Your engine is the heart of your truck. It’s what enables you to haul your loads across the metro, state and country. So understanding (to a degree) the components which make up your truck’s engine is so important, while also ensuring you have a solid service schedule in place for all your maintenance needs. All of this ensures your truck has every chance to operate at its peak performance, providing durability and reliability for the long term.
We wanted to run through some of the top components of your truck’s engine, chat about replacement parts, provide some insights into recommended maintenance schedules and also, how to troubleshoot issues as they arise.
So let's get into it.
First up, top part components found in your truck:
- Cylinder block
- Head gasket
- Fuel injectors
- Exhaust system
- Crankshaft
- Camshaft
- Cooling system
- Pistons
Now, let’s talk about maintenance schedules. When it comes to your service schedule, there are often variations to the type of service you’re booked in for.
So, what should you be looking out for?
- On the daily, you want to be checking oil levels, coolant levels, and belts before starting up your engine.
- Monthly, you want to be looking at air filters, looking out for any fluid leaks, and all-in-all inspecting the overall condition of you belts and hoses.
- Every (approx) 16,000km’s, this is when you need to be getting your engine's oil and filters changed over, having your fuel and air filters inspected, and ensuring you have the correct coolant mixture.
- Every (approx) 45,000 – 50,000 km, you need to be booking in the get your turbocharger checked, as well as having your cooling system and exhausted looked at.
- Every (approx) 80,000km, you’re looking at replacing your fuel filters, checking out your fuel injection system, and checking valve clearances.
Now remember, these are just recommended timeframes, and you should be inspecting these areas along the way.
Things to look out for to help troubleshoot issues:
- Smoke
- Your truck lags when starting the engine
- Loss of power
- Overheating
- Strange or unusual noises
- Fluid leaking
Finally, when it comes to actually changing parts, always remember, quality is everything. Everything.
Investing in quality genuine and aftermarket parts will ensure reliability and durability of your truck.
Some of the commonly replaced parts we often see:
- Filters
- Gaskets and seals
- Injectors
- Batteries
- Belts and hoses
Ultimately, by having a better understanding of what’s behind your cab, you'll be able to better look out for issues, troubleshoot effectively, know when to seek help and ensure you stick to a proper maintenance schedule.
At CLA Truck Parts, we ensure we independently source the required parts and accessories for our customers. Working with our network of independent parts partners to ensure we can meet your needs.
Get in contact with Perth’s Independent European truck parts specialist today!