Why to have your top end looked at!

[HarborBus]

Kevin, your right, this thread has gotten a serious work out. Your information from United Engines seems logical to me, I for one will be practicing the procedure. Time will tell wheather it will bring the thread to a close.......... if I ventured a guess I would doubt it. Thanks for following up with United.

[dale farley]

Kevin,

I agree that all sounds reasonable. Did you happen to mention pre-lube to him?

[Kevin Erion]

Why ask about the pre-lube, there is one built in, a starter motor. Just make sure not to grind the heck out of it, I would do two 15 second intervals with a short rest period. Lots of compression for the starter motor to overcome.

[travelite]

Why ask about the pre-lube, there is one built in, a starter motor. Just make sure not to grind the heck out of it, I would do two 15 second intervals with a short rest period. Lots of compression for the starter motor to overcome.

Well, pre-lube is still important. There's considerable load on injector and valve followers and cam lobes even when spinning with the starter motor, very similar to the loads of an idling engine. With inactivity these surfaces withstand an ever decreasing oil film. Imagine simply spinning the starter with a relatively dry top end. Why not pre-lube it first?

[Denny]

For the past 10 years I have had my oil changed at Speedco on my bus and the Foretravel prior to the bus. I never took a survey but I would guess that nearly 75% of the truckers that are having service have Lucas added to their oil. Lucas recommends 20% Lucas added to the oil. On our Series 60 that would be 2 gallons Lucas and 8 gallons oil.

I was never a strong believer in oil additives but after so many owner operators told me to use it I have used it for the past several years. Many of the drivers have had over 400,000 miles on their engines (all makes) and have not had the valve cover off. I also use it in the generator and my Diesel pickup.

One of the many Lucas claims are "prevents dry start ups" and this is what we are trying to avoid.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

I would like to add one final comment to this thread. We are able to know when something such as what Kevin is experiencing without any engine disassembly.

Most if not all of us have oil pan drain plugs with a very strong magnet. We also have oil filters that can be examined. At every oil change carfully inspect the oil pan drain plug. It should be totally free of the little whiskers or pieces of steel that will start to show up if the cam or rollers have this problem.

A second check is to cut the oil filter apart and open the paper element. Since metal pieces are not as obvious as they would be on the oil pan plug, if none are detected visually, run a strong magnet across the element surface. Any steel pieces will literally jump to the magnet.

Inspecting an oil filter is always done when changing the oil on a plane and there is no reason why that practice cannot be done on our buses.

As a comment I change my oil every 5000 miles on average. It may be considered excessive, but if I were to follow the 20,000 mile recommended intervals a lot of internal engine damage could occur before I noted metal in the filter or on the plug. Unlike commercial operators who put 80,000 to 100,000 miles annually on their engines we only run ours sporadically so I chose my oil change interval because I consider our use to be severe duty.

[lonesome george]

The engine in our bus is at 60K miles now and DD says that is when the first valve adjustment should be performed. I'm not so concerned about the valves being out of adjustment but in the condition of the cam and the cam followers, it has been noted in this thread that some are out there with 400k on them that have never been adjusted.
Ours had only been driven 900 miles in 5 years prior to our purchase, so I'm certain it had several dry starts through that time.
IMO ours has somewhat of a rough idle, I'm thinkin' better take a look.
With the valve cover removed I decided to try to do the adjustment without removing the closing cover but the coolant return tube had to go. It can be done but you've got to want it.
The cam and cam followers were in good condition, that's usually not my luck.
Made some tools for the under the cover adventure. The local DD dealer did not have the injector adjusting tool in stock so I rigged up a dial indicator that was a pain to use.
I did NOT find ANYTHING that I would call out of adjustment. Intakes tight by maybe .001 or .002, exhausts OK to tight by .002. My guess is that DD sets them up a little tight, I'm sure they have a better method for adjusting valve lash than a feeler gauge. Injectors within .010 of each other.
I don't have a Jake Brake so I have no idea how that complicates the activities.
Body positioning:
Cylinders 1 & 2 from ground level.
Cylinders 3, 4 & 5 left knee on top of the right angle drive for the cooling fan and then MOUNT the engine.
Sweet cylinder 6 over the chassis batteries under the power steering supply hose, arms must go in first, got wormed in only to find out that my bifocals had no functioning range.
IF I ever do this again the closing cover is coming out!
pic. 1 compartment ready for action.
pic. 2 tool for intake valve and injector adjustment.
pic. 3 tool for exhaust valve adjustment.
pic. 4 top view.

[Ray Davis]

George, did you get your valve covers off without tearing apart your bedroom?

[lonesome george]

Ray.
Yes that is what I call the closing cover. The valve cover can be removed on my bus without removing the coolant return tube as well, just don't think the valves can be adjusted with the coolant return tube in place.
Please note I have an XL, don't know if a XLII has the same layout, I have about 3/4 of an inch clear above the valve cover and that is enough to get it off.

[travelite]

George,

Is that a Click-Adjust tool you're using? I've never seen a tool like that before?

Thanks
David Brady
'02 BlueBird Wanderlodge, LXi
NC