Coolant, Hoses, Valve Adj. - Pre-Grand Canyon Trip

[Joe Mc]

Truck just twisted 95k, I had it for one year (see sig) took trip to Yellowstone last Aug. no problems except while fueling up I caught the belt trying to creep into the A/C comp. w/only 500 miles left to home. Had a spare on in 10 mins back on the road - YES!



Questions:

1) Coolant - If it falls within spec (using a refractomenter) and it's nice and clean should I change it anyway? I assume, based on its color when purchased and now, that the dealer replaced all fluids.

2) Hoses - They all look and feel fine, no frays, cracks, or other bad "looking" things. Should I change them anyway - I've seen other posts and it looks like they are expensive.

3) Valve Adjustment - Should I do it before the trip? It's nice and quiet as far as diesels go under the hood. I change the oil every 5k, don't tow/load the bed heavy, basically daily driver - drive mostly to and from work 16 miles each way and around town here and there. And,



Anyone living in the areas mentioned below have any suggestions on sites to see? We are going on a two week trip, taking US40 out to Flagstaff, US89 up to the canyon, around to Bryce (spelling?) canyon, to Hot Springs then down to Col. Springs to visit family, then US70 towards home with a detour towards Cleveland to visit family then US80 home to East PA. Thanks.

 

[JCockrell]

fun trip

If you are going to be there anyway swing thru Monument Valley and Mesa Verde. Monument Valley will blow you away, take 98 out from the big ditch. Mesa Verde, CO has some interesting pueblo dwellings. The wife & I plan on making it back out in that direction in October. Bryce and Zion Canyon and some how swinging by Canyon de Chelly (shay) and the Bisti wilderness area in New Mexico. South of Flagstaff is Sedona. Worth the trip, 89a off of US 17. It is getting hot in that area now. Be sure and take extra water. Before we made the trip out there I changed rad hoses, belts and all fluids. I had 100K+ on the truck before the trip. Carried extra belt and hoses just in case. My . 02... .

Enjoy

 

[lizzyhermit]

if you are coming in from the east on I40 you'll pass Meteor Crater and Petrified Forest. if you stay in Flagstaff I can heartily recommend the KOA and an option at Grand Canyon is Camper Village in Tusayan which is the "town" just south of the south entrance to the park.

another interesting option is the KOA at Williams, AZ which is on I40 at hwy 64 which is a straight shot north to the park.

I live in Phoenix and would be happy to provide any details. BTW, it's getting HOT out here. Check the Travel Companion.

 

[LSMITH]

Joe, change the coolant and adjust the valves. It will cost you a total of about $20 and 3 hours. The valves on my 99 at 80K miles were out of spec on over half of them. The coolant should be changed every 3 years or 60K miles. If your thermosat is working OK you can re-use it. So far the other guys have just about covered the sights. Good luck and have a safe trip.

 

[TxDieselKid]

I have to agree with LSmith, do this before the trip. The valves are something that should be checked every 50-75k in my opinion.



Andrew

 

[moparguy]

Joe, check out the North Rim, we camped out for 3 days in the National Forest (gotta buy a permit $25 ?) and made the mule train ride into the canyon. Great memories.



Besides the cooler temps, there are fewer folks.



If you do the North Rim, Point Sublime is worth the effort, it's tight with a dually, but your 2500 4x4 would do great.



Ronnie

 

[RonaldLarson]

Lived there...

done these. By all means, visit the Walnut Canyon N. W just a tad east of Flag. It is a deep canyon once inhabited by Anasazi. You follow a walking trail deep into the canyon and walk around a large hill lined with indian houses built from mud and stone. Absolutely fascinating.

Now, my advice on getting to the Grand Canyon is; go up Hwy. 89 to Cameron, and turn West into the park entrance. Do not take Hwy. 180 unless you enjoy really bad tourist traffic and long lines. On the way up Hwy. 89, there is a turnoff to the Wupatki National Monument. This is another Anasazi village, but above canyon level. You can walk right into original indian homes and ceremonial rings and I don't think you can enjoy history more than these two places. Were talking civilizations that lived there from 600 to 1200 years ago, and you are inside their homes!

Now continue up Hwy. 89 to Cameron and you'll see the little Colorado River canyon, and also find the best deals on beautifull Hopi and Zuni belt buckles and jewelry. Oh yeah, camping on the North rim is fantastic, but bring lots of water!!!! Less people, more campsites, and dry camping everywhere.

P. S. When in Flagstaff, have dinner at the Beaver Street Brewery. You'll thank me!

Ron

 

[JGK]

Joe Mc.



FWIW: What ever you decide to do, just make darn sure you do it at least a week before you go. None of this maintenance/modification stuff a night or two before you leave. Sure as he__ something will fail on the trip if you do (Murphy is out there waiting for you). In the week following your maintenance but before you go, drive the bejeebers out of it.



Then enjoy.

-Jay

 

[Joe Mc]

Thanks for all the sight seeing suggestions - greatly appreciated!



More importantly thanks for the input/tips on what to do pre-trip maintenance wise.

 

[jsimpson]

retorque the bolt that holds your belt tensioner on. I lost mine on the last trip. $250 part, no one stocks it.

 

[lizzyhermit]

road closure

89A between Flagstaff and Sedona will be closed this coming Wednesday to all but local residents due to the EXTREME FIRE DANGER.

The closure will last until it rains . Hard.

This is from todays Arizona Republic newspaper.

The wife an I drove to Flagstaff yesterday for a day trip and saw three fire crews along Interstate 17 working minor flames. It's really, really dry out here in the southwest.

 

[1tuffram]

I've always been under the impression radiator hoses usually decay from the inside out, meaning they may look fine on the outside, but can be comming apart on the inside. If you change your coolant it would be a great opportunity to inspect the inside of the hose and decide. Like mentioned earlier do all this stuff a week or so before. If you change the coolant it will take a few days of driving to get all the air worked out of the system. I remember the first time I change my coolant, every day after I would check the reservoir and it would be a little low. I thought I had a leak somewhere. Finally after 3 or 4 days and a small highway trip, all the air worked it's way out and my reservoir bottle always reads full.