Gonna be busy weekend at my place if anyone in Austin area wants to come help and learn!

 

My digs for next 48 hours

 

Sounds like fun. The best part....the test ride when all done

 

After about 3 1/2 hours of work, I got to this point


The up pipes didn't put up too much of a fight. I took the bottom bolts loose on both sides first. Thank goodness I live in Texas...minimal rusting. I then twisted and shook them until the pipe came free from up top on the driver's side. I then pulled the turbo out with the passenger side still attached. Once out of the truck, it fell off.

Here is a photo of the major exhaust leak I had on the passenger side


Time to pull the valve covers and R&R the glow plugs next! Will also be checking the torque on the injectors. I have no issues with them, so they should be fine. Once the valve covers are back on, on to the oil cooler rebuild.

 

Did you get that coolant leak figured out?
Looks like everything else should be pretty straight forward...

I didnt notice the springs in the pics... are you going to mess with the suspension this time around...?

I do not recall seeing a post about it... but did you get the hubs replaced already?

Edit..
Just noticed the springs still layin in the same spot in 2nd to last pic lol

 

Yeah, those springs are last on the list

I got the new belt tensioner on along with a new idler pulley. Then I just took the HPOP reservoir off to put new gaskets on it and the HPOP. Here are some more pics:



The HPOP reservoir filter caught some stuff over the years.


This is why you should upgrade/swap out your old HPO lines. They have been greatly improved since 2003.

 

Are you still planning on changing out your valve springs at the South Texas Tech Day? If you are, I'd wait to do all that then because you'll be pulling them out again, when you do the springs and shims, to get the pistons to TDC. Just my two cents.

 

Looks like a fun weekend.

 

Mike- Looks like fun - Am enjoying the good pics as Ive done most of these mods over the years except for the up-pipes. Thats a lot to tackle in a weekend- at least for me it would be.- Good Luck with the rest & keeep the pics coming

 

Looking Good Mike !! That is an impressive pile of parts you have there. Is them blue oring from Bob for the oil gallery plugs? Now is the time to do them since you have the turbo and up pipes out of the way to do the rear ones. Did you get new banjo bolt orings too? I changed my oil gallery plugs to them updated ones. It is a much better design that the stock 2 oring set up. Like you said about the hpop lines the redesign is much better.

 

BTW, I'm jealous of your topside creeper!

 

I would come and play. happy to help, but to far away.


Cheers and happy weekend

 

Chris, I did find the coolant leak. It was from the rear heater hose that runs over the firewall and down to the rear of the driver's side head. I made a thread on it last month with pics.

Roland, seems like a long time to go to that GTG. I have them both exposed right now...not much more work to go ahead and do them. The truck romps 5-6 times at cold start, so I'm hoping the glow plugs solve that issue. If it doesn't...

Bob, even with the Topside Creeper my ribs are still sore. Just not as much as they would be without it! I just got that BTW. My brother has one, and I had creeper envy.

Ed, I think the blue o-rings you are referring to are for the oil cooler rebuild. I do, however, have all the o-rings for EVERTHING on top of the engine. That includes oil and fuel rail plugs (banjo bolts). They are all getting replaced. HPOP got all new o-rings, and I'm rebuilding the turbo now. I couldn't find anything wrong with the turbo as far as shaft play, but it is dirty/rusty and it needs to be painted. So I am rebuilding it at the same time for the "longevity factor" on the truck. I'll never sell this vehicle, so it has to run for many more years.

 

Looking great Mike. I can't wait until May when I get to see what you have been working on since January.

 

Mike, Thanks for the hand me downs! I can't wait to start using them and I'm not sure if I can wait for the GTG in May either. Told the wife I'll need the truck one of these weekends before then to tackle the hutch mod. I think I'll wait for all the exhaust stuff till then...