New Wrecker prospect opinions

[WrickM]

Ok so i tried to get a wrecker a few weeks ago and that guy flaked on me. So here is a new prospect.

it's a 1982 Chevy with a 6.2.
The good: the body is in great shape. VERY little rust. Has a wheel lift, and a extendable boom. In general the truck seems sturdy. 4 speed trans, PTO and all controls look good

The bad: The 6.2 isn't running. They think it needs a new injection pump, but they admit to not knowing a lot about diesels. he it just quite on him one day and couldn't get it started again. He changed all the filters and replaced the lift pump, and gave it two small shot of ether(arg) and it started but died again. I can replace and time an injection pump, but i am rightly scared more is going on than just no fuel. (p.s. anyone have a working 6.2 injection pump they can part with?)

so here are somep ics. any opnions about value or the engine issues would be REALY appreciated. I am considering swapping to a 6.9 if i can find one sheap enough, but for now i just need to get the truck moving.

 

[WrickM]

lol you're no stick in the mud. I would prefer a ford for sure. If for no other reason than i know them, but finding an early 80's ford diesel wrecker in good shape is harder than it sounds. Ther are also time constraints, but that's not here nor there.

 

[White Trash]

Holy crap and people think ferd idi's are slow... You have no idea till you've driven a 6.**** especially with it hooked to something holy crap that's gonna suck.


I know my brother has a few 6.turds hanging around, I'll see if he has a pump he wants to let go, I'm rather sure he'd part with one for a very good price.

 

[WrickM]

WT:I could really use a hook-up on the injection pump. i am getting the truck in trade and cash is tight. so i really appreciate you checkin with your bro

It's strange i have driven a couple 6.2's that felt "peppier" than my 6.9, but they were on lighter trucks. Either way not looking for speed here as much as reliability and ability to burn alt fuels.

 

[White Trash]

He has a 82 short/wide 4x that came from the factory with 3.08's and an A833 3 speed with OD. That poor thing couldn't get out of it's own way stock but it was good for about 18 mpg. Now he has a rebuilt 6.**** and swapped out the axles for 3.73's and 32's and is getting 22 mpg but it takes a day to get there.


I'll find out this weekend about the pump, I know he had a couple core engines sitting around that ran so the odds of having a good pump are very good.

 

[Clydesdale]

huh our 6.2 3.08 A833 truck was snappy, and could flirt with 30 on the highway. Ran 1000 miles on it with 800-1300 pounds in bed and pulled 23-24 out of it.

Actually cetanes truck, and it will embarass his 6.9 loaded or empty.

 

[seawalkersee]

There is nothing wrong with either IDI. I have seen both. Both NA are slow. I have heard if you add boost to them they wake up.

As far as this goes, check the compression and if it is good, and you KNOW the lift pump and lines are good, there is only one or two more possible problems. Injectors, priming pump (if it has one), or a clog/crimp.

SWS

 

[WrickM]

i know i need to check the oil from the drain. the oil level on the stick was crazy high. like three or four times as high as it should be. Theres certainly a chance that when i pull the drain plug a whole lot of cool ant will spill out.
i will check the lift pump by cranking with the IP unhooked. If fuel comes out i will loosen and injector nut and see what happens with fuel there.
seems like injectors owuldn't be a no start issue unless they were all really bad and got so pretty quickly.
i'll check the timing chain by observing rocker motion. . .

clog would be a pretty easy fix. let's hope.

I need a compression tester. . . .

 

[RLDSL]

nice looker but I can't imagine trying to pull anything larger than a geo behind it unless it has at least 5.13 rear end. I've driven a 6.2 van and went to go up a hill and I just about had to get out and push

 

[WrickM]

nice looker but I can't imagine trying to pull anything larger than a geo behind it unless it has at least 5.13 rear end. I've driven a 6.2 van and went to go up a hill and I just about had to get out and push

well i do own a geo that i need to junk lol

 

[gatorman21218]

Hey Rick theres a Chevy for sale somewhere on route 33 between West Point and Saluda that has one of those 12 foot flat bed car hauler beds on them. Its not a tow truck but it could become one I think with a little work. Next time I go down there (later today hopefully) I can stop and ask about it if you want.

 

[towcat]

what's the $$$ amount on the truck?
chev 1ton chassis are actually very tough chassis. I kept a fleet of 25 1ton 6.2's alive in San Francisco for 10 years. We started rotating out the trucks after Sandbox I dried up the good surplus 6.2's. I was buying them in lots of 10 for $40/motor. The prima donnas who drove these trucks hated me for years. overheat from driver abuse? no prob. motor swapped out in one night. Also, there's a reason why chev 1 ton was a runaway favorite with towing. It all has to deal the front suspensions. tow trucks are either running unloaded or overloaded. once the front end height changes, fords ate their tires for lunch and wanted more for dinner. Chev, otoh went through half as many tires as ford did. The other thing Chev was a favorite had to do with STOPPING. Chev had a hydroboost even on their 3/4ton trucks. try driving a overloaded wrecker in SF and not be thankful for brakes that work.
This truck you are looking at has a Century 442 back end. It's the first generation of the hydraulic wrecker boom. very nice compared to the older Holmes 440 but still has their shortcomings. The wheellift is a electric over hydraulic add-on. Not quite sure of the origin, but it looks very much like the Holmes DFT-100 add-on.
Plusses....you have a dual winch hydraulic boom. Great for engine pulls, cab swaps, anything on a pickup chassis can now be lifted.
Minuses....Century/Miller no longer supports this bed. everything will have to be custom made. don't ever dent the hydraulic cylinder that raises and lowers the boom. It's proprietary to Century and it's custom made. Since it's no longer supported, your local hydraulic shop will think he hit the lottery when you bring in the cylinder for work. Another minus deals with the shape of the bed. Ever notice why most newer wreckers have a notched bed? Cars had a tendency to hide behind the bed frequently. The other has to deal with the overhang between the bed and the wheelift. Some vehicles can have the back end retracted over the notched towbed for better weight transfer. not so with the set you have there. the longer the hang past your axle, the lighter your front end will become.
IMHO, this is a good deal IF AND ONLY IF the $$$$ is really really low. if not, there's better out there or better yet....come out to kali and bring home a F450 with a more modern bed. Notchback and the tilt feature on a wheelift is a very nice option Why out here? F450's are unwanted stepchildren and are going cheap. like $2000-$4000 will buy you a real running working towtruck.
just my long winded .02.

 

[Agnem]

Actually, it would be pretty darn handy if somebody got a roll back and started coming to the rallies. You never know when somebody might need it. Oh, like lets say somebody changed there oil and accidentally used 2 oil filter gaskets instead of one.

 

[WrickM]

towcat, you're the man. It's a trade option for a 1976 camaro. The camaro has a good body and drivetrain. . .350 to th350, but the interior is a wreck. needs new quage cluster, door panels, sill plates, seats etc. i give it about a 1700-2k value. (of course i listed it higher )
Man it would be nice to have a f450 ready to go, but the CA trip is just too far.

I just don't know, that engine is scary. i mean if it is trash then i am pretty darn boned. If it's "just" the IP than i can make out ok on it i think.

i really appreciate all your input.

 

[WrickM]

Hey Rick theres a Chevy for sale somewhere on route 33 between West Point and Saluda that has one of those 12 foot flat bed car hauler beds on them. Its not a tow truck but it could become one I think with a little work. Next time I go down there (later today hopefully) I can stop and ask about it if you want.

never hurts to ask. i am really just trying to get good value for this camaro. i bought it for my girl cuz she loves muscle cars and she said she wanted to restore one. i told her i would get the engine running and she could do the interior. well 12 months later and the engine has been good for 11 months and the interior is only worse for wear. i been looking at wreckers just for the opportunity as a side "business" but i am open to anything lol.