Ok I figured I'd make a new thread about just the updates to my truck, since the other one is kind of a wishy washy of when I first saw the truck, to purchasing it and whining about the problems like a 
.
This is intended to keep a personal record of all I've done to the truck so far and to update this with anything significant moving forward, since I have owned it from June 2013.
GROWING TO DO LIST AS I FIND OUT:
* Get rid of that SMELL. Smells like 20 year old grease/oil inside the truck every time I get in.
* Gotta do the valve lash tune up! Till then 'yeah she's a rare diesel!' New valve cover gasket looks at me hopeful every day.
* Grab those new brake caliper seals and replace those torn old ones.
* Find out which and replace rear leaky brake cylinder
* Replace rear brake shoes, inspect drums
* Front left knuckle service
* Get off my ass and replace that vapor canister!! Swoooosh goes the gasoline!
* Lube the U-joints. They're probably running on tarry remains.
* Find out why speakers don't work but radio turns on fine. Nightmare wiring.
* Get a proper jack. The Toy-Bottle was useless when I tried using it in an actual flat tire situation. Too short or too tall to fit under axle spots.
So here is a quick before and after on the outer appearance:
Notice I've been 'chipping' away at the faded and crusty camo wrap. The bottom half of the wrap was relatively easily removed (relative being the operative word) since the top half is more exposed to the sun and therefore more cracked into smaller bits and sections, so it's not going to peel off in nice big chunks what so ever.
- June 2013 - Truck would not restart right after buying and bring it home, learned about EFI Main Relay. After 2 days of running around, found the replacement from Napa for $13. Old one is now being used for A/C "High" speed fan setting, and still functional after a month as of August. New Main EFI relay still gets toasty, but so does the entire fuse box, and engine bay... Keeping fingers crossed it lasts a year...
June 2013 - Had a private shop refill the R12 freon into A/C system. No leaks visible. As of August 30th 2013, A/C is still ice cold. R12 costs a Moth***er.
- July 2013 Replaced front brake pads only, and serviced the front right knuckle/cv-joint with moly grease and new diff oil seal with rebuild kit. The old grease was long gone, along with loads of diff oil, both sides visibly filthy with the soup. Took damn near 8 hours WITH my brother's help. Will do the left side whenever I feel bathing in grease again. *Right rotor had a nut seized so unable to replace rotor. Will attempt again after some PB blasting.
- EMS exhaust ordered!
- August 2013 - Finally vacuumed, shampooed twice, to get rid of old crap around interior and that SMELL. 275 mile round trip with family and 3rd row folded and bags and junk loaded to the top in 100* weather. Brought us home safe and sound! Smell still there. Need some pro stuff...
-August 2013 - Replaced burned out orange marker lights (next to headlights).
- August 2013. 4 New tires! 31" Falken Rocky Mountain ATs. I wanted 33" but with a ruined flat tire, and extreme lack of planning and patience, I went with what the tire shop had. Given the acceleration of the truck as it is, I guess I'm better off for the time being. Got rid of the bounce/shaking at 45+ mph and not too noisy on the highway.
- August 2013 Replaced the front diff soup with fresh 2 liters of (what I had on hand) 80-90w hypoid gear oil. Old stuff looked like tar, and what came out would have barely filled a cereal bowl. Wow. Also went ahead and drain-refilled transfer case oil with same fresh 80-90w oil. Old stuff was pitch black, stinky, but plentiful. Which reminds me, I really need to dispose of it at Autozone, it's been sitting on the porch for 4 days...
- August 2013 new seat covers. 2nd row needs customized covers due to folding benches, but will have to make do for now.
.This is intended to keep a personal record of all I've done to the truck so far and to update this with anything significant moving forward, since I have owned it from June 2013.
GROWING TO DO LIST AS I FIND OUT:
* Get rid of that SMELL. Smells like 20 year old grease/oil inside the truck every time I get in.
* Gotta do the valve lash tune up! Till then 'yeah she's a rare diesel!' New valve cover gasket looks at me hopeful every day.
* Grab those new brake caliper seals and replace those torn old ones.
* Find out which and replace rear leaky brake cylinder
* Replace rear brake shoes, inspect drums
* Front left knuckle service
* Get off my ass and replace that vapor canister!! Swoooosh goes the gasoline!
* Lube the U-joints. They're probably running on tarry remains.
* Find out why speakers don't work but radio turns on fine. Nightmare wiring.
* Get a proper jack. The Toy-Bottle was useless when I tried using it in an actual flat tire situation. Too short or too tall to fit under axle spots.
So here is a quick before and after on the outer appearance:
Notice I've been 'chipping' away at the faded and crusty camo wrap. The bottom half of the wrap was relatively easily removed (relative being the operative word) since the top half is more exposed to the sun and therefore more cracked into smaller bits and sections, so it's not going to peel off in nice big chunks what so ever.
- June 2013 - Truck would not restart right after buying and bring it home, learned about EFI Main Relay. After 2 days of running around, found the replacement from Napa for $13. Old one is now being used for A/C "High" speed fan setting, and still functional after a month as of August. New Main EFI relay still gets toasty, but so does the entire fuse box, and engine bay... Keeping fingers crossed it lasts a year...
June 2013 - Had a private shop refill the R12 freon into A/C system. No leaks visible. As of August 30th 2013, A/C is still ice cold. R12 costs a Moth***er.
- July 2013 Replaced front brake pads only, and serviced the front right knuckle/cv-joint with moly grease and new diff oil seal with rebuild kit. The old grease was long gone, along with loads of diff oil, both sides visibly filthy with the soup. Took damn near 8 hours WITH my brother's help. Will do the left side whenever I feel bathing in grease again.
*Right rotor had a nut seized so unable to replace rotor. Will attempt again after some PB blasting.- EMS exhaust ordered!
- August 2013 - Finally vacuumed, shampooed twice, to get rid of old crap around interior and that SMELL. 275 mile round trip with family and 3rd row folded and bags and junk loaded to the top in 100* weather. Brought us home safe and sound! Smell still there. Need some pro stuff...
-August 2013 - Replaced burned out orange marker lights (next to headlights).
- August 2013. 4 New tires! 31" Falken Rocky Mountain ATs. I wanted 33" but with a ruined flat tire, and extreme lack of planning and patience, I went with what the tire shop had. Given the acceleration of the truck as it is, I guess I'm better off for the time being. Got rid of the bounce/shaking at 45+ mph and not too noisy on the highway.
- August 2013 Replaced the front diff soup with fresh 2 liters of (what I had on hand) 80-90w hypoid gear oil. Old stuff looked like tar, and what came out would have barely filled a cereal bowl. Wow. Also went ahead and drain-refilled transfer case oil with same fresh 80-90w oil. Old stuff was pitch black, stinky, but plentiful. Which reminds me, I really need to dispose of it at Autozone, it's been sitting on the porch for 4 days...
- August 2013 new seat covers. 2nd row needs customized covers due to folding benches, but will have to make do for now.
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