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Suckin Rags

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Thought I had nearly seen it all. 2003 Ambulance dropped off with low power, blowing black smoke and consuming oil. No codes and normal diagnostics showed nothing until I performed the boost test. Huh? I installed a manual gage to verify the MAP sensor... Vacuum? /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/scratchhead.gif

 

Air filter was clean so I pulled the intake tubes and checked the turbo to discover it was locked up. I removed it and found what was left of a rag in the compressor then I found some shredded cloth in the intake screens. When I pulled the housing apart there was damage to most of the fins. Sorry guys, I didn't have my camera and they towed it out after hearing that the damage was not covered by the warranty.

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gotta love it! i had a mack that a new tech was doing a head job on.i seen it start up from the parts room and was saying wow thats an abnormal amount of smoke. Only difference was this know it all left the rags actually in the intake ports. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/hitthefan.gif well somebody turned up the heat upstairs thats for sure. To mention it i think that was his last job.

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I had something similar last year... the local Penske garage replaced a fuel filter on an Econoline, and the engine would not run afterwards. Turns out they must have started it to check for leaks without moving the filter box and wrap, and it sucked the plastic wrap from the new filter into the turbo and locked it up.

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Had a '00 I was replacing a bent push rod on the left bank. The truck was so dirty that I put a rag over the master to keep crap off my elbow. Another tech started the truck for me so I could watch the valvetrain in action. He revved the truck and instantly the rag was picked up off the master and spit out the turbo like confetti. I was amazed, I had always heard stories about these things but never seen it first hand.

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Thought I had nearly seen it all. 2003 Ambulance dropped off with low power, blowing black smoke and consuming oil. No codes and normal diagnostics showed nothing until I performed the boost test. Huh? I installed a manual gage to verify the MAP sensor... Vacuum? /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/scratchhead.gif

 

 

Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. Had a 7.3 in with a rag in the turbo inlet. Complaint: lack of power. I've also seen plastic shopping bags, leaves, and newspaper blocking air filters with similar complaints. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif

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MIGHT BE OFF A LITTLE BIT, BUT WAS IN SCHOOL IN OHIO ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO.THE CLASS WAS DETROIT DIESEL REBUILD AND THE INSTRUCTER LOVED TO TURN THE BUFFER SCREW IN SO THE IDLE WAS HIGH AND WOULDN'T COME DOWN. WELL A GUY WHO PROBABLY WAS SKINNY WHEN HE WAS ABOUT 2 STARTED HIS AND IT RAN HIGH IDLE AND HE THOUGHT IT WAS A RUN AWAY AND PLOPPED HIS BIG ASS ONTO THE INTAKE TO "SMOTHER IT". WELL ABOUT ALL HE GOT WAS A BIG AZZZZ HICKEY ON HIS BIG AZZZZ. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cover.gif THE INSTRUCTOR ASKED HIM WHY IN THE HELL, HIS ANSWER WAS THE RAG ENGINE SHUTDOWN NEVER WORKED!

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Anybody else ever see a /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/rolleyes.gif impeccably maintained /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/rolleyes.gif 99 or so come in for no power and find the air cleaner element MISSING only to find it sucked into the intake tube/turbo and the plastic post from the cover stuck in the turbo?. what was left of the filter must have weighed about 5 lbs. I wish I had a camera in my box back then, that photo would be priceless

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I had a junior tech that replaced intake manifold gaskets on a 5.9 Cummins and was surprised to find that on restart it had a misfire and one loose valve noise. He asked me to have a listen and I suggested that he check the valve clearance. Both valves on one cylinder were loose from the rag that he stuffed in the intake port while cleaning the intake gasket with a whizzy-wheel. He also found the turbine stuffed with shredded cloth; it's a short trip from the cylinder head to the turbo on a Cummins.

 

I was surprised that the valves were not bent, it had good compression after the rag bits were removed.

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  • 2 months later...

Seen a guy with a 7.3 that was running away. stuck a telephone book. one of the 1 foot thick ones and it just sucked it page by page into the intake. not funny to the customer that was standing right there. but was a site to see.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Once had an econline with no power concern, found air box previously replaced and pieces of old one in valley. When removed to inspect further found remains of a family of mice, Customer took away once found not warranty and cleaned it out, never saw again.

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