Tractorman

@jlwelding, just curious, how many mile are on the transmission. I presume that the transmission is the original. - John

Have your checked Regency for fireplace insert. It looks like these dimensions would possibly fit. They are made in Canada. You can still get non-catalytic wood stoves and fireplace inserts that pass the 2020 EPA emissions. I have been using Regency wood stoves ( the free standing FS2400 wood stove with glass door) for years, using it for the main source of heat every winter in the Portland, Or area. One of them I used for twenty years with no problems. Glass always stays clean. In my opinion, the Regency stoves are excellent quality. I have since moved to Baker City, Or (much colder winters) and built a 2250 sq ft house in 2020. Purchased a new Regency FS2400 non-catalytic wood stove and I am heating the whole house with that stove - I only cycle the furnace once a month or two for exercise. Going into the third winter now. I would talk to the pros about whether or not to use a chimney liner. I do know that old chimney flus can be a fire hazard risk. - John

According to a post from a TDR member GAmes, this obituary was printed in the London Times. It seems there are many truths here. I thought I would pass it along. Enjoy, - John Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as: - Knowing when to come in out of the rain; - Why the early bird gets the worm; - Life isn't always fair; - And maybe it was my fault. Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge). His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition. Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion. Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault. Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot . She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement. Common Sense was preceded in death, -by his parents, Truth and Trust, -by his wife, Discretion, -by his daughter, Responsibility, -and by his son, Reason. He is survived by his 5 stepchildren; - I Know My Rights - I Want It Now - Someone Else Is To Blame - I'm A Victim - Pay me for Doing Nothing Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing

I went back to the old theme as well. Not just because it is easier to read, but also the notification icon (a bell) and the email icon (an envelope) are good visuals for the action you would expect when they are clicked on. - John

I don't have the answers, but I will be following this thread as I want to do the same repair on my truck this winter. - John

Looks like the original oil filter is still installed. Now I see how you are saving money! Nice job with your plumbing skills. - John

Push on the steering wheel. - John

That would be a good way to make sure the nut is tight. If it passes the test, it might be worth loosening the nut and then retorquing the nut. Static torque is always higher that dynamic torque. If you choose to re-torque the nut, make sure the nut is still in motion when the desired torque value is reached. Since you said the popping noise has returned, checking the pitman arm nut would be the first thing I would do. Nothing else. Drive the truck to see if anything has changed. Have you ever checked the condition of the track bar? A steel bushing moving around in the axle end of the track bar could make a popping sound. In this case the fastener could appear to be tight, but the flanges may not be clamping the steel bushing with enough force which could cause movement. Have you checked the condition of the anti-sway bar rubber bushings? There can be metal to metal contact if the bushings are badly worn or split. Keep in mind that when you have the truck parked and you turn the steering wheel from one stop to the other, there is more going on than just loading the steering components. By design (positive caster. kingpin angle and angle of inclination) steering geometry will lift one side of the vehicle - left side when turning left and right side when turning right - every time you turn the steering wheel. The further you turn the steering wheel, the higher one side of the truck is lifted. This is to promote quicker straight ahead steering when coming out of a curve by using the weight of one side of the truck to assist in re-centering the steering gear box. It also loads suspension components, which could contribute to unusual sounds if something is loose, worn, or broken. Just take it one step at a time. Troubleshooting is nothing more than a process of elimination. Sometimes you will have trouble proving what isn't working properly, so, switch gears and prove what is working properly. - John

First, I would like to say that I feel your frustration. I had a clunk / pop in my steering for over 25,000 miles. It affected steering performance for the duration, not all of the time, but most of the time. Fortunately, I didn't throw a lot of money at it, but I did install the Rock Solid bushing that supports the lower steering column. The problem went away for about a thousand miles, like it did many other times when I was trying to diagnose the steering / suspension system. I would have to repeatedly retighten set screws on the steering shaft. So, each time that I did something that made the symptoms go away, I thought I had found the cause and effect and the problem was fixed. But, each time I was wrong. The symptoms always returned within a thousand miles or so. In my case the problem turned out to be something that I would have never considered - a sticking slip joint in the new Borgeson steering shaft that I purchased to supposedly improve steering. The problem first occurred after driving the truck at least a couple of thousand miles after installing the Borgeson steering shaft. I had to modify the slip yoke operation for it to slide friction free. After that repair the truck drove so much better immediately. No more loose set screws. But, it took me 25,000 miles to figure that out. That was 95,000 miles ago. I am not suggesting that this is what is wrong with your truck. What I am suggesting is for you to start over from scratch with your troubleshooting. There are many things that can make the suspension or steering "pop". And, when you are taking things apart, or tightening fasteners while you are trying to figure this out, you can unwittingly change the operation of something that might be the actual cause of the problem. But, because you changed it (not fixed it) the problem comes back. Always. It is not uncommon to have to retorque the pitman arm nut. If it is not lubed or checked for burrs before torqueing the nut, the clamping force can be compromised. Need to conclusive here. Is the shaft leaking? Clean the area thoroughly and make sure that fluid is not leaking from somewhere else and just collecting around the shaft seal. I am not sure that you have found the real issue. You haven't proved a cause and effect relationship. You only mentioned that you tightened the nut one time. Have you checked to see if it is loose again? You are focusing on the steering gearbox, but your post starts out with a "popping noise when turning". So, the popping noise is still occurring with three different steering boxes (the original and two replacements). I don't think the steering boxes are you problem. This is why I think you need to clear you mind and start from fresh from scratch. When the steering wheel is rotated, a lot of multi-directional force is placed on all steering linkages, all front suspension components, and all nearby frame attachment areas. - John - John

Thanks for checking back. We are always interested in the outcome as to what exactly is the cause of your symptoms. - John

@DrJekyll86, any progress with the long crank time diagnosis? - John

I have never quite understood that relationship. I ran my original injectors for 303,000 miles - performance was still fine, fuel economy still very good, and idle speed the same (right at 800 rpm) throughout the life of the injectors. - John

W-T, I can't believe it! You took the words right out of my mouth! What are the odds!? BUFFOONERY - Good word. As always, an excellent post.... - John

I don't believe the PCM can be involved. The communication for fueling and timing (the P2016 code) is between the ECM and the PSG mounted on top of the VP44. The P0216 code could be caused mechanically (binding timing piston, for example) or by an issue with communication between the ECM and the PSG which can include wiring. I still bothers me about the timing of getting the P0216 code the while the charging system was mal-functioning. How often does the dead pedal occur? If it is infrequent, it may be worth driving the truck for awhile as it is. At least it would give you time to make sure that you have covered all bases. I don't know if I would be ready to give up on the VP44 just yet. - John

After listening to your video, I think you described the issue very well as an engine miss. In fact, I would have called it a direct engine miss - just like a gasoline engine with a misfiring sparkplug / plugs. I am glad to hear you solved the problem and it wasn't expensive. Also, thank you for reporting the final outcome back to us. - John

The P0216 code coming back with the dead pedal is of concern. If I am understanding correctly, you did not have any driveability problems prior the the charging system problem. Is this correct? In my opinion, over the years there has been too much emphasis placed on the role of lift pump performance related to VP44 needs. If you are seeing a positive fuel pressure at the inlet of the VP44 under all driving conditions, then the VP44 is operating and cooling itself as it should. It is possible that the remanufactured VP44 from Thoroughbred Diesel is not remanufactured to Bosch's standards - not all remanufactured pumps are treated the same. My original VP44 failed at 64,000 miles - replaced at 87,000 miles. I now have over 280,000 on the remanufactured VP44 and this VP44 has never seen any lift pump pressure higher than 12 psi - and that's at idle. Normal driving it is around 6 psi. If the P0216 code and dead pedal issue did not happen until after the charging system problem began, then I would try to rule out all other possibilities before replacing the VP44. - John

You've provided good information, but I still have a question. Does lag time in the engine starting happen all of the time - cold engine, warm engine, etc? Fuel injectors could be a problem, but in my opinion - not likely. I ran my OEM injectors for 303,000 miles and changed them out just because I thought it was time. They were still performing fine, as in good fuel economy, quick starting, smooth idle, and performance. Since you noticed the engine starting performance changed after you did the Airdog install, I would be looking for an install-related cause. One cause that would match the symptoms is small amounts air getting in into the fuel. Air can be drawn in by the lift pump, or drawn in by gravity when the engine is not running. So, I would recheck my work. Slower than normal engine cranking speed can cause a delayed start, as well. Being that the engine is a compression ignition engine, a slower cranking speed will allow time for each cylinder to leak air around the piston rings, thus extending the cranking time because of less heat building during the compression stroke. So, if your batteries and / or electrical cable connections are marginal, longer cranking times will occur. The above-mentioned items can be checked without replacing parts and spending money and likely the diagnoses and repair can be performed you. - John

That is interesting. What I should have said is that a 0216 code could generate a dead pedal condition. My experience was similar to yours, but I did have the dead pedal symptom. It happened during a trip near Lewiston, Idaho in 100° weather in August while carrying my truck camper. It happened four or five times. Once the weather cooled to below 90°, it never happened again until the following May during a 95° day. Then as the summer progressed, the dead pedal symptom began occurring more frequently and at lower and lower ambient temperatures. Finally, after one year and 22,000 miles of driving the truck since the first dead pedal, I had the VP44 pump replaced under warranty. @Reaper22wrote that he when was having charging system problems, he was also showing codes including the code 0216 and a dead pedal symptom. But, he hasn't said if the code 0216 has gone away after the charging system was fixed. That is what I was trying to get clarified. - John

I reread your posts and I see no mention of whether or not any codes are present that are unaccounted for. Your first post mentioned a 0216 code. That would definitely generate a dead pedal. So, what are the codes that are still present, if any? - John

What @Mopar1973Mandoesn't tell you is that he has a permanent elaborate engine oil feed drip system installed over each battery terminal. I saw it by accident in one of his videos. He doesn't want anyone to know how focused he is on battery cables. Filtered oil is the secret ingredient. - John

Worthy of mentioning. Dirt usually has a lot of conductive particles is in it and can cause a parasitic drain, especially if it is damp. So, keeping the battery top clean is a good plan. - John

It will always take more torque than the original torque to break a fastener loose because the bolt was still moving when it reached its final torque value (dynamic friction). It will require dynamic friction torque, plus static friction torque, to break it loose. Static friction will always increase over time. - John

There are several things to address here - I would start with the basics first. The corrosion you mention should not be happening. How old are your batteries. Corrosion at the terminals usually means that the batteries are venting excessively. Have you done the recommended WT-ground wiring modification? You will need to check / clean / tighten all of the cable connections, including the condition of the crossover cable. There is a battery temperature sensor under the driver side battery. This sensor provides information to the PCM so maximum voltage will be regulated in accordance with ambient temperature. Example: 95° - probably around 13.7 volts, 40° - probably around 14.2 volts. You will need to drive the truck again to see what codes are showing. When the alternator failed, random codes may have been set while the electrical system was operating at low voltage. You need to see what is real. - John

I won't do it again. I calculated that I might get this kind of a response. - John

I apologize for using the word "calculating" twice in one sentence. That was even a lot of pressure for me, too. - John