So what did you do with your truck today?

[The_Josh_Bear]

Finally got around to installing digital gauges from Auber Instrumennts. I put a dual display 1/16 DIN unit in the unused square next to the "Wait to start light" and a single display tucked into the ash tray area. The Auber 1/16 DIN gauge is a perfect fit in the dash and almost looks factory. I added the Auber coolant temp and oil pressure sensors to the EGT I already had. The coolant temp seems accurate as it reads about the same as the cheap mechanical I had, and the oil pressure at least reads within the acceptable range ~15psi@idle and ~36psi@2100rpm. For $8 I also added a small volt meter from Auber.

Overall I'm happy with the quality for the price. My main motivation for doing this was the fact that with the digital coolant gauge I could add my own idiot light/buzzer to alert me once coolant reaches a certain temp. A while back my lower rad hose clamp broke while climbing a grade and luckily I noticed the smell of coolant and saw my gauge creeping up to 235 before I toasted the engine. Hopefully my little idiot light will work should there be another coolant related mishap.

I love the ability to customize alerts with these gauges. I don't have any(YET!), but that's a visual/audio alarm for coolant/pyro/oil limits should be built in to all vehicles. So dumb that its not... enjoy the mods!

 

[IDIBRONCO]

but that's a visual/audio alarm for coolant/pyro/oil limits should be built in to all vehicles.

Ot even Murphy switches/gauges. Maybe those would be better for the average driving knothead. That way the engine would just shut off before doing damage. Of course the ones that would love using those are probably also the same ones that can't wait until they can buy their own self-driving car.

 

[TNBrett]

Ot even Murphy switches/gauges. Maybe those would be better for the average driving knothead. That way the engine would just shut off before doing damage. Of course the ones that would love using those are probably also the same ones that can't wait until they can buy their own self-driving car.

That reminds me of the ‘08 6.4 I had at work. You would be driving down the highway and and hear ding ding. Then “stop safely now” would come up on the dash display. They really meant the now part, because you only had a few seconds before it would shut down. On all but one occasion it wouldn’t restart until a dealer could reset it. Apparently that was Ford’s solution for high egt’s. It did that to me 4 times before I was able to convince the boss to get me out of it.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

In 2015 and 16 I worked for a contractor who is a Chevy guy. His '08 Duramax would do something similar. In the summertime, when pulling a load, with the A/C on, driving at highway speeds, it would get hot enough to cut back on power. His solution was to pull over, shut off the engine, disconnect the batteries to clear the "power back" code, hook up the batteries and continue down the road. He had replaced the EGR valve in 2014. We replaced the EGR valve cooler in 2015, which was an complete experience in itself. Finally he replaced the radiator and that solved the issue.

 

[TNBrett]

One of the owners of the company I work for retired from GM after 30 years. So, as you can imagine he’s pretty partial towards the chevy’s. I had always been a Ford guy, and they bought that 6.4 mostly because they got tired of me talking up Fords. They also bought a ‘08 duramax dually for another foreman we had at the time. That damn truck left me on the side of the road 4 times, and was at the dealer 4 other times, 3 of those 4 for radiator replacement. All that within 60k miles. It was a strong truck when it was running. It would out pull that duramax all day. But every time I was on the side of the road, that duramax would have to come pick up my trailer. My boss (in good fun) made me actually say the words “can I please have a Chevy” before he traded that truck in on one. We’ve had a bunch of duramax’s, and I seem to recall the 08’s & 09’s we had would start to get hot around 200k when pulling really heavy. New radiators and fan clutches seemed to fix it. We’ve pretty much gone to gas trucks, as our trailers have gotten smaller, and only have one more duramax left.

 

[MtnHaul]

We’ve pretty much gone to gas trucks,

I can't help but think that this ^^^^^ makes a lot of sense for businesses looking at new vehicles. Between the initial purchase price and cost of repairs it seems that new diesel pickup trucks are just not worth it for a lot of people's needs. An arborist friend of mine has a 2017 Dodge 6.7 and it makes a ton of power but already has had one major electrical meltdown--literally--and he knows that as soon as it makes financial sense he'll trade it in towards something else. Plus, $65k for a pickup truck is insane regardless of how much power it makes.

 

[Selahdoor]

My first, brand new built HOUSE was 30k... Jus sayin...

 

[Farmer Rock]

It's been a little while since I have been on here, I have been pretty swamped lately but I had a few things come up on the 87 in the last few weeks and decided to just go over the truck completely the way I had wanted to. It all started with the slave cylinder getting a hole blown through it as I was driving through town and the clutch went to the floor while in gear. I put a new slave in and lost the clutch another two time intermittently while also in town of course, so I floated the gears home. After a whole week of fooling with the slave cylinder, and numbing my left leg lol, I ordered the master cylinder that I should have got to begin with and then just got so fed up with it, that I figured I might as well harness my anger and use it to complete the zf5 swap and other things to come soon

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The luk clutch is in, and it's all ready to be put back together. I am swapping in a 38 gallon tank and steel flat bed after the zf5 is done. I will be doing all of the body work as well, since I'm going this far I want to get everything taken care of. New floorboards will be in tomorrow. I just replaced the driver's cab corner, and have new doors and a hood to swap as well. I am very happy with the way the truck is running though, and I finally got the parking brake to work
Rock

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[Big Bart]

I can't help but think that this ^^^^^ makes a lot of sense for businesses looking at new vehicles. Between the initial purchase price and cost of repairs it seems that new diesel pickup trucks are just not worth it for a lot of people's needs. An arborist friend of mine has a 2017 Dodge 6.7 and it makes a ton of power but already has had one major electrical meltdown--literally--and he knows that as soon as it makes financial sense he'll trade it in towards something else. Plus, $65k for a pickup truck is insane regardless of how much power it makes.

I was visiting a relative about 6 years ago, he worked for a Ford dealer. We went into the shop and there was a 3 year old F350 dually on the ground with the cab up on the post lift. I asked what’s up with this one. He said it had a oil leak, that is was easier and slightly faster to take the cab off than tear components off the side of the engine to fix. (Little to no room, hard to get at it.) I said is it covered by Ford, he said no. I said how much would this repair cost, he said about 6k! I said how many miles on the truck he said 65k. Most of us on this site bought our old idi trucks for under 6k! We bought diesels for their power but also for the reliability. It’s sad to see the reliability turn into a liability for the owner! You 65k truck wont even make it to 4 years and 100k before you need a 6k repair? I think new diesels are going to loose there appeal if these stories continue, the costs keep going up, and truck manufactures push the burden of bad/failed design onto the consumer.

 

[Big Bart]

It's been a little while since I have been on here, I have been pretty swamped lately but I had a few things come up on the 87 in the last few weeks and decided to just go over the truck completely the way I had wanted to. It all started with the slave cylinder getting a hole blown through it as I was driving through town and the clutch went to the floor while in gear. I put a new slave in and lost the clutch another two time intermittently while also in town of course, so I floated the gears home. After a whole week of fooling with the slave cylinder, and numbing my left leg lol, I ordered the master cylinder that I should have got to begin with and then just got so fed up with it, that I figured I might as well harness my anger and use it to complete the zf5 swap and other things to come soon

You must be registered for see images attach

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The luk clutch is in, and it's all ready to be put back together. I am swapping in a 38 gallon tank and steel flat bed after the zf5 is done. I will be doing all of the body work as well, since I'm going this far I want to get everything taken care of. New floorboards will be in tomorrow. I just replaced the driver's cab corner, and have new doors and a hood to swap as well. I am very happy with the way the truck is running though, and I finally got the parking brake to work
Rock

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I am impressed with your dedication to get your truck ship shape!

 

[Farmer Rock]

I am impressed with your dedication to get your truck ship shape!

Thank you! I am really looking forward to getting it back together. I would like to have all the mechanical stuff done by next week. I may possibly do the hydro boost swap while I'm at this point and have the parts. The primary use for this truck will be towing a 20ft gooseneck stock trailer, so I wouldn't mind having better brakes anyways.

Rock

 

[IDIoit]

new shoes, and put this into daily driver status today!

 

[Farmer Rock]

Picked up the flatbed and got my floorboards shaped up and tacked in.

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These pictures of the bed are obviously from when it was mounted on the previous truck. It was to dark to get a good pic. Plan is to make some fold down steel sides with expanded metal and removable hinges

Rock

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[Laine D]

It's been a little while since I have been on here, I have been pretty swamped lately but I had a few things come up on the 87 in the last few weeks and decided to just go over the truck completely the way I had wanted to. It all started with the slave cylinder getting a hole blown through it as I was driving through town and the clutch went to the floor while in gear. I put a new slave in and lost the clutch another two time intermittently while also in town of course, so I floated the gears home. After a whole week of fooling with the slave cylinder, and numbing my left leg lol, I ordered the master cylinder that I should have got to begin with and then just got so fed up with it, that I figured I might as well harness my anger and use it to complete the zf5 swap and other things to come soon

You must be registered for see images attach

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The luk clutch is in, and it's all ready to be put back together. I am swapping in a 38 gallon tank and steel flat bed after the zf5 is done. I will be doing all of the body work as well, since I'm going this far I want to get everything taken care of. New floorboards will be in tomorrow. I just replaced the driver's cab corner, and have new doors and a hood to swap as well. I am very happy with the way the truck is running though, and I finally got the parking brake to work
Rock

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Sometimes all you need is to get really irritated and then you start to get stuff done. At least that’s what seems to happen to me

 

[Big Bart]

Looks good, got to love a flat bed!