Revisiting my Quick Heats. NOW look what I found.

[Randee of the Redwoods]

Uncer cover of darkness, I attempted to replace 2 more plugs this evening, the first 2 on the passenger's side. Easily accessed through the fender well, I was able to manipulate the heatshield off and on easily enough for the second one after doing the normal first(is it just me, or are those wires awful TINY to be carrying high amps for the plugs?). NOW it gets interesting. The second plug back from the front, the tip is burnt white. Of the five replaced so far, only one other has a speck of white on the tip, whereas this one has the last 1/4-3/8 inch white almost all the way around. Hmmm....may this be a fluke? Or may this be the first solid indication of the bad injectory theory Bill Heath was throwing around?
Heath's downtube is gonna have to come off to get the last 2 on the passenger's side so don't look for them to be done until I finally switch turbos.

[BuffaloGuy]

I just loosened the clamp on the downtube and was able to move it enough to reach them both. It wasn't as bad as it looked.

[rjschoolcraft]

The down pipe is fairly easy to remove. One Marmon clamp at the turbo outlet, 4 bolts at the converter inlet (if you still have stock exhaust). I wouldn't wait for the turbo swap, since the turbo doesn't need to come off to remove the down pipe.

[GARY PAGE]

You do have the inter fender well off don't you? If not take out a few of the back side bolts and lower bolts and with both arms pull like heck and bend it out of your way. You can bend it back in place after you finish and you can't tell the difference. I had the opertunity during my rebuild to modify my heat shield on number 6 which allows it to be removed without taking off the after market down pipe to get a the plug. While you are at it re-design the routing for 4 and 6 plug wires to avoid melting.

[Randee of the Redwoods]

I must have done something right. One of my problems has to have been one of the 2 plugs on the passenger's side I replaced. Last night it was 29*F, cold enough to really test the new plugs. Truck started different. Still a cloud of smoke, but maybe half of the usual. Engine settled into idle faster with less lopeing. There was still a minor lope until it settled in, but it didn't act as if firing on 3 cyl until the combustion cycle got going. I'm real happy and can't wait to get the other 3 in. I'm also wildly hopeing that the excessive smoke(I know SOME is normal) may be caused by a bad injector. I'm figuring maybe the slight lope before smooth idle is the bad injector getting worked up to match the rest. We'll find out soon enough, but I'm #$*() that the turbo may have to come off to do the injectors. Boy I hope not.

[MikeC]

Randee,

I did my injectors this past spring and all I had to remove was the heat shield that fits on the bracket(s) on the engine. It is tight but the injector socket JK loaned me had a hex end on it. Put an open end wrench on it and it worked. Patience is the key.

Mike

[rjschoolcraft]

I just replaced my injectors on Monday. I removed the air box and the turbo... and I still thought it was tight getting to the #8 injector. My hat's off to you for doing that job without removing the turbo! :eek:

[Tough Guy]

Ronniejoe-

It would appear from your sig that your truck is turning into a nice runner... :cool:

Cheers

[rjschoolcraft]

It's getting better all the time. Its towing performance is significantly better. The end is not in sight yet! ;) I continue to strive for that Holy Grail of 6.5 performance thanks to what I've learned here and now through my own experiences.

Your truck gave me hope when I was thinking that I had made a huge mistake by buying the 6.5. Now I think the engine has kind of gotten under my skin... if you know what I mean. smile.gif

[MikeC]

ronniejoe,

Were the glow plugs any where close to being as hard as the injectors, I'm looking to do them soon.

Also, is the chip worth it and did it raise ECT's? I can't chip mine but I can have the PCM reflashed.

Mike

p.s. I did slip off the socket once and hit the turbo shield. That slip cost me more than the high flows, a trip to the urgent care for 4 stitches with the wife's :rolleyes: I told you so lecture for me working on the truck. mc

[rjschoolcraft]

MikeC,

No, they weren't. I wrote in another post somewhere that the passenger side ones were easily accessible through the wheel well. I removed the right front wheel, took off the splash shield and removed the down pipe and easily reached all four of them. The driver side were obviously very easy.

The chip made a big difference. Even without the intercooler it lowered egt's due to more air flow. With the intercooler, my egt's are down and power is way up. Talk to Kennedy about your computer re-flash. He really likes the stock 99 program.

Hope your laceration is healing nicely. smile.gif