Did I fix everything?

[Ironforger]

02 3500 nv5600 2wd quad cab. 233k.

 

I've been as diligent as possible regarding preventative maintenance, but you know how it is, entropy is a ***** and things go wrong. 

 

Now getting ready to put down some serious miles - long distance cross country driving soon, multiple times this spring and summer from NJ to Florida towing a haulmark 20ft car trailer (approx 7,000 gvwr).

 

Here is a list of the repairs i've done, as well as some pro-active maint in anticipation of major highway miles.  

Is there anything else I should do? Thinking I've got the major failure items covered.. Is there anything else that's know to fail on these 2nd gen 24 valve trucks?  Opinions or suggestions appreciated. Thanks!

 

 

List of recent maint and repairs (in descending order of failure , most recent first

- May 2020: 233k Fuel filter, Water pump, idler pulley, serp belt & cam position sensor (FWIW: the cam sensor wasn't bad, I just replaced it pro-actively)
- April 2020: 232k Alternator (Also did the W-T ground mod and B+ 150amp circuit breaker ), front brakes
- July 2019: pilot bearing, (bronze oilite) rear main seal, trans input and output seals, trans mount, manual trans filter kit and syncromesh lube (overfilled), clutch kit (southbend stage 2), & 4" stainless exhaust
- Mar 2019: 229k 4 new rear tires, Front shocks (SACHS 310178, love em! I tried bilstiens up front but they were WAAYYYYY too stiff.)
- Dec 2018: 228k: ALL brake lines, brake hoses and brake fluid.
- Aug 2018: 227k BHAF (baldwin PA2820)
- July 2018: 226k: timbo APPS
- Jan 2017: 219k Driver side ball joints, upper and lower, 2 new front tires, differential oil
- Dec 2016: New front wheel bearings (and axle nuts)
- Jan 2016 ALL U joints and center bearing (dana/spicer)
- Nov 2015: Harmonic balancer
- Oct 2015: New high flow power steering pump, rebuild vacuum pump, rear shocks (bilstien B46-1908)
- Nov 2014 all radiator and heater hoses
- Oct 2014: Front suspension components, tie rod ends, idler, pitman, drag link,
- Oct - Nov 2013: Fuel boss mechanical fuel pump and big line kit, fuel filter, front main seal, thermostat
- Aug 2013 213k rear wheel bearings (all) and seals,, differential oil, calipers (all) new rear rotors, e-brake shoes, puke bottle delete, cleaned radiator, killed the killer dowel pin, manual trans filter kit and syncromesh lube (overfilled)

- April 2013 bought truck. 213k.
 

 

Edited May 19, 2020 by Ironforger
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[Bullet]

You hit all the things I would've mentioned...I'd say you're ready for cross country.  On the Fuel Boss...good choice, I always carry a spare belt with me but probably will never need it. 

[Ironforger]

1 hour ago, Bullet said:

You hit all the things I would've mentioned...I'd say you're ready for cross country.  On the Fuel Boss...good choice, I always carry a spare belt with me but probably will never need it. 

 

Good point @Bullet I just put a new belt on, and I threw the old one in the glove box for murphy's law safe keeping! (Old one looks fine anyway)

[Dieselfuture]

Good luck with your travels.

I also carry a spear serpentine belt without AC option, it's shorter. Just in case AC compressor locks up I can keep going, but then again how many spare things you want to take with you, maybe a fuel filter. 

[IBMobile]

3 hours ago, Dieselfuture said:

but then again how many spare things you want to take with you, maybe a fuel filter. 

One trip I took the VP44 went bad, Mopar1973man had one delivered to his house and we installed it at a campground near by.  Another time, in Moab, U,T the crank sensor went bad and found one at an O'Reilly.  This last time had the right front wheel bearings go bad on the way to Mopar1973Man's house. Mike picked up a hub for me in Lewiston, ID at an O'Reilly and I had all the tools with me except for the socket for the spindle nut, Mike had one. 

 So, if something brakes when your on the road you can get the parts in a day or two and may be have the tools or get them also to fix it yourself.  Be safe, have fun, and enjoy the adventure.    

[Ironforger]

4 hours ago, Dieselfuture said:

Good luck with your travels.

I also carry a spear serpentine belt without AC option, it's shorter. Just in case AC compressor locks up I can keep going, but then again how many spare things you want to take with you, maybe a fuel filter. 

 

Good one @Dieselfuture , not a bad idea to keep a spare non-AC belt with me. I'll be hittin the AC for all it's worth while in Florida, so if it fails, good to have an alternative.

19 minutes ago, IBMobile said:

One trip I took the VP44 went bad,

@IBMobile , good point, it happens. Honestly a bit nervous about my VP44, I don't know the history of it. Works fine, no codes or symptoms but I have no idea if it's the original pump or not. The yellow tamper tape is torn on the elec connector, that's the only questionable clue. Otherwise it' is indeed the correct pump for the HO w/6speed. 

 

I did the right thing when I got the truck, one of the first mods I did was fuel boss mech pump. Been running 2stroke oil since I got it as well.

[IBMobile]

My VP44 took a dump, with out warning, while driving down a long grade at 55 MPH; the engine just died.   The control board went bad with just over 90k on it. It was the original VP and there was never a yellow anti-tampering tag on it. 

[Towrigdually]

Seems like ya got most of the headache items, but it’s not like you can carry the garage with ya either in the event of a break down which sucks, I know. 
Usually on long trips I just throw a 2.5 gal jug of oil in the truck tool box and new filter, fuel filters, and a jug of water for either me or the truck. (Usually ends up being me) 

plus usually have my junkyard adventure tool box filled so basic hand tools, zip ties, and mechanics wire. Oh and I throw in the axle shaft seal install tool because those seem to go out if I drive for more than 20hrs straight, Always the passenger side. Also carry a plug in case the fp gauge or line starts to leak I can plug it at the T fitting. 
the only other thing I’d say is if you have custom or aftermarket stuff is pack a spare. like you said you have a fuel pump belt, then throw a spare 150amp breaker under the back seat, I have one also. 

Edited May 20, 2020 by Towrigdually

[Cronus577]

Grab yourself a feeler gauge and check your valve lash. Maybe change the diff fluid if you haven't already. 

[dripley]

I have a spare serpentine belt and a fuel filter. Cant carry a spare everything plus most parts are pretty easy to get most anywhere l travel.  The last major part l had to buy on the l95 corrider was this truck back in 01. My 96 with the V10 blew in SC on my way to NJ from FLA. Only took 2 days to get it.

[Ironforger]

11 hours ago, Towrigdually said:

I just throw a 2.5 gal jug of oil in the truck tool box and new filter, fuel filters, and a jug of water for either me or the truck.

Thanks @Towrigdually , I've got jugs of oil, coolant and drinking water all ready to go!

 

9 hours ago, Cronus577 said:

Grab yourself a feeler gauge and check your valve lash. Maybe change the diff fluid if you haven't already.

Thanks @Cronus577 , I didnt think of the valves, not sure if Ill  have time to do it but I'll try. Good idea regarding the diff fluid. I checked it yesterday and it's looking dirty, thinking it's been in there for 15k and I've been getting some chattering around tight corners lately, so yea time for diff fluid change and LSD (like wow man) additive. Gonna change it today!

 

5 hours ago, dripley said:

have a spare serpentine belt and a fuel filter.

Thanks @dripley , I just changed the fuel filter, and I have a spare 'ill throw in the the truck. & I just ordered a new non-AC serp belt as @Dieselfuture suggested. 

 

 

Forgot to mention,

 

I greased my U-joints last night. There was some water that came out of the middle U-joint, it's the one that sits right below the opening between the cab and body (are they like this for all trucks? Or just the quad-cab?) It's directly exposed to all rain coming down that gap between the cab and body, and we have had a ridiculous amount of rain this spring.  Hoping it's ok, I pumped the grease gently pushed out all of the water until clean grease came out all cups. I last greased it about 8 months ago, I don't remember getting water out of it at that time but we've had an absurd amount of rain over the past 8 weeks. Fairly low miles overall on these joints, about 20k.   

 

I always carry my grease gun on the truck, maybe I'll push some clean grease through it again after a few hundred miles.

 

When I get a chance I think I'm going to fab up an aluminum rain sheild & mount it above the ujoint somehow. 

Edited May 20, 2020 by Ironforger

[dripley]

27 minutes ago, Ironforger said:

When I get a chance I think I'm going to fab up an aluminum rain sheild & mount it above the ujoint somehow. 

I am still running the factory u joints and carrier bearing on mine. I found some new old stock u joints a couple years back from back in 01 and 02 according to the stickers them. They old ones are all still tight for now. Never dreamed they would last this long. I replace the front ones about 3 years back. The right front failed and l just replaced both. I hate grease guns but a necessary evil.

[Great work!]

The steering gear box can start leaking at the bottom seal usually because the bearing wears especially with big tires. Carefully inspect the AC clutch too there are 3 or 4 mini leafsprings that can get cracks and break also the disc can wear and may not engage sometimes. Check metal on drivers door latch around the screws cracks like to form there. One more thing the draw straw likes to rust through or crack at the top of the fuel tank.

Edited May 20, 2020 by Great work!
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[dave110]

I usually check the tires, check the oil, and make sure I have some TP in the door pocket and hit the road.

[dripley]

6 hours ago, dave110 said:

I usually check the tires, check the oil, and make sure I have some TP in the door pocket and hit the road.

How far do you have to go to find the TP?

[dave110]

Not far. It's on the bottom right under the gloves.

[Ironforger]

20 hours ago, dripley said:

I am still running the factory u joints and carrier bearing on mine

 

@dripley That's amazing! Especially considering you have the quad cab.

 

When I replaced all of my Ujoints in 2016, it was that same Ujoint that went bad, the one that sits right under the opening between the cab and pickup body. The inside of the Ujoint was bone dry and rusted. (I decided to replace all of them and the center bearing while I had the shaft out).   

 

Are there grease/zerk fittings on your factory Ujoints? My original Ujoints did not  have zerks, but my replacement Spicer/dana Ujoints do. They are the small flat zerks that require a needle tip nozzle grease gun adapter, which I like, easy to  use.

[dripley]

16 minutes ago, Ironforger said:

Are there grease/zerk fittings on your factory Ujoints? My original Ujoints did not  have zerks, but my replacement Spicer/dana Ujoints do. They are the small flat zerks that require a needle tip nozzle grease gun adapter, which I like, easy to  use.

No zerks, they are sealed. I have never touched them for any maintenance. I would like to find an original carrier bearing but no luck with that one.

I am going to repace them after l retire. Be interesting to see in the caps. 

[Ironforger]

Hey Guys,

 

Forgot to ask about EGT's.    I recently installed boot/egt  & fuel/trans temp gauges. How high can I go on the EGT's? At what point do I back off the throttle? Just wonderin what the good operating range is. About where do you like to see the EGT's while cruising at highway speeds?

 

Thanks!

[Dieselfuture]

I believe 1200 is safe all day long according to Cummins assuming everything else works as it should, like cooling system etc. 

Here is my gauges going on mostly level ground, got 20mpg on this trip hand calculated. That's driving in 65 range.