Hello everyone this is my first post. Some Background....

I am currently a shop foreman at a paving company. And While I know maintenance (was in the Air Force for 4 years working on C-5 aircraft) i have no idea about diesel engines. We have a lot of Cat Engines, perkins Gen, Cummins, Mack Truck, Allison trannys, Eaton Fuller, Tractors, a lot of hydr. etc.. at my current employer. Basically any combo you can think of, ive worked on, and not proficiently i might add.

Now i wanted to go to school at nights for diesel mechanics, but around here, they dont offer such things, so i have to resort to teaching myself, which ive done to other things before so im not worried about anything. Im not an idiot i just dont know this certain type of equipment...

Anyway, can you guys point me to some books or something so i can begin to teach myself. I would really appreciate it. I hate working somewhere and not knowing everything about what i am doing, i cant stand it.

thank you guys in advnace

 

Depends on what you want to do. Browse this site for suggestions on specific items you want to work on. Get a good shop manual for your vehicle.

AND - best of all - check for YouTube videos that describe work that you want to do! The available resources on the internet are amazing!!!

For the "big stuff" - again, check for shop manuals and look through them when you get the chance. If you gain experience working on your own equipment - it won't be too tough for it to translate to the bigger stuff you use at work.

Yes - you might find some good books on Amazon - get some used ones (and Amazon books will often have fairly decent reviews. Second hand books - pricing can be fairly reasonable, so even if the book turns out to be a dud - you won't have lost much!!

Best of luck. I work as an Electrical Engineer with the crane department - inside cranes are all electrical, but cranes on the water front might be mobile (diesel/hydraulic) or portal cranes that are diesel electric skids with electrical motors. I have stepped up to take lead on some of the diesel issues on some of the cranes (with the Mechanical Engineers willing to step aside .....but none of them have diesel powered vehicles at home, and I do, and do more auto/truck maintenance at home than they do!)

 

I dont really get your response. my apologies.

I dont work on my own "equipment".

Maybe i wasnt clear in my first post.

I have been hired at a paving company to Put together a maintenance program, because there is none in place. no records of maintenance, no records of servicing, no records of anything. With that being said, there are no service manuals, and until i arrived, there was hardly any Operation and Maintenance manuals...

So what i am looking for is books, or something, on what they would possibly give you in school about engines, hydr, trannys, 24v system, electrical, air brakes, Cat Engines, and whatever else you can think of.

The Shop, Works on anything from Case 7130 tractors, to CAT Motorgraders, and Asphalt pavers (google if you dont know what im talking about) just so you can see what i mean.

My Work isnt stuck into "just engines" but on the whole machine itself.

The reason i ask these questions is because Mechanics are hard to find, and we just fired a mechanic recently. And im tired of being behind, so if i take it upon myself i know that i can get enough done until we find a decent mechanic.

To have the knowledge to be able to be told "man i heard a loud noise, white smoke was pouring out, and it just stopped working" and then troubleshoot and start looking for things that could possibly be the problem.

This is what im looking for, in essence. I dont work on anything that i own because i dont own anything diesel and im not a car enthusiast.

I hope i was clear this time, but thanks for your response dude..

 

I would also buy the service manuals for the equipnment , or truck that you are working on.

 

Ditto on the service manuals. When I first started working on my 12v (and still to this day), I frequented a Haynes manual. Really useful resource.

 

I do the same with different types of machines..

I would start with calling up the mfg's and asking for service manuals, they generally all include maintenance schedules and change intervals etc.

you may or may not have to pay for them, but usually if you call up with a vin or serial number and tell them what your tasked with they should help you out.



then... you have to put in place a way for the service techs to know when each pc. needs work, and how to document it all.