So it's been a hot minute, figure it's time for an update. Man what an update this is.
Let's start with this. This truck, it owes nothing. The hell I put it through, the miles I've put on it for the money I paid for it...there is a reason why they say these really are some of the best trucks ever made.
Let's start with about 2 weeks ago. I stop at a buddies to help get his 86 Dodge W150 going, after I'm done I stop at Walmart. I go to leave, and nothing. No crank, no power in the cab, period. At first I didn't panic, because I knew I had a loose terminal, so usually wiggling it fixed that problem.
Not a chance.
Now I'm like, well wtf. I have to get home, I took towing coverage off it, and in 12 hours I have to be at work. I've called in more than I'd like and I have to be there.
Battery checked out as good. So what gives? Jumped it with a battey, and jump box together. Sent power right to the starter the solenoid. After tweaking wih it, It fired, but wouldn't stay running.
So I change the positive battery terminal. Fires, runs good. I drive home. Battery light comes on. I'm like wtf now. So I get home, won't start. Same symptoms. Now, I just changed the terminals with HD marine style ones, so I know it's getting a good connection.
Turns out, the alternator fried itself on the way home. The starter fried itself form a bad connection and low voltage, staying engaged.
Now at this point all I know is the starter is shot, and it being 2 years old made me wonder. Being tight on cash, I rewired everything; new grounds, power wires etc. Since I was tight on cash I converted the truck to run a older style single wire starter, reverting back from the high torque mini style. I actually prefer the sound they make anyways lol. So now the truck is wired to use either style in a pinch.
I get it tgether, and the starter don't work. Brand new, right or of the box. It either works, or doesn't disengage. So I return it, get another one. That sob wouldn't engage at all! Luckily I had a spare high torque laying around from my old yellow F250, and I threw that in for a couple of days until I went to Napa and bought a brand new starter, not reman as before.
Keep in mind this whole time I'm switching between 3 starter solenoids, flip flopping wiring etc. I was a mess trying to get this thing to run.
Well I get it running and now it's not charging. Great. The battery drained itself on the drive home, so it barely jumped.
I call Autozone for an alternator. They don't have it. There's two amperage alternators, 90 and 130. I have the 130. I call Advance Auto. They don't have one. I call every parts store in the immediate area. Not a single store has a damn alternator. Are. You. Kidding. Me.
By now it's 7pm and I have to work at 6 the next morning. I finally find one. The only one in the entire half of the state. I drive 3 hours to get it. I get home get it in, she lives. 10:30 pm. Phew.
So I ran on the high torque starter for a few days, eventually got to Napa and picked up a low torque and threw it in. It's been fine since.
Now, during this, I realize, whoever installed the passenger side front brake hose thought it was a great idea to zip tie it to the frame so it wore through almost all the way to breaking. I just ordered one tonight. Glad I caught it now before it burst. You'd think after 2 years of ownership, previous owners demons won't still creep up on me.
If it wasn't bad enough, remember when I totally rebuilt the front suspension last year? Oh yeah, that was all toast. All of it. So today I rebuilt I again. SVT lightning lower ball joints, value craft (I know) uppers, warrantied the tie rod ends, changed both wheel bearings.
The drivers rotor has about had it with bearings, the races have worn and overheated and now they spin in the rotor itself, so now that needs replacing.
My u joints are on there way out so I will be doing those this week as well, along with adressing my leaky diff cover, because silly me didn't put thead sealant on the pipe plugs when I put my heavy duty cover on. It also needs a steering box like yesterday, it pukes fluid and is super loose.
But otherwise she's getting back into shape, hopefully I will have it parked before snow flies.
