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That time a valve spring broke on a 3406 in the middle of I-80 near Laramie

Had a customer's Pete lose power climbing a grade at 4am, pulled the valve cover and found a broken spring on cylinder 4, swapped it out with a spare I keep in the truck, and had him rolling inside 90 minutes, anyone else carry extra springs for the old Cats?
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3 Comments
kim191
kim1911mo ago
Damn right I carry extras. Got a whole box of valve springs and keepers in my service body. Never know when those old 3406s are gonna spit one out. Had almost the same thing happen on a 3406B outside of Rawlins. Lost power pulling a hill, shut it down quick. Found two broken springs on number 5 cylinder. Took a little longer than 90 minutes but had him back on the road. Those old mechanical Cats are tough but the valve springs are a weak spot. Especially when they get old and heat cycled a bunch. Always keep spares on hand. Smart move having a spare in the truck. Saves a tow bill and a whole lot of headache.
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jakeb25
jakeb251mo ago
Yeah I'm the guy who carries a full set of valve springs but forgets his own lunch half the time. Handy for the truck, useless for my growling stomach.
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grant.sam
grant.sam21d ago
Tbh how often do you actually see the springs go bad vs just having a sticky valve or a keeper come loose?
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