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MRB's 1997 Chevy K3500 DRW 6.5 Turbo Diesel

Matt Bachand

Matt Bachand

Depends on the 6.5
Messages
5,330
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22
Location
Worcester, MA
Should have created this thread years ago to track maintenance, and progress on the ol' girl.

Gave the girl some love today.

At 143,000 Miles, changed oil with mobil-1 10-40 HIgh Mileage Formula, and a grease-job.

Adjusted rear brakes up, replaced front pads with Napa Ultra-Premium Brake Pads (Ceremic)

(Napa P/N UP7339X)

Tossed in a new 99.5 Belt made by GATES.
(Napa P/N 060988)

Did some misc painting and maintenance while under there. Gave her a good 12 hours today. A small amount of time, considering all the places and miles this wonderful truck takes me.
 
Our trucks are like kids, you need to put time into them if you expect anything out of them.
 
I beat my truck worse than I beat my kids, but my truck is the only thing that listens and does what it's told without question.
 
not sure if I want to start this debate, but why 10-40? I used to run 10-40 in the coldest part of the winter for a little easier starting, but now I just run Rotella 15-40 year round. if it's stupid cold the trucks plugged in.
 
I liked the 0w-40, but Wallyworld doesn't sell it in the 5 quart jugs, and didn't look too hard since its Africa Hot summer :) I like Mobil-1 and the selection of Diesel rated synthetic isn't always the best.

22 bux at wally for 5 quart, 2 of those, and mobil-1 filter gives 10 quarts and a filter for about 50 bux. This leaves me with 2 quarts to 'top off' during the interval between oil changes, sometimes 5,000, sometimes 7,500 miles.

If you have never tried synthetic oil, you MUST try it. Starts like a champ, revs quicker, even the turbo spools faster. This is no exaggeration either. Cold weather is only one benefit. I think the squirter blocks even benifit from it more so.

Seriously, give it a go the next oil change if you've only been runnign Rotella dino. It's night and day difference IMO.

Back on point, I don't worry to much about the low number.. I like Mobil-1, Must be Diesel rated, and I stick with Xw-40.

Feel free to debate all you want. I won't bitch about people chit-chatting in my thread. After-all thats what makes this place great.
 
Somehow my lugnuts must have loosened up on the rear, because 7 of 8 of them sheared off.

I heard another noise, and said thats it, i'm getting out and looking.

My center cover was laying on the road, and only 1 lug stud was intact, the rest sheared off.

Yikes, I was heading for the highway.

So the ramptruck comes (even though I recommended a sling truck.........................) 2 hrs later I get a ramper..........

The last stud snaps after 4 feet of winching up the bed, now tires are a mess back there, and made it a pain to get off the bed (would have been easy as pie with the sling, and it wouldn't have even broke).....

ANyhow, dealer items for the dually studs/nuts so found them, got them in.

Kenny that wheel seal was toast from my overadjustment.

Replaced that too.

Back in business tomorrow.
 
Somehow my lug nuts must have loosened up on the rear, because 7 of 8 of them sheared off.

I heard another noise, and said thats it, I'm getting out and looking.

My center cover was laying on the road, and only 1 lug stud was intact, the rest sheared off.

Yikes, I was heading for the highway.

So the ramp truck comes (even though I recommended a sling truck.........................) 2 hrs later I get a ramper..........

The last stud snaps after 4 feet of winching up the bed, now tires are a mess back there, and made it a pain to get off the bed (would have been easy as pie with the sling, and it wouldn't have even broke).....
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You think the bed was the wrong move?

You don't think towing that heavy beast from the front and letting the rear wheels roll behind you would have not broken the last stud?.....As opposed to the "Bed" where she is up off the ground, stationary?

or are you talking about towing the rig from the rear?....with that utility body you would of needed a medium duty wrecker....Your loaded with tools and whatnot aren't you?
 
Brooklyn Tow said:
You think the bed was the wrong move?

You don't think towing that heavy beast from the front and letting the rear wheels roll behind you would have not broken the last stud?.....As opposed to the "Bed" where she is up off the ground, stationary?

or are you talking about towing the rig from the rear?....with that utility body you would of needed a medium duty wrecker....Your loaded with tools and whatnot aren't you?
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I would think a sling (not wheelift) would lift that from the rear bumper no problem, the weight distribution being much better than the wheelift??

I put anti-sieze on the lugs for some stupid reason, I also noticed my air compressor's regulator vibrated itself down to 90 or so from 130 (maX) so my normal crank-em, wait to refill and one last crank was only at 90 or so instead of 130.

You'd never see them (not that i'd look) with those plastic covers on them anyhow. No ex-girlfriends... I wish. :)

10 years ago almost every tow truck had a sling and wheelift, now most of them only have the stupid wheelift...

Maybe these tow truck drivers now-adays aren't the men we used to be. I know if my truck had a sling on the back, i would have towed my truck without thinking about it. ***** little fords....
 
I have a sling...2 stage boom....and a self loading wheel lift....Many vehicles cannot be towed on the wheel lift, the tow bar saves my a$$ a lot.
 
Trust me, I will never not give them a final hand feel/snug with the breaker bar. This could have ended up alot worse than A tow, 8 lugs/nuts, and a loss of days work.

The loss of days work will end up just getting done at other times, so that moneys really not lost, just spaced out.

Could have been alot worse.
 
Matt Bachand said:
Trust me, I will never not give them a final hand feel/snug with the breaker bar. This could have ended up alot worse than A tow, 8 lugs/nuts, and a loss of days work.

The loss of days work will end up just getting done at other times, so that moneys really not lost, just spaced out.

Could have been alot worse.
Click to expand...


And what about if you would of gotten hurt....or hurt someone else?
 
Over torqueing the lugs is worse than under-torque. The dually may be higher but the single wheels are 90 ft lbs. I always use anti-sieze on the lug nuts. The lubrication makes for more accurate torque.
 
Brooklyn Tow said:
And what about if you would of gotten hurt....or hurt someone else?
Click to expand...

Well I guess we should all stop driving our vehicles for risk of injury for other persons.

Not sure what your getting at here Louis.

Of course I'm greatful nobody was hurt, or involved.

However, this day I had all 6 of my tires off and did a full rotation. I went around with the hand breaker bar and re-torqued the other 24 lugs, 24/24 of them were FULLY TIGHT. Did I forget to retorque a tire? Doubtful, I'm paranoid about this stuff.

I drove to Kenny's house in CT the day after the work, and over adjusted that tire's brakes and it got REALLY REALLY hot on the way to his house. Perhaps all that heat and expansion did something to the lugs and/or studs?

Kenny backed the brakes off and no heat symptoms since. However that wheel seal was toast inside, and inside tire flat. (which I filled with air and is still holding today) ... Not sure the cause.

One could say its my paranoia and great level of awareness that caught this lug issue before it affected random public people.

So do I get an Attaboy, or a slap on the wrist? :)

As always this post is made with a smile on my face, and an attempt to put a smile on others. :)
 
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Was talking about "Free rolling/flying" tires.....it's happened to me, thats what I was getting at.....It's certainly no pleasure to see one of your own tires go rolling/bouncing past you, aimed at a pedestrian or another vehicle.
 
Brooklyn Tow said:
Was talking about "Free rolling/flying" tires.....it's happened to me, thats what I was getting at.....It's certainly no pleasure to see one of your own tires go rolling/bouncing past you, aimed at a pedestrian or another vehicle.
Click to expand...
I've had that experence. You feel really helpless. Luckily mine didn't hit anything or anyone.
 
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