Project: Diesel power

[Feersty]

Great thread Dave.

[BLINGMW]

That is pretty gay.... Mag-hytec makes one with a dip stick and drain plug if you feel like spending $250 on it

[PDenbigh]

Dave, this might be a dumb suggestion but make sure it wasn't just too cold for the diesel to start. The 7.3's need a fairly warm temp to start w/o a block heater IIRC. My Mom's 6.0 needed one if it was colder than 20 outside I think...? It'd just sit there and try. Plug it in for a few minutes and it'd start right up.

[Dave]

Unfortunately, that didn't work :-(, but thanks for the suggestion.
Before I started replacing random parts I had it plugged in for an hour with my fingers crossed. I guess it was about a month ago, but it was 28 degrees ago and it started right up after a few minutes with the glow plugs going; on Friday it ~34 when I went out to start it up.

I guess I'm postponing my trip, since I haven't heard anything. Figures that I had it towed to the dealership that isn't open during the weekends at all :-(; forgot to even think about that until yesterday. Hopefully they'll figure it out early and have the parts available on Monday.

[Dave]

Got the truck back on Monday.
The problem ended up being that the plate below the fuel filter, which is responsible for heating up the diesel fuel as it goes into the engine, was malfunctioning and grounding out. As a result, the entire system delivering fuel was essentially shut down b/c it all works as one unit. Kinda sucks, but at least it's up and running again.

[ScottyB]

cool, at least it was something simple.

is the fuel heated constantly or does it turn on at a certain ambient temp?

[Dave]

I don't know how simple it was, but it definitely could have been worse. My credit card wasn't pleased anyways :-)


Note: This is what I understand; it could be hearsay, so if somebody knows differently and would like to educate us, please feel free:
The fuel is heated before it goes into the engine b/c it will gel up in lower temperatures. At higher temps its no biggie, but the lower it goes, the more important it is to make efforts to get the engine warm before you warm it up.
Virtually all modern diesels have a block heater which is usually good to hook up a few hours before you plan on driving it in lower temperatures. Likewise, before you actually start the engine, you normally will turn the ignition on and let the glow plugs cycle and warm up before you actually start cranking.

[Feersty]

Sometimes you got just say eff and let someone else do it. At least you know you can hold someone responsible.

[Goodspeed]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2zEFb6bFLc

[JustinG]

im pretty sure i would shoot myself if i had to listen to that everytime i drove the truck

[Dave]

Quick update on a little bit of maintenance performed on the truck:
-Did an oil change. While normally this is no big deal, I've added a cool little tool called a fumoto valve to make it go cleaner and faster. It replaces the drain plug and can be opened and closed to drain oil, rather than removing the plug. This eliminates the possibility of stripping the pan (which requires removing the engine to replace, no easy chore), and makes for super easy cleanup b/c you can drain it right into waste containers (I use old oil containers in this case). The one I got also has a nipple so you could also theoretically run a hose off of it into one large container and just walk away, as long as it will hold 15 quarts of oil :-O Good to go for another 5000+ miles...



-Added a marinco plug (electrical outlet used on boats) to replace the block heater plug. The factory block heater has a 3-prong plug which you plug in a recommended 3 hours before driving on extremely cold days. I have a regulator that turns it on automatically at 6am and just connect it on evenings when I get home and the forecast says it will be below freezing that night. It starts right up every time even if I forget to plug it in, but seems a little happier if I remember. This new plug requires a hole in the bumper (most people just drill into a small plastic spoiler at the bottom, but I didn't have this) and the removal of the stock plug and splicing this one in. Once you have the hole, it takes less than 5 minutes to get it all done. I am extremely pleased with this mod.



-Changed transmission fluid. Auto trannies are something I have never claimed to know anything about, nor do I really want to. I did want to put fresh fluid in though, since I have no idea how old this fluid was. Changing the filter isn't necessary but I wanted to. Unfortunately, only after I had gone through the work to drop the pan did I discover that the transmission filter I had purchased was not the one I needed . So, I cleaned the crap out of the old pan, and re-installed it using the old gasket as well (it is reusable as long as you don't damage it when removing the pan). I have resolved to change this fluid again a little earlier than recommended (to get back on my maintenance schedule) and I will replace the filter and gasket with new units at that time. The trans on this beast is another thirsty unit, requiring 18 quarts of ATF for a proper flush. It's a little involved of a process and i was learning as I did it, so I'll document it better on my next endeavor. However, I do have a pic of what the filter should look like :-)



My next projects are a new muffler to give a little more power and fuel economy, and hopefully some more noise, as well as a coolant filter to help keep the truck in top shape and prevent any damage from casting sand (to be explained better in that update).

[Dave]

I made my first foray into true, home-made exhaust work and I can't say it was very pretty :-). I rented a chain-type pipe-cutter from Advance for a weekend and crawled under the truck to get work. After pulling off a couple of the rubber hangers, my back was starting to dislike my gravel driveway. I then set to work on the pipe with the cutter. Much later, I grew extremely pissed off because, in theory, the cutter is supposed to evenly distribute pressure around the entire pipe. Guess what, either I'm retarded, or it doesn't. It took freakin forever to cut through the pipe and I was extremely irate from being poked by rocks. I took a break and started the process over again for the 2nd cut but my frustration level quickly escalated again and I just grabbed my angle grinder to get it done.
Well, that worked like a charm, 2 minutes of minimal work versus 30+ of hard work wins all day every day, just make sure you have taken the necessary precautions that you aren't shooting sparks at your gas tank...
As you can see in the picture below, that results in what essentially an open downpipe on the truck. What self-respecting home mechanic can resist this opportunity to see what how your b00sted vehicle feels? Not me.


Wow. The snail absolutely screams and the truck is a LOT faster. It starts spooling up noticably the instant you touch the gas pedal and the caucophony of noise in the cabin was blissfull. I had all the windows open :-). One interesting note is that the engine's exhaust note, when the turbo wasn't screaming, actually sounded a lot like a gasser, which I attribute to the fact that it wasn't so muffled that the engine noise overshadowed the exhaust.

Alas, it is entirely too noisy to drive regularly and would get quite irritating on long trips, which are two of the truck's primary duties. While it being 'faster' was nice, it also means I'd be driving faster and using more diesel, which is not cool. As you can see in the picture below, the new muffler is considerably less restrictive than the stocker. The factory exhaust system is 3.5" from the turbo back to the exhaust tip, with the exception of this single choke point. A lot of guys spend hundreds of dollars and get a 4" pipe. I bought this muffler for $55 and it has a straight-through 3.5" design.


That's where the fun ends.
Mistake #1: I didn't actually measure and mark on the exhaust where I needed to cut. As a result, I cut off about 2 inches too much and I couldn't 'just slip on' the new pipe. D'oh.
Mistake #2: Took it to a shop. I explicitly told them what I needed and I really felt that I had done the vast majority of the work, but I forgot to point out that I was trying to do it super-cheap. They spent a bunch of time trying to find some pipe, couldn't and finally resorted to doing what I told them in the first place and scavenged it from the stock pipe. Then they cut off the hangers and welded onto the new pipe. This was very nice of them, but really unnecessary since the new muffler was probably about half as heavy as the original. I also told them to reuse the original exhaust clamp b/c it worked just fine, but they failed at this too (I brought 2 new ones when I dropped it off, but wanted to return 1 of them) .

So, I ended up having to pay for 2 hours of labor to get the job done because I didn't make the appropriate measurement. I paid for stupidity :-). The truck did pick up a little power and the new exhaust is definitely flowing a bit better than stock, so overall I am a happy with the mod. It isn't really any louder and I really can't find any downside to it. I haven't filled the truck up and done a mileage test yet, but based on my fuel consumption since, I think I might even be getting better gas mileage out of it now...

[ScottyB]

just an FYI Dave -- the fumoto will leave a bit more oil in the pan when you drain because the threads go up into the pan a bit. maybe from time to time take the valve off to get every last bit out, including any nastiness that sinks to the very bottom and never otherwise drains out.

my fumoto never leaked and if you ever sell it people always want them so you won't lose much 8)

[Dave]

Thanks Scott, that's good to know!

[Goodspeed]

Haha, I like seeing all 3 of your project threads updated within minutes of each other, someone is keeping busy!

About the exhaust....needs....more.....dual stack. You know you want to.

[Dave]

Update:
Flushed the coolant and added a coolant filter. It had normal green coolant in it, which isn't known for being very good for a diesel, so I upgraded to red Fleetrite ELC coolant that is supposed to be good in a diesel for 600,000 miles without adding additives. I used a kiddie pool to catch the coolant as I drained from the block and radiator; by the time I flushed it with straight water and emptied again, the pool was almost overflowing hock: .

While I was at it, I also swapped the thermostat to a 203 degree unit from Dieselsite and installed their billet aluminum T-stat housing. This thermostat will keep the engine approx. 5 degrees higher than stock, and thus the engine will be operating at a more optimal temperature. In theory I may see better fuel economy or a little more power, but I really just did it for peace of mind.


Finally, I added a coolant filter as the third step of this job. During the casting process, sand is absorbed into the metal and over time will seep out into the coolant passages. This will wreak havoc on the bearings of a water pump and cause it to fail prematurely. Not to mention that it just can't be good to have sand floating around in your coolant... (The filter is at the bottom left of the picture)

[ScottyB]

whoa, never heard of a coolant filter before. lifetime coolant is pretty cool though!

[Maengelito]

whoa, never heard of a coolant filter before. lifetime coolant is pretty cool though!

+1, is this some sort of crazy diesel thing?

[Dave]

whoa, never heard of a coolant filter before. lifetime coolant is pretty cool though!

+1, is this some sort of crazy diesel thing?

Yeah, pretty much. Most big rigs have them and it was pretty highly recommended on the diesel forum I'm on. The 7.3 is known for eating water pumps (but I don't think its really specific to that engine) and the coolant filter can help extend the life of them. There was a disturbing amount of sand and particulate in the kiddie pool when I finished the flush, but I forgot to take a picture of it.

[Dave]

Since this thread hasn't been updated in over a year, I'll do a quick summary of what's happened since:
-Attempted to replace driver's window motor a couple days before Christmas 2008. Got the regulator assembly out and pulled all the screws out to remove the motor. Strangely enough, the motor didn't fall out, so I gave it a good yank. In that instant of searing pain, I recognized that it didn't fall out because it was held in place by the scissor mechanism of the regulator and it's spring. A few stitches and a broken index finger taught me a lesson I'll never forget... In the end I had to buy a new regulator assembly anyways
-Feb 09 brought a pair of new batteries and an alternator. The alternator was putting out 10 amps where it should have been 14, but I decided to replace the batteries at the same time since both looked like they were original from the factory.
-Changed the oil in April and a Blackstone analysis said the engine was good and healthy and they recommended even longer oil changes (already doing 5000 mile changes)
-Replaced the vacuum pump b/c air would only blow through the defrost vents and flushed the brake fluid.