CAT MECHANIC PORTLAND OREGON AREA

[KC Snellgrove]

GOOD DAY fellow Beaver owners!

I am looking for a new CAT shop to take my Olivia Jean 2005 Beaver Monterey for maintenance. I was told I needed the valves adjusted. So please tell me of a few of your favorites special shops.

Thank you you all so much. 

KC Snellgrove
2005 Beaver Monterey "Olivia Jean"

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

KC,
See attached. It's located in the Supplier Kudos, etc. board in the members only section.
Steve

[Bryan Beamon]

KC we have used Cat in Eugene for two valve adjustments on our 07 Contessa and have used that dealer ship for a miltitude of maintenance and repairs. They have always been excellent, fyi,Bryan

[Jerry Carr]

I had our rigs valves done by the CAT service center in PDX  called Perterson CAT so the service & engine warranty is recorded with CAT 

4421 NE Columbia Blvd, Portland, OR 97218
Phone:(503) 288-6411

[Mike Humble]

We have dealt with Peterson Cat on Columbia Blvd with three different Beavers and have always felt good.  I don't think you can go wrong with Cat.
Mike

[Keith Moffett]

KC
For non BCS related repairs we often go to www.brazelsperformancerv.com in Centralia Wa.  They have a small but comfy RV park with hook ups and a shop that can service, adjust, tweak and chip your motor into a stupor.  They can also put it on a Dyno nd check for hiccups. 
Pretty good folks and just 90 miles north of you.

[Mike Groves]

I was/am happy with Pape' Kenworth in Donald, Oregon just south of 205 a few miles.  I took mine in for very specific service and provided my own materials and they worked with me adapting to what I wanted rather than controlling the situation with their own parts etc.  I compare it to an experience with 2 dentists one time.  I went in complaining of a lost filing and one dentist did a full exam, and totaled the full workscope to be about $7000.  I said I only wanted the tooth refilled.  That dentist said "No, I'll only do the whole job or nothing", so I went to another dentist and they filled the tooth and offered me other optional services. 

This is my experience at Pape' in Donald.  Easy to work with, then used my oil, my filters, my transmission fluid and filters, and simply charged me for their time.  I didn't have an air filter so they quickly got me one from a nearby Napa.  They let me watch the process.

I did ask for a quote for the valve job you're talking about and it was somewhere in the $400's 3 years ago.  I did call Cat Petersen on Columbia Blvd and they had a little cheaper price.  I've not had the service done as I believe it has almost certainly been done by two former owners even though its NOT in Cat's system.  My engine's performance has been great and I just don't like the idea of opening it up.  Maybe someone here can give me some confidence to do so.

Mike

[KC Snellgrove]

Mike, thank you for the information. I will give them a try. I have not had good experiences at Peterson's Cat on all 3 occasions. I went back because they handled the problems professionally.
Again, thank you.

Sincerely,
KC Snellgrove

[Joel Ashley]

I've been aware of that first adjustment advice also, but some have proffered that often they go in and find the valve parameters good and no adjustment necessary.  I've also thought the north Portland Peterson's facility would be a good option, but recall someone here had a bad experience there.  What I tentatively planned was to go to Peterson's in Redmond near the fairgrounds on one of our next passes through BCS.  The Redmond location treated us just fine a few years ago for some basic new-engine checkups and first oil change;  this valve thing seems to fit the preventive checkup description.

Pape' in "Donald" is actually an Aurora address   http://www.papekenworth.com/locations/98/donald/
but they also show a Columbia Blvd. facility you could call for pricing alternatives to Peterson's
http://www.papekenworth.com/locations/3/portland/
My only caution is they show no CAT certification or parts - they use TRP parts apparently;  I'm sure they know CAT, but like Mike, you may opt to supply your parts if you ever wanted scheduled maintenance there.  On Dave Atherton's advice, I try to go mostly CAT-only parts these days.  A valve adjustment may require only a new gasket or seal.

Joel