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Or "Adventures with Bertha".
So today I loaded up and went about 150 miles to the "Veterans for Veterans" benefit car show.
Up at 0300 to pretrip the truck... checking the lights, I realize one is "high beam" and one is "low beam". After grumbling and cussing, I open the hood and correct the wires and reassemble the light ring etc.
Check again and I find out I put the bulb in upside down... more cussing..... get the light straightened out and hit the road around 0400 with my fiance running chase in her jeep...
Easing down the road with my fiances kid riding shotgun.... (well... sleeping shotgun)
I get between Natchitoches and Shreveport (past the point of no return) and am scanning guages and see my voltmeter is in the yellow and sinking..
My brain starts running... "What am I gonna do? Is there a parts place anywhere near Shreveport I can get an alternator? Do I out it out on SS and hope we have a member close?"
So I do what anyone in my situation would do.... I text @fuzzytoaster with "Hey bud... kind of in a pickle.... give me a call when you wake up please".
One minute later he's calling... after a discussion, he says he can meet my fiance halfway with an alternator.... my mind is much more at ease!
Aboit that time the needle goes back to green and is holding steady, so I call him (he was walking out the door) and thank him, but I believe the truck will get me home. (I didnt want to wreck his plans for today, whatever they were....)
We get to the show (I was only about 10 minutes out at that point) and let the truck idle and charge while I get set up etc....
There were some BEAUTIFUL vehicles there, but Bertha kinda stuck out like the proverbial sore thumb...
While there, my lovely lady says "what's this green stuff dripping"? I go, pop the hood and voila.... coolant coming out of my heater core...
So... being as I can't do anything at the show, I close the hood and finish the day...
After all the votes were tallied, Bertha picked up the "People Choice" award.....
So heading home, my alternator is crapping out again and I'm focused on getting home... suddenly.. truck starts losing power... I have no clue about what's going on....
Evidently I ran out of fuel two miles from the next truck stop...
After my sweet lady making a couple of trips to get me 10 gallons of fuel, I still couldn't get the truck to start...
After checking the TM, I bleed what I think is the correct spot of the fuel system to get rid of air...
No love getting it started....
Once again... I bother Fuzzy.... after sending him a pic of where I'm working (in my defense, I've never worked on diesel engines and the TMs aren't really well illustrated...) he explains thats the fuel/water separator and directs me to the correct spot on the IP.....
Instant action when I hit the starter!!! I make it to the truck stop and put some fuel in and get back on the road toward the house (40ish miles away).....
After the relief of getting the truck running again, I remember I'm running on dying batteries.... so... new level of anxiety....
I pull into the house.... leave the truck where it's accessible and will diagnose everything tomorrow...
Quick question... the coolant out of the heater core... any ideas on where to start?
Also, I saw army6x6 has a civvy alternator for aboit half the price of the OEM... are they any good? Recommendations?
Again, many thanks to fuzzy.... I threatened to dance at his wedding g!
So today I loaded up and went about 150 miles to the "Veterans for Veterans" benefit car show.
Up at 0300 to pretrip the truck... checking the lights, I realize one is "high beam" and one is "low beam". After grumbling and cussing, I open the hood and correct the wires and reassemble the light ring etc.
Check again and I find out I put the bulb in upside down... more cussing..... get the light straightened out and hit the road around 0400 with my fiance running chase in her jeep...
Easing down the road with my fiances kid riding shotgun.... (well... sleeping shotgun)
I get between Natchitoches and Shreveport (past the point of no return) and am scanning guages and see my voltmeter is in the yellow and sinking..
My brain starts running... "What am I gonna do? Is there a parts place anywhere near Shreveport I can get an alternator? Do I out it out on SS and hope we have a member close?"
So I do what anyone in my situation would do.... I text @fuzzytoaster with "Hey bud... kind of in a pickle.... give me a call when you wake up please".
One minute later he's calling... after a discussion, he says he can meet my fiance halfway with an alternator.... my mind is much more at ease!
Aboit that time the needle goes back to green and is holding steady, so I call him (he was walking out the door) and thank him, but I believe the truck will get me home. (I didnt want to wreck his plans for today, whatever they were....)
We get to the show (I was only about 10 minutes out at that point) and let the truck idle and charge while I get set up etc....
There were some BEAUTIFUL vehicles there, but Bertha kinda stuck out like the proverbial sore thumb...
While there, my lovely lady says "what's this green stuff dripping"? I go, pop the hood and voila.... coolant coming out of my heater core...
So... being as I can't do anything at the show, I close the hood and finish the day...
After all the votes were tallied, Bertha picked up the "People Choice" award.....
So heading home, my alternator is crapping out again and I'm focused on getting home... suddenly.. truck starts losing power... I have no clue about what's going on....
Evidently I ran out of fuel two miles from the next truck stop...
After my sweet lady making a couple of trips to get me 10 gallons of fuel, I still couldn't get the truck to start...
After checking the TM, I bleed what I think is the correct spot of the fuel system to get rid of air...
No love getting it started....
Once again... I bother Fuzzy.... after sending him a pic of where I'm working (in my defense, I've never worked on diesel engines and the TMs aren't really well illustrated...) he explains thats the fuel/water separator and directs me to the correct spot on the IP.....
Instant action when I hit the starter!!! I make it to the truck stop and put some fuel in and get back on the road toward the house (40ish miles away).....
After the relief of getting the truck running again, I remember I'm running on dying batteries.... so... new level of anxiety....
I pull into the house.... leave the truck where it's accessible and will diagnose everything tomorrow...
Quick question... the coolant out of the heater core... any ideas on where to start?
Also, I saw army6x6 has a civvy alternator for aboit half the price of the OEM... are they any good? Recommendations?
Again, many thanks to fuzzy.... I threatened to dance at his wedding g!
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