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Hello from Indiana

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Hello, I am Andrew Ruddy. also I am DEAF as i was born as hearing until 9 months old that i got a menegiti Bacteria to caused damaged the ear drums.... i am happy as be deaf but sometime it is is diffcult but i has ways to do it.. I had attended to the Indiana School for the Deaf from 1987 to 2004 as pre-school to High school and graduated as top number 2 of classmates (class of 2004). I am living in Camby, Indiana. i had used to lived with my parents in Castleton, Indiana... Now i am living as myself in 2 acres of property and nice size house (1440Sq ft) and has 30x40 garage... I own a 2002 Dodge Ram 3500 24V Cummins, Nv5600, Dana M80 (3.55), upgraded the fuel system to Vulcan's big line kit and raptor 100 fuel pump system... i had bought it that previous owner got from Plainfield automotive auction. he had took it to California 6 times during winter times to do RV trailer hauls... it was from Texas truck that i has saved carfax reports. it show someone bought it brand new in 2002 and sold to second owner after 167K miles in two years as sold it in 2004... i bought it when it has 196K miles and now it has 204K miles... i did took my parents and dog to Gulf shore, Alabama last two years... I am working for Largest Ford Dealership in Indiana State... i was work for Chrysler Dealership for five years and had few cummins owners who prefer to have me to do fixing at dealership until the dealership owner decided to cancelled the chrysler shop out to keep Mercury and Lincoln dealership. so they want keep me employee there so they had transferred me to there. Then The owner has no money to keep the business open in 2009.. so i went to other Ford shop since Chrysler dealerships want me but their businesses was not that great so they just keep me on list.. i was un-employment for a month before ford shop hired me back because they bought the franchies from my old job... i am still do some service on cummins when fleet trucks come in and ask for me, some of fleet trucks has mixing ford and dodge but want use same company as accounting so my work are happy to have me as i had work on cummins before... i still do driving and fixing what my dodge need to keep driving...

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  • Staff

Welcome to the forum Andrew. Thanks for the tid bit on how your job has worked out. Interesting to hear about others job story.

  • Author

thanks, I had forget that i am member from Dodge Cummins forum too... Being a deaf automotive technician can be good and bad.... it dont prevent me from to be Automotive Technician.... I can work with louder equipments and power tools... also good for me to dont need do all noises problem like wind noise, beep noise around inside vehicles.. mostly of time my work just have me to do heavy line jobs that i do a lot of engine replacements, engine repairs, common repairs, and etc... sometime i do transmission works but i am manual transmission/transaxle personal...

  • Author

Since your manual trans guy, what are your thoughts on overfilling the nv5600 transmission?

I would say it is not good idea to overfill because it will go leak out of seals like front input shaft seal or rear output seal, it will cause the winding to make shifting little more diffcult. even it can cause to make foaming up... it is not good idea to do... i had never overfill the manual transmission as i just follow the specific to fill and make sure it is in proper level either same with fill plug hole or just between 1/4 to 1/2 below of fill hole (depend on what kind of transmission/transaxle.) i know the ford manual transmission are about 1/4 inch below the fill plug hole... i just filled my NV5600 to fill plug hole and level it before plugged it in...
    • Like 1

    Welcome to the forum, Andrew.I am deaf in one ear. This happened last year, in the span of about 4-5 hrs. I went from perfect hearing in both ears, to ringing in my left ear, to deaf, all in one evening.Dr. says no explanation for it.So going 44yrs of hearing, to basically instant hearing loss in one ear has had a huge learning curve for me.I'm glad to see that you do not let your lack of hearing interfere with what you want to do. So many people will let something like that get in the way.

    • Author

    thanks, sometime technicians at my work just wish to be deaf to dont need listen the shop noise or power tools noise... but some of them already had started to feel like loss of hearing as they has been around the louder vehicles, racing and etc in past time... i am not let the disability prevent me but it make more challenges for me to come above of it... But sometime i has a dealership managerment keep make a problem or diffcults for me... i just do my job... i had told them i am not interesting to do noise problems because it would make no sense for me to do it.. i can do if the customers said there is bad feels or vibration BUT NOT noise... my service director still treat me as same with other techs. i had to told him no as not worth for me to do because i am here to make living not fix for free!

    Welcome to the forum man -Jordan-

    Jordan is always so punctual.. :whistle::tongue:
    • Owner

    Late to the party as usual... :banghead:Hmmm... Strange as it is MoparMom is tone deaf the upper freq's she has a hard time hearing like the phone ringers (digital).But its great to have another tech to the family. :thumbup2:

    • Author

    Late to the party as usual... :banghead:

    Hmmm... Strange as it is MoparMom is tone deaf the upper freq's she has a hard time hearing like the phone ringers (digital).

    But its great to have another tech to the family. :thumbup2:

    Thank you so much... i am more than happy to give a help or advise or anything what is question or a problem... i am always enjoy to work on my cummins.. so far i had not do any repairs except i had to adjusted the valve clearance which i had use your article as it is simple and clear. i am plan to do install the oil vent plumbs thing on my cummins. i had measure twice but cut little short.. oops but will fix it and on way... Also i had drove 1,000 miles on less 2 tanks which it is one of the best MPG on the truck that my whole family has!! it is my family's first diesel vehicle ever to own(i had used paid "cash" at once not use loan).

    my dad and i are planning to look for a large trailer like 20 or 24 feets enclosed trailer to haul two harley tourings, and maybe 1 or 2 import motorcycles (my brother's and his wife's) for vacation to enjoy the riding somewhere. but same time i may need trailer to haul stuff or car for my family or friend if needed...

    • Author

    No problem... If I can haul around 8K pound travel trailer and get 13-14 MPG I'm sure you not going to have much for issues either. :wink:

    well i dont care as it is much better than what my dad and i had used on 2003 Jeep Liberty that had 5,000 lbs limited trailer specific on it. so my parents and i hauled two harley tourings on it and Jeep liberty had work too hard!! my dad had to re-fuel few times to arrive the Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin.... Liberty had averaged 16 MPG(it is common of 3.7L V6 engine) but i just felt like it is too much for the Liberty... so i decided to get my own first truck.. i did towed few times and my dad was impressive with Cummins's performance! I told my Dad that i do like drive the RIG (like 18 wheel Semi truck)... i did took my truck from Indianapolis to Gulf Shore Alabama (about 850 miles a way) but it take one and 1/3 tanks to arrive there while my parent's liberty or my brother's dakota(4.7L V8) have to re-fuel often... i have always to be enjoy to driving my RIG on vacation anywhere i want go but i have to know where it would be and see where is diesel stations is...
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