Justaguy

We'll be headed back in to Dallas Fort Worth on Sunday and we will end our 2 month, 4500 mile romp. The 337 has performed great! No issues. Well, no issues with the 337.

The Ford blew an inter cooler hose on the side of I-25 coming South out of Wyoming. This was the worst case scenario that you hope never happens. It was just starting to rain, traffic was heavy Southbound and we were between Nowhere Wyoming and Outthere Colorado. We had just started up a slight grade and the diesel asked for some turbo boost. The boost kicked in and then I heard a loud bang. I pulled over immediately and shut off the engine, hoping it was a china bomb tire.

I got out and looked around the rig. All tires were good. Dang! I will have to open the engine hood. Well, I opened the hood and noticed a little bit of oil had sprayed up on the underside of the hood. Dang again! (Dang was not really the word I was using.) Oil on anything not inside an engine is not a good thing. I climbed up on that front bumper and peered inside and noticed the inter cooler air hose had broken free from its bracket that is attached to the manifold. It all plastic and they are not attached with screw type hose clamps anymore. So, what to do?

I have Good Sam Road Side Assistance, I'll just call them. Well, what a waste of time that was!! They spent 30 minutes telling me what they couldn't do for me and then told me they would have to call me back. Well, Dang! (Dang was not really the word I used) 'Call back' are not the words you want to hear when it is raining, AND you're mad as heck. ( Heck is not really the word I want to use here) AND your wife is scared AND you know about a straight 6 1961 gas engine but nothing about a 2012 V-8 diesel beast. (Well, I do know how to change the oil, air, and fuel filters but there are no oil, air or fuel filters on an intercooler hose)

So Cindy, being the smart women that she is, started to call every Ford dealership within 150 miles, hoping there was someone to help us. Meanwhile, I get out my tools and begin to wonder how I am going to get out of this unfortunate (and wet) predicament. Hmmmm....wrenches....screwdrivers, sockets, plumbers putty, pliers, duct tape, drill driver, panty hose. (My dad always told me never to drive without a pair of women's nylons, wrenches, pliers and duct tape.) Well what do you know--duct tape! What does every red blooded, non-diesel mechanic, American male use to fix things!? Duct tape. I peeled off a big ol' piece of that silver, sticky, miracle working fabric and slapped it around that hose and attached it to the manifold with another piece. I made sure it was good by wrapping it all again (after all, if a little bit is good then more would be better). I got in and fired 'er up and heard the sweet sound of a diesel roar. It was going work....for how long? Who knows? But for right now, it was working and it worked for 65 miles until we got to a Ford dealership who replaced the part under warranty.

Alls well that ends well - with duct tape.