They seem to usually have a gas V-8 to power the truck and a 30 hp Kubota diesel to run the lift. I have never used one but it seems like it would be quite efficient.

I worked on the truck all day today. I got to my cousin's shop about 8:00 and he was out on a call for a guy who's powershift transmission on his Caterpillar D-8K had been run low on oil. So I was locked out of his shop and I went and picked some oil filters and the transmission filter at the NAPA. I got the bracket and yoke made for the emergency brake cable and that is all working, I hooked up the lubricating hose for the PTO. My cousin finished making the tank for the power steering/brake booster system. Everything is finished down under the truck. No pictures today as my camera battery was dead. Tomorrow I will put the grille on, and the transmission cooler on the front bumper and then start making an expanded metal cover for the trans cooler. When you write it down here it seems like it would take about 10 minutes to accomplish but it seems to take me forever.
I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, I made an appt. for next week to take it in for new exhaust, as it looks like real bugger to do and it will take me too long. I guess I will drive it over there with just the manifolds on it. Should be interesting.

 

[SkwerI]

Sounds like you're coming down the home stretch, Steve. I know it's going to be great for you when you get it back in service. A little break-in and getting used to the new motor and you'll be set for years.