Mayday from Loreto BCS

[eddyturn]

2014 E350 SMB V10 conversion and hearing noise from rear end. Suspect rear axle bearings are going. Rear end leaked when recently purchased so had shop fill and new seals installed. Started hearing whomp whomp noise up north but very faint. Cracked open the fill plug looking to see what the fluid looked like and it’s got sparkly metal in it.

Anybody got a lead on a good shop in Loreto? Not sure if the axles are screwed up yet or not. Semi float rear end. Damn. Kinda have a very sick feeling right now as first trip to Baja is messed up.

Internet is very spotty for us so if you can text to 3032046223 that might work better.

Bob

[TomsBeast]

You probably have a Dana 60 or Sterling rear end, usually roARH-roaRH sound coupled with metal fines in the oil is indicative of a ring and pinion going bad. Usually. The circulating metal fines often wear out the carrier and pinion bearings as well, but not usually the axle bearing or the axles themselves. That's the good news.



The bad news is you might need to limp it into a shop that specializes in 4x4 trucks, you might get lucky and find someone who can do the labor and have the parts on hand. Also, Baja racers are a pretty resourceful group, sometimes wind up repairing support vehicles while in Mexico, I'd look to a shop along the Baja 1000 route, or a shop with racer connections for help.

[REF]

Yes, ask around, the race circuit usually has some options.
If you don’t find something in Loreto, which I suspect you might, I found a very good mechanic in Mulegé, Daniel, seemed to know his stuff. Sorry I don’t have a contact but his shop is just as you’re heading up the hill out of town on the North end.
For a place to stay in the area, check out Hacienda Habana, woman who owns it is Fabi, it’s a nice little grassed orange orchard camp with hookups, a pool and shower, should be orange pickin time too, surrounded by farms, organic veggie farm next door to stock up.
The closest auto parts store with any sort of supply is up in Santa rosalia, not sure of parts down in Loreto.
Good luck, sucks to have issues down there, we had electrical and engine issues our last trip down that turned out to be the under valve cover harness, sucked to limp 150 miles on 4 cylinders in 100 degrees, then wait for a tow to come down from Mexicali to bring us from San Felipe across the border, but you will find the people down there willing to help and be very accommodating, just be ready to shell out a few pesos for their trouble.

[eddyturn]

So timing can be everything and while speaking with hotel owner a US contractor stopped by. He has many trucks that need to be kept up and he made a couple of calls to his wrenches. He had me follow him to a shop that does good work for him and I dropped off the van. Hotel owner will shuffle some rooms around and try to make it as painless as possible. Now we have to start collecting pesos from some banks as the shop has no card machine.

Thanks TB for your post. Time to look at a full float…

[REF]

Nicely done, hope they can get you back on the road

[Coloradical]

Nice to hear you're being taken care of. We had a break down last summer in Baja. Ford trucks are dime a dozen. Hopefully you'll get parts quickly like we did.

[eddyturn]

Maybe it is time for a full floater from Ujoint.

[bigriver]

Great you got someone on it. If you need alternate lodgings we highly recommend the Iguana Inn a block north of the plaza. Steve and Fanny are great hosts, it's a chill place and our go-to stay when in Loreto over night. Tell em Joe & Patty sent ya.

[bigriver]

Also - be sure to eat at Buena Vida... spectacular seafood

[BCam]

We sometimes forget that there are nice, helpful people everywhere.