How to Beef Up Mbn Cat Engine
October 2009 - Performance Zone
COSTLY REBUILDING MISTAKES
Past Performance Specialist Bruce C. Mallinson
I recently received two phone calls from possessor operators with True cat engines that were the victims of failures associated with poor engine rebuilds. I too currently have a truck in my shop with a KTA Cummins that too got a bad rebuild. But these three failures were not because of faulty parts – they were caused by carelessness and/or poor decisions made by the mechanic performing the rebuild. If you're wondering, both of the owner operators with the Cat engines went to a "qualified" store – ane was a Caterpillar distributor and the other was a Western Star truck dealership. The Cummins, well, possibly it wasn't such a reputable shop.
Let's start with the MBN Bridge True cat that was rebuilt by the Cat distributor. By at present, we all know that the 2003 and early 2004 Cat "Span" engines have a lot of issues – namely, poor performance and poor fuel mileage. As well, because of low liner protrusion, the MBN Bridge Cat tends to accident head gaskets. This engine was the victim of Caterpillar trying to come across the EPA's air pollution requirements for 2003 earlier they were actually ready. Cummins, Detroit, Mack, Mercedes and Volvo all went with EGR systems, only they aren't much better (the skilful engines, the ones that run forever and give yous great power and fuel mileage, went away in 2002).
The owner of this Cat Span engine had replaced the Span ECM a few years back with our operation ECM to "un-bridge" the engine, which then ran great and got meliorate fuel mileage. However, when he took the engine to the Cat distributor for a rebuild, he allow them put the Bridge parts back into the engine. At that time, he should have had them eliminate the rest of the Span parts that make up the MBN Bridge Cat engine. To make this engine a "real" engine, the pistons, camshaft, injectors and turbocharger should accept been inverse. With those improvements, fuel mileage, longevity and power would take all improved. Besides, these parts had to be inverse anyhow, so why not install the right parts to go with the united nations-bridged ECM?
The reason this possessor operator went to the manufactory Cat Firm was because he was in a hurry to go the truck back on the route. Gentlemen, in my 31 years of rebuilding engines, I have heard this argument over and again, merely there is never any time or the right fourth dimension to rebuild your engine. Everyone is e'er in a hurry to get their truck back on the route, so poor decisions are fabricated. When yous have a breakdown, y'all must ask yourself what happened, what your options are to ready the trouble, and where yous should take it to go stock-still. You might fifty-fifty consider fixing information technology yourself if yous have the time, expertise, noesis and tools to exercise so.
Perchance you lot should take one twenty-four hours and recall about your engine problem, practise some research, make some phone calls, and talk to a few good mechanics that you know have a great reputation for rebuilding engines. In fact, you should have a plan in your caput as to what you're going to practise when/if your engine fails (breakdowns rarely occur close to home or near the store you lot would prefer rebuild your engine). Did y'all ever think it might exist more economical in the long run to accept a friend with a retriever, low boy or drop-deck trailer come to where you lot are and haul your truck to your preferred store?
Anyways, back to this Span True cat at the Cat Firm. With the rebuild complete and the Bridge Cat parts re-installed, the mechanic started the engine and realized that information technology was out of fourth dimension and would not run correctly. But instead of removing the front end cover of the engine and putting the cam gear in the correct spot, he made up the difference with the Span ECM. He even told the owner that he was 1 tooth off with the timing gear, simply that he was able to arrive run okay being out of time. Then, the owner took his truck home and re-installed his un-bridged Cat ECM, but then the engine wouldn't run right because of the timing gear. Then, the owner had to accept the truck to another shop and pay to have them retime his engine and his ECM. This is a small trouble compared to the next trouble I'grand going to tell you near.
Some other owner operator took his 3406E True cat to a Western Star dealership for an in-chassis rebuild, just gauge what the mechanic failed to do – check the liner protrusion. He never cut the upper counterbores to install the stainless steel shims that enhance the liners and hold the caput gasket. Needless to say, the head gasket failed in 2 months. So, back to the Western Star dealership he went for the warranty work, only to detect that they had gone bankrupt and were out of concern. So, off to the Caterpillar distributorship went his truck to have the head, cylinder packs, and oil pan removed then the upper counterbores could be properly cut. This is everything you take to remove to practise an in-chassis rebuild, so now he is paying for the labor twice in a 60-day menstruum.
Caterpillar cut the upper counterbores, installed the stainless shims and raised the liner protrusion and now the caput gasket is property, merely the beak was $6,000, which the owner had to pay – not because the parts failed, but because the first mechanic failed to do the rebuild right (I guess there is no need to wonder why they went out of business). There is a proverb that is appropriate for this situation: "Why is there never time to practice it right the first fourth dimension, but always fourth dimension to practise it again?" When I asked the owner why he did non tell the mechanic that he wanted .006 liner protrusion, he said, "I assumed they knew what they were doing." Well, we all know what the give-and-take Assume means. Nosotros have all been guilty of this, and it has toll all of us a lot of money over the years, and then don't do it – never presume!
This last poor engine rebuild is a whopper – $56,000 was spent and the engine is even so sitting in the chassis disassembled. Not but is the owner a victim, but so am I. This engine is a i,150 cubic-inch KTA 600 Cummins, the largest engine ever built for on-highway apply. First released in 1974 by Cummins as an experimental product, this great engine is however being manufactured today (information technology's now called the QSK) for machinery uses only. When built properly, this engine can develop 2,500 horsepower for truck pulling and drag racing.
Shortly afterward the get-go engine architect put this engine together, it went right back to them for no power. Some other gear up of injectors were installed, merely even so no ability. After returning a third time to the original rebuilder, and still no power, the truck was brought to our shop. We establish that the turbocharger dated back into the mid 1970's and would not make enough wind to dry your hair, so an updated turbocharger was installed. Never apply turbochargers from the 1970's on an engine today – they were not very efficient back then. Next, we plant the aneroid was partially plugged in the fuel pump and would only allow plenty fuel to the engine to develop about 300 hp. Afterward nosotros fixed these problems, the truck left our store running much better, only not every bit proficient as information technology should. We could non tell past the paperwork what parts had been installed in this engine because there were no part numbers so it was hard to know if it really was fixed.
The possessor of this truck, who has had eleven KTA engines and so he knows them quite well, complained of a slight "thump" he felt when he allow out the clutch (later on the rebuild). A couple trips later, the caput gasket blew, so we installed a set of steel o'ringed head gaskets to fix this problem. A couple months went past and then the engine started to miss and become excessive blow-past. He towed the truck back to our shop where we found that the #3 piston had debonded, which ways the meridian of the piston broke off down to the first piston ring. One time we got into this engine, nosotros found all kinds of problems.
When our head mechanic Brian removed the #three connecting rod cap, he noticed a gap between the #four connecting rod and the creepo. He establish a .084 clearance (information technology should have been .008), so he removed that connecting rod cap as well. At that place was excessive wearable, so he checked the end play of the crankshaft and found .030 (information technology should have been .008 to .016). Later on removing the damaged piston, we could not determine the manufacturer of the piston so we removed the #4 head to get a piston number, and also removed that damaged connecting rod. What we found was that the get-go rebuilder had installed the wrong pinch ratio pistons (fifteen.v to ane instead of 14.5 to 1). Too, the pistons were non Genuine Cummins, they were an aftermarket brand. Always use genuine OEM parts when rebuilding your engine.
The piston failure was caused past too loftier of a pinch ratio, and the slight "thump" the owner heard when he allow out the clutch was the end play on the crankshaft, which was a effect of the incorrect thrust washers being installed during the rebuild. Needless to say, the mechanic who rebuilt the engine did not check the end play. And so I chosen the owner of that shop to discuss the issues we establish and he said to me, "So what do you want me to exercise about information technology?" I suggested that he assistance this owner operator and supply him with a new crankshaft and connecting rod, to which he promptly hung the phone up on me.
This engine has only 91,000 miles on it since it was rebuilt by the other shop. Now, it needs a crankshaft, half dozen pistons, six ring sets, a complete gasket fix, rod bearings, and a lot of minor miscellaneous engine parts, plus the labor to perform an out-of-chassis rebuild, at an estimated cost of nigh $20,000. So at present, when this truck is finished, the full toll of the engine rebuild will be over $80,000! Yous might ask why I am a victim, besides. Well, when at that place is an engine trouble and a lot of fourth dimension is involved, our staff needs to accept meetings to effigy out what the trouble is. A lot of labor is lost and you just can't bill for the fourth dimension invested. We are but charging the owner $38 per hour for the mechanic'due south time, simply $0 for mine, Gary, Pete and Shawn's time.
As you lot tin can run into, it'southward a loss for everybody when a mechanic does a poor quality job when rebuilding an engine. Don't exist a victim. Take your truck to the best mechanic you know – one who has a good reputation and uses the best parts. Even if it costs a little more than, as you can run into in these three stories, a little more than now is much better than a lot more than after! If yous have any performance-related comments or questions, contact me at Pittsburgh Ability Inc. in Saxonburg, PA at (724) 360-4080 or via e-postal service at bruce@pittsburghpower.com.
Source: https://www.tenfourmagazine.com/PerfZone/2009/10.html
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