Old truck needs LOVE. What to do first?

[Rolling_slow]

My old truck is due for some quality time.

I want to perform a "tune-up" New pump, GP, injectors, and anything else you all may suggest.

I do not have the funds to do it all at once. ( Kids are expensive, my son just turned 1. Hoping he can start turning wrenches soon and start contributing around here....ha.)

So my question is, what order should I do this maintenance? Pump first then glow plugs followed by injectors?

I am also open like I said to suggestions on routine maint I should be doing. The pickup is on its way to 350k and runs great. Its fairly new to me so the last time any of these things has been done I have no idea.

 

[Golden Helmet]

When I bought my truck, the first thing I did was have the GP's replaced, they're relatively cheap to do. I wanted to be 100% sure there were no Autolites in there (and if SHTF, may as well get that nightmare over with early), and it was also a perfect opportunity to have my engine compression checked. That helped me decide if I wanted to dive in or not.

IP and Injectors should be replaced simultaneously. Play the "wait and see" game for a while, if you're not smoking on startup or having hot start issues you may have plenty of life left on your current IP and injectors. It'll give you more time to save up for the good stuff, which'll really make you appreciate the old diesel beast

In the meantime, you can rent the timing kit and check your current timing and adjust if necessary. Also check and adjust the FLPS sensor on your IP, all you need is a multimeter. Make sure the sensor is set within spec, and even play with it a bit to see how you like it; move the voltage towards 1.2v for firmer shifts, or 1.0-1.1v for soft mushy shifts and find a spot you like. You can find a guides for all this stuff in the tech section.

Unrelated to the tune-up, ff you want to make your old truck feel new again, I bet your steering has a lot of slop in it. I bought my truck with 293k miles, with its original steering box and supposedly the original tie rods. I had the tie rods and steering box replaced, and it made my 300k mile rattletrap feel like a new truck again. Just throwing a thought out there; once you start trying to make an old truck feel new again, the goal line just keeps moving further and further away...

 

[Rolling_slow]

Thanks for the advice. I wouldn't of thought to check the compression when I replace the GPs. Truck doesn't smoke. You suggest waiting on injectors and IP? I heard failures of the IP is catastrophic or is that a rare occurrence?

 

[IDIoit]

IP failures will give you issues first suck as heat sink where you cant get it to pump fuel when its hot.
low pressure etc.

you should also replace the IP and injectors at the same time like golden helmet said.

continue running the truck, buy the IP first, its the most expensive.
put it on the shelf and wait for injectors.
you can replace one and not the other, but its better to do all the work at once

 

[icanfixall]

Its best to replace these parts at the same time but I too understand food before parts. Please read the Hall of Shame forum for places NOT to buy parts from. This forum you are reading knows where the best parts are and those business people are the best. Do you see any wet areas around the top of the injectors? If so you need a return line kit. That is the plastic caps, o rings and hoses from injector to injector. Just make sure you have the top of the engine clean before you change anything. Any dirt getting into any injector ruins it. I wear plastic gloves and when I see dirt on them I change them. Harbor freight sells them in a box of 100 cheap. If your settering is sloppy you might be able to adjust the steering box. If that does not fix it you may need the plastic piece in the collaspable colume.

 

[blakken]

Its best to replace these parts at the same time but I too understand food before parts. Please read the Hall of Shame forum for places NOT to buy parts from. This forum you are reading knows where the best parts are and those business people are the best. Do you see any wet areas around the top of the injectors? If so you need a return line kit. That is the plastic caps, o rings and hoses from injector to injector. Just make sure you have the top of the engine clean before you change anything. Any dirt getting into any injector ruins it. I wear plastic gloves and when I see dirt on them I change them. Harbor freight sells them in a box of 100 cheap. If your settering is sloppy you might be able to adjust the steering box. If that does not fix it you may need the plastic piece in the collaspable colume.

how do you adjust the steeringbox[emoji849]


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[IDIoit]

with the screw and the nut on top of the box, that adjusts the pinion in the steering box.
google it

 

[Golden Helmet]

Thanks for the advice. I wouldn't of thought to check the compression when I replace the GPs. Truck doesn't smoke. You suggest waiting on injectors and IP? I heard failures of the IP is catastrophic or is that a rare occurrence?

I think the only way a bad IP can hurt your engine is if the RPM governor breaks and causes a runaway / over-RPM, but I've never heard of that happening on its own. I think the only way that happens is when someone opens up the actual IP without knowing what they're doing.

Just keep running it. If your truck fires up while it's hot without a problem, your IP is good. You're probably down on power and MPG compared to what a new IP and sticks would be making, but if your truck is running reliably then you've got plenty of time to save up for the good parts.

Oh, one other quick "tune-up" item you can do is what's called the ATF trick. Fill a fresh fuel filter with ATF and install it. Start the truck, let it run until the idle changes and starts to run rough, then shut it down and let it sit overnight. The next day, drive the truck like a stolen hotrod. The ATF will clean up your IP internals, and you'll have a fresh clean fuel filter installed.

 

[79jasper]

The other way would be a slow death by leaking fuel into the crankcase.
Over time could damage bearings.
And could also way overfill the crankcase causing a runaway through the cdr.

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[Golden Helmet]

The other way would be a slow death by leaking fuel into the crankcase.
Over time could damage bearings.
And could also way overfill the crankcase causing a runaway through the cdr.

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That wouldn't be the IP's fault though, that's the POS mechanical fuel pump, right? I'm waiting for that time bomb to pop myself, 314k miles on it and it's still doing its job. Knock on wood.

 

[79jasper]

No. That's just another way it can happen.
The IP has a weep hole that should leak into the valley, but we've seen leaks into the timing cover.

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[Rolling_slow]

The steering is nice at tight I don't have any issues or concerns with it. Even tho the Michigan potholes are trying to kill me.

I appreciate the advice. I will start with the pump and save up for injectors and go from there.

I have looked into return line kit. I had leak a week or so ago at the pump I repaired.