madson95
06-16-2008, 04:34 AM
heading down to texas december 2007 , south of austin tx I guess I ran over a short section of rv sewer hose. wouldn't you know it ,it found its way up between the engine and into the fan. about a hundered small holes . looked like a shotgun was fired through it. by the time I noticed it going hot I was in the middle of bumper to bumper trafic, by the time I could get off I35 it was good and hot, above 220. stoped on the excess road and sprayed her down with water til I could get the cap off, and then filled it with water, it kept running just fine. drove to a TA station 'about 1/2 mile down the road to check it out further. found many small pices of sewer hose wire and small pices of the hose. they pulled the rad. and sent it to a shop, but it was beyond repair. sent to dallas for a new core [5 days] and then they put it back.while they were filling it thay came and asked me " how many gal of fluid dose this thing hold?, we have put in 22 gal and still not full" I went and pulled the dip stick , full of water. at least we know where the water went. well I called Stewart & stevens, the detroit shop in san antonio and they said they would get an estimate. now its christmas so took a few days.Thay pulled some inspection plates on the side of the engine and said "compleat overhaul" about $20,000. well, had to have the old girl so said Go ahead and work up an estimate. Now the tooth fairy part, while standing there I asked to use their phone to see if my insurance would cover this. Called and got a young lady and told her what had happened, she said "just a min" came back and said " everthing except your deductible" I said HONEY I LOVE YOU . now I belive in the tooth fairy! Took almost a mounth to get it fixed what with the hollidays.
side note. the wrecker co hooked it up using the front tow lugs. I questioned the driver on this and said "this thing is real heavy and would thy be strong enough. "WE use them all the time thats what thay are for." WELL ABOUT 10 MILES DOWN THE HIGHWAY GOING 65 MILES PER HR,one broke and he droped it. got it stoped and then hucked it under the front axel. when they got it to stewart&stevens he said " she sure is heavy, my front wheels come off the highway at each dip in the road." well thay fixed the damage to the front end ,about $6000,
So final cost' Just over $26000. that's for a compleat engine overhaul and new copper rad.
still can't belive that that piece of hose could get in that space , only about 5 in. between the eng and rad.
warren madson
40ft 85 newell
2001 new vw bug tow 4down
calmar IA.
side note. the wrecker co hooked it up using the front tow lugs. I questioned the driver on this and said "this thing is real heavy and would thy be strong enough. "WE use them all the time thats what thay are for." WELL ABOUT 10 MILES DOWN THE HIGHWAY GOING 65 MILES PER HR,one broke and he droped it. got it stoped and then hucked it under the front axel. when they got it to stewart&stevens he said " she sure is heavy, my front wheels come off the highway at each dip in the road." well thay fixed the damage to the front end ,about $6000,
So final cost' Just over $26000. that's for a compleat engine overhaul and new copper rad.
still can't belive that that piece of hose could get in that space , only about 5 in. between the eng and rad.
warren madson
40ft 85 newell
2001 new vw bug tow 4down
calmar IA.