Vent: That blown seal on a main bearing cost me a whole Saturday

Last weekend I was swapping out a turbo on a 2015 Freightliner Cascadia. Got it all buttoned up, fired it up, and heard a knock that made my stomach drop. Pulled the oil pan and found a main bearing seal that had let go. 3 years ago I would have just slapped it back together, but now I know better. That one little seal ate up 8 hours of my Saturday. Has anyone else had a small part turn a 2 hour job into an all day thing?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_sage27d ago

Oh man, that's brutal. One seal, a whole Saturday down the drain. I had a similar deal last year on my personal truck, an old Ford 7.3. I was just swapping a leaky injector, figured an hour tops. Got the injector out fine, then I dropped a little retaining clip down into the valley of the engine. That stupid clip took me over 4 hours to fish out with a magnet and some wire. I was so mad I almost threw my toolbox across the yard. It always seems to be the smallest, cheapest parts that cost you the most time.

claire_fisher4127d agoTop Commenter

Ugh, tell me about it. I swear by the time you've spent an hour trying to get a $0.50 part out, you start questioning your whole life. It's like the car knows and waits for you to let your guard down. I've learned the hard way to always put a shop towel in the valley before I even start. Saves you from that blind fumbling with a magnet. Cheap insurance for your sanity.