19 Dec 07, 09:47 pm
Well, picked up a 97 K1500 Suburban with a 6.5L Turbo Diesel.
It's a nice DD, has a 4" lift and 33" A/T's. Thanks to the 6.5L it came with the 14SF rear instead of the 10-bolt 1500's normally get, but someone changed the axle shafts and front hubs to the 3/4 ton Suburban style for a really nice brake upgrade. I verified the part numbers because the previous owner just put brakes on it before i picked it up. It was worth it, it stops great!
Well, it's had an intermittent stalling issue, after some conversations with KTF and the friendly folks at http://www.thedieselpage.com, I figured out a good set of things to troubleshoot and check. I was gonna fix it tonight and it died on the way to work and wouldn't restart. I had to walk three miles in the rain and dark back home to get the wife's van and get to work about fourty minutes late. Yeah that didn't go so well. Anyway, I changed the fuel filter, and it was past due for a change. I checked the fuel pump and it seemed to be working fine. I also checked the fuel shut off valve and it too functioned as it should, so that left me with the part that is the most troublesome part of the 6.5L injection pump system, the FSD (Fuel selenoid driver). It costs over $330 new and fails frequently partially due to a poor stock mounting location. They mount it on the side of the injection pump, they said it was supposed to cool it as fuel flowed through the pump. However they forgot to account for the heat that is in the engine valley and the fact that the pump actually gets hot while running, not cold. Kevin relocated the one on his 99 last winter when it started giving him fits and that component quit giving him problems after that. I still need to relocate mine, however due to the fact I'm not sure how old mine is and how good it is, I think I will go and buy a new one, and carry it with me until this one quits again, and instead of removing the intake manifold to change mine, I'll just unplug the original and put the new one in a better location. Kev was able to get to his without too much hassle, but because I have A/C, mine is slightly more difficult to get to.
Oh the fun, but at least it's working now, and yes I will get pictures soon.
BTW, the 74 may have found a new owner, and be staying in the club. I've had to change some of my priorities thanks to my knee problems and what the AF has told me could happen thanks to them. Basically, I might be medically retired by this time next year, unless they fix it and I return to fully deployable status next fall. With the last conversation I had with the surgeon, I'm not gonna hold my breath on things getting better. As usual, I was told what a problem look like on an MRI, and even though I had the dreaded white line the Dr had talked about, he tried to tell me that a partial white line is okay, only one going from one side of a ligament to anther is bad. I still liked my comeback about how a piece of paper half torn is not nearly as strong as one that isn't torn, but the Dr wants me to continue physical therapy and hope for the best. Thanks Doc. So I'm selling the rig to pay for a Airframe and Powerplant school that will have me certified with just two weeks of classroom instruction, so that in case I find myself jobless this time next year, I have a license I can fall back on to get a decent job. Who knows, maybe I can find a way to move up there and use it. Lots of calling for A&P's up there with all the bush pilots.
Anyway, that's my status, I guess it was more than just the rigs, but I've had a few ask so thought I'd put it out for everyone to see.
I'll move back up there someday, it's just not as soon as I had originally hoped. Then again, nothing has seemed to go right as of late.
It's a nice DD, has a 4" lift and 33" A/T's. Thanks to the 6.5L it came with the 14SF rear instead of the 10-bolt 1500's normally get, but someone changed the axle shafts and front hubs to the 3/4 ton Suburban style for a really nice brake upgrade. I verified the part numbers because the previous owner just put brakes on it before i picked it up. It was worth it, it stops great!
Well, it's had an intermittent stalling issue, after some conversations with KTF and the friendly folks at http://www.thedieselpage.com, I figured out a good set of things to troubleshoot and check. I was gonna fix it tonight and it died on the way to work and wouldn't restart. I had to walk three miles in the rain and dark back home to get the wife's van and get to work about fourty minutes late. Yeah that didn't go so well. Anyway, I changed the fuel filter, and it was past due for a change. I checked the fuel pump and it seemed to be working fine. I also checked the fuel shut off valve and it too functioned as it should, so that left me with the part that is the most troublesome part of the 6.5L injection pump system, the FSD (Fuel selenoid driver). It costs over $330 new and fails frequently partially due to a poor stock mounting location. They mount it on the side of the injection pump, they said it was supposed to cool it as fuel flowed through the pump. However they forgot to account for the heat that is in the engine valley and the fact that the pump actually gets hot while running, not cold. Kevin relocated the one on his 99 last winter when it started giving him fits and that component quit giving him problems after that. I still need to relocate mine, however due to the fact I'm not sure how old mine is and how good it is, I think I will go and buy a new one, and carry it with me until this one quits again, and instead of removing the intake manifold to change mine, I'll just unplug the original and put the new one in a better location. Kev was able to get to his without too much hassle, but because I have A/C, mine is slightly more difficult to get to.
Oh the fun, but at least it's working now, and yes I will get pictures soon.
BTW, the 74 may have found a new owner, and be staying in the club. I've had to change some of my priorities thanks to my knee problems and what the AF has told me could happen thanks to them. Basically, I might be medically retired by this time next year, unless they fix it and I return to fully deployable status next fall. With the last conversation I had with the surgeon, I'm not gonna hold my breath on things getting better. As usual, I was told what a problem look like on an MRI, and even though I had the dreaded white line the Dr had talked about, he tried to tell me that a partial white line is okay, only one going from one side of a ligament to anther is bad. I still liked my comeback about how a piece of paper half torn is not nearly as strong as one that isn't torn, but the Dr wants me to continue physical therapy and hope for the best. Thanks Doc. So I'm selling the rig to pay for a Airframe and Powerplant school that will have me certified with just two weeks of classroom instruction, so that in case I find myself jobless this time next year, I have a license I can fall back on to get a decent job. Who knows, maybe I can find a way to move up there and use it. Lots of calling for A&P's up there with all the bush pilots.
Anyway, that's my status, I guess it was more than just the rigs, but I've had a few ask so thought I'd put it out for everyone to see.
I'll move back up there someday, it's just not as soon as I had originally hoped. Then again, nothing has seemed to go right as of late.
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