Tractorman

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

Possibly a 1" drive breaker bar accompanied with a cheater and the proper size socket. Of course, a large pipe wrench will also be needed to hold the yoke from turning. Torque could be guesstimated by calculating the lever length and calculating the force applied in pounds. - John

I just reviewed the FSM for pinion seal replacement and rear wheel bearing adjustment. * Pinion Seal * Rear of truck on jack stands. Remove rear wheels and brake pads. Park brake released Use inch-pound torque wrench and record torque required to turn the pinion nut 3 revolutions. * After installing new seal, tighten pinion nut to 440 ft/lbs. Use inch-pound torque wrench and record torque required to turn the pinion nut 3 revolutions. Compare to previous readings. Should be the same or slightly higher (new seal). So, that is technically how it should be done. * Rear Wheel Bearing Adjustment * tighten wheel bearing nut to 120-140 ft/lbs, then back off 1/8 turn. - John

Yes, it sounds like his experience has been with 1/2 ton vehicles. I don't think he's had experience with full-floating axles. I am familiar with the C-clips he is talking about in order to pull some semi-floating axles. Also, many of those differentials used crush sleeves for setting the torque on the pinion bearing. Tightening the pinion nut does not set a preload on the pinion bearing on the differentials on our trucks. I think the pinion nut has a torque of about 450 ft/lbs. - John

I replaced the pinion seal on my truck at 206,000 miles. I couldn't get the nut off. Broke big sockets trying. I took the truck to a recommended shop and it took two of us over an hour to get the nut off. After installing the new seal, the nut was re-tightened with a 3/4 inch drive air gun - no torque wrench. That was over 160,000 miles ago. No leaks or problems. - John

Actually, I use a compromise between a single-clutch action and a double-clutch action that gives the performance and benefits of a double-clutch action. Performing a single-clutch action during a shift is easier and works well with small and light duty transmissions, but, the synchronizer is doing all of the work - especially if the road speed and engine rpm are not matched for the gear being selected. Single-clutching during an upshift will usually be fairly smooth because the engine rpm is falling during the upshift and the next higher gear needs lower engine rpm. So, with a little practiced timing, the shifting is generally smooth, unless, of course, there is a problem with a transmission and / or clutch component that interferes with this timing. I use the following technique for both upshifting and downshifting. Here is an example upshifting from 3rd gear to 4th gear. As the tach approaches 2000 rpm, I ease off of the throttle until there is no load on the drivetrain (nether forward nor reverse loading) and I slip the shifter into neutral without depressing the clutch pedal. While the transmission is in neutral (engine now driving the transmission input shaft), I allow the throttle to drop to the rpm needed for 4th gear. At this moment, I depress the clutch pedal and shift into 4th gear. The result is a smooth shift with virtually no wear on the synchronizer, gears, or clutch facing. I use the same technique for a downshift, but while the transmission is in neutral I raise the engine rpm to match the road speed of the next lower gear. Cars and small pickups with light duty manual transmissions work well with synchronizers because the transmission's internal components don't have much weight, therefore a synchronizer can quickly bring a gear to speed without generating much heat. Transmissions used for heavy duty applications (NV4500 and NV5600) have much heavier components, thus much more rotating mass in terms of weight. Synchronizers have to work much harder for any mismatch of road speed / engine rpm during a shift. Of course, any shifting technique being used will be more difficult to perform if there are malfunctioning parts involved. I think first step regarding clutch hydraulics is to measure the distance the clutch pedal travels from the floor to beginning of clutch engagement (engine loading) as I mentioned previously. In the case of my truck, the clutch pedal travel is at least 6 inches before engine loading. If yours is similar, then there is no need to bleed the system. If there is hardly any pedal travel, then bleeding the system would be a good place to start. - John

The reason it shifts better when you double-clutch during upshifts is because the transmission input shaft is engaged to the engine when the clutch pedal is released as the shifter is passing though neutral. This matches engine rpm to the road speed of the next selected gear. When this happens, the synchronizer is barely used and the shift is smooth. This is why I mention that driving style can contribute to the cause of a transmission that may seem to be hard to shift at times. South Bend Clutch Products can provide you with a heavy duty master / slave cylinder system - even a system that increases the length of travel of the slave cylinder pushrod. If you decide to go this route, be careful to adjust the additional length for only what is needed to make the clutch perform correctly. Over-extending the slave cylinder push rod could damage the pressure plate. - John

Thanks for answering the questions and sorry I missed your truck mileage in your signature. I would try a process of elimination. First I would operate all of the gears with the vehicle not moving and the engine not running. See if anything feels amiss. Occasionally you might hit gear teeth head on - that would be normal. Do the gates align properly? Without you hand on the shifter, 3rd and 4th should align by default. Move the shifter to the left and 1st and 2nd should align. Move the shifter to the right of default position (against a heavy spring for reverse) and 5th and 6th should align. One more push to the right and reverse should align. Do the synchronizers feels about same in each gear? First gear and reverse can sometimes hit gear teeth head on and be difficult to engage. Out of habit I always select 4th gear before selecting reverse for that reason. Probably the most important item to address is to ensure there is no air in the clutch hydraulic system. The first step would be to measure the distance the clutch pedal travels after it is pushed to the floor and clutch engagement begins. Start the engine and depress the clutch pedal to the floor and select second gear. Slowly begin to release the pedal until you hear the engine begin to load. What is that distance? It should be at least 3 or 4 inches of pedal travel. Something to keep in mind is that when a new clutch, pressure plate, and flywheel are installed, the clutch may engage with the clutch pedal closer to the floor than normal until all of the components wear in. I replaced my clutch at 297,000 miles and during the first three or four weeks of driving I noticed that clutch engagement was right off of the floor and I had to pay attention to fully depressing the clutch pedal when engaging a gear. I don't think there is a problem with the oil you are using nor a problem with any of the internal clutch parts you installed. - John

How about some history on your truck. How many owners, how many miles on the truck, any transmission / clutch related problems before you bought the truck? How has the truck been treated by previous owner / owners? When the transmission / clutch is giving you problems, how far from the floor is the pedal when clutch begins to engage? I am assuming that when you replaced the clutch that you also replaced the pilot bearing. Here are a few things that can cause your symptoms of gears grinding, hard shifting, or hard to shift into reverse. * a dragging pilot bearing * air trapped in the hydraulic master / slave cylinder * worn clutch fork / fulcrum * worn synchronizers / gates in the transmission * wrong transmission fluid * driving style Any one of the above conditions or any combination of the above conditions could cause the symptoms you are describing. This is why more detail is needed. - John

I called and told them to turn off the wind farms east of The Dalles, so your wind speed should be dying down. - John

The AC compressor shaft seal is a likely cause of the leak, especially if the compressor has lots of miles on it. Just inspect the shaft seal area. If there is an oily mess around it, you have found your leak. If it is dry, it is not leaking. The condenser, evaporator, and accumulator are non-moving parts and will only leak if damaged. Most connections are double-oring sealed and rarely leak, and if they did, the leak would have to present for a long time to affect AC performance. Also, check the high pressure connection for the high pressure gauge. They are notorious for leaking after removing a high pressure gauge. Even a new connector leaked on my truck. The leak is masked by the plastic protector cap. Remove the plastic cap and use a soapy water solution for the test. I am the original owner of my truck. The only leak I have ever had is the compressor shaft seal and it was obvious. I replaced the compressor (about 100,000 miles ago). All of the other AC components are original. - John

Congratulation are in order for your perseverance! - John

I had to look up the meaning of "quiet quitting" as I had never heard the term before. I thought it was the event that happens when I start the engine in my truck. - John

I am assuming the truck was running fine before you started the turbo and PacBrake project. If that is the case, you probably inadvertently did something along the way to trigger this new problem. Is it possible that there is something blocking the intake or exhaust ports? Like a rag or anything that may have been used to protect the intake and exhaust while everything was apart. Just throwing out ideas. - John

Good information from you. It is not a dead pedal or limp mode symptom. It sounds like a direct engine miss, as if the signal to the fuel solenoid valve (inside the VP44) is being interrupted. I recommend that you recheck the work you performed when you did the W-T wiring modification - especially the ground circuit for the ECM and the VP44. You could also swap out the fuel pump relay in the PDC (power distribution panel) with another relay in the PDC. The fuel pump relay supplies power to the the fuel solenoid in the VP44. - John

Just want to clarify a "dead pedal" occurrence. This is a a condition in which the engine falls to and stays at idle speed for 30 seconds or so and then corrects itself on its own. The transition is smooth and no engine miss is involved. This condition can occur with a faulty APPS, but not limited to a faulty APPS. Another condition that can occur is a reduced power mode (sometimes call "limp mode"). This condition will last approximately 30 seconds or so and then correct itself. The transition will also be smooth and no engine miss will be involved. This does not sound like a "dead pedal" condition nor a "limp mode" condition. Have you done the W-T ground wiring modification recommended on this site? A bit more history on your truck will be helpful - total mileage, mods, how many owners, other related problems / repairs, etc. - John

As Hank would say, "That engine runs on propane and propane accessories." - John