School Bus Fleet Magazine Forums
Home | Profile | Register | Active Topics | Members | Search | FAQ
 All Forums
 Professional Garage
 Enter Forum: Professional Garage
 Cat C7 White smoke
 New Topic  Reply to Topic
 Printer Friendly
Author Previous Topic Topic Next Topic  

eshover
Senior Member

146 Posts

Posted - 11/18/2014 :  05:36:34 AM  Show Profile  Visit eshover's Homepage  Reply with Quote
I have a C7 that started to smoke yesterday and looks like it pushed the coolant out of overflow. Temp. didn't go up much past normal, checked engine oil today and it is over full but not milky. Coolant recovery tank is empty. No moisture coming out exhaust. Sitting idling no smoke but put the power to it and it will smoke you out.
Any Ideas?
ED

eshover
Senior Member

146 Posts

Posted - 11/18/2014 :  06:36:07 AM  Show Profile  Visit eshover's Homepage  Reply with Quote
OH OH! I tried to turn it over this morning and it is locked up as in fluid on top of a piston. Doesn't look good! Head gasket?
Go to Top of Page

tigger2
Advanced Member

USA
469 Posts

Posted - 11/18/2014 :  06:40:13 AM  Show Profile  Click to see tigger2's MSN Messenger address  Reply with Quote
Leaking injector cup? we had one showing coolant in oil and using coolant no external leaks replaced cups and rerung injectors ok now.
Go to Top of Page

bwest
Administrator

United States
3820 Posts

Posted - 11/18/2014 :  1:59:39 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by tigger2

Leaking injector cup? we had one showing coolant in oil and using coolant no external leaks replaced cups and rerung injectors ok now.



Yep

Bryan
Go to Top of Page

eshover
Senior Member

146 Posts

Posted - 01/08/2015 :  05:50:54 AM  Show Profile  Visit eshover's Homepage  Reply with Quote
An update on this problem on the C7 CAT. We took it to CAT dealer and found that a coolant had gotten into the air system through the compressor. Replaced compressor and cleaned out all of the lines & changed air dryer. They checked the head gasket and thought it "might" be leaking so replaced it and had head checked for cracks,none. Replaced injector sleeves and seals. Front cover was leaking so replaced gasket on that. SOOOO needless to say $8600 later our C7 is fixed. It runs well now though.
Go to Top of Page

Thomasbus24
Administrator

USA
4544 Posts

Posted - 01/08/2015 :  09:44:55 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
1/2 the cost of a reman. Sickening how much money these engines eat up.
Go to Top of Page

eshover
Senior Member

146 Posts

Posted - 01/08/2015 :  11:11:36 AM  Show Profile  Visit eshover's Homepage  Reply with Quote
Labor cost was almost $5000. I thought the whole bill would be about $5000 but missed that by a quite a bit.
Go to Top of Page

bwest
Administrator

United States
3820 Posts

Posted - 01/09/2015 :  06:57:06 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Thomasbus24

1/2 the cost of a reman. Sickening how much money these engines eat up.



Yep, they are a pain if you don't have someone local that can do it for less than have the Cat dealer labor rate. Or do it yourself.

Bryan
Go to Top of Page

Thomas Ford 85-16
Top Member

USA
4177 Posts

Posted - 01/11/2015 :  5:50:28 PM  Show Profile  Visit Thomas Ford 85-16's Homepage  Send Thomas Ford 85-16 an AOL message  Reply with Quote
How many miles on the bus? All four in the fleet I was driving in were Blue Bird All American FEs and had the line between the compressor and air tank plumbed too small. Every few thousand miles the buses on routes with the worst hills would blow the air compressor head gasket. Signs were sudden overheating, loss of air pressure, and coolant spitting out of the dryer. It might be worth checking the diameter of your outlet pipe against what CAT says it should be.
Go to Top of Page

eshover
Senior Member

146 Posts

Posted - 01/12/2015 :  07:36:20 AM  Show Profile  Visit eshover's Homepage  Reply with Quote
It has 111000 miles on it. I will check the line to see what it has.
Thanks.

Bwest, I could have done the repair myself but our shop is only one usable bay so I would have tied it up for a couple weeks and I also don't have enough knowledge about the CATs to do the job correctly. Plus lifting the head off!!UFF DAA
Go to Top of Page
  Previous Topic Topic Next Topic  
 New Topic  Reply to Topic
 Printer Friendly
Jump To:
 


School Bus Fleet Magazine Forums © 2022 School Bus Fleet Magazine Go To Top Of Page
This page was generated in 0.09 seconds. Snitz Forums 2000