Part 2: (really long)
I get to GSA in waunakee, get taken out to the truck (they were nice enough to get this thing running for me and said it drove in the yard, and had brakes. I brought them a dozen very good donuts for doing that for me.
Get out to the truck with my car, and start swapping in my new batteries (got four group 65's at 1000CA from napa, very pleased with them). Finished installing them, checked the fluids and with help from the glow plug got it fired up in no time. Let it warm up a bit as I checked things over, then checked to see if was driving ok and the brakes did work. After that I started putting all the stuff I needed to bring with into the cab and toolboxes. Parked the car out in the parking lot, finished the paperwork.
Started movin the truck, and noticed this one was in low range also, shifted to high and started out of the lot. Had to squeeze between the building and a semi loading 2 M817's on it, almost through at the truck isn't moving. Looked down and the t-case had popped out of high, not real happy. Put it back in and get out in the lot, and bungie the handle in high, just in case.
Start going down the road, do a few brake checks, get up to 4th gear and hear a bad noise, let off and goes away, does the same thing a few times. Stopped in a parking lot to look for anything obvious, nothing. Start going again, same thing, put my hand on the t-case lever and go again, and I feel the lever pulling on the bungie as it starts to slip out of gear. Put a cinch strap on it, all good, hope it holds till home. Get up to speed in 5th, and notice when getting back on the throttle in 5th, the gear lever moves forward a few inches very violently, and when I back off it moves back. If I get on and off the throttle heavily it will pop out of gear. Going to try getting home anyway!
Get out on the freeway and my first thought is something is wrong with the suspension/tires as it is bucking really bad. Then go over a nice smooth bridge and it's smooth as can be, for a split second, then back to bucking. Determine it is just a bouncy truck on the freeways, keep going.
About 80 miles into the trip, the fuel gauge is down to 1/4 and the switch on the dash is on the Left tank. Stop and fill up the left tank. Keep on truckin' about 50 more miles on the freeway in heavy traffic, the truck starts loosing power and speed, then it comes back, then away, then back, then away. I now have to shift to 4th and it goes down and down from there. I have to pull over and it dies. I didn't pull off very far, and have to move the truck over a little with the starter to be somewhat safe. I'm thinking it is maybe the fuel filter.
Start to change the filter and someone on the access road alongside the highway leaving work is nice enough to stay there with their lights on to help me see. Get it changed and can't get it started, can hear my batteries are starting to weaken. Give up, hop the fence and ask this nice person who I could call. She takes me inside her work and we get to work calling and find a mobile truck repair place open late (it's about 6pm now) and they are coming out to help. I was very lucky this lady stayed and helped as I have a pay by the minute phone and did not have enough money to make any calls, and since I was roaming it wouldn't connect me to the over the phone payment. So I did that on her company phone before I went back to wait.
I thank the lady for her help, and hop the highway fence. I try to start one more time and then there are 2 cop cars behind me lights on. Asking me what is going on and such, explain someone is coming to help and he says OK. Takes my name cell number, gives me his, and a tag so no one would mess with it if I don't get it going.
I wait for what seems like forever and the guy shows up in a pickup truck, Hmm. He gets out starts asking some questions, and poking around. It then dawns on me that maybe the right tank is being drawn from and I didn't check it for fuel, but the lever on the dash is on the left tank, maybe it is wrong. Check the right tank..........bone dry. He fills the fuel filter to prime it, primes the pump by taking off a plug on top, and we pour the rest into the right tank. I turn it over, he shoots some ether and it starts, rough, and dies. I get in again turn it over and give it some throttle, it fires, and is rough but is running. I pull the hand throttle out and it is smoothing out. Check for leaks, put everything away and he follows me to the next fuel station, where I fill up. Drive it over to their shop, and inside to warm it up a little, while he bills me out, everything seems fine now.
I start the rest of the trip and make it back fine, my back hurting from the bucking roads and very tired and half of me cold.
This moring went out and looked around, and noticed there is ANOTHER lever on the floor to switch the tanks, which is on the right tank, DOH! The weird the dash lever was on the left, and I watched the gauge go down, and back to 3/4 when I filled up. Not sure why it went down before.
So I need to fix whatever is wrong with the trans and t-case, and I put up some photos of the really bad gaps around the windows and hard top, if anyone knows how to fix this it would be helpful.
Also, is a picture of my "heater", which kept my left side somewhat warm, and my right side toasty.
So my 250 mile drive took about 7-1/2 hours.
Ok, done blabbing, here are the pics.
