Have to say that the truck definitely drives a bit differently since I did the oil change on Friday and finalized the desmog.
I have been running mid-grade that last month or so as really the realization that the difference in cost on a FULL tank would be a maximum of like $3 (cheap stuff currently $3.16/gallon and mid is $3.27/gallon) and thus is pretty negliglible even when going from E to F.
When I was taking the air rail off I found that the connector nuts (piece that holds the rail pipes to the block valves) on the front 4 (cylinders 1-4) were all so loose that I spun them off by hand, no wrench needed. Then the actually block valves (or whatever they are called) were loose enough that I could do a quarter turn with a socket and then unscrew by hand, the #1 cylinder was actually loose enough that I just did it by hand. This was in GLARING contrast to the back to which the #5 cylinder I had to use my 1/2" drive socket and BFH to get it loose enough to turn by hand with the wrench and the #6 had to be cut at the pipe and then the socket actually took both the small section of pipe, nut for the pipe to valve connection and the valve all came out after some major grunting and cussing as one piece.
This is all after it soaking in PBBlaster for 2day (enough that on the first start up all the excess PBBlaster smoked for a good 30 minutes.
Now she just seems to idle better, run a lot better, and has a bit more giddy up to her from the stop light. Glad that I finally got a good amount of time to dedicate to work on her since the misses was out of town for the weekend.
Next on the list is to drop the manifold to exhaust pipe so that way I can actually weld up the J-pipe connection instead of just having a piece of rebar stuffed in there. From there, this summer I need to pull the manifold to fix a busted J-pipe stud and see if she is good and flat (check for warpage, which I dont think is there).
Hopefully this year I will be able to;
- rebuild knuckles on both sides (told my dad to bring my 12yr old nephew up to get dirty for a couple days)
- pull manifold to check, replace studs, and remount
- pull valve cover and run valves
- possibly see if a carb rebuild is needed
- paint the truck (still debating Monstaliner or actually try my hand at painting?!)
if time permits (or more like money)
- replace all bushings
- replace shackles with 1.5" JT Outfitter anti-inversion greasable shackles
- add in long AALs (all four corners)
- new shocks (will depend on money but looking at Pro Comp ES9000)
- add longer braided stainless brake lines if needed
- replace drivers side lock (will have to see about getting rekeyed)
