Me and My IDI go to CO!

[Nickbf2504x4]

the tale (NOVEL) you've all been waiting for...

***DISCLAIMER: THIS IS A LOOOOOOONG POST, you may laugh, you may cry, but in the end it's a good IDI story***

Once upon a time...

So it began our trip from Moorpark, CA to Fort Collins, CO! an estimated 1111 miles (mapquest). I decided to let pops take the cockpit for the first half of day one since i have been to and from vegas a bunch this summer.

Scare #1...

30 Mins into the trip as we are merging from the 118 east to the 405 north my dad is accelerating pedal to the floor. "MAn, this ford sure doesn't pull like my chevy used to"-he smirked

Just then an extremely slow moving, foreign car driving, senior citizen pulled in front of us!

The sudden slow-down caused my dad much frustration and he went to downshift. As he gets back on the pedal the motor revs freely as he gives me that whats wrong look. he startsmolesting the shifter violenty at this point and appears to be getting into gear. still free revving.

Great, i thought, the clutch or tranny is shot 40 miles into our 1111 mile trip and i have a placement test in less than 36 hours!

I told him to pull over and turns out in his ford hating rage he had just not been putting the black beauty in gear! i love my pops but he is a 2wd/chevy/gas engine/auto tranny kind of guy

The next 400 miles were pretty uneventful...other than the IDI kicking some serious ass

***I TAKE CONTROL OF THE TRUCK JUST NORTH OF VEGAS!!!***

Scare # 2

Now it's about 2:00 pm and we are barrelling across the nevada desert at upwards of 85mph! my LPG system is armed, the music is jamming, the A/C is on - guees what happens next?

engine light pops on...coolant gauge sticks to the red...i pull over
*the BB isn't smoking or stinking at all though i pop the hood and all looks good and after a minute of idling shes back to "normal"...on we went(dont know if the thermo stuck or just an electrical bug or what, but if it did over heat it cooled off super fast

The next 300 miles went routinely (IDI kickn' @$$) and we had a hellacious storm just south of Beaver , Utah on the 15 N. Insane hail, rain, and lighting! Many pulled over...but the Black Beauty assured me that her BFG AT's had her securely planted to the road even with 2+ inches of water so we trudged on...at about 30 mph

We spent the night in lovely Salina, Utah where i learned i can fill my truck with semi nozzles it just takes about 30 mins

I also had to turn my fuel screw done in the Super 8 Parking lot because my DPS turbo pump sure made the beauty

***Bailey Senior Back in the cockpit ***

We were once again kickin @$$ and taking names (starting to feel pretty comfortable) so i nod of for a little nap...

I awake to a face full of diesel smoke apparently my DP had slipped out of my turbine housing again which lets exhaust enter the truck under the dashboard...thought i had this addressed but obviously not

So a quick stop at the checker auto parts store in Grand Junction, CO had prepared me with some metal bonding epoxy and bailing wire! woo hoo red neck fix for a red neck truck

Check this...1000 miles later and works like a champ( until i try to take this apart haha )

So we were at the base of the Rockies ready for the last and hardest test for her yet... and to make a LONG story a little it shorter She did good even with the propane tank empty! no over heating problems and even managed to pass quite a few other diesels heading up to eisenhower tunnel 11,500ft!

Many Thanks to all you guys for preparing me and the Black Beauty for my successful trip!

Lived, Written, Edited, and Narrated By Nick Bailey 8/23/05

 

[F350camper]

Awesome read Nick. Glad to hear you made it with only minor "adjustments" along the way.

 

[towcat]

at least the "fixes" could be done on the side of the road there's nothing like a trip with a few side adventures along the way. I try to 'ol murph at bay by packing a cross bed box full of tools and spare parts.

 

[Mikes91]

Sounds great. Your old man is just going to have to understand the difference between a gasser and an old diesel. Tell him what your fuel mileage was if you really want to get his goat.

Now your truck oughta be ready to take the trip again... with zero unplanned stops!

 

[Agnem]

Great story! Goes to show you can have a few problems and still make it OK. One question though, why did you bother to turn down the pump? Was it because pops couldn't be trusted to watch the pyro?

 

[Nickbf2504x4]

Was it because pops couldn't be trusted to watch the pyro?

that and once we started climbing elevation with kens pump...lets just say I would have been shot by a hippy :draw or caused a major acident due to heavy "fog"

 

[Agnem]

Ah! I gotta get me one of those Ken pumps someday. :Sly

 

[beretzs]

I am tellin you, once you go DPS you will never go back to stocker units. The best part is, Ken builds those pumps in such a way to that empty with all my fuel screws maxxed, I still cannot bust 1000 on the pyro. Worth every penny. Scotty

 

[PARKESPOWER]

Sounds like a trip that makes everyone proud when you make it on spare parts and know how

 

[Nickbf2504x4]

im definately proud of the old girl, 'cept for the clutch bushing