new owner

[keith gigabyte]

Ok..Totally new to diesels. I am however a backyard mechanic trained by my grandfather..a full time mechanic.
Heres the deal, I bought a 2001 Chevy with 183k miles..2500 HD allison automatic all maintenance records are there,,the owner even changed teh cabin air filter..and all fuel/transmission transfer case fluids and filters as manual required.

Questions are..what should i look for other than obvious stuff..leaks bent parts etc. and any good/bad stuff about this year?


thanks,
keith

[Kennedy]

Well ordinarily I start by suggesting that you do fluids and filters, but with detailed records I'd say just drive it and see what if anything doesn't seem right. Don't be afraid to ask if somethig seems odd.

Transfer case pump rub is something best fixed as a pre-emptive strike. Check out teh Feature Articles and Product Reviews on the site.

[More Power]

I agree with JK, you should "baseline" the truck's service so you know what's been done.

Welcome to the board!

Jim

[keith gigabyte]

Yea i forgot to tell you i changed the engine oil and fuel filter as well as clean and re-oil the K&N air filter. I figure a clean start is best. Based on my experience; I can tell the truck seems clean and not beat up..bought it from a dealer. like i said i've worked on vehicles since i was about 8 years old but have absolutely no experience with diesels.

aside from the miles, this truck is cherry..it is almost like new i know i sound like a used car salesman, but i mean it..there isn't even wear on the armrests. its got brand new tires and the brake pads look like they have another 30 to 40 k miles on em..almost new. front end still tight..no play in ball joints...checked all teh basic stuff.

one more thing i have a question on is the aftermarket Banks power pack..im not sure if there is a chip in it but there is a banks turbo and exhaust. the also is a switch for a banks engine brake. I tried the engine brake..no effect. I contacted banks in regards to this ..no help. I'd assume there is some hardware in the engine compartment to make the system work. Any pointers on what to look for?

I will be towing a 6,500 lb 30 foot camper. i pulled it about 400 miles last week, had no problems at all but did install a sway bar..the trailer sways a bit when passing 18 wheelers; i didnt have that prob when towing it with the 1/2 ton 5.3...i couldnt pass em..lol. did have some sway with 1/2 ton too tho. mostly wind related.

Mileage is 15 mpg city...15 mpg highway towing above 6,500 lb trailer..no data on highway empty.

thanks for any input..and thanks for the welcome wishes..

[Kennedy]

The brake pads last about forever, but perform poorly. Check out the rear faces of the rotors and see if they are rusty and flaking. Salt eats them up badly and many only have 1/3 or less of the surface in contact.

The Right rear wheel seal is likely leaking. Every one that I have had apart has had the park brake shoes all gunked up with oil. They don't seem to get bad enough to seep externally, it's almost like someone at the factory doused the shoes with oil when assembling. On the plus side this rotor/drum comes off really easily.


So what I do is a 4 wheel brake job lubing slide pins with dielectric grease and Car Quest GMD (Gold Metallic Disc) pads These are the severe duty police/ambulance brakes nd they flat out work. Not as good as the '11+ trucks, but a huge improvement over the glazed rotor stock stuff.

[Mark Rinker]

After baselining the truck...

Kennedy Diesel sells an excellent Tow/Economy tune for the LB7 that is a great improvement in every measurement over the first year programming. Combined with a Boost Valve to increase turbo boost to burn the extra fuel, you'll see better unloaded economy and an amazing increase in towing performance.

I ran the tune/valve on two trucks towing over 250K miles with nothing but great results.

[rapidoxidationman]

the only thing I'd do besides what's been mentioned is to get rid of the K&N filter and replace it with stock.