Boner

Just bought a broke in 96 2WD club cab, long bead 2500 last night with an automatic and 236K on the odo. Bone stock, and I know nothing about the history at this point. Trying to get a hold of the previous owner tonight and see what they might tell me.

Planning a 8+ hour round trip in a couple weeks, what should I check out before I head out. Plans are to do an oil change, fuel filter and air cleaner for starters.

Will be towing roughly 7K is all.

firestorm

Maybe some of the guys with a valve-deficient truck can chime in. First I would check the condition of the trans fluid, oil, coolant. Do they look/smell burnt, gritty, ect. Check the brakes and steering.

Boner

trans and coolant look/smell great.

Changing the oil this week, it is pretty dirty.

Rare1

If you don't know history or habits of the PO, change all filters, fluids and lubricants including the brake fluid. Look at the brake pads/linings, replace if thin (this is a good time to flush the brake fluid, each time you need brakes). Drain the water separator. Put air in the tires. Check the alignment. Lube chassis. Do a load test on the battery (2?) and clean the cable terminals. Clean the engine so you can see where the leaks are. If it runs well, drive it. Use a good fuel additive.

kd460

Good advice, also check the U joints for play, I agree, if the motor oil looks nasty, then suspect neglect in the tranny and the rear diff fluid. Take a close look at the rear wheels on the inside of the tires. Look for diff fluid leaking there. Consider changing to a synthetic diff fluid. There are some good recent posts on this topic.

Tranny fluid change is a must. Change it so you know for sure, and change out the fuel and air filter, also clean or replace the PREFILTER for the fuel system. None of this is hard to do, just takes time and a little cash.

Make sure your turbo/intercooler rubber hose connection clamps are good and tight. Really inspect them and the cooling system hoses for condition. The intercooler rubber hoses (connectors) can get lose from time to time, and on some trucks, the A/C pressure sensor (low on back of a/c pump) can rub against the hose and create a leak. The same for the lower intercooler hose on the drivers side. That hose (the one with the bend in it) can rub against the inner fender well and get a cut in it. Check them all with a flashlight to be sure.

Be aware that when changing brakes, especially in the rear, that you can start to get a leak at the wheel cylinders. The piston has been sitting in the cylinder bore in a certian position, and when you change out the brakes, the piston is in a new position. This new position probably has rust in the bore, and it won't take long for the piston to start leaking. This is a common problem in older vehicles with lots of time on them. Especially if fluid is old. New wheel cylinders are cheap, about 15.00 each, and good preventitive maintenence. I ended up changing both of mine shortly after a break job due to a leak. I recently read a post where the rear wheel cylinders can be replaced with bigger units (of course I read it after I changed mine).

Heres the link: https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...vy+duty+brakes

Lastly, have some bailing wire in the tool box, just in case, the throttle linkage has been known to cause problems. There is a recall, and may or may not have been done on your truck. You can call a dealer and give them your VIN number to see if any recalls need to be done. Duct tape in the tool box is always a good one as well.

Thats my 2 cents worth, I'm sure there is more, just trying to remember some of the things I needed to do when I first got my truck (used) last year. Good luck, Kevin

TEXWS6

What type of oil filter do ya'll recommend? This is my first diesel, so i have no idea about motor oil or anything like that.


thanks,


Kelly

TxDiesel007

I use Baldwins or Fleetguard on mine

Oil is Rotella 15W-40 year round, and go every 5K on oil changes. Although Napa golds are good... Congrats on the new rig.. Make sure u put her in ur sig so that we can help you out with anything you might need. Thanks and welcome to the best cummins site on the net.

Tx

TEXWS6

does my sig not show up? just no mods yet, so it's not that lengthy of a sig.

What tranny fluid would you run in a stock tranny, i am not gonna pull a load but maybe once a month, and it won't be over 10k pounds.




Kelly