Newbie Questions.

[Chevmanx]

Hi,

This is my first post here as a new member.

I just purchased a '97 cc 3500 from the original owner. The truck has 117000 kilometers on it.

It is completely stock as far as I know.

Everything looks to be in immaculate condition, but I was wondering what precautions I should take to make the engine , electrical, etc. more dependable, and hopefully, more power as well?

By the way, I'm a complete certified mechanical nerd, so go easy on me with technical stuff. smile.gif

Brad

[99gmccrew]

Welcome to the Diesel Page. Probably the best investment you could have made for your new purchase. You'll find out after reading up a while these diesel engines have a few inherent problems. They have a tendency to heat up when put under heavy loads ie: towing up steep grades, in stock trim that is. There are however, a few things you can do to protect your investment. I suggest startinout with a set of gauges if you don't already have them. Boost, pyrometer, and trans temp are the usual if you plan to do any towing. The best advice I was given was to drive by gauges. I would then upgrade your intake and exhaust. K&N filter or similar and a larger exhaust than the stock 2.5". I went with a 4" exhaust, some others like the 3.5". I'm sure others will chime in with more good advise. With the 97' model you have the upgraded cooling mods so that's a big plus for you over the older versions. Good luck with your new rig. I love mine. Most people have their mods listed in thier profile at the bottom of their replies. ;)

99gmccrew

[Barry Nave]

Do a lot of reading to understand the 6.5 Eng.
A lot info here ;)
Use the search at the top right and type any thing that comes to mind. Go into My Profile then type any info about your truck.
Years ago when I joined I knew nothing about the 6.5. Now I do all my own work and Mods,repairs.
Welcome :cool:

[trbankii]

Might want to start by ordering the 6.5 book from Jim: http://www.thedieselpage.com/65book.htm

That has all the 6.5 articles lumped together in one place.

From there, I'd start reading the forum regularly. A lot can be learned from the questions of others! smile.gif

[Chevmanx]

Thanks guys for the warm welcome.

For a year or two I was with a Ford Diesel website with my 2003 cc 6.0 Lariat, but after the motor was diagnosed as "shot" with only 55000 kilometers on it, and needing a replacement, I decided to sell it, because I was afraid that it would happen again, after the warranty ran out.
Nice truck to drive, very comfortable, but I'm glad I got rid of it.

I really like my '97 GMC cc 6.5 longbox 4x4. It's sits surprisingly low to the ground for a 4x4, but it gives it this sleek, road huggin look, that has drawn alot of attention. ( I'll post a picture or two of it later today )

There is a local company up here called BD Diesel Performance, who apparantly has a good reputation for diesel upgrades, etc. but they are not cheap for labor costs, so I want to learn how to do my own work.

I would like to find an electric adjustable drivers seat, because I'm kinda long-legged, and I need to have the seat higher.

Anyways, I'm excited by my purchase, and I appreciate the info so far. By the way, I've done some reading on this site, and I was wondering about all the talk of an intercooler.

Is this something I should look into getting?

Forgive me if I start to ask lot's of questions over the days ahead, but I want to learn as much as I can. smile.gif

Bye for now,

Brad

[Chevmanx]

99gmccrew

How noisy do you find your 4" exhaust compared to what it was before? Who is it made by? Is it mandrel bent? What kind of muffler do you have on it? Did you do anything to the catalytic converter? ( I've read here where some guys remove the guts of it)

Brad

[GMC Hauler]

The 4" exhaust I got from Jardine is just a little louder than stock form. The turbo muffles the sound. I got rid of the kitty cat, and the muffler is a see through model. The pipes are all mandrel bent. If i had to choose exhaust systems again, I would pick this one again.

I just put 2500 miles on her in the last 6 days, and the most annoying thing was the constant turbo wine, not the exaust. (dont get me wrong fellas, I like the turbo wine, but after countless hours in the drivers seat, it gets old)

[99gmccrew]

Like GMChauler, I seem to have misplaced the CAT.
Not much louder, yes it's mandrel bent tubing. I got mine on ebay for a great price and installed it in just a few hours. It seemed to give the truck a little more "pep" and allows it to breath easier. The turbo seems to spool up quicker also.

I noticed you inquired about an intercooler. :D
Without a doubt it's worth doing, especially if you're going to tow on a regular basis. I haven't heard one person yet, who wasn't thrilled with the added performance an intercooler adds to the truck.

99gmccrew

[ 08-11-2005, 04:40 PM: Message edited by: 99gmccrew ]