September 2005 while working at Hallam Truck Center as the workshop supervisor I took a day off my usual routine and joined the men on the workshop floor replacing an engine in a Kenworth.
At hand was Geezer, the older block of a chap and two apprentices Tom and Aaron.
Together we tackled the engine change-over and some 16 hours later the truck was back on the road.
Here are some photos of our fun filled day.
Engine out, now the fun begins.
Remove all the ancillaries, ECU and controls.
Removed the cylinder head to allow the customer to see where his money was going.
New caterpillar engine arrives, fresh out of a crate.
Getting ready to mate the engine to the transmission and fit both together.
No rest for the witched.
Engine and transmission mated together.
Geezer and myself making final adjustments before the engine and transmission go back into the truck.
That night at about 11:30 pm the truck was ready for a test drive.
Aaron was the designated driver and off we sped into the rain.
Our boss had stayed behind for the evening for moral support / crack the whip.
I could not resist the urge after a long day to have some fun and so after a great amount of begging Aaron agreed on the plan.
We parked the truck outside the Truck Center and walked back in the rain.
Pretending to be absolutely motherless we kept quite while everyone asked what has happened.
Eventually Aaron announced that the engine had blown up and we need to organize a tow truck.
We both learned quickly that not everyone shares our sense of humor at 12:30 at night.
We started laughing and all of a sudden no one believed us that there was nothing wrong with the truck.
So off Aaron went in the rain and fetched the truck.
Our boss was strawberry red in the face when he saw the truck purr into the workshop.
What can we say "boys will be boys"
Thank guy's - great day working with your.
