Valve lash adjustment

Lake · 03-15-2006, 03:01 PM

My 04 Journey with 12K miles is due for a valve adjustment. What is a normal charge for this service? My local Caterpiller dealer wants $200. for this service. Is this charge about right, too high, or what have others been charged. My engine is the 330hp Cat.

Lake · 03-15-2006, 03:01 PM

My 04 Journey with 12K miles is due for a valve adjustment. What is a normal charge for this service? My local Caterpiller dealer wants $200. for this service. Is this charge about right, too high, or what have others been charged. My engine is the 330hp Cat.

smlranger · 03-15-2006, 03:41 PM

It is generally understood that with the motorhome applications, you can wait until your 4th oil change (or not more than 40,000 miles) before you do the valve adjustment. That is what my local CAT dealer told me and was confirmed by calling the CAT 1-800 number. I had mine done at 34,000 and the cost was about $400 at the local CAT truck engine service center. $200 sounds like a good deal...that is about what Freightliner at Gaffney told me they would do it for.

RedT · 03-16-2006, 04:49 AM

Had mine done at local Freightliner Service Center at 16,399 miles. Labor cost was $285.00. Wife insisted that I remove the bed prior to going (keep it clean) and, when the tech saw that, he deducted $50 labor. So, total bill for valve adjustment was $303.38

Zimectrin · 03-17-2006, 08:04 AM

A search of Valve Lash with get you a lot of info on this topic.

The Shadow · 03-17-2006, 08:19 PM

Best bet is to download the CAT maintenance instructions at

CAT maintenance

kenbt · 03-23-2006, 12:11 PM

My 2005 c-7 350 CAT owners manuel calles for the first valve adjustment at approx 11,000 Miles (first oil change) and then again at 100,000 miles that I understand CAT is changing to 150,000 miles. They quoted me $495 for the valve adj, but found an oil leak at the value cover that was covered by warranty, so the price was reduced to $350. So any price less than that is a great price

JRP · 03-23-2006, 05:31 PM

it's not called for "at" the first oil change, its called for "between" the first and fourth oil changes. The CAT team at FMCA Pomona this week gave a maint seminar and recommended we wait until 20-30K miles before getting the valve lash adj done.

Jim

CaptBill · 03-24-2006, 03:40 PM

Certified CAT mechanic came to my house (where I store the rig), and did it. I did all the prep work (move matress, raise bed platform, R&R access panel), and he charged me $75. Took him about an hour, (plus his drive time).

kenbt · 03-25-2006, 05:45 AM

JRP:
The required valve lash adjustment timing (mileage)is written in black and white in the CAT OWners Manuel under maintenance, and it was at first oil change or in my case 11,000 miles for my driving conditions

The Shadow · 03-25-2006, 07:03 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by kenbt:
JRP:
The required valve lash adjustment timing (mileage)is written in black and white in the CAT OWners Manuel under maintenance, and it was at first oil change or in my case 11,000 miles for my driving conditions </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Right but WRONG. That manual is also for OTR trucks. Go to the CAT RV website I linked and download THEIR document and you will see in BLACK and WHITE that the period for motorhomes to have the lashing done is much longer - 4 years.

Last year we had our first year service done on our Journey at Gaffney. I told the CAT people at the Tampa show I was going to have my valve lashing done. They had a cut-away of the C7 there and showed me what is done. Then they asked how old my MH was and the mileage. They said FAR TOO EARLY. I then asked the same question of the CAT fellow on the CAT yahoo forum. He agreed and mailed me the document that is now on their new web site. I asked FTL at Gaffney and got the same answer. So, anyone who has the work done at the end of the first year may be wasting money. I sure would have given I traded mine.

JRP · 03-25-2006, 07:11 AM

kenbt,

as is typical in these days of fast changing technologies, once a book is prepared, printed and distributed; its soon out of date. You'll find many things in your outdated owners manual that CAT has issued updated written policy changes on. You also find maint differences between truck use and motorhome use in the manual.
if we're still talking about a C7 used in a motorhome, the valve lash adj is due between the 1st and 4th oils changes, and CAT's recommendation is to have it done around 20,000 - 30,000 miles. thats in several written CAT motorhome maintenance documents. Dont take my word for it, make a quick call to 1-877-777-3126 and a CAT authorized tech will be happy to confirm it.
a search here on this subject shows that you've been corrected before on this same issue by others. why would you want to continue misleading folks.

Jim

kenbt · 03-26-2006, 06:18 AM

JPR:
No one is trying to mislead anyone, but when I was at my local authorized CAT repair center (Quinn) they not only told me that it was due, but showed it to me in my CAT Owners manuel. So if there is now an update to it so be it, but you never stated you had update info, you were just making a statement

kenbt · 03-26-2006, 06:37 AM

Just went to the link supplied by dleslie125 http://ohe.cat.com/cda/layout?m=72021&x=7 (cat maintenance for r/v) and its says the initial valve lash adjustment is anytime before 40,000 miles and 100,000 miles there after....so I guess everyone is right

Beabop · 03-31-2006, 06:20 PM

I called CAT today as we have an appointment with FL on Monday. Tec says still the same after 1st and before 4th oil change. He said most peo have it done at 20,000 but if we aren't stopping at Freightliner next year , that 13,000 isn't too soon and they do it cheaper than most anyone. We are having the lashings done and the M-2.