Greenlee

I think what you all are saying is what I need to do. Somebody who know diesels might say something about the smoke but it still runs extremely strong. Would DAP be the best place to look at stock injectors? I'd rather knock some off the price and let the new owner deal with it but regardless if I buy or reduce the price it would be great for me. Thanks Mike I sincerely hope you are healing well, your in our prayers. I considered doing that but need to think it through. I did find a shop across the bay that is very reliable, I might go when I can and talk with them. I hate to say it but I had a melt down recently, maybe more shock than a melt down. Before the bone spur flared up I had a 2nd neck fusion, it has really been one surgery that helped me with the horrific pain I deal with daily. I'm 67 and it all came into focus, I'm never going to be what I was, too much damage with nerves and muscles from a failed surgery 14 years ago. My feet don't work right, my legs are gone, my arms look like I'm 80 and my strength left a long time ago. Started lifting a 3 pound medicine ball, could only muster 5 times over my head, after 3 weeks I'm up to 20. No pity party, it is what it is and I have begun to look at it based on reality and what's possible for me to achieve. Started a steroid pack for the spur and see the doctor again in 4 weeks to get an MRI but I'm hoping and praying I'll be able to get my brace back on and get past this. The pain as you stated is beyond what you would imagine. I'm going to get an engine lift that folds up to help me lift items I need moved around in my garage, doesn't matter if 30 pounds is my lifting limit as long as I can work the handle on the lift or what ever I'm using a tool. I'm adjusting how I do things and maybe it's about time I did because I'm spinning my wheels thinking a gym or weight machine will be a make over for me. It will all work out in good time according to what God has planned for me. You can't go down the right path if you don't listen to directions and what's being spoken to you. It was a hard pill to swallow but living in the past thinking you will be something that you're not is simply put a waste of time. Get with the program and let it work for you. Thanks for all the great advice

That's why I'm asking and what you are saying about smoke with DDP is absolutely correct, My biggest worry was putting them in and looking like a freight train with a for sale sign on it. Performance is still really good but way more smoke than normal through the gears. I'll be lucky to get half of what I paid for the DDPs or maybe less but it's better than letting it sit in a closet. I'll see if I can find a boost leak. Thank you for the reply

Okay, I hate to start a new thread because I know some where there is already an answer for what I'm going to ask. I have reached to point of trying to drive the 1999 Dodge Ram Cummins Quad Cab SLT Laramie 5 speed. I simply can't find a safe way to operate the clutch while wearing leg braces. I hate to see it go because of the amount of work and money that's been put into it already. I haven't been able to walk for the past 5 or 6 weeks because of the rotten bone spur at my Achilles Tendon. I want to be honest about selling it but something I noticed that my brother pointed out was a slight knocking sound when he brought it back to me in August of 2017. He thought it was the rear-end but I think it's injectors. It always had a little black haze with the Blue Chip Special X VP44 that was installed I guess in 2013. Now It blows a trail of smoke when putting your foot in it through all the gears except 5th. The engine is loud, like valve lash but it was all adjusted out about 2 years ago and from the time I bought it in 2013 it had 155,000 miles on it and is now showing 207,354. The original owner towed a bumper hitch with it across country, it's a 53 block but no cracks at anytime. The injectors are original but the fuel system was shot when I bought it since it went 250 miles before leaving me on the side of the road. VP44 was shot and the lift pump was shot. So I'm asking if the towing could have caused the injectors to wear down a little faster? The owner did keep all the maintenance up with dealerships as he traveled and so my brother. I didn't put that many miles on it so I only had a couple of fluid changes. I have a set of 50 hp injectors made by Dynamite Diesel, they were 75 hp but they retuned them to 50 hp, BAR is 291 and LPM 41. I don't mind getting them put in, I had planned on selling them on eBay but probably would never come close to getting my funds back, $800.00 Plus. Any advice is appreciated, thanks

I understand and hope you continue to have pain free days and years from the spurs

Thanks Dripley, Funny story about bone spurs, a Boilermaker brother came by to bring an old desk from the 1960's so I could make a work table out of it. I'm hobbling one step and a drag of my right leg at a time and told him I had a flare up of an existing bone spur that is on my heel touching the Achilles Tendon. The pain is beyond explanation and nobody can assist you trying to walk because you are clumsy anyway. My friend told me about a bone spur he had about 12 years ago shaped like a chicken beak pushing through a tendon on the bottom of his foot. Now he is out of town working so options are limited. The orthopedic doctor he was going to see was not approved by insurance so he went to a podiatrist who looks at it and says he can help him with it. Now if you are anyone has ever experienced a spur you know that touching it is out of the question, you don't even want a fly to land on it. So the podiatrist pulls out a device with 2 metal or hard plastic roller balls with a little gel to make it move easy. He said he almost wet his pants but he got through it, rolling that device back and forth over the spur. No comfort at all. Next visit in 2 days, same treatment. This continued for a couple more visits and then he gave my friend the roller ball from hell and said you continue this until it goes away. After a couple of weeks it started feeling great but he said in the process it felt like a piece of glass broke and the spur flattened. What happened is it was growing through a tendon. After he flattened it he has had no issues for 12 years now. Long before he came over that afternoon I limped to the kitchen and there was a little bag of garbage that my wife said she would take out when she got home. So I picked it up and was heading for the garage. As I opened the garage door I stumbled and went the length of the garage to the garage door before catching myself. This crazy move extended and stretched my ankle, the pain was horrible and all I could think is my wife is going to kill me. About 30 minutes later I noticed my heel and foot still hurt but it felt better. I'm thinking that it separated the tendon from the bone spur and actually helped. So I didn't sleep much last night but when I got up I was walking better still dragging my foot but not as bad. I just don't know if I can stand getting a hard object and rubbing across my heel. Dripley, no one else would understand any of this so if you get it that's all that counts and I'll get back on the topic. Good talking with you.

I'll look at that as soon as I can, an existing bone spur on my right heel has taken over. I guess from the longer walking to the different ball fields where my grandson's play TEE-Ball and Baseball. I am sorry to complain about things but sometimes you feel like you are backing up and that is a state of mind you have to work past or it will move you back. I am thankful for every response from the few questions I have at times. My injectors and gauges did not sell so I am going to put them on the truck and drive it. Smoke or no smoke when I get the pedal modified to work for me. I need a set of tires and have got 50K out of the Firestone's on it now. I guess that's not too bad. I'm thinking of buying the brackets and mounting the new Raptor 150 on the frame with a new harness. Should last me the rest of my life. At least there is always something to work on or a project in mind, never a dull moment. Thanks everyone.

Now is when I wish I knew how to use Fusion 360 to throw it out there, Well my wife and kids (grown) aren't too happy about me keeping the Dodge because it's not automatic and I can't walk without falling if I don't have the leg braces on. You can't look at your feet every time you shift it's worse than texting and driving to me. One back fusion blazed the trail for me to end up with so many issues. When a doctor says he will have you up and running in 6 weeks....get out as fast as you can. Your right, it's an easy thing to do and takes the guess work to know if there is air in the system or not. thanks

No air in the lines but I guess I could bleed them out or let someone bleed them out just to make sure, It sounds like most of the manual transmissions have the same characteristics with the pedal going to the floor or close to it. Did you have to turn your foot sideways to get on the pedal to push it down? I'm going to post a picture of this when I get done with it. Simple and clean and as long as it works no worries. I understand completely what you were dealing with, I got rid of some tailgaters staying too close. Didn't mean to hit the brakes but it is easy to do with braces on. I'm not going to bend the pedal, I'm going to get a second pedal to sit next to the existing pedal towards the door. I'll bend it and twist it back around so it will saddle the clutch pedal with a second piece wrapping around both held in place with set screws. I see it in my head now just can't explain it. WOW that sounds familiar if I don't say so myself. lol

The brace keeps my ankles from rolling out and my feet rigid, no flex to the side or ankle movement up and down. I see the wheels turning on this one.

This is great news. Mine must be fairly normal because it goes to the floor board just like you described for your 5 speed. Even with new parts the pedal is the same. Thank you for the reply I understand what you are saying Mike, best to leave it like it is. Hope you are healing up good.

I see reading down the page that it is not adjustable, good to know. I plan on driving it since it doesn't make sense at my age and with my medical history to invest in anything else. I'll get the pedal figured out and modify it to shift better for me. I know it will sell if I lower the price but like you said why not just drive it, you know what's been done or what's left. I hope there isn't anything for a while that needs attention. Thanks

I know this question has been asked in the past but I couldn't find the info. I have a 1999 Dodge Ram Cummins 2500 5 speed and to engage gears the pedal has to be pressed into the floorboard carpet. I have tried to sell this truck without any takers. There is over $10,000 in parts and labor above the price I paid for it. I have about $4K and my brother when he owned it put another $6k in it. Some of the costs in parts was not needed at all, Turbo rebuilt by Mid-West Turbo when nothing was wrong with it, Fluidamper added, Hi-Torque starter, Ceramic disc brakes and so on when good stock parts are more than good enough for a 20 year old ride. My brother is not a diesel mechanic but does work on his vehicles. He was trying to establish reliability because he was on the road all the time working. So now I took it back to try and sell. I refuse to just give it away for tree trimming and yard work, some offers are crazy. I plan on keeping it and driving it. Problem is I wear leg braces so my ankle does not flex. I find my foot has to be turned sideways to press down the clutch pedal and that causes my toe to press on the brake at times when shifting. I'm going to get a second clutch pedal, bend it, form it around the pedal in the truck to sit at the same level or angle up a little depending on how it does pushed all the way down and the flatness of the floor board where it will hit. This would give me some more area and keep the toe of my shoes away from the brake pedal. I don't know if this is normal or not but the pedal has to be on the floorboard to put it in gear and shift gears. There are no leaks, fluid looks great but the travel to the floorboard seems a little too much. I know there is no adjustment but what else could be going on to cause this? I hate to think the clutch or pressure-plate is worn out but that's where I'm heading. It would make sense that it's the reason for the excessive pedal travel. I hate to think that another dime has to be spent on this Dodge being so far in the hole already. If it is then point me in the direction for a new clutch, pressure-plate, etc. I hope I can make it all work. Thanks

I can relate to the medical appointments but that's about all. Been married going on 47 years, wouldn't know what to do without my wife. Most of my work life was on the road, 40 plus years but since I've had to retire on disability in 2011 my wife has helped me and taken care of me daily. I am a blessed man. Second neck fusion was on the 13th and I am seeing good results from it for a change. Don't know what I would do without our Church life, well I do know, but there is no point of preaching about it because most have heard the truth so the choice is up to them. My family is praying for you Mike, you're too smart to be hanging around empty coffee shops. I have the greatest admiration for you taking care of MoparMom the way you do. Believe it or not God is blessing you but there's a lot of forest in the way at times. You're still hear, you're still inspiring folks, and you're still our friend. Let us know what we can do to help. So far you haven't had to design a Tessla Forum (pull you hair out) yet. Dodges are still on the road and you are King when it comes to putting the information out there. God Bless and don't give up.

Hey, I went back to this thread to find some additional info, I must have missed what your wrote, thank you, great ideas sorry it took so long to let you know. I'm sorry dripley, I didn't see the question you had added, it's on the block, Raptor 150. I'm still dealing with this truck and the draw straw. I just got it back before my surgery last week. This has been going on before Christmas with a local diesel shop. I wish I could have done it my self