Quote:
Originally Posted by alaskanloggr
Thanks for the replies.The MH I bought is a 2004 " ALFA See Ya" 40' DP WITH 48,000 miles with Turbo Cat 330hp.Looks like I will get about 7 miles per gallon.I have owned a lot of Log Trucks both off highway as well as highway trucks.Hauled on the logging roads of S.E.Alaska,so the driving part won't be hard to get used to.All the different systems in the RV can't be to hard to learn.I have joined Alfa See Ya club,has to be a lot of knowledge there.Looking forward to meeting some of you,and after 43yrs of living in Alaska I'm also looking forward to getting out of here for the winter.
Alaskan Logger
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Alaskan Logger,
First off, congrats on your purchase. You state your coach is an '04, correct? Well, depending on your chassis production date in late '03, it may or may not have the C-7 version CAT 330HP. If it was produced primarily before Sept of '03, it's highly possible you're going to have the 3126 version of the CAT 330HP.
There's some differences but, not too many. Both are very good motors and, run just about the same in all aspects. Now, you also state your coach is a 40' one. Well, in all reality, don't expect too much over 7 mpg out of it at all. In fact, it will primarily hover around 6.5 - 7 for most of the time, depending on driving habits, what you're towing, WHERE you're driving, i.e. up a lot of grades, and a lot more.
Now, a couple of very important points here. With either the C-7 or the 3126, you want to make darn sure that you know just EXACTLY how much oil is either put in at oil change, or is in it now. About 99.99% of the C-7s came from the factory with the smaller, steel oil pan. If yours is one which, I highly expect it is, the max oil your engine will take after an oil change is NINETEEN QUARTS (19). There were bulletins etc. for this issue from both CAT and Freightliner about this.
If the incorrect amount of oil, as in too much is added to the engine after an oil change, the result was splashing and foaming of oil in the crank case and, that lead to oil being inserted into the blow-by system. When that happens, you now have excessive blow-by exiting from the blow-by tube. When that happens, guess what, your toad get's an oil bath. Good for rust prevention but, looks like crap and is a pain to get off.
So, that's something for you to investigate. When 19 quarts are installed, the dip stick is marked for the correct amount so you have a reference point to use for checking and service.
That leads to the next point. CAT and Freightliner both sent that chassis to your coach builder with a blow-by tube that is possibly at the incorrect length. There were recalls and bulletins about that too. Kits were designed to lengthen those blow-by tubes and extend them to the rear of the coach.
IF, that coach of yours has been operating with the Blow-by tube as sent from the factory, it's quite possible that you have the cooling fins on both the CAC and the radiator massively coated with blow-by mist and road and dust debris. That will lead to over heating on even the slightest of hills/grades.
If, your blow-by tube has been extended, and the proper maintenance has been performed on the radiator and CAC for cleaning, you might be in perfect shape and have no heating problems what so ever. You'll have to inspect all of what's been described to see where your coach stands.
If your engine is the earlier 3126 330HP CAT, it will have a zerk fitting on the fan hub housing. That zerk is quite often over looked and, it's a very, very important lube point to keep your engines fan hub from grenading at any given time. Some on here have created a special addition little hose that extends that zerk fitting to a more easily accessed point for lube purposes. That zerk is one pain in the a$$ to get to. Something else to check.
One more thing. Because your coach was built in the time frame it was, you may or, may not have only ONE FUEL FILTER. It will be located at the rear of the coach, visible from the back. But, it's also possible you can have two. The other one will be tucked into the engine compartment. That one is a bit of a pain to change but, doable. The one on the rear is easy.
There's a bit more to advise you on either of the version CATs but, that's enough for now for you to browse around and check on. Good luck with your new coach, have a great time using it and do enjoy getting in to warmer climates. "Ice Road Trucker"..
Scott