More Caterpillar Mayhem

Any suggestions on which JB Weld to use for this application?

Kevin

With the way the head of the ALLEN bolt is bent I can't think of any JB Weld that would ever be strong enough. Looks to me welding might(???) work but replacing the part and bolt is the only solution IMO.

If you want to try JB Weld, as you asked, the original long cure JB Weld epoxy is (according to JB Weld) is the strongest when finally cured.

https://www.jbweld.com/our-videos

The adjuster isn't actually bent. It's got a foot that swivels. Just happened to land that way when I set it down. It's an exhaust rocker for a 3406E/C15 Cat. You think Hemi valve train parts are $$$.

They are fairly famous for breaking which astonishes me given it's almost an inch thick solid $teel and these run almost nothing for spring pressure, 55 closed 180 open.

It's a paper weight now. Lol

Kevin

Seems they have a small wall thickness & it's cast iron.

Oops is that a swivel tappet and that's why it looks like an Allen bolt head (bent head)?

This looks like an improved version of the same part number 1085896, but I may be wrong? They are asking $110 for it on ebag.

Also there's one on ebag that shows it for $32 but when you go to the link it's listed for $50???

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2645989487...ustomid=aa86f19ee61d171a384c92bc7e6e16fa

Cat is pretty proud of their's.

Kevin

https://www.ebay.com/itm/264598948774?

this work ? the add says $32.50 with $50.00 crossed out.

You installed this yourself ? I looked at the bill and it doesn’t look like they did the labour but maybe that was a different invoice ? Which prefix of cat have you got I’m wondering. Did this make a bunch of noise when it broke or how did you notice something was wrong. I have a cat in my truck and I’m interested to know what happened here.

I'm thinking this is a joke. Regardless, I'd call the good folks at Rocker Arms Unlimited and see what the they have to say. They just repaired an Isky adjustable rocker for me.

Cat definitely makes the money on the back end of the sale.. We're assigned a parts rep when we buy new machines..We have to go through him to get a better price on the needed parts.. The dealership parts counter people will absolutely rake you over the coals if you run it through there...

$270 for a single rocker arm and a core charge on top of that? Even though that's Canadian money it's still crazy.

CAT = Can't Afford This... lol

Kevin

Yes, the install was over and above. Took an hour plus the service call. About another $300.

Kevin

Made me think of BMW = Bring More Wallets

It's a 3406E. 1LW prefix.

Kevin

Yes, it's cast. Not sure what I was thinking other than the roller end is machined all sides and looks like billet.

Those casting marks do give it away tho...

Kevin

Welcome to the wonderful world of Caterpillar.
Makes Gen II Hemi stuff look economical...

Kevin

I think I'd at least give the JB Weld a try

That fracture looks like a “fatigue crack” that started at a “stress concentration edge” that the original part designers never should allowed to stay in the final design.

The “improved part” from the ebay ad does look superior.

If you absolutely had to repair that - braze it - not weld it or JB Weld Epoxy.
Prior to brazing add steel stiffeners above and below as clearance allows.

Instead of throwing the broken part away,
package it up and mail it to:

Department of Mechanical Engineering
Duke University
Durham NC
attn: Failure Analysis Class

Add a short note saying that you suggest
a 4th year engineering student take on what caused this part to fail for their end of class project,
and that many hundreds of these parts are/were in service around the USA.
( Students are always looking for a worthwhile failure to investigate)

Both CAT and Cummins hire 2-3 Duke students per year,
although the majority of Duke mechanical engineering students are Navy ROTC
(and us taxpayers pay their +$75,000 year tuition)

I'm planning to have a lamp made out of it and some other assorted failures from this engine.

Kevin

How many hours/miles on that 3406E ?

In the 1980s it was the repeated failures of $27,000 CAT turbochargers on 992 front end loaders that gave me heartburn.
$27K back then would be $90K today.

Years later when reading WW-II history I learned that turbochargers were a huge headache on aviation engines.

My 3208 fun was in the 90s. The Air Force sent their Oshkosh snow removal trucks back to be reengined and zero timed. They even got new registration numbers assigned.
Oshkosh even cut a smoking deal on the program. Only thing was the 3208s had been discontinued a year or two prior.
Sourcing parts was a lot harder than it should be.

The first time it croaked was Jan 2018 at 750k, dropped a liner. Cut a corner I should have went around on the inframe when I only replaced 2 injectors. 8 months later it split an injector tip and smoked #2 piston and liner. June 2020 it broke the crank.

Currently has 1.1 million on it.

My buddy has a 5EK series that lost an injector tip at 1.1 million. That overhaul has 1.6 million and counting.

Kevin