gslader
Well-known member
- 106
- 288
- 63
- Location
- California
So I picked up a 2003 M1078a1 last week with 8,700 miles on it. What a learning experience this has been so far - all part of the journey. I picked it up late on a Friday in Idaho and drove it 500 miles overnight to California on what was a relatively uneventful drive. The prior owner installed the higher ratio gears and it seems to cruise pretty happily in the upper 60s. It also has an aftermarket 12v material handling crane and 100 gallon transfer tank (plumbed but not currently wired) - other than that it is pretty stock. The highlight so far was that the AHU had no hydraulic fluid and would not raise the cab (obviously) when I purchased it so I assumed it had a massive leak as many have experienced. However, after filling with hydraulic fluid it raised the cab and lowered the spare tire and I have not yet seen any visible leaks after 24 hours (fingers crossed).
Here are the things I’ve checked so far and would appreciate any input for things I missed (which I’m sure is a lot):
- Checked all fluid (all were good except AHU - see below)
- Filters (all replaced July 2021 with the exception of fuel/water filter)
- Can find no record of air dryer being serviced so have rebuild kit on hand - how often should the air system exhaust? It happens on mine every 10 - 15 mins while driving; is that too often?
- Grease Ports: All grease ports are taking grease right now
- U-joints: no discernible play
- Gear case: No visible cracks
- Cab bushings: Driver side cab bushing is cracked significantly - will need to address
- Cab Air-ride Springs: They inflate but it doesn’t feel right, it might be the leveling switch is faulty and I can also hear air escaping from them after shut down so I will likely just upgrade to MME’s air ride set-up
On my radar but haven’t checked yet:
- Drive-shaft balancing
- Check service planetary hubs
- Drivers door lock requires that the key be turned twice to open the door - given how often these door latches/locks fail and their track record I assume this is failing but still operable and will need to be replaced at some point
Known issues:
- Fuel guage is pegged at full; which I believe means an open circuit; need to trouble shoot
- There is a hydraulic line off what I believe is the power steering unit (just saw it this evening) that appears to have been pinched and while it is not leaking it should be replaced
- Ether bottle inoperative: Either valve is broken or empty bottle - new bottle is on order
Work done so far - very pedestrian:
- New weather stripping on both doors
- Replaced headlights with Truck-Lite 27270c
I’ve started to do some work on it and have been reading the TM like the Bible it is. There are a few things that I am still scratching my head over though. I picked up four new 6TL batteries and was in the process of installing them when I realized a) I need to make new battery leads and b) the existing batteries are wired incorrectly (see below). The truck seems to run fine with the batteries in the current configuration but interesting the front set of batteries indicates 12.8v and the rear set of batteries indicates 13.6v. When I load tested the batteries the rear set load tested fine while the front two indicated they should be replaced. Anyone seen this before?
Also, I have seen several videos of truck cabs with a 12v switch on the instrument panel (again below) but it isn’t referenced in the TM (I only have a0 manual) and I can’t find reference to it when I google. Can anyone help out with what it is for?
I also have a safety toggle switch next to the STE/ICE-R port. In the A0 TM in indicates there is a reset switch there but it doesn’t show the form factor that I have. I assume that is what it is but any confirmation would be great.
Here are the things I’ve checked so far and would appreciate any input for things I missed (which I’m sure is a lot):
- Checked all fluid (all were good except AHU - see below)
- Filters (all replaced July 2021 with the exception of fuel/water filter)
- Can find no record of air dryer being serviced so have rebuild kit on hand - how often should the air system exhaust? It happens on mine every 10 - 15 mins while driving; is that too often?
- Grease Ports: All grease ports are taking grease right now
- U-joints: no discernible play
- Gear case: No visible cracks
- Cab bushings: Driver side cab bushing is cracked significantly - will need to address
- Cab Air-ride Springs: They inflate but it doesn’t feel right, it might be the leveling switch is faulty and I can also hear air escaping from them after shut down so I will likely just upgrade to MME’s air ride set-up
On my radar but haven’t checked yet:
- Drive-shaft balancing
- Check service planetary hubs
- Drivers door lock requires that the key be turned twice to open the door - given how often these door latches/locks fail and their track record I assume this is failing but still operable and will need to be replaced at some point
Known issues:
- Fuel guage is pegged at full; which I believe means an open circuit; need to trouble shoot
- There is a hydraulic line off what I believe is the power steering unit (just saw it this evening) that appears to have been pinched and while it is not leaking it should be replaced
- Ether bottle inoperative: Either valve is broken or empty bottle - new bottle is on order
Work done so far - very pedestrian:
- New weather stripping on both doors
- Replaced headlights with Truck-Lite 27270c
I’ve started to do some work on it and have been reading the TM like the Bible it is. There are a few things that I am still scratching my head over though. I picked up four new 6TL batteries and was in the process of installing them when I realized a) I need to make new battery leads and b) the existing batteries are wired incorrectly (see below). The truck seems to run fine with the batteries in the current configuration but interesting the front set of batteries indicates 12.8v and the rear set of batteries indicates 13.6v. When I load tested the batteries the rear set load tested fine while the front two indicated they should be replaced. Anyone seen this before?
Also, I have seen several videos of truck cabs with a 12v switch on the instrument panel (again below) but it isn’t referenced in the TM (I only have a0 manual) and I can’t find reference to it when I google. Can anyone help out with what it is for?
I also have a safety toggle switch next to the STE/ICE-R port. In the A0 TM in indicates there is a reset switch there but it doesn’t show the form factor that I have. I assume that is what it is but any confirmation would be great.