My burnt 97 tow rig.

[JDNobodi]

Originally posted on CK5.com forums on Mar 8, 2018

Well, I really haven't updated this thread much in the last year or two. The earliest problem I remember fixing was a trouble code relating to the transmission. On a hunch, I thought is was the relay since it was the only thing I didn't touch when I was trouble shooting the transmission the first time trying to get the truck going. Instead of going though the complicated procedure to figure it out, I swapped the transmission relay with the horn relay. I cleared the code and it worked. My horn stopped working to boot, so that confirmed my hunch. It worked for a few months till it did it again. Swapped with another relay to get it going till I bought a bunch of new relays.
I didn't have transmissions problems for a year till last President's Day. I was towing the blazer to Dumont dunes. For the those who don't know. I live on by the coast, and Dumont is on the other side of the state on the way to Vegas.
I had to climb a few grades to get there. I had a trouble code going over, but the transmission didn't seem like it was in limp mode. I left my OBD2 bluetooth at home too. Turns out the code meant there was a mismatch between the input and output meaning the transmission was slipping.
On the way home, I've got separated from my brother when I miss the turn off in Barstow (the 58). I didn't figure it out till I saw the sign to Victorville. I was headed to L.A instead of Baskerville. Not good.

Picture of getting ready for the fateful trip.

 

[JDNobodi]

Originally posted on CK5.com forums on Mar 8, 2018

We had traveled about 30 miles southwest, but too far to backtrack. My nephew was with me so he got on his navigator and we started to plot our way home. Somewhere along the way past Victorville, I felt the transmission shutter. Not good. We were traveling down back country highways and roads. When we were up to speed, it seemed fine, but from a stop, not so much. The gem of the journey was when the navigator directed us down a dirt road. **** it. I have been down dirt roads before. Along the dirt road, we came across a pair of tweekers in an U-haul van, and I couldn't tell if they loading up with roadside garbage or unloading. Anyway, dirt turned to pavement and the truck wouldn't go anymore. We were stranded around the Palmdale/Lancaster area and I called AAA. It covered the truck tow, but I had to pay to get the trailer with the blazer towed.

 

[JDNobodi]

Originally posted on CK5.com forums on Mar 8, 2018

The cost of the new transmission.

 

[JDNobodi]

Originally posted on CK5.com forums on Mar 8, 2018
I been wanting to upgrade the transmission at some point, but after I saved some money.
Anyway, with the old transmission from a stop, the truck was a dog. It would blow though the torque converter making a bunch of noise going nowhere while a soccer mom in a little SUV would speed past me. Annoying .

Once the torque converter locked up it was fine. The converter was too loose to put the motor under load to build boost.
Not so with the new transmission. The new converter is tighter and puts the engine under load and the truck actually accelerate. The new transmission has firmer shifts.

 

[JDNobodi]

Originally posted on CK5.com forums on Jan 18, 2020


Stupidity of my own fault.

The best thing to do while you get into vehicle problems is to slow down and pull over. When you have places to be, you ignore that rule till you're really screwed.

Lets back up a few months after I had the transmission rebuilt to the summer of 2018. I bought a #10 fuel plate off Ebay. You suppose to install the new fuel plate in the same place as the factory fuel plate. My problem is my factory fuel plate was already moved forward which already adds more top end fueling. I think the original owner did it since I don't think my uncle did. Anyway, I install the new fuel plate in the same place as the factory one; full forward.

I also played around with the star-wheel and took it for a test drive. Came back and adjust it some more till I was hitting 35 pound of boost. YEEH HAH!!!

So when it came to haul the blazer for a race, we loaded up and hit the road. EGT got high merging on the freeway but went down when we hit cruising speed, but the real test would be to come when we would hit Cuesta Grade.
Cuesta Grade is a 7% grade on the 101 freeway and it goes for a few miles. EGTs got high and in a moment of pure stupidity, I said **** it, lets see how it do.
I think I was about two thirds up the grade when I started smelling something burning. It was the heater lines coming into the cab burning some oil off! I checked the coolant temp and it was in the red! I let off the accelerator and crawled up the rest of the way up the grade. As soon as I crested the grade the temperature went down and I got off the next exit.
After a short while to cool down, we continued on our journey. Picked up more coolant at a gas station mid way and kept going. There is another grade on the 41 and it started to get a little warm there also. After the race, this was the tallest and longest grade on the way home, and it the truck just barely got into the red at the crest of the hill. After I got home, I parked the truck and start gathering parts.

 

[JDNobodi]

Originally posted on CK5.com forums on Jan 18, 2020

I bought a top end gasket kit and head studs in the October of 2018. In December 2018, I paid off my credit card. In February 2019 I took off the head. It didn't seem the head gasket failed, but it was decaying around the exhaust side.
However, the cylinders where scored from the rings butting. I have to pull the pistons.

 

[JDNobodi]

Originally posted on CK5.com forums on Jan 19, 2020

Pulled the pistons and separated the rods and gave them to my engine builder. I believe he had to resize one rod, The one that was made in Brazil. He also soda blasted the pistons.
My nephew worked on the bowls on the head and I gave the head to another friend and he had to take .015" to surface it flat. He also did the valve job.
During this time, we had to freshen up the motor in the blazer which delayed work on the Cummins.

 

[JDNobodi]

Originally posted on CK5.com forums on Jan 19, 2020

In November 2019, Thanksgiving week, I decided to start putting the truck together. Ordered a few more parts and get started. I had to mill the rocker stands, but I had to get my friends mill working. After wiring it up and ordering oils for it, I got the mill working. I was starting on this stage of the project a week late. Family activities added more delays.

 

[JDNobodi]

Originally posted on CK5.com forums on Jan 19, 2020

With my free time gone, I ended up working on the truck after work. The scoring wasn't to deep, so I honed the cylinders with a ball hone and install the pistons, broke one oil ring during the install and had wait a week for a new one. Then started the "Might as well" phase. The front oil seal I installed years ago was leaking. I decided to replace it again. Pulled the front cover off to find out I installed it crooked. Not only that, there is grooves in the crank. Luckily they now make a front seal with a sleeve. Unluckily, I already bought a regular seal. Might as well stuck again as I decide to replace the gasket between the case and the block because it was another annoying oil leak. The whole month of December was like that. Something I could have ordered earlier and even as a kit, I was ordering one at time at the last minute.

I had to touch up that oil ring groove with a jewelers file.

 

[JDNobodi]

Originally posted on CK5.com forums on Jan 19, 2020

One "Might as well" moment was when I had the front cover off is also pulling the vacuum and steering pumps off to clean the screen on the power steer pressure relive valve because the my steering was nonexistent.

 

[JDNobodi]

Originally posted on CK5.com forums on Jan 19, 2020

the MAW did add an extra month to get the truck going, in fact I got the truck going last weekend. It actually looks worst than when I got it.
The MAW parts list
PDD stage 1 pushrods
New TPS and PDD bronze bushings for throttle bell crank.
Oil cooler gaskets.
Front timing case gaskets (even the one between the case and block)
Front seal.
Oil pan fitting for compounds. The pan was off and the fitting is the toughest part of doing compounds. Installed it now.
Stage 8 fasteners for the exhaust.
Fittings to relocate the fuel filter housing. It is relocated now, but I don't like it. The whole fuel system is going to be redone at some time.
Door lock actuator for the passenger side door that is pre-non-working from China:angry1::angry1:.

Also had to buy missing parts, like the wrist pin retaining locks.

 

[JDNobodi]

Originally posted on CK5.com forums on Jan 19, 2020

I'm eyeing a K27 turbo, 5x.011 injectors, .055 delivery valves combo.

And with that I'm caught up to CK5. I haven't updated that thread either in the last four years.

I guess I didn't update the CK5 thread that I detuned the motor by retarding the timing and moving fuel plate back.

Some of you may of notice I cut out a lot of the back and forth between forum members, because I didn't think it added much. I usually do a forums search first to see if anybody have had the same issues I do. (Cummins forums mostly) If others have the same issues and they solved the issues-great. If others have the same issues but they don't solved the issues, I'm on own. I have to solve the issue myself, so my threads is just usually me figuring and working out issues months and even years later.

 

[JDNobodi]

I think I was asked on Cummins forum if I would restructure a burnt vehicle again. Unless it is special and has sentimental value. I probably spent just a much if just bought a unburnt vehicle. There is some spots that show signs of fire damage. You can expect any computer to be shorted out even if the computer didn't touch the fire. The wires leading away from said computer is the problem as the wires short out. I think the reason why my body control computer and air bag computer didn't suffer the same fate is because wires from those components did not melt. To get the truck road worthy I had to make all the outside and instrument lights work. So I had get the ABS working and not bypass it. However, parts were getting scarce.

Here is picture of my PCM which was in engine bay, but the fire didn't reach it. It still had to be sent out to get worked on.

 

[Levigarrett76]

Cool

 

[Projectjunkie]

Updates?

 

[JDNobodi]

I have a bunch of small updates. I'm too lazy to do them, plus I got things to do.
I have an errand to do then I start with the small updates.

 

[JDNobodi]

Where to start?
I guess I start with the rear end cover.

The truck is old and starting to show its age in the form of leaks. I try to fix the easy ones. Case in point is the rear axle cover.

Turns out, I was not first to remove the rear cover since there has been evidence of something letting go in the past.
Could have been the rear tone ring, but there no load on it to fail. The current tone ring is spot welded to the carrier. What does this have to do with rear axle cover leak? Well the rear cover is deformed from when the rear axle blew up in the past.
I didn't want with mess another factory cover. I bought a RuffStuff cover and LubeLocker gasket for piece of mind when I getting firewood and I accidently back up into a bolder.

 

[SHARPMACHINE]

Sure did like my 12 valves, they were awesome work horses...

 

[JDNobodi]

Getting it ready to tow.

This one is few years in development.

Before I could tow, I had to fix the trailer wiring plug. My uncle remove the factory 7 pole plug and installed a 6 pole plug. Most trucks now come the RV 7 pole plug, so it is now more common than 25 years ago. However, factory trailer plug harness is discontinued. No problem, I have identified the truck side of the harness as the cursed Yazaki connectors. Those Yazaki terminals are pain to remove, there are different sizes, I probably have to order the larger terminals, and I have repair the wires on the truck side to where somebody damaged the wire insulation with a test light. Yes, the crack mechanic fucked up the insulation on both sides the connectors. As I was struggling to remove the wires from the connectors, common sense hit me on the side of the head with a barb wire wrapped baseball bat. Why am I messing around with these Yazaki connectors when I have a ample supply of Delphi stuff. Cut everything and replace with what I have. I picked up a round connector that plugs into a sealed factory trailer connector that takes Delphi terminals. On the trunk end, I use a 630 and a 280 Delphi Metri-pack connectors. Put all together and it didn't work. Well, the running lights didn't. Turns out the running lights is turned on by a relay in the under-hood fuse box. Replace the relay and the running lights work.

I towed it for a little then one day while I was under the truck, I noticed the hitch where it bolts to the frame has cracks. From what I later read, it is common problem, and there is a recall. Well, like a said, I read that later and replace the hitch during covid. I drilled and taped the pad of a floor jack and bolted a receiver hitch to the pad. I used the set up to remove and install the hitches.

Shortly after I installed the hitch, the truck got rear end and smashed my trailer plug. I have yet to replace it.

 

[JDNobodi]

One thing leads to another.

I've been driving to truck for the last couple years because I loaned my niece my car while we work on her jeep. Well, the steering box started leaking, bad. Ordered a PSC box ported with hydro assist. Not installing hydro assist yet, but the box would work capped. The truck started to have a wandering problem and the new steering box fixed most of it. I was hoping to replace the steering linkage at the same time but ran out of money, but that is not my future problem. The new box is bigger and is rubbing against my tranny cooler lines. The lines I replace previously. I didn't leave enough slack. With the lines tight against the box, some hard line is going to crack. I was going to replace the hard line with soft line sometime in the future, but not this early. No choice but to start gathering parts. I think it was about 6 to 8 months before something cracked. It was the factory tranny cooler. Bypassed it till I got ready tackle it all together.

 

[JDNobodi]

I just notice today while I taking a picture of trailer wiring harness, my spare tire is missing. The damn cable broke. f*** me.

 

[JDNobodi]

Give me a brake.

This problem started before I loaned my car to my niece. I loaned my truck to my brother because his truck was down. He was driving the Dodge for a while then one day the drivers front caliper pushed the piston out. Shit had to be really worn down for that to happen and it was. We replace the caliper and brake pads to get by. I put Power Stop rotor and pad set in my Summit wish list and waited till I had some more money. Well the Power Stop set came up for sale one day and I bought it. The pads was wearing fast on the trouble side, so it is time for round two. I assumed the brake hose is plugged which could cause the caliper to stick. I order Crown Performance brake hoses in preparation for the job. The hoses came in and my nephew and I jump in and started the job. Replacing the brake line and rotors was just labor intensive. The rotor are NOT slip on rotors. You have to pull the uni-bearing and press out the studs. We had to replace the caliper again. I rebuilt rear brakes with new shoes and the GM 1 ton slave cylinders. Now to bleed the brakes. We bleed and bleed and we could not get the air out of the system. I replaced master cylinder also and nothing. I threw in the towel and took the truck to a shop to have it power bled. He didn't have an adaptor for my master cylinder, but they bleed the brakes with the truck running get to extra assist with the booster.

 

[JDNobodi]

Fooling.

My truck originally came with EGR system. Taking it off is not hard. The small issue is the check engine light. I don't want it on full time, so if there is a problem with the transmission side, I know. (Providing that I carry the OBD dongle in the truck). I don't know anyone who could reprogram the PCM to not to turn on, but you could fool the PCM with a relay and resistor.

I deviated a little from diagram above when I was able to find a male and female plug at the IAT sensor (it's a Delphi connector).

When I first did it, I put the relay by the EGR vacuum control - on the motor. On the vibrating diesel motor!
Well sometime I get the EGR error though out the last seven years. Fiddle around with and it go away for awhile. I knew I had to move the relay, but I felt a mini relay was over kill and I could get by with micro relay. Never mind the mini relay is cheaper and easier to find. I wanted a sealed micro relay no if and or buts. I could find seal bases for multiple relays and fuses but not a single relay. I found a Bussman base that would fit four fuses which could probable fit a micro relay, but no, Bussman spaced the terminals in such a way it fit fuses but not a relay. Bastards.
Well, Bussman won't give me what I want TE tyco will.

I rewired the harness, with the relay now zip-tied the wire harness on the firewall.