Ok, so anyone who read my last days diary will know I had a bit of a nightmare They asked for me back today to drive ‘the biggun’ as they put it and I thought it’d be sound since I (sort of) knew the crack from last time.
How wrong I was Today was interesting to say the least. Turned up at 9AM and was asked to back the lorry in to the unit so they could load it up. It was a 26Tonne ERF ECS and there was definitely something not right about it… I think they said it was 37 foot long or something, no problem I thought, until they loaded a steel beam on to the top that over hung about 4 foot over the back and not much less over the top of the cab. Felt like I was driving a bloody car transporter! It was a 4 over 4 which I’ve never driven before (learnt in a straight 6 splitter) so I had to work out what I was doing with that. One of the warehouse lads said “Err, it’s got a clicky gear thing this one, do you know how to do it cos I don’t.” LOL - I’m sure I’ll work it out. Now this is where the problems begin, I’m fairly sure there was something horribly wrong with the wagon. If I tried to pull off in 3rd it just about got going but I’d have my foot flat down for about 5 minutes before we got anywhere by which time 13 fully loaded artics had already overtaken me… If I pulled off in second it’d rev up extrmely quickly, get up to about 5 mph and then I’d have to change to third and wait 5 minutes for it to catch up. Now I know it was fully loaded but is this normal? To be able to move away at the lights at any speed mildly close to reasonable I was having to use ALL the gears (except 1st) and from what I can gather you’d never usually have to do that…
Anyway… I eventually got to the first drop which was about 25 mile ish away and they took their delivery off which was all of about half a ton so made [zb] all difference… got on to the M1 and I could not for the life of me get the damned thing above 45mph. I was flat to the floor in 7th then 8th and it just wasn’t happening. Next thing I know, I look down and it says STOP on the dash, accompanied by a picture of a thermometer. Uh-oh Naturally I panicked a bit but pulled on to the hard shoulder and got out. The thing was red hot and stunk like hell. I’d checked the water and oil that morning so it wasn’t that. Rang the office and they sent a mechanic out. He couldn’t work out what was wrong and couldn’t tilt the cab as there was a dirty great lump of steel above it. About 45ish minutes later he told me he’d follow me down to the next junction to see how it was. By this time of course it had cooled down and seemed ok, got up to 56 and so he said you might as well just carry on with the deliveries. Carried on a few miles further and glanced down at the temperature guage… red hot again. Great . Rang the office again and the gaffer said he’d already put the deliveries off until tomorrow just head back. I slowed down to about 45/50 and it cooled down again so I managed to get it back to the yard.
When I got back the gaffer was naturally a bit pished since it ment he had to unload it all and was struggling for tomorrow. Felt a bit bad but it wasn’t my fault He said he’s going to need me back tomorrow though which is cool, although I am a little traumatised by today .
What’s anybodies thoughts whose perhaps drove an ECS, seems a very odd problem. Combined with the getting up to speed thing as well, hard one for me to call that though as I’ve never driven a four over four or a fully loaded 26tonner for that matter so I don’t really know what it should be like.
4 over 4 is normally a H-shaped pattern with a top/bottom left leg for reverse. After going 2nd, 3rd, 4th, you should flick the switch on the gear level and go back to 1st (which is now 5th as you’re in high box) and then 2nd, 3rd, 4th again (now 6th, 7th, 8th). From what you said about it doing 5mph in 2nd then having to floor it in the next gear for ages before it builds up any speed, it sounds like you’re flicking the switch after 2nd and then putting it straight into 7th. You should only flick the switch when changing from 4th to 5th when going up the box.
Are you sure it isn’t an 8 speed slap-across box? (no switch on the lever) This gives you 1-4 normally then you put it in neutral and push the lever hard over to the right and it sort of goes across a ridge, then you are in high box 5-8. If this is the box you’ve got then you’re probably going from 2nd and pushing the lever too far to the right and pushing it into high box 5th.
As you know I had one when I was training, so was empty and can only go from this. I never used 2nd gear but 3rd gear was very short which is how they are designed lower gears have a shorter ratio. I would agree there was a serious fault with the motor with the over heating
Considering that you had weight on and was having to pull away in 2nd, did you try 2nd, 3rd, then up to 5th but by what you have written this wouldnt of worked.
To be honest mate I think it was more of a fault with the truck rather than you sounds like it has something wrong some where that is restricting the power.
That is about as much help as I can offer mate as I aint no mechanic lol.
On the plus side they also must understand that it is a problem with the truck and not you otherwise they wouldn’t of wanted you back again, you never know you might get a decent motor tomorrow.
Good luck with tomorrow
To Rob K, if it is the same as the one I drove which I think it would be its a 4 over 4
Rob, it was definitely a 4 over 4 and I wasn’t going from 2nd to 7th. I’d do 2nd, (left and down) then up to 3rd, then I’d really have to do 4th before flicking the switch up and going in to 5th (where 1st is) or it would struggle. It was a different sort of struggling to the wrong gear struggle if you get me, like it just seemed that the thing was vastly underpowered.
Lol no worries Macca, it’d be difficult for you tell anyway as yours would’ve been empty so it’s bit of a different ball game!
chris_89:
Rob, it was definitely a 4 over 4 and I wasn’t going from 2nd to 7th. I’d do 2nd, (left and down) then up to 3rd, then I’d really have to do 4th before flicking the switch up and going in to 5th (where 1st is) or it would struggle. It was a different sort of struggling to the wrong gear struggle if you get me, like it just seemed that the thing was vastly underpowered.
Lol no worries Macca, it’d be difficult for you tell anyway as yours would’ve been empty so it’s bit of a different ball game!
Are you sure you’re putting it into the 1st gate after changing into high box from 4th? Sounds like you’re putting it into 3rd gate (7th) instead of 1st gate (5th). Try to find all the gates with the ignition on and the clutch out. I’m guessing that reverse is to the left of 1st? When you put it in high box, push it as far left and up as you can go - you might find it goes into reverse (listen for the bleeper and hence why you need the ignition on) but you might find that the 5th gate is next it, but very close. Sometimes the gates get stiff and you need to give the lever a bit of help to find them.
EDIT: Just re-reading the bit I’ve highlighted bit, you should ALWAYS use every gear on a 6 or 8 speed box, with the exception of 1st unless you’re on a steep uphill gradient or at full weight. If you’re changing from 3rd then flicking switch and going straight to 5th then that’s your problem. Why are you missing out 4th?
Sounds like a reasonably heavily loaded, slightly weary ERF to me! Sounds as if you’re driving it properly as far as I can say. But some trucks are abismally underpowered - and by the time they’ve done a million miles and you get it -
One day, you’ll have a decent truck that isn’t past it’s best. At least you’ve got a start. All the best
Thanks Rob, it’s hard to explain but I can assure you I’m putting it in 5th. Reverse is left through the gate and up. I spent most of the time NOT missing out 4th but I only did it for a bit as a few people have said about this block changing wotsit.
A superb driving method - - but only with a fit motor and preferably not heavily loaded. From what you describe, I’d stick to “sequential” changing. Also less confusing whilst you get used to a range change. But you seem to be doing fine. Don’t worry about it. It’ll all be better in a bit!
chris_89:
Thanks Rob, it’s hard to explain but I can assure you I’m putting it in 5th. Reverse is left through the gate and up. I spent most of the time NOT missing out 4th but I only did it for a bit as a few people have said about this block changing wotsit.
There’s no hard fast rules on block changing, but as a general rule you only do it when you’re running empty and it’s generally only done on artics with range change and splits (you’ve only got range change on your ERF). If you’re block changing on a 6 or 8 speed box with no splits then all you’ll be doing is killing the clutch and sending the fuel bill skyward. Artics have the power and torque to handle block changing if you’re running light or empty, but rigids don’t have enough of either and they don’t usually have splits. Stick to 2nd to 8th going through every gear - you should be in the green band (or very close to) in every gear. If you change gear and find yourself off the bottom of the dial down at 800-1000 revs then you’re in the wrong gear and need to change down a cog.
Ok mate, cheers for that! I’ve never had anyone show me how to use the box so I just tried to work it out myself which is probably why I was going wrong. And as for the straps thing, the place doesn’t even have any chains they just seem to use straps. I’ve seen a million and one flatbeds with straps on steel, that doesn’t mean it’s right though
Just a thought - did it have a splitter as well? When I first drove a slap over with half gears I was all over the place! Not that anything’s changed Once I got used to it I thought it was the best thing I’d ever used, and am still of that opinion. I found it especially useful if fully loaded.
grumpybum:
Just a thought - did it have a splitter as well? When I first drove a slap over with half gears I was all over the place! Not that anything’s changed Once I got used to it I thought it was the best thing I’d ever used, and am still of that opinion. I found it especially useful if fully loaded.
Ok, having read Rob k’s post, it obviously wasn’t that!
chris_89:
Ok mate, cheers for that! I’ve never had anyone show me how to use the box so I just tried to work it out myself which is probably why I was going wrong. And as for the straps thing, the place doesn’t even have any chains they just seem to use straps. I’ve seen a million and one flatbeds with straps on steel, that doesn’t mean it’s right though
I’m not the best person to advise on steel securing as I only did it for a short period of time a long longgggggggg time ago on a 7.5 tonner for a place in Todmorden. However, from what I was taught it was chains on anything with edges (as it will slice through the strap if it moves) and straps only on stuff with no edges, like bars etc, but you’d still need to chock them to stop them moving around. You need to seek clarification from the experienced steel carriers on here, but I’ve never seen straps used to carry beams, they’ve always been chained.
chains on anything with edges (as it will slice through the strap if it moves) and straps only on stuff with no edges, like bars etc, but you’d still need to chock them to stop them moving around.
None of the beams had any edges sharp enough to cut through the strap, was all pretty sort of rounded. The flat sheets sat between wooden blocks as you say so didn’t come in to contact with the strap.
Grumpybum: No splitter on it mate and it was definitely 4 over 4, I may be young but I’m not that daft
Thanks for the advice on that then boys, I’ll remember that for the next time I drive one to sue all the gears. Out of interest by the way, I may be driving their 57 plate daf CF tomorrow, which gearbox do they have?
Not sure re CF. Been a long time since I drove rigids. Probably same as the CF/XF artic box but without the splits, so probably a 4 over 4 with range change again.
Ooh, and I inadvertantly parked next to that Luke chap who does the funny video diaries at leicester forest services. Didn’t speak to him or anything though as I didn’t really know what to say
They asked for me back today to drive ‘the biggun’ as they put it and I thought it’d be sound since I (sort of) knew the crack from last time.
Today was interesting to say the least. Turned up at 9AM and was asked to back the lorry in to the unit so they could load it up. It was a 26Tonne ERF ECS and there was definitely something not right about it… I think they said it was 37 foot long or something, no problem I thought, until they loaded a steel beam on to the top that over hung about 4 foot over the back and not much less over the top of the cab. Felt like I was driving a bloody car transporter! It was a 4 over 4 which I’ve never driven before (learnt in a straight 6 splitter) so I had to work out what I was doing with that. One of the warehouse lads said “Err, it’s got a clicky gear thing this one, do you know how to do it cos I don’t.” LOL - I’m sure I’ll work it out. Now this is where the problems begin, I’m fairly sure there was something horribly wrong with the wagon. If I tried to pull off in 3rd it just about got going but I’d have my foot flat down for about 5 minutes before we got anywhere by which time 13 fully loaded artics had already overtaken me… If I pulled off in second it’d rev up extrmely quickly, get up to about 5 mph and then I’d have to change to third and wait 5 minutes for it to catch up. Now I know it was fully loaded but is this normal? To be able to move away at the lights at any speed mildly close to reasonable I was having to use ALL the gears (except 1st) and from what I can gather you’d never usually have to do that…
. Rang the office again and the gaffer said he’d already put the deliveries off until tomorrow just head back. I slowed down to about 45/50 and it cooled down again so I managed to get it back to the yard.
He said he’s going to need me back tomorrow though which is cool, although I am a little traumatised by today 
.
Once I got used to it I thought it was the best thing I’d ever used, and am still of that opinion. I found it especially useful if fully loaded.