New Truck

[RSTrans]

Here is the 2001 Peterbilt 379 that I just picked up. Matched with a 2001 Superior Trailer and Superior Lightweight Transfer gear.

ISM 425 Cummins, 18 speed, full gauge package, dual stacks, dual air cleaners, 24.5LPs on all aluminum wheels, 4.11's and pull tarps with the long flaps to haul lightweight material and hazardous.

Needs a little bit of work, but the price was right and she is ready to work. I should be able to work most of the bugs out of it this weekend as I have a small driveway job to handle tomorrow. Little bit of demo, some base and then some a/c.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h212/ts2046/029.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h212/ts2046/028.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h212/ts2046/027.jpg

[PartTimeDweller]

That sure looks like a steel body to me.

[RSTrans]

That's because it is. I don't like aluminum bodies. You can get this one in steel, stainless or aluminum.

[PartTimeDweller]

Well, the previous discussion was about aluminum bodies. Now you switched mid stream to steel.
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[PartTimeDweller]

Btw, nice truck.

Looks like a pia to dick around with a truck and a trailer, especially when we make the same money with one short trailer hauling less.
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[RSTrans]

I had asked a question about the aluminum. If you read back you will see it.

It's not a bad little truck. My tare weight is 27,720 so I can put just a hair over 26 tons with full tanks. I see your point of it being a pita, much like my opinion of the trailers you use up there. I guess and I'm sure you will agree if your used to it, it's not too bad.

I need to put a new speedometer and oil temp gauge in it and just give it a good cleaning. Also need to burn the oil out of the exhaust manifold. The turbo let loose before I bought it and it piled some oil.

[RSTrans]

Well I am having fun with this truck... NOT! Dropped cylinder #6 so it is in the shop for a complete inframe. It had approximately 810,000 miles on the motor based on the engine hours. So hopefully when I get back from CO it will be ready to go back to work. I have had to put a little bit of money in to her, but I think it will be well worth it in the long run. I have done brakes and shoes all the way around (tractor/trailer), new drag link, new ABS valve (tractor), windshields, 30/30 can (trailer), minor welding to repair wear spots on the transfer rails, rebuilt the air dryer and replaced all the A/C components. I need to replace the tarp on the trailer box and replace the bump stops because they rotted out.

I still think for the price it was an alright investment. The trailer and boxed alone were worth more than what I paid for the complete unit.

[Uturn2001]

Hopefully once you get everything fixed up it will run for a long time with nothing more than routine maintenance.

I will keep my fingers crossed that this unit doesn't end up nickle and dimeing you to death....or is that quarter and 50 cent piece to death with inflation...LOL

[RSTrans]

While it was being torn down and having parts checked out my mechanic found that the turbo is bad and so is the water pump. The water pump is original so I have no problem replacing it. The turbo I am a bit pissed about because it was just rebuilt before I bought the truck. It seems as if the housing inside is cracked. I am going to just do a swap for a new one through Cummins and deal with the people that rebuilt the turbo. Inside we found that cyl 2 was scored and had bad linings. Cyl 6 just had bad rings and there was a compression leak. Everything on the low end was in excellent shape so it does not need to be replaced at this time. The head is off at a machine shop.

My mechanic is one of the best in San Diego and has been doing this for over 30 years. He helped build the shop and business of Presley Peterbilt in San Diego and Escondido which are now both owned by Rush Truck Centers. Luckily for me he knows the Cummins engines inside and out as does his son. They expect to have it back around the time I get back from CO.

[Rockjockey]

Reminds me of Ghostbusters:



Marty shakes head. Dark blue hearse drives up. You can't park that here! RAY getting out of car Everybody can relax, I found the car! Needs some suspension work; and shocks, and brakes, brake pads, lining, steering box, transmission, rear end - PETER How much? RAY as PETER groans Only forty-eight hundred. And maybe new rings, also mufflers, a little wiring...

[RSTrans]

For what I am going to have in to it, I am still better off than had I bought others in the same year. I have seen some older trucks from the 80's going for $60K, others I looked at that were 95 and newer were going for 60-80K and anything past '01 is averaging 65-200K. I can live with what I spent because I know what I have. I could of gotten by for a couple months without doing the brakes on the truck but figured I may as well take care of all the piddly stuff so that I can keep the truck rolling after it is out of the shop.

[RSTrans]

Well after investing a month and a half of down time, $19,000 in repairs and many hours of labor my truck is back on the road and running like a bat out of hell until you hit a hill then it is a bit of a dog. I believe that after it breaks back in that it will pull a little bit better. I can pull the grade on I-15 S/B from CA-76 to Old US-395 doing about 47 and the grade on CA-163 N/B out of Mission Valley which is between I-8 and I-805 at about 35. That is one steep little bugger that is deceiving. However how much can you really expect out of a 10.8L pulling 80,000?