CAT 3126 Oil Leak - Front Timing Cover

[Iceman]

My 11 year old CAT 3126 finally had an oil leak at the front timing cover. After pulling radiator etc. we discovered 2 bolts that were only finger tight. After pulling and resealing timing cover and putting all of the parts back together (@ $2400 - almost all labor), the mechanic showed me the cause. The back bracket mounts for the compressor had become loose and the vibaration of the compressor had loosened the front timing cover bolts. He said that checking those back bolts every few months would have alleviated the problem. This was also a good time to change the belts, some hoses and the tension pulley. If you are ever in search of a good mechanic in the Detroit area, try American Diesel in Romulus. Not much to look at but have always done good work for me.

[RETIDEPXE]

Is it just me, or does $2400 sound pretty steep to anyone else for the work performed? I'm trying to learn diesel repair cost and more and more justify buying that $200 service repair CD for my Cat C-9.

Retidepxe

[piper1]

Full front cover re-seals on a CAT are a big job, and it is practically all labor. I'm surprised the front cover did not crack and need to be replaced.

[rugrat]

I agree $2400 is approximately 24 hrs wrk. My wife is manger for Freightliner dealer an thy charge $85-100 an hr. It sounds like it might have taken 3 hrs.

[BobWolf]

I'm not a diesel tech but that dose seem kinda steep however they do have us by the b@lls at times.

If your ever in western / central New York State and wind up near Rochester NY. there is a good shop in called johnson equipment in Farmington N.Y. they're part of Leonards Express and they have a fair shop rate. theese guys replaced my alternator for $464.09 all in. The truck was in the bay all day almost 8 hours because they had to order a couple different alternators and mine of course had to be one that wasn't readily available and did not match the part number it called for usualy my luck. Anyhow they only charged me wrenching time, and not six extra hours of door time. The parts inventory and prices are good if they dont have the part they can get it and dont rip you off on the markup labor rate was $70.00-$75.00 an hr and they replaced the alternator at about 1.5 hrs labor that included going through the charging and starting systems and did not tell me they had to rewire the whole truck to do it......Unlike alott of other places do.


By the way, Farmington Towing came to the rescue and again the pricing was reasonable abbout 150.00 all in full size wrecker for the pickup R&R driveshaft and a few miles of towing in crummy weather and not waiting all day.