the wallet is open, so to say.

ive replaced both batteries, glow plugs, starter, alt, p/s is re done, a/c compressor, fuel system (yup system from tank selector to engine), oil cooler, radiator, hoses, cps (plus a spare).

hpop pushes 2000psi pretty easy and bounced to 3500 at one point.

the auto trans drives good and has fresh fluid, since my serpintine belt shredded and pulled the hose off the cooler.

oil cap blow by test went great, looked like lots of steam but the cap would sit there all night. So I'm confident in the engine as a whole.

should I just do the water pump, thermostat, vac pump, and idlers? I just can't have my wife coming to pick me up off the highway. So I'm asking what else will shut it down unexpectedly? I'm a diesel newbie and the wife is not happy with my ignorance. Don't want to have to sell this truck.

thanks in advance for the help. And for the help thus far.

 

It's endless man. You could swap everything under the hood and then lose a rear axle seal tomorrow and kill the diff. Just be religious with your preventative maintenance, don't ignore problems, and be as prepared as possible. There's a good thread from a few years back running around about what everyone keeps with them. Some nice spare things to have would be CPS, ICP, IPR, IDM, PCM, maxi fuses, relays, belt, fluids, etc.

 

I did'nt see how many miles are on the truck/engine so I'd say change it all if you can afford it, most of the guys I know running 7.3's swear that if you shred a serpentine belt idlers should go as well there not that hard or expensive, over 150k on the vacuum and it's getting tired, yes some will go a lot further but I really like having breaks. Whats your temp running at is a good indicator of thermostat and water pump condition, be a good time to install a water filter system as well and get the casting sands out of the water passages.. Running any anti cavitation fluids in the radiator?? Hows the oil cooler and seals at the filter? Any drips and also next oil change hows the check valve above the screw on oil filter? In need of peening?? And whats left me on the side of the road the most in my 96?? Front brakes! the 2 piston caliper design is a real piece of work and gets hung up very easily, luckily there not too spendy and easy to swap out, I now carry a spare anyways......

Slick

 

265xxx miles, temp holds steady at O, oil cooler was just rebuilt, I shredded the serpintine for a darn good reason. Totally stupid move, 6 rib ac clutch and an 8 rib belt. Lasted 3 weeks.

new fleet guard coolant with sca.

you carry spare calipers?

 

never really realized how many "mission critical" parts were involved here. I was about to haul my motorcycle around just so I could get to work on time if she ever shut down on me. Hopefully I've gotten it to a good point. And will have less o poop moments.

thanks guys

 

Mine just died on the way to work this last week. Caught a ride with a friend and left it sitting. After work tried to run it home, still would start and die. He suggested switching tanks, that worked!!! Drove it home and to work the rest of the week with no problems, just on the back tank. I now have to drop the front tank & that means the back tank will need attention soon too!

If you have not replaced those idler pulleys, it would be a good idea. Cheap and easy fix.

 

The way I look at it is, that anything can go wrong at any given time, no matter what you drive. All you can do is the best you can at routine maintence. And you know your truck, you know when everything is right and when it isn't. Thats important too, also helps prevent something minor turning into somthing major. I'd drive my truck to California without question, you just never know whats going to happen.

So I guess I'm saying that you will never have your truck completley "break down proof." no vehicle is. It sounds like your doing all the right things, just keep it up, and hopefully she will reward you back.

 

The only way your wife would have to come pick you up when you're stranded is if she drives for the towing company that AAA calls when you call them. That would be sheer coincidence. It's incomprehensible how anyone who drives a vehicle on which they're NOT making loan payments, and making very low insurance payments, is NOT diverting a small percentage of that money saved to AAA Plus or some other 100-mile-tow road service.

+1 on the "endless" comment; you're actually rolling the dice replacing stuff that works. Most of the OEM accessories are pretty good quality, and replacing them would just introduce the chance that the replacement parts are MORE likely to fail than what you have.

You didn't do the thermostat when you did the cooling system? That's SOP. Other cooling system considerations would be a coolant filter, and flange that sits behind the flange for the thermostat housing, that keeps it from deforming, available from Strictly Diesel. If you're really itching to do the water pump, consider the IH version of the pump that has a built-in coolant filter base.

Spares to carry would include a belt, a fuel filter, and at least one of every type of light bulb (including the headlights), and at least two of every rating of fuse (including the maxifuses). That, and some tools (including a voltmeter) and fluids (including a bottle of Diesel 911) will avoid a call to AAA in a lot of circumstances.

Before you drop that tank, how much fuel is in it?

 

3/4 tank. Hey I'm all for NOT dropping the tank but the pickup is clogged or some other reason its not able to draw fuel from that tank.

 

Fuel heater is a semi common one. I just disconnect them, don't need them anyway

 

Keeps the belt running smoothly!

http://www.thedieselstop.com/faq/949...les/982314.pdf

 

I had to call her because I only had a half hour before work started.

did not do the water pump cause it looked newer anyway. I just did the radiator and oil cooler. Coolant is to expensive to drain unnecessarily.

fuel heater is long gone. The fuel bowl is laying in my garage floor. And the truck ran fine at -20 or whatever it was at midnight early this week.i had a gennerator for the block heater, I'm sure that helped.

I get nervous since I bought it with 245,xxx miles of unknown maintenance. The only note with it was a diagram for the 7 pin trailer harness. Very little help. So i dont feel like i know it very well, still honeymooning. never even towed with it!

Anyway I think I've about got the wife calmed down on selling it and buying another set of issues. Especially since I try to buy premium parts. Carquest or Napa, usually carquest. And I've hit the stealership for the glow plugs and cps.

i

at the end of the day it is nearly 20 years old. And stuff is gonna happen. I'm just glad there is a group out there that I can lean on for good useful advice!

 

Premium parts are OEM, either at the stealership or Riffraff or where ever you can find them. I hear ya on the anti freeze, I now have a separate drain container only for anti freeze, I've lost a lot of good stuff over the years.