Tips and advice for new owners

[usabamaman]

Great to see this post! My new years resolution was/is to get my girl back on the road. I've had her on non-op since 2017 . I'm getting closer!

I've been all over this site again refreshing and learning all over, lol. Thank goodness for this website and its great members, absolutely priceless.

Old radiator problems surfaced immediately, not really a surprise, as it was leaking when I parked her. I went the rebuilding the old one, tanks were good, core was shot. Not cheap! but, I was a little nervous ordering a aftermarket after lots of reading about them here. Though, most of those posts are 10 years old, lol. Ordered new hoses and rubber mounts, even though the originals looked fine.

any thoughts or ideas guys?

TIA

I replaced my leaky radiator with new $450.00 brass one identical to the original one. That was around six years ago and works great. I got it from a body shop auto parts supplier.

 

[usabamaman]

Is that something you can do without pulling the engine?

I have never replaced my harmonic balancer. It seems to be fine. I do think those really expensive ones, somewhere over $400.00, would reduce the engine vibrations better and may help the engine and seals to last longer.

 

[fasttruck]

Get an organizational maintenance manual and read it. Don't make a move without the pubs.

 

[Jim Long]

Starter relay change. Depending on your mileage, have the injection pump rebuilt before 80K. New head gaskets and a head stud kit instead of bolts. Radiator rod out. Install a water temp gauge. Oil change every 3K using Delo and a quality filter. NAPA sells an adapter to change the fuel filter to a spin on with a drain in the bottom.

 

[als804]

first of all easy starting is the first

1. fuel supplying
- triple check fuel lines leakage.
- replacing mechanical fuel pump with 6.5 DIESEL ELECTRIC fuel PUMP : for no needs to cranks to prime.
2. starter
- the faster your start cranks the more easy to be started
- installing 28MT NEW STARTER with Doghead Relay
3. glow plug
- nice glow plug : many recommend borsh ones
- manual glow plug mode : sometimes gp card may burn ( in my case i am planning to install : time-delay realy that is a kind of switch to automatically be off after 5 seconds from inititation )
4. engine oil ( For cold weather below celcius 0 degree )
-these days WTI IS SO LOW, it's good time to USE 5W 40 not 15w 40.

 

[LT67]

I have never replaced my harmonic balancer. It seems to be fine. I do think those really expensive ones, somewhere over $400.00, would reduce the engine vibrations better and may help the engine and seals to last longer.

The rubber on the balancer may look okay, but it's 30 plus years old and it's dry and hardened. The balancer on my 85 M1008 looked fine as well, but I had it changed out to a Dorman OEM unit. It was a night and day difference. The engine idled markedly smoother and it gained some power. I decided to do the same on my 86 M1008. When the old balancer was removed we discovered that it was in the beginning stages of coming apart. Wise idea and cheap insurance on a 6.2 to go ahead and change the balancer...

 

[LT67]

first of all easy starting is the first

1. fuel supplying
- triple check fuel lines leakage.
- replacing mechanical fuel pump with 6.5 DIESEL ELECTRIC fuel PUMP : for no needs to cranks to prime.
2. starter
- the faster your start cranks the more easy to be started
- installing 28MT NEW STARTER with Doghead Relay
3. glow plug
- nice glow plug : many recommend borsh ones
- manual glow plug mode : sometimes gp card may burn ( in my case i am planning to install : time-delay realy that is a kind of switch to automatically be off after 5 seconds from inititation )
4. engine oil ( For cold weather below celcius 0 degree )
-these days WTI IS SO LOW, it's good time to USE 5W 40 not 15w 40.

My 85 M1008 has a brand new 24volt 28MT. It does not turn the engine over nowhere near as fast as the 27MT direct drive. If the glow plug system is working as it should and it's getting fuel, the engine should start very quickly. My 86 M1008 has a 12 volt 28MT and it starts up within 1-2 seconds on cold starts.

 

[Keith_J]

Harmonic damper replacement is best done with NAPA tool 2291. This removes the old one and the center bolt is the same diameter and pitch as the damper bolt. Just align the new damper on snout and key, then thread the tool into the crank backwards to draw the damper onto the crank.

 

[Jim Long]

I

first of all easy starting is the first

1. fuel supplying
- triple check fuel lines leakage.
- replacing mechanical fuel pump with 6.5 DIESEL ELECTRIC fuel PUMP : for no needs to cranks to prime.
2. starter
- the faster your start cranks the more easy to be started
- installing 28MT NEW STARTER with Doghead Relay
3. glow plug
- nice glow plug : many recommend borsh ones
- manual glow plug mode : sometimes gp card may burn ( in my case i am planning to install : time-delay realy that is a kind of switch to automatically be off after 5 seconds from inititation )
4. engine oil ( For cold weather below celcius 0 degree )
-these days WTI IS SO LOW, it's good time to USE 5W 40 not 15w 40.

purchased a 12V pump that puts out 15PSI . I tied it in to the windshield wiper circuit so it turned on and off with the key. (fused, of course) . This pump was purchased from NAPA for $55.

 

[1love]

I

purchased a 12V pump that puts out 15PSI . I tied it in to the windshield wiper circuit so it turned on and off with the key. (fused, of course) . This pump was purchased from NAPA for $55.

I thought we could only push 7PSI max to the IP or seals will start to blow and or leaks will occur. From my understanding, the current fuel pump is rated at 4-7 PSI. This would be the best pump Facet 40285. Cost some coin but well worth it and very reliable.

 

[Jim Long]

I thought we could only push 7PSI max to the IP or seals will start to blow and or leaks will occur. From my understanding, the current fuel pump is rated at 4-7 PSI. This would be the best pump Facet 40285. Cost some coin but well worth it and very reliable.

I could not tell you about that on the normally aspirated models. I tore down my 6.2, put a head stud kit in and new head gaskets. In addition I put the 6.5 turbo and a remanufactured injection pump. 12-15 PSI is required for the turbo. But, come to think about it, the injector seals and injection pump seals are the same, 6.2 and 6.5. So I really don't see how that would blow the seals out.

 

[1love]

I could not tell you about that on the normally aspirated models. I tore down my 6.2, put a head stud kit in and new head gaskets. In addition I put the 6.5 turbo and a remanufactured injection pump. 12-15 PSI is required for the turbo. But, come to think about it, the injector seals and injection pump seals are the same, 6.2 and 6.5. So I really don't see how that would blow the seals out.

Nice thanks for this info, I'm still learning.

 

[usabamaman]

The rubber on the balancer may look okay, but it's 30 plus years old and it's dry and hardened. The balancer on my 85 M1008 looked fine as well, but I had it changed out to a Dorman OEM unit. It was a night and day difference. The engine idled markedly smoother and it gained some power. I decided to do the same on my 86 M1008. When the old balancer was removed we discovered that it was in the beginning stages of coming apart. Wise idea and cheap insurance on a 6.2 to go ahead and change the balancer...

Thanks for the heads up, I will look into that.

 

[royalflush55]

The rubber on the balancer may look okay, but it's 30 plus years old and it's dry and hardened. The balancer on my 85 M1008 looked fine as well, but I had it changed out to a Dorman OEM unit. It was a night and day difference. The engine idled markedly smoother and it gained some power. I decided to do the same on my 86 M1008. When the old balancer was removed we discovered that it was in the beginning stages of coming apart. Wise idea and cheap insurance on a 6.2 to go ahead and change the balancer...

I agree 100%!