Update to High Mile overhaul

[Robyn]

Well the little 94 diesel rat is just about ready to go back in.
The clear water heads showed up last Wed and are now on with new bolts.
Very nice looking heads too. They came with the Diamond marked pre cups.
Got a new set of injector nozzles today as the one that was on the cylinder that fouled with antifreeze was no longer in the game. The rest were marginal so I tossed them all in the can and got a fresh set.
New glow plugs too. Spent an hour this afternoon working over an old rear type vacume pump to make an oil pump priming tool. Took the pump part off then pressed the shaft out of the cam. Sawed off the mount on top and then turned the top down in the lathe to make it nice. Turned the teeth off the gear and reinstalled in the housing and pressed a modified bolt in the shaft end to run the thing with. I can now fully prime the oil system prior to starting the engine. I have a jumper hose to connect the cooler ports and will block the turbo lube port and the gauge port. I want to be sure I have oil at all pushrods and that all lifters fill before fighting this beast back into the chassis.
A fresh black paint job has been done so its looking sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet.
A new water pump, T stat and a new serp drive pulley too.
New engine electrical harness, new noise suppression harness. Much much more. GEEEEEEEEEEEE I hope it runs as good as it looks. New timing set (stock). New block heater just beacause. Fresh hoses all around and a new serp belt too. Oh and dont gorget that sleeeeeeeeeeeeeezy little water drain on the radiator that the last moron broke the tabs off and made it a !@#$* to get out. I HATE PLASTIC RADIATOR TANKS. Oh and we must not forget the new plastic coolant tank with the sensor too, :o) And as for the fuel lines up the back of the engine between the tranny and the body!!!! I moved them suckers over so real folks could get to them, not to mention get the bolts back into the engine and tranny. The MORON that designed that setup should be made to work on them.
I digress.
Will keep you posted.
Robyn

[john8662]

I moved them suckers over so real folks could get to them, not to mention get the bolts back into the engine and tranny. The MORON that designed that setup should be made to work on them.

Lovely right? I was dumb enough to put em back just like they came.

Everything sounds great!

I guess I believe you on the no wear on cylinders thing now. I picked up a bare block that turned out to be the same way. It's being honed and cleaned up to be put together with Standard pistons too. My machinist didn't believe me at first either, but does now. Odd deal, everything else I've had has been worn.

J

[Robyn]

All about how they are cared for.
Mine had had Amzoil used in it from the get go when it was new. I cant afford that stuff so its gonna get the same stuff I use in my Western Star dump truck with its 500 HP Cat. Rotella T 15-40 The Cat has 511K on it and purrrrrrrrrrrrs just fine.
I have traveled with the Sub and I always had to take oil with me as I could never buy any on the road unless I went shopping and away from the Interstate freeways.
Good old Rotella can be found at any truck stop "Thats a big 10-4 Good Buddy".
I also think that the early 599 Blocks were better too. I tore down a 141 block with 90K on it a friend had to hopefully get a good set of heads and the thing was junk. The cylinders were bad worn and the heads were toast.
That why I went to Clearwater for the new heads.
RC

[Turbine Doc]

Also has a lot to do with lubricating qualities of Diesel fuel, it won't "wash the rings" like gasoline can over time

[Robyn]

Very good point.
Especially on a precup engine like the 6.5 where the majority of the fuel burn is away from the cylinder itself.

[SoTxPollock]

Robyn, just curious how often you changed oil in that Western Star thats still purrrrring so good.

[Robyn]

10,000 miles approx.

[Robyn]

Well almost there. Got the engine primed with oil last night. Had to run the oil pump for nearly 30 minutes to get all the rockers getting oil.
Old racers trick we used for many years. Really saves a load of work if you get a lifter that wont oil up top. ( hack up an old 6.2 vacuum pump and remove the gear teeth and drive it with an electric drill) SWEEEEEEEET EH??

Washing up the manifold and other goodies tonight and tomorrow I will get it done hopefully. Still waiting on some GM stuff such as heater hoses. Gawd I hate them push lock factory lame duck hoses. What ever happened to KEEP IT SIMPLE.
Made a kewl little tool to prime the fuel lines to the injectors. Used a pump squirt can with a small fuel filter and a couple fittings and some hose to hook the rig onto the injector end of each fuel line. Leave the pump end slightly loose and pump the line untill fuel comes out around the fitting then tighten it. Remove the primer and tighten the line to the injector nozzle. Not perfect but beats the heck out of cranking a dry engine for a week to get it up and running.
Will only take a few cranks to get it lit this way. Save wear and rear on my NEW STARER

[Robyn]

Engine all done now and ready to go back in.
Had a scare last night but got it fixed today.
Was going to clean the turbo up a tad before remounting it on ther engine and I gave the turbine a spin, "Correction, I tried to"
Since I sat the unit on the floor when I removed it, it some how stuck tight.
I tried a small wrench on the nut and it would turn but very stiff.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAACCCCKKKKKKK.
Oh well always wanted to see what was inside one of them things.
Tookthe bloody little beast apart to see what was amiss.
Loads of carbon behind the hot side wheel and on the little heat shield cup.
I gently tried the nut while holding the hot wheel and low and behold it came off. ""ITS LEFT HAND THREAD TOO FOLKS"" I was suspicious so I looked before reafing on the nut.
Got the nut off and the cold side wheel came right off and the shaft slid out with only gentle tap from a leather mallet.
Cleaned off the carbon and gunk and washed well in solvent then hot water and soap with a blow dry and poof almost like new inside.
Its a GM4 . Its got brass bearings inside so no reason to take them out.
All the small piston ring type shaft seals were fine too. No signs of any dings in the blades on either wheel.
I reindexed the cartridge with the hot side using the oil drain back tube for a reference. Once the cartridge was back in and the bolts tight I resealed the cold side housing with a little silicone ( As it was when new) and aligned the drum outlet with the air hat on the manifold.

** A note here***
Kits are available on line and to rebuild these if they are not all chewed up is a snap.
Be sure to squirt a bunch of oil in the lube port on top and turn the impeller before you start a new one as doing a start on a dry turbo is not kewl.
These little beasties make some real high RPM's when ya get yer boot on the pedal dont ya know.
The kits come with a lock nut to hold the goodies on the shaft. Mine had a standard nut so I used a tad of blue locktite before tightening the nut down.
I think it would really spoil my attitude if that nut came off. :0(
I am still waiting for a set of them special heater hoses and the gasket that goes under the oil pump drive next to the block.

I finally got new glow plug harnesses for the right side center two plugs as mine were melted a tad from some one leaving the clamp off allowing the wiring to drift over against the down pipe.
It took the parts guy at the local chevy house and I two hours to finally figure out where the listing was for the wiring goodies. All here and ready to install.
I have a few minutes work to tidy up the engine bay. There is some greasy spots on the frame and a bunch of junk under the ac condenser I want gone before I drop the engine back in. I got all new battery cables and will install them prior to engine drop in to ease the process a lot.
Also got a new water drain cock too as the old one had been violated by some previous owner or mechanic. "I HATE PLASTIC STUFF ON RADIATORS"
Got a new coolant fill jug too as the top locking lugs where the cap locks down broke off a couple months ago. Bloody $65 for a stupid plastic jug.
Replaced a few of the little pastic electrical plugs that had lost their locking tabs due to breakage. NAPA had all the stuff to build new ones.
GM has many of the plugs with short wires attached so you can just splice in the new plugs and poof just like new.
The no brainer wiring harness with all proprietary plugs is really nice, ya just find the one that fits in the area you are in and your good to go.
I guess I am done building the engine cause the parts boxes and can full of bolts and such are all empty now. It seems like you always have a couple little clips or a nut or washer left but not this time. He he he he I tossed them when nobody was a looking ;0)
Replaced the oil pressure sender too as that little devil is in a real sweet spot to get at.
I made a sheet metal bracket that clamps to the steering column with a couple muffler U clamps and I welded two steel 3/8 pipe couplers to it and fitted push lock nipples in each side. I cut out the fuel lines from behind the engine and tossed that funky bracket in the trash and ran the lines up to the new bracket and then jumped across to the engine. I hooked the fuel lines up and ran them out over the left valve cover by the turbo waste gate solenoid. Lovely little place right back of the solenoid to fasten the two hoses. I have plenty of slack to reach the fittings now located on the steering column bracket.
A word to the wise. Always replace the starter front hanger as not doing so can lead to broken starter bolts. Mine were both cracked over half way through and one snapped off during removal and I had to fish it out of the hole in the block. I got a good used bracket and bolt from the bone yard.
Well all for now.
Robyn

[moondoggie]

Good Day!

"Whatever happened to KEEP IT SIMPLE"? Build it cheap.

Blessings!

[Robyn]

The engineering students are taught different now.
Make it complex,hard to get to and expensive.
Oh and dont forget make all the parts proprietary including the bolts so the do it yourself mechanic has not a prayer.
To further the cause lobby the legislators to pass a law forbidding working on cars at your house without a permit.
HMMMMMMMMMM sounds about right eh?

[ronniejoe]

That law will never pass. It's been discussed for years. If it does...then I will be an outlaw!

[Robyn]

I used to live in a neighborhood that did not allow any cars on the street or any working on cars even in the garage.
I found a loophole in the covenant that allowed for a home business and so I opened an auto repair in my garage.
Really pissed the neighborhood association off but there was nothing they could do about it.
A while later we got all the covenants tossed.
GAWD I like to stir up hate and discontent

RC

[moondoggie]

Good Day!

Our founders would not recognize this nation as the one they fought & died to get started.

Blessings!

(signature in previous post)

[Robyn]

You are certainly correct in that statement.
Its a sad sad mess this country has turned into.
This topic is better left for another forum though as if I get started I will fill this box with dialogue so full the server will choke.

Robyn