Few Deuce Newbie questions...

[Flea]

After driving some tonight, I've noticed a couple things:

1. Parking brake needs adjusted in a major kind of way! Won't hold at all!
2. I've got some oil dripping from somewhere on the left side of the engine. It's not major, but it's enough to make me wonder if I've got a leak somewhere. Oil on the dipstick is still above the "full" mark by about 1/2 inch.
3. Clutch is slipping, but ONLY in 4th gear. There is NO slippage whatsoever in 1-3 or in 5th, even on hills. But 4th really slips when first engaging under load.

Any ideas?

Edit: mostly looking for what could be causing that in 4th.
Good pedal engagement, gripping early on, with most of the engagement by about 1/2 travel, so I don't think it needs adjusted.

Also, horns won't blow, even though the solenoid is clicking... that may be due to some debris, though.

 

[rmgill]

Has your clutch been adjusted to the proper amount of slack?

 

[maddawg308]

Parking brake - can be adjusted by turning the handle clockwise on the parking brake lever, will help draw up the slack in the cable. If still not holding, go underneath and tighten the adjustment bolts on the parking brake shoe itself.

Horn - disassemble the solenoid, the air line on the horn, and check for debris. Solenoid might need lubrication as well. Just a couple drops of oil on the shaft will do.

 

[badgmc56]

About that oil leak.Did you get the truck with the crankcase over full?What you should do is drain down the oil to the full level and drive somemore to see if the level creeps up again.Overfull crankcases can cause oil leaks.If it does, you may be getting fuel in the oil .If it doesn't, maybe someone just over filled it When an engine is over full the oil finds it's way out where ever it can.The clutch sounds to me like the disc is just starting the end of it's life or the pressure plate is a bit weak.The adjutment sounds like it is ok.Hard to tell these things without looking at them.Hope this helps.

 

[clinto]

1. Mad Dawg's advice on the parking brake is correct.... if you have the later style handle...if you have the early style handle, there are 2 adjustments, on where the cable attaches to the handle and one of the parking brake mechanism.

2. Degrease and pressure wash engine-start and watch for leak to appear. Impossible to diagnose on a dirty oily engine.

3. Only slips in 4th, not 5th? do not know what to say.

 

[emmado22]

If you read the -10 and the PS mag articles, you'll see that under certain circumstances, oil ABOVE the full mark on the dipstick is perfectly fine and supposed to be that way.

 

[houdel]

Re the parking brake: They can be a perennial PITA. If you have the later style parking brake handle - the kind with the adjustment knob at the end of the handle - try this:

1. Loosen the adjustment on the handle as far as it will go.

2. Crawl under the truck, find the park brake, and locate the adjusting nut. It is in a b**ch of a location, pretty difficult to reach and adjust at the top of the park brake assembly.

3. Tighten the adjustment at the park brake until the brake is where you want it. By taking up as much slack as you can at the park brake itself, you can adjust for cable stretch at the park brake handle and not have to tighten at the park brake as often.

4. The adjusting nut at the park brake end of the cable is SUPPOSED to be self locking. Mine had lost its self locking capability. The nut would loosen and tighten due to vibration while driving the truck. Sometimes the cable so tight I couldn't set the park brake, sometimes it was so loose the park brake wouldn't hold. I finally bought a 5/16" NF self locking nut, readjusted the nut at the park brake, and then jammed the new nut against the existing nut. I haven't had a problem since then.

5. To minimize cable stretch (and thereby reduce the number of times you have to crawl under the truck and readjust the lower nut) only use the park brake when you are out on a trip. When parking the truck at home, find a level spot, chock the wheels, and leave the park brake off. I carry a couple of short lengths of 4"x4" wood in my tool compartment for that purpose. I also use them for added security when I am out on the road and have to park someplace where the ground is not level.