So back in WA before I left I ran the truck around for a couple hundred miles, around Bellingham and down to Seattle and back and everything was great. Loaded up and headed out Friday morning for Phoenix.
Problem #1: Made it until somewhere in OR and the truck was leaking oil. All over the bottom, hard to pinpoint where it was coming from. About a dozen drops on the ground every time I pulled into a place for gas. Blowing up the side of the truck. I couldn't tell if I thought it was blow-by and the engine above the oil pan gasket is mostly dry, including the usual suspects like the oil filter gasket. So I zip-tied a baggie with a hole in it to the breather tube to see what it would collect, and it did collect a thimble or two of oil by 1500 miles, but was not the leak. I am still not sure where it's leaking from, but it sure is leaking. Went through maybe 4 gallons during the trip.
Problem #2: Get about mid-day Saturday, somewhere north of SLC, and pull into a rest stop and there's that smell. You know the one. And green fluid on the ground. Tip the cab, mysterious leak #2. Green fluid sitting on top of the alternator but all the hoses, waterpump, thermostat seemed dry although I think it's going to turn out to be the waterpump. Went through maybe 4-6 gallons on the trip, I lost count. Just kept pouring it in and nervously watching the sight glasses and checking the heat.
Problem #3: This is the "hilarious" one. I pull into the truck stop south of Provo UT, pour in all the various fluids of diesel, oil, and coolant, and note wryly to my girlfriend as we watch an 18-wheeler get towed out that she should get the number of the tow guy because we might need it soon. No sooner do I get in and try to start the truck and nothing, won't turn over. I swap all the relays around, nope. Go in the store, buy some wire and a crimp kit and build a jumper and bypass K1, sparks but nothing, no start. I'm low on air by this point and I deleted my manual pump (want that back now...) so I called the local diesel guy and he came out with a truck. Plumbed air and lifted the cab and it jumped right off with a screwdriver on the starter solenoid.
It's evening and I was hoping to stop and rest but nope, so I figure, FIDO right. So I drove it all the way into Phoenix without turning it off, just pulled in and fueled it hot, poured in coolant, oil along the way. Get the truck in, huge hassle, we miss dinner, rest, etc, although I guess we could have parked, tipped the cab, and left it like that for the morning but with everything else we just wanted to get it home. Did get it home, do the little errands to get it parked where it belongs. Breath a huge sigh of relief. Turn the truck off, flip it back on and...
It starts perfectly.
4 times in a row.
Any recommendations for a diesel mechanic in PHX? I'm out in deer valley. I may just take it out to cat and be like make this thing stop leaking.
