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Wayward Knuckleduster, been out of the game for awhile...

Potluckslammy

Member
Messages
78
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89
Location
Arkansas
New here to The Truck Stop, but I've been around the block. Military and Mechanical background, love wrenching and building, but out of the game for awhile due to health. Been into oil burners since my first lung-full of diesel fumes in the Marine Corps. Purchased my very own in 2005 from a glass company down near New Orleans...DAYS before Hurricane Katrina decimated the area. A 1999 Chevrolet C3500 dually with the 6.5. The dealership was covered in water, all records lost. Took me more than a year to get ownership transfered, new title, tags, and on the road! In that time I bought a 93 Ford with the 7.3 IDI, and a 91 Chevy C2500 with a 6.2.
Drove the Great White Dually infrequently after I got it on the road, no heavy towing, just puttering around, and not a hiccup for a while. Then the clutch gave out in Little Rock! Towed to a local shop, repaired, and back on the road the same day. Although, the checking account was worse off for it.
Another year down the road, and the bastard started surging on me! In Little Rock again, as my bad luck would have it! It was either FULL throttle, or nothing until I could find my way over to Taylors, where they indicated the IP of all things! Who would have thunk it!
A rebuilt pump was ordered, and a guy who worked there was hired to replace it in his home shop. Another severe hit to the checking account, but a week later I was back on the road. (I know, I know....now....the IP itself was probably fine!)
Just over a year later...and just outside the warranty for the replacement IP...it started raring on me again! Full throttle, or nothing! But this time I was close to home. And so, filled with a sense of daring, I elected to do the repairs myself. How hard could it be, after all?
I checked in to all the forums available at the time, amassing what I thought was a healthy dose of knowledge and understanding about the particular shortcomings of the Detroit Deisel. Then ordered a replacement IP, an upgraded PMD, PMD relocation kit with cooler. Figured while I was already in there, why not replace the head gaskets? And if I was doing that, why not go back with the head stud kit? Woohoo...what fun!
And it was about that time my health took a nosedive. Already suffering from severe symptoms of Gulf War Syndrome, which had me hurting and exhausted most of the time, I took another giant kick in the nuts due to black mold illness.
There my dually sat....neglected....the engine partially disassembled....for the next eight years, or so. And me, glancing over at it occassionally, telling myself I needed to get'r done someday soon! Someday. Well, now the time has come. Won't go into the merry-go-round ups and downs of my health, suffice to say I'm feeling better. Time to get the dually back on the road! But found out the #8 cylinder had siezed (lightly) from sitting...three valves mushroomed. Not worth rebuilding what I have, so looking to upgrade.
I still can't handle a big project like this, nor do I have a shop to do it in, but have been able to save what I think should be sufficient funds to hire the work out. Check out my thread in the 6.5 section to see what I'm working with, and offer help if you're of a mind. I hope to be able to contribute something...be a member of this fine community...learn what I can. That's all for now, carry on!

Jeremy in Arkansas
 
I guess my advice would be, look deeper into whatever "vendor or vendor's" you might choose for products, most are sellers period, some, like me don't care if someone spends money with them or not, we post facts not hearsay as best we can...

And from one Vet to another, thanks for your service... go Air Force!
 
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