Dave's Diesel Repair

Dave's Diesel Repair Specializing in CAT, Cummins, Paccar and Detroit engines repairs for over 40 years. Onsite: Machine shop, Dyno, & Fuel Injections Services.

Comprehensive Parts Inventory on complete engines, overhaul kits, turbos, and hard to find parts.
đźšš

03/20/2026

Not every fire writes everything off.

This set of injectors came out of a semi that went up in flames — and at first glance, they looked like scrap. Burnt exterior, heat damage everywhere… easy to assume they’re done. But that’s where experience matters.

After a proper teardown, inspection, and testing, we found these injectors were still within spec internally. No distortion, no failure where it actually counts. Cleaned them up, replaced a few parts, verified performance, and brought them back to life.

Goes to show — in heavy duty diesel, you don’t just replace parts… you understand them.

Heat can destroy a truck, but it doesn’t always destroy the precision inside.

03/07/2026

Quoted from Dura-Lite " The Importance of Testing a Truck Charge Air Cooler Regularly.

Dave Szybunka, the owner of Dave’s Diesel, a long-term Distributor of Dura-Lite’s products, has put together this video to demonstrate the importance of testing the Charge Air Cooler regularly.

We love how Dave simply drives the message by showing that the boost gauge is not a reliable reading when sitting inside of the cabin. Testing the CAC is the only way to find out if there is a leak but unfortunately truck shops have not been testing and therefore misdiagnosing engine issues. An engine lacking air results in incomplete combustion with poor fuel economy, losing its power and feeling sluggish, creating more soot and other problems downstream. "

02/28/2026

When your turbo compresses air, it gets hot. Hot air is less dense — which means less oxygen packed into the cylinder.

The charge air cooler takes the hot compressed air from the turbo, runs it through a cooling core, cools the air down before it enters the intake manifold.

Cooler air = denser air
Denser air = more oxygen
More oxygen = better combustion, more power, lower EGTs

Without a properly working CAC, you’re basically feeding the engine thin, overheated air. Testing it is important because even small leaks can cause boost loss, high EGTs, poor fuel economy, and reduced power. Many leaks aren’t visible, so a pressure test confirms the system holds boost properly.

02/21/2026

This one’s a good reminder that sometimes the problem isn’t obvious, and it definitely isn’t always what you think it is.

A customer had a new head installed on their truck. Shortly after, they reported a noise. Inspection revealed a spun cam bearing. Standard procedure might suggest a bad install or isolated defect, so the head was replaced.

Upon reassembly, the noise returned and a second cam bearing had spun. At this point, installation error, oil supply, and clearances had all been systematically ruled out. The problem persisted despite correct procedures, eliminating common failure causes.

Dave then measured the cam journals using a profilometer. The data revealed the camshaft surface finish was too rough to maintain a stable hydrodynamic oil film. Without this protective oil layer, metal-to-metal contact occurs, generating heat and friction that can cause the bearing to spin.

This wasn’t a random failure or human error. It was a latent manufacturing defect: a surface finish issue invisible to the naked eye but critical to engine performance.

This is why you take your time. This is why you double check. And this is why having someone who knows what to look for makes all the difference. Sometimes the real problem lives in the smallest details.

02/18/2026

Cutting valve seats on a heavy-duty diesel is important because it directly affects how the engine seals, cools, and runs.
A diesel depends on compression to ignite fuel. If the valve seat isn’t cut properly, the valve won’t seal 100%. Even a small leak means lost compression, which leads to hard starts, reduced power, higher exhaust temps, and poor efficiency.
The seat also plays a big role in cooling the valve. When the valve closes, it transfers heat into the cylinder head through the seat. If the contact area isn’t correct — wrong angle, poor concentricity, or improper seat width — the valve can’t transfer heat effectively. Over time that can lead to burnt valves and premature failure.
Properly cutting the seat ensures:
Correct valve-to-seat contact
Proper seat width for sealing and heat transfer
Good concentricity with the valve guide
Correct installed height and geometry
In heavy-duty applications where engines run long hours under load, these details matter. A precise valve seat cut helps maintain compression, control temperatures, and extend engine life.

02/14/2026

Resurfacing heavy-duty engine parts is critical because it restores the perfectly flat, smooth mating surfaces that engines rely on to seal, transfer heat, and maintain proper tolerances. Over time, extreme heat, pressure, and vibration can cause components like cylinder heads, blocks, and manifolds to warp, pit, or develop uneven wear. If those surfaces aren’t perfectly true, gaskets can’t seal properly, which can lead to coolant or oil leaks, compression loss, overheating, and even catastrophic engine failure.
By resurfacing these parts, you remove imperfections, restore proper sealing surfaces, and ensure correct component alignment. This helps maintain compression, improves engine efficiency, extends component life, and protects expensive parts from premature failure. In heavy-duty applications where engines run under constant load, proper resurfacing isn’t just maintenance — it’s insurance for performance, reliability, and longevity.

02/10/2026

Here at DDR we always strive for the best. If we find a product that doesnt match our standards we wont sell it, period. The internal parts inside the injector might be small , but they play a huge role in how your engine runs. They control how fuel is sprayed into the cylinder. Too much fuel can cause black smoke and high EGTs that can cause major failures, Too little fuel can lead to power loss, white/grey smoke and major engine failures! Precision and Quality Matter!

02/07/2026

A “peak diesel engine” is the perfect mix of old school and modern tech. It combines strong mechanical components with electronic controls that help improve fuel efficiency, power, and emissions. Basically, it gives you the reliability diesel engines are known for, with the precision and performance of newer technology.

02/03/2026

A twisted connecting rod is bad news in a diesel engine because everything in there is built to move perfectly straight and under huge load. When a rod is twisted, the piston no longer travels square in the cylinder. That causes uneven side loading on the piston and cylinder wall, accelerated ring wear, scuffing, and can even lead to piston skirt damage or liner failure. On the big end, a twisted rod also misaligns the bearing, which creates hot spots, oil film breakdown, and eventually bearing failure, especially in high-compression diesel applications where tolerances are tight and forces are brutal.

By testing rod twist, we catch these issues before they ever see an engine. Verifying that each rod is straight and true ensures proper piston alignment, even bearing load, consistent oil clearance, and smooth combustion forces cycle after cycle. In short, rod twist testing isn’t just a check, it’s quality control that protects the entire rotating assembly, improves reliability, and separates a “built” engine from a properly built one.

01/30/2026

We here at Dave's Diesel Repair have been specializing in CAT, Cummins, Paccar, and Detroit engines for over 40 years. We are experts in repairs and maintenance. Equipped with a onsite Machine Shop we have built a comprehensive parts inventory for complete engines, overhaul kits, turbos and hard to find parts

01/27/2026

An innovative person introduces new ideas, methods, or products that create value, meaning they don't just think differently but actively implement change, solve problems uniquely, and improve existing situations, often driven by a desire to learn, experiment, and challenge the status quo to achieve growth and impact.

Address

11491 261 Street
Acheson, AB
T7X6C6

Opening Hours

Monday 7am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 7am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 7am - 4:30pm
Thursday 7am - 4:30pm
Friday 7am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+17809621264

Website

,

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Dave's Diesel Repair posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Dave's Diesel Repair:

Shortcuts

Share

Category