MY nepnew won this one on e-bay last week for 12600.00 and went to pick it up and found it has a cracked 53 block.Told the guy and flew home and now its relisted.Heres the Item number: 180068271940

 

I'm sorry to hear that. I went with a 97 to try to avoid the 53 block and the VP44. I am going to do a thorough inspection and test drive before I sign anything. Hope your nephew finds him a good truck. That would have been a good one if not for the cracked block.

 

Congradulations on your ride. Now the fun begins.

 

Well I picked it up yesterday and made the almost 10 hour drive home after spending most of the day in airports. I couldn't even think about sleep on the drive home she sounds so good and she's stock. This morning somehow she lost her silencer ring. Monday the KDP gets taken care of, and I am going to get her some new shoes. I am only putting boost and pyro gauges on, I know that might be stupid but soon I will put a FP gauge in the little cubby hole on the dash.

I do have one question, does anyone with a 97 notice first gear kind stinks? It really doesn't do anything, it seems like when you put an automatic in L.

Well, gotta go pick her up from her bath. See you all later.

 

I almost always use first... I'm trying not to kill my clutch just yet

And it is nice with a load, and manuevering off road/in tight spaces.

 

So it'll kill my clutch if I don't use first gear? Guess I better start using it.

 

It won't kill it, but it is harder on it... Especially the springs.

I can slip my clutch pretty much at will, and I don't want to replace it for a few more months ($$$) so I am trying to make it last. But even before I usually used first.

 

How can you tell if you clutch is slipping?

 

RPM increase and MPH don't... You will know. I nailed it in 4th at about 1400 RPM and forgot that I had the trailer hooked up, shot straight to 3200 RPM, without acclerating

 

I have noticed when I shut my truck off it is kind of a rough shut off. I don't know if it's just that I'm not used to the truck yet or if something is wrong. Also when I crank the truck does it take these trucks longer to start than a gas car? I hold the key to start for about two seconds then it cranks right up. I guess I just have to get used to a big diesel, and the turbo makes it alot different than the little 4 banger diesel I have.

 

The shudder on shut off is normal.

It seems to take a bit longer than most to start, try giving it a bit of pedal to see if that helps. May just need a little tweaking

 

Well KDP and brakes are being done monday. Next week I am getting the Boost and EGT gauges put in, then sometime next week getting timing and fuel plate done. I am trying to knock everything out quick. I love that truck.

It sounds AWESOME with the silencer ring out. If I put a new intake or a filter on will I hear the turbo more? I love the sound of the turbo.

Do I need to do the 3 GSK mod before timing or does it matter?

Thanks for all the help guys.

 

An intake will make the turbo more auidable.

I would do the GSK first, but they really compliment each other, the timing really makes the top end shine, and the GSK lets it fuel longer...

 

Even with the GSK done you get better mileage than stock? That is awesome. On my way home from picking the truck up I got about 18.88 mpg, that is if I got the conversion right.

The truck has 285/75/16's on it and the originals are 245/75/16's. I multiplied the trip meter reading by 1.08, I'm not sure if that's right.

 

Yes, my milage is better than stock. I have 265s and checked my speed with GPS it is pretty much dead on.