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General Maintenance

treegump

treegump

Romans 3:22-24
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Martinsville, IN
So...instead of searching the forum trying to figure out how often to change/clean stuff, I thought I'd start a post to see what people know. Because, as we know, the conditions that result in changed parts aren't always what our manuals tell us.

This is my take:
Oil Filter & Oil ~ 5k miles
Air & Fuel - seems like every 2.5k-4k miles
rotate tires ~ 10k miles (I think it should be ~5k miles?)
CDR valve ~ ? miles

I'm sure there was more that I had been thinking of, but I can't remember them now.
 
cdr valve 45,000 miles
injectors 100,000 miles or less if heavy towing
Harmonic balancer 100,000 miles
I change engine oil every 2500-3000 w/syn blend grease every oil change and check all fluids and air pressure
 
remove and visually inspect the glow plugs every 2 years. If they pass the visual inspection I test them and reinstall with anti-seez.

I've never had a swollen tip or stuck plug.

I test the glow plugs in the truck anytime I suspect there might be a problem or anytime they are in sight and I think about it.

I only pull them out for a visual every 2 years.

I put 45,000 miles on my 89 in 9 monthes once
 
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jrsavoie said:
remove and visually inspect the glow plugs every 2 years. If they pass the visual inspection I test them and reinstall with anti-seez.

I've never had a swollen tip or stuck plug.
Click to expand...

I think we need a mileage estimate. My z71 travels ~40,000 miles a year. So 2 years is a long distance. IMO 50,000 miles would be enough or before winter to ensure easy starts.
 
You can ohm glow plugs in the truck. If they ohm out good they likely arent swolen. I had 6 out of 8 that were completely wasted open circuits and they still looked fine. If you are having a hard start problem but have plenty of glow time, checking the resistance through the plugs is a must, each should be less than 1 ohm.

I change oil at about 3500 on regular oil, and I use a 2 quart filter. If I use synthetic oil I go almost 5k miles with the 2 quart filter.

Injectors I would take the drivers side out much less than 100K and have them tested for pop and atomization. Some of them seem to suck bad after 20k miles, maybe hard miles.

air filter might clean every 10k miles. Fuel filter I go 6k miles.
 
Last edited:
buddy said:
You can ohm glow plugs in the truck. If they ohm out good they likely arent swolen. I had 6 out of 8 that were completely wasted open circuits and they still looked fine. If you are having a hard start problem but have plenty of glow time, checking the resistance through the plugs is a must, each should be less than 1 ohm.

I change oil at about 3500 on regular oil, and I use a 2 quart filter. If I use synthetic oil I go almost 5k miles with the 2 quart filter.

Injectors I would take the drivers side out much less than 50K and have them tested for pop and atomization. Some of them seem to suck bad after 20k miles, maybe hard miles.

air filter might clean every 10k miles. Fuel filter I go 6k miles.
Click to expand...

Fuel pressure gauges would be good for checking fuel filter condition, there is also an airfilter vaccum meter for the filter tube. On my truck if I get below 19mpg consistantly on summer fuel cruising ~60mph I change the fuel and air filters. It's nothing exact but it has been working. I get ~20mpg on fresh filters.

In the morning I am mailing in my oil analysis after 11,000 miles on my amsoil dual by pass and shell rotella t 15w40. I changed the primary filter after 5,000 miles and both at 11,000 after I took the sample, this isn't required but I'm not confident in the system yet.
 
It all depends...

buddy said:
I change oil at about 3500 on regular oil, and I use a 2 quart filter. If I use synthetic oil I go almost 5k miles with the 2 quart filter.

air filter might clean every 10k miles. Fuel filter I go 6k miles.
Click to expand...

:iagree: on the oil, but the air filter is totally dependant on external circumstances; If it's rainy or humid, my air filter might go 8k before cleaning. If its dry and dusty, only 6k; we drive dirt roads every week, so the weather determines how much dirt gets kicked up.I think I'll get a filter sock, to extend the cleaning schedule.

If the CDR passes the water test, why change it?
Vacuum meter for the air filter and a feul pressure gague just before the IP are lifesavers, and moneysavers. We now always buy diesel at the same place, and this fuel filter has lasted 18k SO FAR.

Don't forget the diff lube.

Buddy, what 2 quart oil fil do you run?
 
Kennedy sells the 2 quart baldwins, even a whole case at a time. Otherwise I have been using a Wix 51794.

Only 2WD can run these 2 quart filters because ours point down. They dont have anti-drain back or bypass. Theres also a racing version of the Wix whatever that means.

My air filter is under the hood and doesnt get too dirty. When I had the flat one in the factory box it would get dirty pretty fast pulling through the fender.
 
what about shocks, a-arm bearings, wheel hub assemblies, fan clutch, - misc stuff that an average guy may/may not think about when driving a vehicle that has 100k, 200k, 300k, + miles on it.
 
treegump said:
what about shocks, a-arm bearings, wheel hub assemblies, fan clutch, - misc stuff that an average guy may/may not think about when driving a vehicle that has 100k, 200k, 300k, + miles on it.
Click to expand...
Most of that stuff is totally dependent on how the truck is used. My 95 LD had most of the bushings trashed by a snow plow that was way too heavy for the truck. Broke both bump stops off also.War wagon says fan clutches only last 5 years.
Something I like to do while the oil is draining is lube all the door pin bushings and latches.I also spend time on the creeper just looking things over. I catch most things before they become a problem. I've only been towed once in the last 20 years. That was when a starter went out in my 82 olds 98 diesel. I used to put on over 60,000 miles a year.
 
Same here, but I use grease and lube up the brake lines with it! I like to get lost undertruck just looking things over.
 
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