MONEY PIT.

[Boatcat]

Sounds like driving for someone else might be the better play, after all, is said and done..

Driving for someone else is not for me. As an owner operator I take on more risks than driving for someone else, but the reward is also higher. And the added bonus of doing what I want is also a big plus. Whenever I am close enough I get to go home if I feel like it. And I decide what close enough means, not the owner.

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I agree with you on that. Just because it may be safer, or easier in some ways to drive for an owner, its not for me.
Sure there are risks, but that is exactly why I want to learn how to mitigate those risks as much as possible.
I may lose money on the rig I bought, sure, but I choose to focus on all the lessons and experiences, instead of worrying about losing money on the deal.
Expect the best, but be prepared for the worst.

 

[Boatcat]

One big problem with this engine is that it doesn't have replaceable cylinder liners. It's not easily rebuilt at the end of it's life.

Recognize the point when it starts to go downhill and sell it while it still has some value.

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I appreciate you knowledge and opinion on this. I have been around engines and equipment most of my life and hope to be able to see any problems coming before it gets too bad to recover from. We will see when the truck goes in for a valve adjustment and if I decide to have the head gasket replaced, the cyl bores can be measured and evaluated at that time also. Then I will have a better idea of where its at in its life so I can make a smart decision.

 

[Boatcat]

MONEY PIT. This truck is worse than a boat!
Bought an 07 M2 a year ago as a first truck to get started with and this thing is eating all my profits...
I'm an owner operator who found the truck through a fleet owner I briefly considered working for.
The guy missed his calling, he should have been a scumbag used car salesman...
Liar, liar, pants on fire, but buyer beware, right?
At what point do you think it is time to stop pouring good , hard earned money into an old , poorly maintained truck?
This has the MBE 900 and the 6 speed manual with 640k on it.

Are you curious about all the stuff I have had to fix on it?
I can post all the dirty details...

It is up to you to figure out when enough is enough.

I bought my 2004 M2 with the
MBE900 and 6 speed manual in March 2016 to get my feet wet in the straight truck market. I bought it cheap and if it lasted 6 months I would have been happy.
I bought it with 550k miles and now, 1.5 years later it has almost 640k. Nothing major so far, only a wire here, a light there, brake chamber, etc. almost everything I was able to fix myself. At this point I will keep it until something major goes. I am sure if I was to take it to a shop they would make up repairs worth thousands of dollars. Honest shops/mechanics are few and far between.

I am curious what issues are you having with it?

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It's great that you have had a good run of luck with your rig, hope it continues.
I see that you are getting Great mileage.. Those numbers are impressive.
I am only getting 9.5 avg with mine and seem to be losing power also. It needs to go into the shop to figure out what's going on because it should be doing better that that, especially considering that I drive as smart and carefully as possible. At what highway speed do you usually run it?

 

[FlyingVan]

It's great that you have had a good run of luck with your rig, hope it continues.
I see that you are getting Great mileage.. Those numbers are impressive.
I am only getting 9.5 avg with mine and seem to be losing power also. It needs to go into the shop to figure out what's going on because it should be doing better that that, especially considering that I drive as smart and carefully as possible. At what highway speed do you usually run it?

I run it at around 60mph. Since I go to Canada my truck is governed at 63 so...

Do you know what rear end ratio your truck has? The fuel mileage has a lot to do with that. I will tell you what mine is later on today.



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[Boatcat]

I usually run at 64, the truck has a sweet spot there and runs smooth.
My hope is that I just need a valve adjustment done, maybe a new injector and that will give me good mileage and power again.
Don't know the ratio on the axle.
Would that be on the door jamb info plate?

 

[FlyingVan]

I usually run at 64, the truck has a sweet spot there and runs smooth.
My hope is that I just need a valve adjustment done, maybe a new injector and that will give me good mileage and power again.
Don't know the ratio on the axle.
Would that be on the door jamb info plate?

Mine is on the "component information" sticker on the sun visor. Mine is 4.63

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[Worn Out Manager]

Sorry for your problems but thanks for making this little old 4-wheeler satisfied with his maintenance costs

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[Boatcat]

Onward and upward on the road to cost recovery.
The next time you look at your costs, smile and remember, it could be worse, much worse...
What is getting me through this rough patch is the thought of that new truck in a year or two, or three.

 

[davekc]

What the average mileage people are getting on MBE900's before giving up on them? I don't know if this has been answered in here..

You can get some high mileage 8 to 900k out of them. The disadvantage here is the buyer wouldn't know the previous service and driving habits of previous owners.

So, 150-250k before it becomes a smoking crater. Hmm.

Yes.Possibly sooner.

 

[Boatcat]

It's great that you have had a good run of luck with your rig, hope it continues.
I see that you are getting Great mileage.. Those numbers are impressive.
I am only getting 9.5 avg with mine and seem to be losing power also. It needs to go into the shop to figure out what's going on because it should be doing better that that, especially considering that I drive as smart and carefully as possible. At what highway speed do you usually run it?

I run it at around 60mph. Since I go to Canada my truck is governed at 63 so...

Do you know what rear end ratio your truck has? The fuel mileage has a lot to do with that. I will tell you what mine is later on today.



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Hi, sorry for the delayed response.
Took the truck in to get the rear brake chambers replaced and the shop called and informed me that my rear differential was toast, so I know what the ratio is now that I am having to spend 5K replacing it.
It's 4:3 ratio. No governor on the truck and I don't want one. No runs to Canada with my company.
I asked them about putting in a different ratio, one that would lower my RPM and was told the 4:3 was the only option.
Was hoping to go to a different ratio seeing as I have a standard trans and would be able to compensate if necessary.
At this point, mileage is the least of my worries... 5 grand buys a lot of diesel!
MONEY PIT!!

 

[coalminer]

Hi, sorry for the delayed response.
Took the truck in to get the rear brake chambers replaced and the shop called and informed me that my rear differential was toast, so I know what the ratio is now that I am having to spend 5K replacing it.
It's 4:3 ratio. No governor on the truck and I don't want one. No runs to Canada with my company.
I asked them about putting in a different ratio, one that would lower my RPM and was told the 4:3 was the only option.
Was hoping to go to a different ratio seeing as I have a standard trans and would be able to compensate if necessary.
At this point, mileage is the least of my worries... 5 grand buys a lot of diesel!
MONEY PIT!!

So you took your truck in for brake work and they tell you the diff is bad? I think it's time for a second opinion. If you have not heard any noises coming from it, I doubt it's bad.

I hate dishonest people.


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[Boatcat]

Here's the rest of the story.
I also had a oil and fluids service done.
It was during that process that metal shavings were found in the diff.
I asked them to check it because I had noticed some vibration in the rear of the truck.
I inspected it myself and it was gone.
This is a well trusted and respected shop and they are good people, so no funny business going on.

 

[Boatcat]

Lesson learned..
When buying a used truck, the smallest things can really bite you in the Ass.
I was prepared to deal with bringing a truck up to date as far as maintenance and repairs goes, but cheap and greedy owners can ruin a truck simply by pinching pennies.
The rig I bought had tires on it that were marginal at best, steers had lots of wear left but lots of flat spots.
I later learned that there was so called, balance rings on the front.. and being a newbie, I did not know that these have a limited lifespan and can actually cause a severe unbalanced situation over time.
Best bet, junk the rings and get your tires computer balanced.
The cheapskate I bought the truck from took steer tires that were worn and had lots of flat spots (due to neglected wheel bearings) and put them on the rear axle. Two steers on one side and and re treads with a different tread pattern and amount of wear on the other. Yes, they were the same size, except for different amounts of wear and therefore different diameter.
Guess what happened?
I replaced all the tires soon after buying the truck, but the damage was already done.
The diff was toast.
Lesson learned, and a very expensive one.

 

[Jonathan]

Ooooohhh wow. I'm sorry to hear that my friend. Very frustrating. I see stuff like this all the time in every industry. Men taking shortcuts. Just take the time to do it right for goodness' sake!

 

[Gear_Grinder]

There are a lot of shortcuts taking in this business absolutely people try to hide it a lot or fix it enough just to get by or legal. Just curious how much did you pay for the rear? Without labor.

 

[Boatcat]

2,600 new from Mercedes.

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[Boatcat]

Of course that turned into a Lot more with bearings, seals and misc shop supplies.

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[Boatcat]

Been getting check engine light and codes for injector. Had # 6 replaced and still have the light and codes, even though shop tech cleared them all.
I'm thinking it's the unit pump now is weak because it's having to work harder with the new injector that's needing full pressure.
Am I on the right track?
I ordered Arch Oil also, I read that it can help issues like this, stickction maybe?
Not sure I spelled that right, but you know what I mean I'm sure.

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[BigStickJr]

I'm guessing both these owners bought new, were the only drivers and properly maintained these trucks. Buying used, especially from a fleet where many drivers had their way with a truck, is certainly a gamble.[/QUOTE]

Where many drivers had their way way with a truck.......
Were they driving the truck or dating the truck ?

 

[Boatcat]

Either way it was royally Screwed. Rode hard and put up wet... whatever.

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