When people think of Pittsburgh Power today, Max Mileage is often the first thing that comes to mind. But our legacy extends beyond that, rooted in our decades-long reputation for specialized repairs and technical expertise that can solve even the toughest challenges. A big part of that legacy is one of our best kept secrets – Pat Sharp, our Cummins injector and pump technician. Pat has become a legend in our shop for his ability to restore and rebuild fuel pumps and injectors for classic engines like the Cummins NTC Big Cam and N14. With nearly 40 years of experience, he has probably rebuilt more Cummins Big Cam fuel pumps than anyone else in North America.
The Cummins Big Cam fuel pump holds a crucial role in these older engines. It precisely controls fuel flow, optimizing performance, fuel efficiency, and emissions. After years of operation, these pumps naturally wear down, and a full replacement can be costly. That’s where Pat comes in. He meticulously disassembles, inspects, tests, and rebuilds each fuel pump to factory specifications, restoring its performance and reliability, while saving customers the high cost of new parts (if you can even find those these days).
In today’s economic climate, keeping older equipment running isn’t just practical – it’s essential. With the high cost of new engines and ongoing supply chain disruptions, maintaining legacy equipment is an effective choice. By expertly rebuilding the Cummins Big Cam fuel pumps, we help extend the lives of these engines, allowing owners to maximize their investment, reduce operational costs, and prevent costly downtime. Though Pat is often busy with a backlog of projects, if you have a classic engine like the Big Cam or N14 and want to give it a new lease on life, Pittsburgh Power is just a phone call away. Pat has the knowledge, skill, and experience to get your fuel pump running like new, and we stand behind his work with a quality guarantee.
The business of performance diesel engines has always been exciting. We never know what the next call will be about. Today, I got a call from Mark Orndorff, a trucker and farmer from Spartanburg, SC. He called me several months ago, telling me how much he loves the Max Mileage catalyst in all his farm equipment, Harley-Davidson, and trucks. Then, he tells me he has a 790-hp Challenger Hellcat. The stock boost from the supercharger is 11 to 12 psi. With the work he did on the engine, he increased it to 18 psi.
When they say “Old Guys Rule” they could be talking about Mark. At 67 years old, Mark works at the local feed store in the day, and then works on his farm and his toys in the evening. He asked me if he could run Max Mileage in the Hellcat. Even a stock Hellcat isn’t a stock engine, so I was hesitant. I suggested that he use one cc per two gallons of gas. Today, I got the call, and he told me the Hellcat loves Max Mileage – the throttle response and acceleration both got quicker. I was glad to hear the catalyst works in a Hellcat, too. Calls like this will make it hard for me to completely retire from this business.
Having grown up on a farm, Mark’s makeshift shop always had a 5-gallon pail of grease. Since proper maintenance and greasing are the lifeblood of any metal-to-metal contact point, his farm equipment is greased every 10 hours of operation. In form and function, many of the front-end components on a farm tractor and rear steering components on a combine are very similar to those found on a semi-truck, but they live in a much dirtier environment. This philosophy may have held true until deicing agents were introduced to the world and found their way into the trucking industry. Even after they dry, these deicing agents create corrosive dust, which can contaminate moving parts. Mark personally greases his truck every 5,000 miles. Some would say that is excessive, but he does not over-grease by pushing the grease out and beyond the rubber seals nor past the seals on the u-joints, as he wants to maintain the internal integrity of these components.
Mark has had a lot of trucks over the years, including one new truck in 1975, two in 1977, one in 1979, one in 1984, one in 1989, one in 2006, and at present, one in 2022. He has logged over six million miles, and has never replaced a kingpin, u-joint, or any steering related components on his farm equipment or trucks. He uses a hand pump grease gun and high quality grease. With the advent of aerodynamics on trucks, he uses 2x4s to gain some additional clearance to help him get underneath. As he crawls under the truck, he and his grease gun are accompanied by blue shop towels, a can of WD-40, a can of brake clean, and a trash bag. Excess grease is wiped clear, brake cleaner is used to clean excess grease and grime off the back of components, and the WD-40 is used to lube many of the components.
For the top side of the truck, Mark lubricates all the latches and hinges, including the 5th wheel slides and 5th wheel saddle mounting pins. The 5th wheel is greased between each and every load, as they do not incorporate a poly 5th wheel plate due to some of their shippers and receiver’s requirements. Mark does not allow any grease on the 5th wheel to build up – he even applies a thin coat of WD-40 on the exhaust flex tubing. He also applies a light coating of silicone on the rubber components, used in conjunction with the aero side skirting on the truck, and lubes the pins and slide rail on the trailer.
I encourage all drivers to stay on top of their maintenance, as well as under it – if it is a moving component, maintenance matters. Thanks to Jordan Greathouse and Mark Orndorff for helping me with this month’s article. Feel free to visit our shop in Saxonburg, PA during normal business hours, call (724) 360-4080, or visit us online 24/7 at www.pittsburghpower.com. We are always here to help!