While in Texas Sunday our Diesel without warning stopped running on I-35 East. It cranked over fast, but no hint of starting. We called Good Sam and a tow truck was sent. The drive shaft was removed, and this is why I am posting today. The tow driver did NOT take proper care in removing the shaft as he just dropped the U-joint neddle bearing caps onto the dirt. Too he allowed the exposed knuckle ends to bang against the yokes thus marring same. I had been taught that one should mark the caps so as they will go back on the same posts and of course they should be kept clean. This was not done so I would not allow the shaft to be re-installed without new U-joints being installed. I would suggest one keep on board a plastic pail of sorts that could be used to put parts into and kept clean. Wrapping each part in a paper towel or zip bag would be a good way to do such too. Peterbilt did the engine work to get us going, and they found a fuel solenoid had failed. It took quite awhile for them to get all the air out of the fuel lines. We replaced the fuel filters and bleed the line but still air prevented it from starting. One person pumped the primer and the other fed it starting fluid and finally it started. Do NOT trust tow drivers to treat your shaft properly. New U-joints are not CHEAP.

Back when I worked for a living, when pulling a drive shaft, we always wrapped tape (black plastic, or duct tape) around the U-Joint cups to keep then in place. Easy trick that saved a lot of grief. Do it right, and you do not have to take the cups off the cross when removing the shaft.

From my 4x4 days, I learned to always have a new spare U-Joint in the tool box. (Broke a rear joint 45 miles off the pavement, came home with the rear shaft stashed in the truck bed and running on the front axel)

And, we had a box full of front splined yokes for the trucks we worked on. When the drive shaft was removed, we just stuck the correct yoke in the trans tail shaft to keep dirt out and the lube in.

A note, many trans have a flange on the output, so this trick was not needed.

SAFETY NOTE: Speaking of pulling a drive shaft, we had a tow truck driver killed in this area last year: He pulled a drive shaft from a delivery truck in prep for towing: He did not have the tow truck hooked up, and did not chock the wheels of the truck he was working on. When he got the last bolts loose on the U-joint, the truck rolled down a grade, trapping him under the rear spring hanger, crushed his chest. So, be sure to chock a vehicle prior to removing a drive shaft.

wow John, thats a sad story. I too had fuel problems last week. Tow truck driver took 5 hours to show up...then another 6 hours to hook us up and take us down the mountain. Even after asking him three times if he was sure he was taking us to a place that worked on diesels (he insisted this place works on all RV's) We woke up the next morning to find out the place does not work on diesels. The same driver came back out and had to re-tow us elsewhere. Fortunately there was a Dodge dealer a couple miles up the road. Plenty of Cummins mechanics available. One thing I did notice is he removed the driveshaft and heavily taped each end with duct tape.