I worked for UPRR for a few years. Learned a lot about EMDs over that time. Albeit that our shops were set up with overhead cranes and the fact that we would have impacts and Tame wrenches (a calibrated hydraulic torques wrench on a cart) to remove and set the crab nuts, I could pull a power pack and have it on the deck in 20 minutes, clean and install it in an hour and a half by myself. We could condemn, pull and install a turbo and load test it on a saltbox in an eight hour shift. Just a tidbit for those guys who are still running EMDs with turbos. There are two ways to test your clutch. While running disengaged, throttle up by pulling the rack by hand to 850-900 RPM and just let it go. The engine will burp if the clutch is functioning. It doesn’t mean it isn’t worn but if it doesn’t burp, the clutch hasn’t retracted enough to go back on there gear. The best way to check to see if the clutch has failed is to pull one of the air filters, use a broomstick to turn the compressor fan. If the turbo turns both directions, the clutch has failed. Works 100% of the time.
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