The beast died after hitting a bump!!

[doghead]

Be prepared when you start it, with a digital volt meter.

Since you have had a battery cable failure, your alternator may have a bad regulator now. That could be causing the belt squeal.

Measure your voltage when you start it to see what you have.

 

[Brutacus]

Ok, I'll have to get a good digital meter. When the engine was running, the voltage meter in the truck showed right on the mark, in the green where it says good. It was our assumption that the alternator is good, but I'm not ruling anything out as of yet. If my regulator is bad, can the alternator regulator be bought separately, or would I have to get a new alternator altogether/complete rebuild? The belt we think is screeching is the water pump belt, but we could be wrong. My water pump belt is very loose and cracked, but the other belts didn't look much better. Since I have to remove them to get to the water pump belt anyways, we figured it's the best time to replace ALL the belts.

 

[doghead]

The regulator can be replaced.

Hopefully you'll be ok.

 

[RodUSMC1962]

You guys are great, so much knowledge and always willing to help! We all learned a lot today!

 

[big block 88]

If you are doing the water pump belt. Maybe plan on doing the water pump and seal also.

 

[Brutacus]

If you are doing the water pump belt. Maybe plan on doing the water pump and seal also.

I was going to ask if I need to replace the water pump seal or not. As I understand it, to adjust the belt tension I have to loosen the water pump then rotate it until the belt is tight enough. I'm not familiar with this type of pump or belt tightening system. I don't know if this would disturb the seal around the pump or not. The only seal I see for it is a copper crush seal, does it require any kind of liquid sealer/silicone, or will it be fine by itself?

 

[doghead]

Search! http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?51219-Water-Pump-Belt-replacement

Plenty of other useful threads on the topic.

Also reading through the TM-20/24 would be helpful prior to picking up a tool.

 

[lindsey97]

in reference to the battery cables, I had a bulldozer do this to me once. Replaced everything, had the dash apart. turned out the battery cables had blue-green corrosion inside of the insulation, in the middle of the wire, the last place you would look. Insulation was good, and ends were bright and shiny.

The water pump has a tube of specific paste that comes with it when you replace one. If the previous owner did not used said paste on the copper washer, then when the next person adjusts the belt tension, the copper washer gets scratched/torn, and causes coolant leaks.

 

[Brutacus]

First of Many Updates. Since the Holidays are over I can now start back working on the Beast. I have replaced ALL of the Battery cables with 0/3 gauge cable, new clamps, ring terminals and both of the battery boxes. I've cleaned all points of contact too, and I'm still having the same problems. The starter will not turn over still, nor do I hear the solenoid engage. Before I replace the solenoid, and or the starter, I'm going to check the battery disconnect switch, and ignition switch. When I turn on the battery disconnect, sometimes it doesn't seem to do anything. I'm hoping there is loose wire some where behind the dash. I have some pics of the battery cables, but I can't get them to load.

 

[Jbulach]

Do you know how to jump the solenoid?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Brutacus]

If it is just bridging a screwdriver across the terminals, then yeah. I will have to find my pick, so I can chip off a few layers of CARC. That stuff is on everything.

 

[Jbulach]

Don't bridge the big terminals on these big diesel systems. You'll get a much larger fireworks show than your everyday vehicle. You want to jump the small start terminal to the big battery terminal.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Jbulach]

Also disconnect your power at the batteries before trying to clean the CARC off the terminals.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Brutacus]

Don't bridge the big terminals on these big diesel systems. You'll get a much larger fireworks show than your everyday vehicle. You want to jump the small start terminal to the big battery terminal.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm not sure which one your talking about. I do know the terminal on the front of the starter is negative to the battery, and the outside terminal on the solenoid is the positive to the battery. The other solenoid terminal connects directly to the starter. I don't know or see anywhere else to bridge it.


which terminals are you referring to?

 

[Brutacus]

Update: Ok guys, every test I did pointed to the solenoid being bad so I replaced the solenoid. To my surprise, the new solenoid is acting just like the old one. After looking at the wiring diagram in the tech manual, my father and I have narrowed the problem down three things, 1st, The Protective control box could have a problem in it, 2nd, the batter cutoff could be bad, 3rd, with two 8D batteries instead of the four 6LT's I might have WAY too many amps running through my system causing electrical failures all over the truck. The two 8D's provide 2800 cold cranking amps, and a regular 3500 rated amps. I know a lot of amps can burn out wires as well as other components. We can't find a fuse box on this truck, so we think it doesn't have one. I was hoping it did, so I only had to change out some fuses, so now it looks like I have to change out some components.

 

[Jbulach]

You can rule out possibility #3.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Hard Head]

I have used as few as 2 Optimas with 900 CCA's each. I now have 6 batteries for my 24V side of the house (4 are tied in at all times and 2 can be switched in if the main bank dies) The backup bank has a charger / maintainer circuit built into the switching unit. I use 4 - 12v XS Power D3400 AGM batteries (1000 CCA each) for the main bank and 2 Optima red tops for my backup bank. Keep the same type and size of battery in your bank! Do not mix within the battery bank!!!

 

[Jbulach]

First off thanks for your updates... way to many dead end threads out there!

Not enough available AMP's can be a big, damaging, problem not the other way around, UNLESS YOU CREATE A SHORT!

Update: ....now it looks like I have to change out some components.

You will be money ahead befriending a local mechanic, a knowledgeable member or even someone with an electrical background and buying as much beer and chicken wings as they can eat while helping you trouble shoot your truck.
If you insist on solving this yourself, go back and reread this entire tread and research and rule out every suggestion that has been presented to you before replacing any more parts. Let us know what and how you ruled each out.






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[big block 88]

Too many amps is rediculous.....

How have you not replaced the battery cut off yet? I thought you suspected that being bad back toward the begining of the thread. Its easy to replace and cheap. Or just bypass and jump around it to see if that fixes it.

When something goes wrong always start with the easiest stuff first, no need to run all around the truck looking at all the things it COULD be. Im not advocating throwing parts at it but jump around the suspected problems in the system to see if that eliminates the issue. Start at the bateries and work your way forward in the system. Its easy but time consuming.

It could be the pcb, i always keep an extra with me.

and i hate when people say this all the time to people asking for help. But..... READ THE TM's on the truck. It will eliminate you "looking all around the truck for a fuse box". These truck are stupid easy for a reason, overthinking will cost money and time wasted

 

[Shirehorse]

My money is still on the connection at the PCB or the PCB itself.

A lot of them have corrosion inside the connectors, or inside the box itself.