Cummins

[dieselgeek]

get a pyrometer and a transmission temp gauge - if the exhaust or the transmission is getting hot, turn the cruise control off.

/\ This.

[Deaf Bob]

get a pyrometer and a transmission temp gauge - if the exhaust or the transmission is getting hot, turn the cruise control off. I know in my fragile truck that the key to survival of the 6.2 is not overheating the motor, and the key to survival for the 700r4 is the same thing.

So... How hot is shut off time on both trans and exhaust?

[dieselgeek]

So... How hot is shut off time on both trans and exhaust?

In Cummins world they tell you it's OK to shut down the engine when the post turbo EGTs are under 300 degrees F. Which is 99% of the time, right after you pull into the driveway.

[SuperBuickGuy]

IIRC the Banks literature for my turbo says don't let the exhaust gases get about 1200 degrees

[Russell]

One of the down sided to buying a 250k mile farm truck is the seat it going to be busted! Well before Going to the Ohio Mile I "fixed" the seat. Went to the LKQ picked up a Passenger side seat bottom for $8 iirc, much easier to find than the driver side and close enough for a hack like me

I took a few pictures...

This is what I started with


After much trying to take the whole seat out I found that you can easily take out the seat bottom with four bolts.
The PO had already FIXED this seat, with house siding...


Take the cover off by pulling plastic strips off the frame and cut the hog rings on the top side. Here are they are side by side.


Streach the cover over the bottom, hook the plastic strips back to the frame and bolt in.


Not as good as new but well worth the $8

[milner351]

That's terrific!

the siding works well if it's between the springs and the foam - to keep the foam from going through the springs, which seems to happen to all truck seats in less than 10 years.

well done!

[Russell]

In this case the siding and other stuff, replaced the springs....

[Russell]

I put about 250 miles on the Cummins Sunday pulling the Capri to the 1/4 in Jacksonville. Man that thing pulls good! Its easy to forget the trailer is back there. It is getting to the point where I am going to have to spend some money or sell this truck. Either the converter is going out or its slipping it 1,2,&3 gear. The front end needs control arm bushings and no telling what else. The Air Bag light, and Brake light are on. Some times the brake pedal does not come all the way to the top causing the (rear) Brake lights to stay on, this also screws with the trailer brakes. The Crusie control no longer works, the Gas gauge goes from correct to empty, and it chimes each time it does it.

Did I say it pulls good? But do I really need a tow rig? I currenly don't have anything to take to the Ohio Mile. One of my car goals this year is to turn the "98 GT, 89 LX, Capri" in to one "Street Strip Vehicle" So if I no longer have to tow to the track, why keep it. I have a half ton suburban that I bet will pull better than my old F150, I have a ranger to haul off the trash. I am sure there will be times that I miss the 8' bed and nearly unlimited payload/towing, but I don't think it will be very often... Fix or sell?

Oh I forgot it leaks Oil on my drive way...

[milner351]

how much do you need to get out of the truck to break even / not feel too bad about the loss?

I'd love to come down and drive it back - but the timing is all wrong.... and I'd be better off buying a rusty older body style to steal the drive train from. Im sure my friend at the trans shop could fix the trans right up for me, if it would make the trip home.

[Russell]

Break even is easier to answer than loss only time would tell if I tryed to fix some of the little stuff to up/support higher sales price. It seems to do fine at highway speeds, I wonder if a fluid change and band adjustment would help or hurt the trans.


Break even:
Truck $6300
Tax, title, tags $236.5
2012 Wheels $800
Old Wheels -$400
Misc ~$50
Total ~$6,990

I am going to order a cable to hook up my spare brake controler see how the suburban tows.

[milner351]

Is this thing pretty rust free? I wonder if we could make a profit on it selling it up here?

[Russell]

Rust free YES! Dent free NO!

It has a few small surface rust spots where the paint is missing mostly where a tool box once was. Far as I know none on the underside.

[DanStokes]

As I found out with mine, the converter is the weak link. My trans guy (Jeff) has a lot of experience with these and he says that the Gale Banks is THE converter to go with as he's had failures with the others. The Banks converter is NOT cheap. They'll probably have to tear the trans down as the converter tends to toss unwanted goodies all thru the trans and the only way to assure success is to take it apart and clean everything. It's probably time for plates and steels as well as bushings, bearings, etc. You're looking at $3500 or so. I'd wager that anyone who would be a likely buyer probably knows that this is the weak link in the drive train so they won't give you much.

Another possibility is a salvage yard trans - IF you can find one that carries a guarantee. Unless the salvage one has been rebuilt or has low miles, it's likely to be in more or less the same condition yours is.

I tend to hold on to my vehicles so I'll do the fixes or hire them done. You, on the other hand, change vehicles like most folks change their socks! So it's a toss-up. Sorry I don't have more sage advise.

Dan

[Deaf Bob]

I tow with a half ton Suburban that I added a 3/4 ton leaf pack..Only if I have to..
Has power to do it.. I'm spoiled by my Chevy flatbed dualie and my son's F350 diesel dualie...
The Suburban needs to be driven.. The dualies are more forgiving..
Of course you only haul hald the weight we do... Capri vs Electras and Caddies with heave iron cages
I'd say try the Suburban with the normal lad and see if it is something you can live with..
Oh.. The Chevy dualie does not have a trailer brake controller .. All rig brakes

[Russell]

Dan what do you mean I only bought 5 cars in the last year! I an sure the banks converter is best but $1500? Is it four times better than the $400 converter I put maybe 5-10k miles a year on a truck. How long did the stock ones last? Not going to say I will never romp on it but for the most part I take it easy on my trucks. How long will the cheap one last 10k miles? 50k? 100k miles? I don't use it every day, I can get a whole gas 3/4 ton truck for $3500