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Changing 1994 6.5 For 1990 6.2

I've been back for several days now, but I'm playing catch up on a project for my daughter's chickens. I promised her that as soon as I got back I would build a covered yard/fenced area for her chickens. I have most of the material needed, so not much cash outlay, just time. Then, we got a call from a friend asking if we would like his chickens. The one sticker there is that he needs them gone ASAP. So, more pressure on me to get this done quick. Plus, the weather is dry at the moment, and will stay that way only for a few more days according to the weather man.

It's about time for me to go to bed, but I'll give a quick update. The hunting trip was a great vacation. We saw only a few does and towheads, many were after dark. We never saw a buck, or any hanging in a camp. It was the driest I've ever seen in over 40 years of hunting in eastern Oregon. One spring that we've used for water in the past was totally dry. Many of the seeps had a small amount of green grass, but the soil was dry.

We were there for just the last three days, so most of the other hunters were already gone. One other hunter we talked to was from the closest town, Prineville, about 35 miles away. He said that the first few days it was a like a city, with a massive number of hunters.

The trip put about 600 miles on the pickup, many while towing a 24 ft trailer over Santiam Pass. The first couple hundred miles was a lot of speed up, slow down for a corner, speed up again, slow down again. This first part was late at night and traffic wasn't real heavy, so I was able to control my speed, minimize lugging, most of the time. Consequently, I feel pretty good about how the rings broke in.

I'll try, in the next few days, to get some pics posted. But, most will probably end up posted after I get the chicken yard finished. In the meantime, I need to get to bed as my internal alarm goes off all too soon.

Don
 
No noticeable change in power, even though it did drop cubes just a bit from 6.5 cubes to 6.2 cubes. One thing I did notice after I spent the first night at Prineville, the glow plugs are not working at all. Took a bit of cranking, but it still started. I have a tendency to pack a lot of extra's, so I was able to put together a manual push button under the hood for temporary until I have a chance to troubleshoot the system.

I'm late getting to work outside, so I better get moving. Got to get the chicken yard finished ASAP so they can start enjoying a better/drier environment.

Don
 
Well, I have a little bit of time tonight so I thought I would post some pics. I tried the SD card from my camera in the computer, the card that I've been using all along, and the computer is telling me that the card needs formatting before it can be used. I don't know whats up with that, but it doesn't make any sense to me, and all my tech help (my kids) that I always turn to are not here, even my wife is not here. I'm home alone with nobody to turn to for help, so I guess no pics for now.

I've been spending my time on the chicken fence, so nothing has been done on the pickup. It's due for an oil change, in addition to troubleshooting the glow plugs. Got to get the plug situation figured out soon as the temps have been getting cooler here. We seldom get below freezing here, but it must have been in the upper 30's last night.

Well, I'm off to looking for tips, tricks, wire diagrams, etc for the glow plugs.

Don
 
Do you get a "Glow Plugs" "Wait to start" whatever orange light on key on? (Year specific I forget.)
The light is powered directly off the glow plugs so when the glow plugs are getting power so is the light.

The Glow Plugs on a 1994 are controlled by the ECM. IMO the factory times are NOT long enough for the new self limiting plugs. I suggest a tune to lengthen the glow plug time.

Key off make sure there is 12v at the glow plug relay stud. The ECM temp sensor is also a concern. Check for codes.
 
Put the SD card back into the camera. Connect camera to computer. OR perhaps remove and re-insert card in computer sometimes works on SD cards. DO NOT format card!!!
 
I thought I better give a quick update on things. I haven't had any time to spend on the pickup except start an oil change last night (in the dark) since it was overdue.

Reasons? One big reason. FIRE!! Fortunately, not anything of mine. Wednesday morning at 2 AM our Boxers woke me up. I decided I better get up to check out whatever had them so worked up, when our son came busting into the room yelling FIRE, call 911!!!! The next door neighbors motor home and house were on fire. I grabbed my phone, but somebody had already called the fire in.

Flames were shooting up over 20 feet into the air. The fire started as an electrical short in the motor home and quickly spread to the house since the motor home was parked less than 10 feet from the house. Motor home, destroyed, and just a twisted mass of ashes and metal framing. Mobile home structure, the end close to the motor home destroyed, and the rest heavily water and smoke damaged, unsalvageable. Single axle, farm type, truck that was parked right next to motor home, destroyed.

There is around 100 to 150 feet between our house and theirs. We have a row of fir trees right next to their house, with the motor home and truck parked between the house and the fir trees. We have orchard trees that connect the fir trees right to our house. The fir trees continue back and widen out to go all the way across our property, and continue further east to go into a brush patch that stops at the edge of the freeway. I am thanking God that the fir trees didn't catch fire, because the fire would have then taken out a single wide mobile home that Mom had lived in when she was still alive (currently storage and canning kitchen), a shop/storage building, possibly our house (through the orchard trees), and into the 60+ acres of brush and trees out back. The fir trees were heavily singed though.

I'm letting them stay in our travel trailer so they can be close by as they dig through the rubble for salvageable items, and set things up so they can properly care for their horses and dogs. My family is also doing what we can to help them, evening meals, running down replacement clothes (they got out with just the clothes on their backs), etc.

In past years I've had co-workers, and cousins, that lived through this. But, until I was this close I couldn't fully understand just how traumatic this can be. I am assuming that Craig (the neighbor) is going through something similar to PTSD, as he has been having nightmares waking him up.

Anyhow, maybe next week things can normalize somewhat so I can get back to the pickup.

Don
 
Sorry about being gone. What's been going on the past few days has been an eye opener for me. I've always known that being the victim of a house fire is devastating, but being so close without being the one actually dealing with the devastation has really opened my eyes. Not only have my neighbors lives been turned upside down, but my families lives have been turned upside down also because of what we have been doing for the neighbors. It's almost like having two families living in the same house. But, in spite of the frustrations and loss of privacy my wife and kids have been real troopers through this.

The one big reason I'm having time to make up this post is because some friends of the neighbors, who happen to be from up in Washington, are taking them out to dinner this evening. This leaves me with my previously normal evening time to spend on forums.

My normal routine of Bible reading, reading e-mails, and then going to the forums has really been curtailed, and I'm now way behind on my reading. Not only has my reading been changed, but nothing has been done to wind up the undone pieces left on the pickup project. With my daughter's strong support and help the chicken yard has been rapidly progressing, and is getting close to complete. None too soon really, as the temporary chicken yard is now a big mud hole. Friday evening the two ducks got a much needed bath, and then the chickens also got a bath before being moved to a temporarily fenced off corner of the new, almost completed, yard. Still need to finish putting in the sand, then finish the rest of the fencing yet.

I haven't spaced you guys out deliberately. The time I have here may be sporadic in the next few weeks as we work towards getting a more permanent living situation for the neighbors. There is an old house on their property that was originally planned for a workshop (bad, leaking roof). Now, a lean-to porch on the side is being closed in to provide temporary living quarters as it has a dry roof, concrete floor, and already existing 110 and 230 volt power.

Until my next chance to get back here, thanks for all you have done for me.

Don
 
Thanks ak. Was feeling puny (rare for me) this morning so haven't done anything outside. Just been sitting a lot, catching up on my reading, getting my butt and sacro-iliac sore from all the sitting. Still have more reading to do, but making good progress on the backlog.

Tomorrow morning I pick up 25 sheets of non-grooved T-111 type shop ply for the neighbors. Last week at church I was asking another guy some pertinent questions, and right out of the blue he told me to go to a local lumber yard, get what I needed, and put it on his account. I've been working on putting together a small work crew to finish the framing that the neighbor started, and put up the plywood siding, which will happen Sunday.

Also, I really need to put together the "spare" 6.5 so I don't lose/misplace any important parts or bolts. It needs to happen soon as flash rust is starting to set in on some parts.

Don
 
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