Recent content by Captain Caveman

I didn't have a controller on my element, so I installed a momentary switch to control a constant duty solenoid and run it manually. It does help in colder weather and there have been times in sub-zero weather that it would not start without it.

There should be an unused port in your cylinder head. That would be the ideal place. I am very happy with my dual electric fans on my diesel. The advantages being that I can run them on high if I'm stuck in traffic and turn them off when I don't need them. The critical part is the fan...

Couple reasons actually, first is fitment: it is a tough fit (thank you VW) and I don't think Optima has a direct model. Second, we don't take the car out to places where there is no cell coverage and tow trucks don't venture so reliability is not an issue. Lastly, the wife's car actually has...

I have two blue top optimas in parallel and they have been going strong for five years now. Plenty strong enough to start my cold diesel in the winters here in SLC. On the other hand, I have to replace the Interstate (lead acid) battery in the wife's car every three to four years.

What do you plan to do for vacuum?

According to my Isspro oil pressure gage, my 13bt operates almost identical to Hulsty's.

I encountered that same issue when I did the H55 swap. We also stood the H55 on the bell to install the TC. Except we didn;t discover the issue until we had it bolted up: oops! We had to remove the top cover and get the shift mechanism aligned properly. It didn't take too long, but I...

Usually, the pump is good at one or the other. My electric pump will draw 22inhg all day if the output port is free of obstruction. As soon as I put my thumb over the port, the vacuum drops. If it does work, that'd be a killer solution if you don't want A/C!

First, I upgraded just the housings to Hella H4's and used sylvania silverstars, and it was a significant improvement. Then, I upgraded the harness and the sun came out. If I had to pick one, I would do the harness first. I made my own harness because I'm an electronics geek, but everything...

No, I was not using a ford starter relay, but a Bosch type relay. The ford starter relay sounds like it would work since it is actually a solenoid type relay and may not have the switch bounce the Bosch type can have.

I burnt out two of the integrated solenoids on my gear reduction starters due to the use of a traditional relay. I "think" the "switch bounce" created by the relay caused the premature failure of the starters. Since I no longer have an auto trans and hence no neutral safety switch, I removed...

My bet is that you will be fine with your existing wire. I make this assumption based on the fact that the coil in the solenoid requires a small amount of current to trigger and that the amount of time that the small wire is conducting the current will not cause the wire to overheat. The...

You're absolutely right not to trust the factory gauges. That really sounds like you have air in your coolant system. I'd bet you have a combination of air in the coolant loop, some blocked passages in the radiator, and possibly a sticky thermostat. You can probably flush the radiator and...

Probably possible, since the CS144s were used in the late 80s and early 90s in their diesels. I'd really have to look to know for sure as mine has been fully converted to 12v. I had great customer service from Henstrom Generators and Auto Parts (327E 3300S | 801-467-2590 no affiliation). They...

Just a follow-up with recent changes made to my configuration... The aluminum pulley that I used would not grab a solid seat on the alternator and, over time, would loosen up. As a result, it was tenuous at best and I just need reliability (who doesn't, right?). The mechanical vacuum...