BajaNomad

Diesel Mechanics in Baja?? What spare parts do you carry?

DawnPatrol - 3-10-2014 at 08:17 AM

Just to compile a list....
Have any recommendations of DIESEL mechanics in major towns in Baja?

I heard private citizen Mexicans don't or weren't able to own diesels in the past, only businesses....

Local parts stores don't really carry diesel parts for that reason (found that out a couple years ago--now carry a minor parts store in my truck-LOL)

Any good diesel mechanicos out there???

In that same vein.... what kind of emergency spare parts do you carry, be it gas or diesel....

I carry all filters, belts, water hoses, idler pulley, throttle position sensor, EGR valve, coolant, oil, a couple tool boxes, jacks, tow rope, come-along, air compressor, tire plug kit, small inverter, hand-held VHF radios to converse between vehicles, first aid kit, blankets, probably more parts that I cant think of right now....
what do you have

*** Oh, I have a 2006 Ford F250 4WD SuperDuty****

[Edited on 3-10-2014 by DawnPatrol]

larryC - 3-10-2014 at 08:23 AM

Same stuff you do plus a ipr elec connector and a fuel pump. Had to buy a fuel pump in Santa Rosalia and it cost me $300 plus 2 days waiting for it to arrive.

ford

captkw - 3-10-2014 at 08:29 AM

if you have the 6.0 motor your in for a world of hurt !! and I'm not Joking !!! EGR cooler,,Oil cooler,,,turbo vane issues and a host of well known problems !!!If you have the 6.0 motor you might want to join the class action suit !!!:lol:

monoloco - 3-10-2014 at 08:33 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by captkw
if you have the 6.0 motor your in for a world of hurt !! and I'm not Joking !!! EGR cooler,,Oil cooler,,,turbo vane issues and a host of well known problems !!!If you have the 6.0 motor you might want to join the class action suit !!!:lol:
I believe that's referred to as the six leaker.

dtbushpilot - 3-10-2014 at 09:02 AM

Or you could just buy a Dodge and only take beer and flip flops....

RAM Tough

bajaguy - 3-10-2014 at 09:08 AM

Get a Dodge............

Cummins diesel service located in all major Baja cities. I would even venture there are Cummins mechanics/parts available in locations wherever there are large agricultural operations to service the diesel ag equipment.

DawnPatrol - 3-10-2014 at 09:14 AM

LOL to the above... knew all the prior 6.0 issues that started in 2003 when they put the vehicle in the marketplace too soon... yes, those early models earned a bad rap.

By 2006 they had ironed most of the OEM issues out.

I found a pristine one with no OASIS issues and only 60K miles for $20,000 and included a $4000 camper shell.

Put $8K in it to address and upgrade all problems:
Bulletproof 6 phase FICM
Bullettproof Billet water pump
Bulletproof HD bypass oil cooler
Sinister coolant filter
ARP head studs
Blue spring fuel pump upgrade
etc etc

Now for $28K I have a vehicle that is running great and can burn the low sulphur diesel. Don't have to spend $65K on a new one that can't

I know everyone has their car make allegiance.....

Its all good

[Edited on 3-10-2014 by DawnPatrol]

dtbushpilot - 3-10-2014 at 09:46 AM

Or buy a 2006 Dodge like mine. Stock everything, 200,000 or so miles mostly in Baja, no fuel issues. I don't even open the hood any more..:biggrin::biggrin:

Guess I shouldn't have said anything, it will probably fall apart now:O:O

[Edited on 3-10-2014 by dtbushpilot]

Dodge Ram Cummings Diesel

moonraker1 - 3-10-2014 at 11:07 AM

Got a 2001 with the 5.9. Replaced the original fuel pump, new brakes, tires and now close to 200,000 miles. Run Amsoil Synthetic Lubes in Engine and NV5600 6 speed. Long wheel based 2 wheel drive not do very good in sand, but will pull most anything I have hooked up. Gets better than 20 on the highway and about 17 towing. One half the parts in the engine as the sup duty diesel. Rarely open the hood also. Loves the Mexican Diesel.

DawnPatrol - 3-10-2014 at 11:26 AM

Ok Dodges are great
:)

But, anyone knows of towns that actually have diesel repair people???

bajaguy - 3-10-2014 at 11:31 AM

Ensenada:

http://www.seccionamarilla.com.mx/resultados/refacciones-par...
Quote:
Originally posted by DawnPatrol
Ok Dodges are great
:)

But, anyone knows of towns that actually have diesel repair people???

55steve - 3-10-2014 at 11:42 AM

All diesel folks (regardless of flavor) should carry a spare vacuum pump. When this goes bad you lose some trivial things (heat, A/C) but most importantly the power brakes. The brakes will still operate but will have a REALLY hard pedal!

This being said, the vacuum pumps usually last a good long time - usually at least 150K.

msteve1014 - 3-10-2014 at 12:58 PM

the ford power brakes run off the power steering pump and fluid. 2001 F-350 manual trans., x-fer case, and hubs, 150,000 miles, no repairs. I carry a fuel filter and cps. Never replaced the cps.

55steve - 3-10-2014 at 01:02 PM

My neighbors 1996 F350/7.3 needs the vacuum to run the brake diaphragm - the pump went bad and it was very noticeable.
Quote:
Originally posted by msteve1014
the ford power brakes run off the power steering pump and fluid. 2001 F-350 manual trans., x-fer case, and hubs, 150,000 miles, no repairs. I carry a fuel filter and cps. Never replaced the cps.

bajaguy - 3-10-2014 at 01:02 PM

Don't forget the co-pilot and the dog!!!
Quote:
Originally posted by dtbushpilot
Or you could just buy a Dodge and only take beer and flip flops....

DawnPatrol - 3-10-2014 at 01:35 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajaguy
Ensenada:

http://www.seccionamarilla.com.mx/resultados/refacciones-par...


Quote:
Originally posted by DawnPatrol
Ok Dodges are great
:)

But, anyone knows of towns that actually have diesel repair people???


Damn, thats a great list (at least for Baja Norte). Thanks!

brewer - 3-12-2014 at 09:53 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by captkw
if you have the 6.0 motor your in for a world of hurt !! and I'm not Joking !!! EGR cooler,,Oil cooler,,,turbo vane issues and a host of well known problems !!!If you have the 6.0 motor you might want to join the class action suit !!!:lol:

I wouldn't even take a 6.0 to Baja. Sorry, it's gonna give you trouble, not reliable. I agree with capt.

brewer - 3-12-2014 at 09:57 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by dtbushpilot
Or you could just buy a Dodge and only take beer and flip flops....

Word, I have two 12 valve Dodge Cummins. Never have been let down.

aguachico - 3-13-2014 at 04:04 AM

'04 6.0 liter ford. 215k miles. two FICMs, 4 injectors, fuel pump, EGR valve, turbo cleaned. Amsoil every 15K miles.

Only Upgrade is a coolant filter.

When I have an internal failure, I will bullet proof her for another 200k mile run.

This is a great list. I only carry the serp belt. Having a tool made to engage the tensioner while she's hot.

I'm not much of a mechanic, so any serious issue would require a tow and parts, but I can work remotely so I'm never in a hurry.

Thanks for the list. I will hit up my mechanic and see what he thinks.

ElFaro - 3-13-2014 at 07:27 AM

Moonraker-

Same here...2001 Dodge w/Cummins. Mine has only 81k on engine. Driven mostly on camping trips towing trailer. Had hi-pressure pump rebuilt by BD Diesel in Canada. Upgraded lift pump to a high performance pump. Also bought and installed a low fuel pressure warning switch at the banjo bolt into the hi-pressure pump. The switch closes to ground so I wired it to a relay that switches on an LED red light telling me of low fuel pressure (i.e. bad lift pump). But in case I don't see the red light I installed a buzzer in parallel to warn me and a buzzer disable switch if it stays on. Low pressure switch protects hi-pressure pump from being starved and seizing from lift pump.

DawnPatrol - 3-13-2014 at 10:37 AM

Gosh all you Dodge guys are making me feel impotent, paranoid, scared, afraid,inadequate,inferior, impoverished, and I will never ever drive in Baja again...
LOL
have put on 25K on this vehcile about 1/2 in Baja... I have not had problem one with it....

BTW, you guys should run a ScanGaugeII or the like so you could read all engine functions right off the engine computer while running. Tells you a lot about the health of your system.

But maybe I should just stop posting so this thread could go away...

But really, I'm having fun with you guys... Like I said before its all good.
:cool:

Alan from San Diego

Tod - 3-13-2014 at 11:47 AM

I am currently sitting in Todos Santos looking at my Ford 2006 350 with 6.0. Got a great deal on it with only 17,000 miles and immediately put a big chunk of change into it bullet proofing it. Love it and so far, so good. Plan on having it for many years. Good post about the spares.

vgabndo - 3-13-2014 at 12:13 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by dtbushpilot
Or you could just buy a Dodge and only take beer and flip flops....


Beer, flip flops and a replacement lift pump.

No amount of money could hire a diesel mechanic who could find the source of the (I'm convinced) air leak in my fuel return system on my '01 Cummins. It WILL NOT start if left parked up hill. It requires one, two or three cycles of the lift pump to provide fuel to the injector pump. I already replace both of these items at under 130.000 miles. 40 thousand later, I can hear the lift pump dying. Since I couldn't get it fixed, I just bought a good lift pump and stashed it under the seat. And, I've gotten real good at spotting sloping parking spots!:lol:

Hook - 3-13-2014 at 12:31 PM

It wouldnt be a bad idea to carry an OBD II scanner for your truck complete with a list of what the codes are.

Half the battle in a failure is determining what the problem is, if it isnt purely mechanical. Few mechanics in Baja will be able to diagnose that, unless it is something obvious..........and it still make take lots of hours searching for the problem. The codes will narrow it down. At that point, you might be able to have a Nomad carry down an obscure, diesel related part while you wait. This could save you several days of down time.

OBD scanners have come down in price quite a bit, probably thanks to cheap, Chinese versions. Not much to go wrong in them, at least.

I carry a older programmer for my trucks "computer" that also reads, clears and stores codes. I have the 7.3L diesel. Not completely trouble free but I got pre-emptive on the known problems before they happened.

wessongroup - 3-13-2014 at 12:49 PM

Good stuff ... thanks for sharing :):)

aguachico - 3-13-2014 at 06:50 PM

The scanner is a great idea and quite cheap these days. I got a bluetooth module for $10 and run the program for andriod $5. By looking at the codes you can tell at times whether you should park it, drive it or a work around.

No diesel engine is perfect. All engines are paying the price for lower emissions. I'm not a global warming believer, but the 6.0 liter with all it's faults runs way more cleaner than the the 7.3. Cleaner is better.

rts551 - 3-13-2014 at 06:55 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DawnPatrol
LOL to the above... knew all the prior 6.0 issues that started in 2003 when they put the vehicle in the marketplace too soon... yes, those early models earned a bad rap.

By 2006 they had ironed most of the OEM issues out.

I found a pristine one with no OASIS issues and only 60K miles for $20,000 and included a $4000 camper shell.

Put $8K in it to address and upgrade all problems:
Bulletproof 6 phase FICM
Bullettproof Billet water pump
Bulletproof HD bypass oil cooler
Sinister coolant filter
ARP head studs
Blue spring fuel pump upgrade
etc etc

Now for $28K I have a vehicle that is running great and can burn the low sulphur diesel. Don't have to spend $65K on a new one that can't

I know everyone has their car make allegiance.....

Its all good

[Edited on 3-10-2014 by DawnPatrol]


where do you get a 4000 dollar camper shell? I bought a top of the line ARE last year only 2000. Just wondering what brand it is and what options would drive it up that high?

brewer - 3-13-2014 at 09:27 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by rts551
Quote:
Originally posted by

where do you get a 4000 dollar camper shell? I bought a top of the line ARE last year only 2000. Just wondering what brand it is and what options would drive it up that high?

Maybe a Callen.

rts551 - 3-14-2014 at 06:55 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by brewer
Quote:
Originally posted by rts551
Quote:
Originally posted by

where do you get a 4000 dollar camper shell? I bought a top of the line ARE last year only 2000. Just wondering what brand it is and what options would drive it up that high?

Maybe a Callen.


I guess, but usually Callen's are more than a shell.