flagmanruss

Sometimes a bolt can be "tight" and yet not tight... A lot of alternator mounts have bushings & washers. Very odd failure.

Unless you are accused of a crime, telling a reporter no comment gives them nothing to use. I think I'd tell them that you are not going to comment in any way... then walk away. If they come back, I'd put a no trespassing sign up. Do not let reporters (or Police for that matter) press you. A lot of times I see TV airing distraught people at their worst moment. Reporters have NO CLASS. What do you mean by sticking a microphone in somebody's face when there house is on fire or just burned to the ground? Unfortunately, reporters can legally be on public property including in front of your home. I think the laws should be changed... the papparazzi for instance... If some Celeb is in a public place, fine, take their picture... but it should be illegal to block a sidewalk or road (@holes jumping in front of people or even moving vehicles). OK, rant over. If my right of passage was blocked, I'd try to stay calm & be on the phone with the Police.

I've never seen anything like it. It didn't "wear through", since the parts aren't supposed to move against each other significantly. The only thing which comes to mind is a "break"... maybe something physically hung up. First guess would be in the alternator, second would be other driven devises on the belt. I once had a Suki Samurai that ate fan belts with annoying regularity. I was getting rid of it anyway but was convinced it had a bad alternator bearing or water pump.

Maybe I've just been lucky but every time I hand figured MPG, it agreed with the overhead. At 55K miles, I still have the OEM rubber on it & I've not got the XZT+ installed yet... so that may change. If it does, and I expect that it will, I'll miss it. On a trip, I can right foot better than the cruise & a readout confirms how I'm doing.I am considering getting a hitch insert with more drop... Wondering if leveling the trailer would cut the drag.

My road trip last year with the Toy Hauler... was in the 9-10 range. I don't like that mpg but I understand the truck was working, hauling that billboard at highway speed! (~60 all highway, Mass Pike & NY Thruway). It just seems like a big hit for the light trailer. Running empty, I'm normally in the high 16's to 18's on happy occasions. I'd like to understand & hopefully improve the mpg differences. Like how much is friction... how much is windage??? Anybody have experience with these? AirTabs http://www.airtab.com/main.html If they worked, wouldn't over the road truckers all be using them?

I don't have numbers but I know my MPG takes a dive. Since my overhead is still accurate (stock) I habitually leave it on... & see an immediate loss in the AVE MPG. I have heard similar comments from others. In my case, the trailer is a simple 16' single axle landscaper's trailer. No brakes. It does have the expanded metal mesh ramps. It I'm running empty, I can & have laid the ramps forward flat on the deck with a tiedown, though never checked MPG like that. I'm not hauling hay anymore but this is the only pict I have available. It does give a good idea of the trailer & the amount of nose high angle. I do notice the the trailer is still a bit "nose high" despite the 4" drop on the hitch insert. I had the insert & it works. I wonder if the trailer is catching air underneath the way a lifted truck does... I have regreased & adjusted the wheel bearings but was unremarkable. I find it hard to believe that such a nothing trailer has a significant impact on MPGs.

I just paid an obcene amount to the diesel shop... my truck shut off in the middle of the street for what turned out to be an electrical fault. They cleaned the battery terminals & all the ring connectors & the disconnects nearest the batteries. The connections really showed no outward sign of corrosion. They said the "clean power" circuit grounds on the passengers battery but get power from the driver's side. If the cross connectors are not perfect, the ECM can go out from low voltage. Who'd a thunk?

Is there a main fuse for this in the box under the hood?

Well, I think I got zinged for about 10 gallons when the Diesel shop had my tank down. If they didn't have containers, they should have said something in the days before they got to it. I had over 1/4 when the truck quit... my buddy brought me 4 gallons in a 5 gallon can (I got the reciept & paid him). Which put me almost to 1/2 tank... The mechanic said they put 4 gallons in after they put the tank back... I took it a couple of miles to the nearest station & put 32.5 gallons into the 36 gallon tank. It is a big @ss tank. editReading what the others have written... shouldn't my fuel light have come on? I didn't notice it. I seriously doubt that it has been on before as I never let it get below 1/4.

What is the deal for Propane in hazzardous locations? I know that there are some places where propane tanks are verboten! What would people do? Mount twin 30's (camper style) in the bed? I might be interested in meth/water injecting... no restrictions to carrying a case of wiper fluid.

I just got my truck back from the shop. They did get it running & installed the AD150, big line & pickup. They told me they put 4 gallons in it (I think they scored 10 gallons on me when they dropped the tank). I took it to nearest fuel station & put in 32.5 gallons at $4.13 Had to swipe my CC twice to fill it. I used 2 containers of the TCW3 oil (I refill them a bit under a quart which is right for a typical fill up). I reset the overhead which has been right on. If flopping around a bit but seems to be indicating 18 (swings 17.8 to 18.2). Dang, that's as good as I get in the summer on highway! Does the AD 150 improve mpgs?

The IAT/MPG fooler should not affect the AMOUNT of timing advance... It should give you the timing the ECM/smarty/other box specifies... whether the engine is hot or cold. That's all it does, fool the IAT. If that gives better mpg, then so be it.

I bought a tapped elbow from Vulcan when I was buying fittings... for the input to the VCP44. I'd not cut a line like you have. Get a replacement fitting & tap it. There may not be room for a T.

I'm about to pick my truck up from the shop... they reported a rusted & cracked front coil seat on the front axle. I can't say I'm surprised with all the rust underneath... still one more thing to get tended to. I haven't got the bill yet for finding & fixing the motor-quit-in-the-street problem... or the install of the AD150, big line & pickup. edit OK, I got the truck back. Cost an arm, a leg & a nut!! I had them show me the rusted out spring perch, so I could see exactly what they were looking at. Yup, it's rusted out. I'm not finding a listing for this welded on part. Anybody know where to buy this?

I never thought about it. The front bucket has been enlarged & reinforced with plates welded on. The hoe bucket has been repaired & reinforced. No telling what weight that added (if it was ever right). Tires, the front ballast weight... a lot of things could add to the total. I'm retired & the machine seldom leaves our property. If I needed to, a local contractor would move it on his trailer.

I had enough... picked the truck up. Thing is it quit on the way to the diesel shop. I had it moved the rest of the way there via AAA flatbed. The diesel shop has had it running... electrical issues. I'm having a AD 150 & big line installed now.

I don't have a suitable trailer. I hired a friend (owner / operator) with his cab over & his bosses low bed to have my JD410 (14,000# according to the book) moved to the house when I bought it.

c 1986 My half ton (ex got it, minus towing equipment) GMC, 305, auto, originally 3.07 gears. Ex's brother changed the ring & pinnion as far as we could go with that center section... can't recall but 3.55 or so I think. It towed much better (though even with a oversized flex fan it built heat on the grades). Interestingly, the mpg improved with the gear change... upshifted sooner. Moritz, steel stock trailer was later sold to someone who works with my brother. Heavier than a brick outhouse. Damn near bullet proof. c 1989 My Scamper Camper, residence post divorce. My 79 Chevy C30, Camper Special, built 454, auto, 3.73... pass anything on the road but a gas station. 11 mpg loaded or empty. Enough power to haul that camper to 100 & beyond. C30 & Moritz trailer loaded for our Rendezvous trip. Hand built wagon in the back of the truck. New body panels on the truck... post cab-off restoration.

Oil speculators are killin us! Trying to see how much pain they can inflict before American consumers cut useage. I'm paying less for gas (truck is still in the shop)... because I'm staying home more days. I'm trying to combine trips & tasks in most economical order... but I've BEEN doing that for years. Like saying to turn off electric lights when you leave the room... I was taught to do that in the 1950s (my age is showing). We always ran 60-75 w bulbs. Lights that stay on for long periods like stairways & halls were the first to get CFL bulbs. When we've already been doing that, what's left? I hate to think what it'll cost to fuel my truck when I get it back. Letting the truck sit is false economy... bad things happen to vehicles that are not used. It's a PITA to move my stuff from one vehicle to another, but I try to drive the CTD one day a week, just to keep it exercised. This has been a good plan, since I started doing it.

In my experience they get in through the cowel area. I used SS pot scrubber (coarse SS steel wool) to stuff behind the hood hinges where the cowel drains are located. The water still drains. I suppose you could remove the hinges & install screens like "hardware cloth" 1/4" squares. Mice can chew through a filter... I've seen it on occasion but more rare. (They did it on a neighbor's new Saturn... dealer would not warentee the burned up heater motor.) My 01 has a decent plastic screen under the wipers & mice have not bothered it. On other vehicles, the cowel area was open because of the hinge design & I screened the air inlet located in there. I like aluminum expanded metal which is pretty maliable... I use "gutter guard". Hope this helps,Russ

OMG!! That's insane!

Ultimate "RedNeck Picnic"... I'm not really into full auto but would sure be fun once. Especially if someone else was buying the ammo. I guess I'm into big boys toys too... My little piece of artillery (Fire in the Hole!)

pictures please

I had the truck moved (AAA flatbed) to the diesel shop because it stopped in the middle of the street. I am not able to do this simple work because of my Multiple Sclerosis. I can only be on my feet a few minutes... depending on where I am in the day, I can walk a few steps with a cane but need a rollator walker for anything more than that. There have been times when I could not get into my own truck even with the step. Usually I can now if I place my feet just right. I was a mechanic before the MS... I have to remind myself often of what I can & can not do. I do not have any young fit friends...

Well, for better or for worse my mechanic chose to put it in the module. I can see it, easy to work on, once it's out. But it has to be either / or, not mismatched!! The instructions do not tell you about the conflict, they just say buy DS kit A or DS kit B... I'm already regretting not buying one premade. I just hope he'd not gotten too far beyond it before I was able to get down there.