New guy, San Diegan with eyes on Idaho
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New guy, San Diegan with eyes on Idaho
I have been trolling around on this board for a few weeks. Now that I have my truck I figure it's time to say "Hi".
I have been a lifelong gearhead. Pretty much GM muscle. That's not to say I wouldn't have liked a Hemi 'Cuda or a Superbird, but they've been out of my price range. Got a Duramax work truck in '04 and that got me hooked on diesels. The point of that bit of history is that I am a pretty capable mechanic and fabricator, but I am not fluent in Mopar. I expect to come across a few systems which I will need explained to me. That, and since the Duramax has yet to need any real work, I have a lot to learn about diesel systems in general.
The truck I now have is a '95 4x4 dually with a 5 speed manual tranny. I have no service history on it at all, but it has been around the block more than once. It has about 280K on the clock. I am told that it has the KDP tabbed. It has the BHAF mod, twin 5" stacks in the bed, a lift of something on the order of 4"-6" and big mud tires. All around a redneck special. Perfect for entertainment in the land of Prius moonbats.
The twin stacks are gonna have to go though. I want that part of the bed for an auxiliary fuel tank. Current setup has the "Y" and horizontal pipes in the bed itself. If it were under the bed I might manage to find a tank to fit between (although I would wonder about heat), but with everything up top I think I will just replace the whole shebang with a normal layout. I have some research to do on aftermarket systems.
The mud tires and lift may have to go too. This truck's purpose will be for hauling my family and business to Idaho. I am planning to drive the truck up there within the next couple of months. I probably won't be hauling much this particular time. This time the goal will be to experience the weather (I am a native San Diegan--have never in my life been in falling snow) and get some firsthand experience with this truck in the snow. I know I am going to need chains, and I don't think I can fit them with the current tires. I can see where the rears have occasionally brushed the inside of the bed (had to be seriously loaded or one heck of a dip) and the fronts get relatively close to the fenders at full turn without any suspension compression. I would love to get any feedback or leads on what combination works best for a dually in the snow. As far as the lift goes, we'll see where new tires and a drop hitch put the ball height, and then evaluate that problem if it exists.
Lacking maintenance records, and planning to use this truck for distance driving, I figure I need to go through the whole truck. I am going to start by changing every fluid in it...new hoses and belt...probably new U-joints on the driveshafts...new fuel filter...new thermostat...any tips on any of those are much appreciated at this point.
What about the axles? With 280K miles, should I be concerned about bearings and seals? Rear is a Dana 80, front a Dana 60. Any weaknesses to be looking for there?
Transmission is another matter. It is almost impossible to get into second gear without a bit of grinding. Figure the synchros are pretty well worn. Truck is still driveable, and for the freeway it's a non-issue, but is that an indicator that the tranny is due for an overhaul? Or would this tranny be good for another 200K miles with just new synchros? I understand the tranny is an NV4500.
T-case has yet to be tested. I need to get off pavement for that. I am told it is a NP241DHD, and that it is superior to a NP205. This is the first time I have heard of a chain drive being better than the NP205, but apparently it has a monster of a chain. Anything I should be looking out for here?
I have already found a couple of things I need to fix. Hopefully they are minor issues. The temperature gauge swings fairly quickly between 140 and 190 while on the freeway (was about a 40 minute drive to get it home). Coolant level in the radiator seems to be as high as one could hope to get it. Should I suspect a sensor? Thermostat? Air in the cooling system?
I also found there is some pooling of diesel fuel on top of the fuel filter. I am guessing that the crush washers for the banjo bolts have been re-used one time too many. Hopefully all I have to do is track down some new washers.
So I have a bunch of research to do. If anyone reading this knows of a particular thread which addresses any of these issues especially well--please share it. It may be a while before I find it on my own.
If I can figure out posting of pics, here is the new project:
And if all I was supposed to do in this forum was say "Hi"...and this is too much detail--let me know. It wouldn't be the first time I started on the wrong foot.
I have been a lifelong gearhead. Pretty much GM muscle. That's not to say I wouldn't have liked a Hemi 'Cuda or a Superbird, but they've been out of my price range. Got a Duramax work truck in '04 and that got me hooked on diesels. The point of that bit of history is that I am a pretty capable mechanic and fabricator, but I am not fluent in Mopar. I expect to come across a few systems which I will need explained to me. That, and since the Duramax has yet to need any real work, I have a lot to learn about diesel systems in general.
The truck I now have is a '95 4x4 dually with a 5 speed manual tranny. I have no service history on it at all, but it has been around the block more than once. It has about 280K on the clock. I am told that it has the KDP tabbed. It has the BHAF mod, twin 5" stacks in the bed, a lift of something on the order of 4"-6" and big mud tires. All around a redneck special. Perfect for entertainment in the land of Prius moonbats.
The twin stacks are gonna have to go though. I want that part of the bed for an auxiliary fuel tank. Current setup has the "Y" and horizontal pipes in the bed itself. If it were under the bed I might manage to find a tank to fit between (although I would wonder about heat), but with everything up top I think I will just replace the whole shebang with a normal layout. I have some research to do on aftermarket systems.
The mud tires and lift may have to go too. This truck's purpose will be for hauling my family and business to Idaho. I am planning to drive the truck up there within the next couple of months. I probably won't be hauling much this particular time. This time the goal will be to experience the weather (I am a native San Diegan--have never in my life been in falling snow) and get some firsthand experience with this truck in the snow. I know I am going to need chains, and I don't think I can fit them with the current tires. I can see where the rears have occasionally brushed the inside of the bed (had to be seriously loaded or one heck of a dip) and the fronts get relatively close to the fenders at full turn without any suspension compression. I would love to get any feedback or leads on what combination works best for a dually in the snow. As far as the lift goes, we'll see where new tires and a drop hitch put the ball height, and then evaluate that problem if it exists.
Lacking maintenance records, and planning to use this truck for distance driving, I figure I need to go through the whole truck. I am going to start by changing every fluid in it...new hoses and belt...probably new U-joints on the driveshafts...new fuel filter...new thermostat...any tips on any of those are much appreciated at this point.
What about the axles? With 280K miles, should I be concerned about bearings and seals? Rear is a Dana 80, front a Dana 60. Any weaknesses to be looking for there?
Transmission is another matter. It is almost impossible to get into second gear without a bit of grinding. Figure the synchros are pretty well worn. Truck is still driveable, and for the freeway it's a non-issue, but is that an indicator that the tranny is due for an overhaul? Or would this tranny be good for another 200K miles with just new synchros? I understand the tranny is an NV4500.
T-case has yet to be tested. I need to get off pavement for that. I am told it is a NP241DHD, and that it is superior to a NP205. This is the first time I have heard of a chain drive being better than the NP205, but apparently it has a monster of a chain. Anything I should be looking out for here?
I have already found a couple of things I need to fix. Hopefully they are minor issues. The temperature gauge swings fairly quickly between 140 and 190 while on the freeway (was about a 40 minute drive to get it home). Coolant level in the radiator seems to be as high as one could hope to get it. Should I suspect a sensor? Thermostat? Air in the cooling system?
I also found there is some pooling of diesel fuel on top of the fuel filter. I am guessing that the crush washers for the banjo bolts have been re-used one time too many. Hopefully all I have to do is track down some new washers.
So I have a bunch of research to do. If anyone reading this knows of a particular thread which addresses any of these issues especially well--please share it. It may be a while before I find it on my own.
If I can figure out posting of pics, here is the new project:
And if all I was supposed to do in this forum was say "Hi"...and this is too much detail--let me know. It wouldn't be the first time I started on the wrong foot.
Administrator
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,331
Likes: 2
From: Kalamazoo, Michigan
Hi Anak! Welcome to DTR!
Seeing as how these other admin's just kinda ignored you're questions, I'll attempt to help ya out! (That's because that's the kinda admin I am!)
Was your post too detailed? Nope! Although you'll probably have to repeat a lot of it when you get into a specific forum to ask questions.
The second gen forums is where you'll most likely find the most help for your new truck. A couple of them can be found here;
https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...train-f90.html
And here:
https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...rain-f100.html
Poke around and don't be afraid to ask questions! If someone here can't answer your questions, there probably aren't any answers yet. The willingness of all the members to help you is amazing and the amount of info here is staggering.
Good luck!
Seeing as how these other admin's just kinda ignored you're questions, I'll attempt to help ya out! (That's because that's the kinda admin I am!)
Was your post too detailed? Nope! Although you'll probably have to repeat a lot of it when you get into a specific forum to ask questions.
The second gen forums is where you'll most likely find the most help for your new truck. A couple of them can be found here;
https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...train-f90.html
And here:
https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...rain-f100.html
Poke around and don't be afraid to ask questions! If someone here can't answer your questions, there probably aren't any answers yet. The willingness of all the members to help you is amazing and the amount of info here is staggering.
Good luck!
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 11
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Thank you.
Yes, I have been poking around.
I have already found out that the wide swings in temperature, especially on the freeway, are normal courtesy of the large radiator. I am not sure if 140 to 190 is the normal range of the swing, but at least I know that it is not a panic item.
There's ton of great information on this site. The challenge is finding the information that I need at the moment in the midst of all the rest of what's here.
Yes, I have been poking around.
I have already found out that the wide swings in temperature, especially on the freeway, are normal courtesy of the large radiator. I am not sure if 140 to 190 is the normal range of the swing, but at least I know that it is not a panic item.
There's ton of great information on this site. The challenge is finding the information that I need at the moment in the midst of all the rest of what's here.
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Joined: Jan 2004
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From: Kalamazoo, Michigan
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