2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission lots of round town driving. truck problems???

[cuevas623]

Alright so I do a lot of around town driving and only really have this truck with 310,000 on it to get me from here to there... I hate turning it on and off and not really being able to get it up to operating temp. is there somethings I should be looking for and doing like maintenance wise so that I can keep my 310,000 mile truck going for another 310,000? I am doing a lift pump and possibly a fass system first becuase I am not sure the lift pump is original or not! so that is my first thing. then I am doing a gauge set and an intake I think these are my first few things. I want to build it up eventually but hate to kill the tuck before that lol

 

[Missouri Mule]

Take it for a long (20 to 100 miles) drive once a week (on the highway). Keep up on oil/filters/lube changes.

 

[cuevas623]

is this all or should I leave it running when I go into places for short visits or run for ice cream for the wife. is there any difference in the type of oil I should use??

 

[FourBarR]

idling is bad for diesel engines, it will only make your hort drives worse.

 

[Forrest Nearing]

idling at 100 degrees ambient isn't going to hurt a thing... cheapest/easiest way to fix the problem if you're only talking about being inside for 5-10 min is just get a cooldown timer and turn it down to a rediculous temp so that the truck keeps running.



if you're worried about short trips hurting the truck, DON'T... just be sure and give the old girl a few trips to WOT every time you drive her, and she'll keep treating you right

 

[wilsonsh]

Might wanna change your oil more often...

If you do alot of this type of driving, you'll want to change your oil more often as well.



When the engine is cold, a small amount of combustion gases pass out of the combustion chamber by the rings to the engine oil chamber. As you warm up the engine, these gases are expelled and little harm is done. If these gases are not expelled, they make the engine oil acidic and it starts to dry out rubber seals and create sludge as the oil precipitates(chemically breaks-down). Best way to tell when to change is oil sampling and check the level of fuel in the oil. This is another reason the manual says to change the oil more often for short commutes and extend intervals for continuous driving.



I'm thinking a good thing to help, like forrest says, would be to get it up to operating temp at least one time each day you run errands... that otta help quite a bit.