newbie with a stock 98.5... guidance?

[vetteblues10]

well it was finally time for me to trade in my old s10 for bigger and better things. two weeks ago my grandfather decided to get a new 2006 Duramax leaving his 98. 5 in need of a good home. being the grandson i am, i volunteered. he has taken great care of this truck and gave me a very good deal on it. now i am still in college and plan to use this truck for my daily/cruise machine. i am not planning to haul too much, just my toys. this is my first diesel. i drove it home from ohio last weekend and was loving every minute of it. now, i am limited on funds being that i am a student, but i was looking for a couple of mods to get me started. i do not want to hurt the drivability or put a ton of extra stress on that transmission. reading up on the forums these are kinda the steps i am thinking: 1. ) silencer ring (this weekend) 2. ) tint 3. ) exhaust (either just a muffler delete or 4" MBRP single) 4. ) fix two rust spots over rear wheel wells 5. ) gauges (FP, trans. temp. , and boost - do myself or get em done at the SCHEID DIESEL extravaganza this year?) 6. ) chip (sounds like you guys recommend the smarty - to much for a stocker?) from what i have read, i will probably just stick with the stock air system. sorry if i got to wordy on you guys. Oo. do i have everything straight? thanks for any info.

 

[DSiemens]

Get a Fuel Pressure gage on ASAP. It's the most important step in preventing a injection pump failure.

 

[DieselRam30]

It sounds like you got things pretty well figured out. Gauges are definitely important. Watch that fuel pressure on a 98. 5. If you're going to go with electronic enhancement, I would go with a full-blown intake and exhaust upgrade, not just a muffler delete. Not only will you increase the horsepower, but your EGTs will be more manageable with whatever box you decide to get. That said, this is probably not absolutely necessary, but I would recommend it.

 

[EKlem]

I agree with the comment about the fuel pressure gauge. They really are not hard to install. You won't need boost and pyro if you don't plan on upping the power(which will require you to beef up your transmission anyways).



I am not 100% sure on this but I believe that the kdp(killer dowel pin) can still be an issue on 98. 5 trucks. If your grandfather did not look into it, go ahead and get the kit from TST and do it. This project will take you about 4 hours and save you from a 30 hour job if the kdp ever falls out.



Probably the biggest thing is to find someone to work on your truck with you and a space to do it. Most colleges have a few diesels running around and most people with them tend to be willing to swap work with you. I am at Dartmouth and my roomate has an 02 so the two of us just help each other out and it helps us to keep our sanity.



Good luck with the new truck.

 

[MCummings]

KDP is definatly a problem.



Mine just got hit by it, but it is just a bothersome oil leak for now.



Congrats on the '98. 5. Seems there aren't too many around.



Merrick

 

[vetteblues10]

thanks for the replies guys. i really appreciate it. i am a long admirer of diesels, but this is a pretty big jump for me. being still in college, as i am sure EKlem knows, funds are limited. i have had the truck for about a month now and it has been great (except for the 100 bucks i put in the ac unit). the house i am moving into this year at purdue has a garage and i should be able to slide her in there. i knew getting into this year truck that i was going to have some injection pump worries and transmission limitations. this truck has been babied and will continue to be until i am making the big money. then i will begin to really have fun. fuel pressure gauge is going to be done this summer. i read the forums. i really like the looks and comments of the di-pricol optix from geno's. i think it would look real nice in a steering column mount. from the way you guys describe it, the install should be in my league. i will start doing some research on the "kdp" you mentioned (i have no idea what that is). if there are any other preventative measures i should take, please advise so. for now i would just like to stay on top of everything and keep things running as smoothly as possible. but i sure do want to throw a nice mbrp system on it. thanks again.

 

[vetteblues10]

is the dowel pin a problem with the 24 valve? the tst website does not seem to mention the 24 valve.

 

[EKlem]

To my knowledge, the dowel pin is a problem in the earlier 24 valve motors. In 98, cummins came up with a revised timing gear case but they used up their stock of old ones before they switched over. The kdp is a worry up until 2000 model year trucks. It really isn't that hard to open it up. Plus, you will learn some about your truck by pulling it apart. TST has very good instructions and it really doesn't take that long to do.

 

[GiesJ]

As others have said, the KDP is a problem on several editions of the 24v. I thought I have read including at least 1 2001.

It helped me to start a list of what I wanted and needed on the truck and the priorties. The truck will last a long time and you will have plenty of time to get 4 digit torque numbers...

good luck and welcome to the TDR.

 

[vetteblues10]

ok i am gonna give myself a "TST Dowel Pin Fix Kit" and a fuel pressure gauge for my birthday. congrads to me. i would rather be safe than sorry. i will order them up tommarow and keep you guys updated about how the installs go. thanks.