Hello Everyone
(Good Sam), stopped after passing a MB diesel box truck chugging along I75 south at 5 miles per hour while spewing the last dregs of coolant.
The truck staggered to a stop roughly 100 feet behind me.
I watched the driver reach for the key as the engine destroyed itself, the whole truck jumped, shook like a wet dog and something flew out the right front wheel well.
Shock and fear where obvious as I walked up to the truck.
There was a massive oil slick under the engine; stench cloud boiling from under the cab was unburnt diesel fuel, engine oil and coolant.
The driver climbed out shaking and ghost white.
I inquired about his health; he was OK, just badly shaken.
The engine has a hole roughly 5 inches, in the passenger side, with part of a piston rod sticking out, showed the driver, he promptly began cussing.
I drove him to the next exit, where his company yard was.
When asked why he continued to drive the truck; when he knew the cooling system was blown, he replied "well, I know that diesels do not get as hot as gas engines and with 18 degree temperature outside, I thought it would be OK".
I explained the error of his thinking and gave him the URL for this forum.
The driver is the company owner, 18 MB diesel bobtail trucks.
I hope he visits this forum before another MB truck is needlessly damaged.
He is about to get a sever case of sticker shock:
He thinks to get a factory new engine for a 5 year old MB diesel truck for $2500.00 USD, it took firm self control to not laugh out loud.
Have a great day.