Northeast PA TDR Chapter (unofficial)

[DTroy]

The Saga continues... .



Wednesday evening my new VP arrived. I pick it up at my brother's house and eventually head home. My car never made it. I couldn't make it up the long "driveway". ( It's a private road that has been plowed, but it's icy. )



So I was up late Wed. and up early on Thurs. digging the car out. After that nonsense I head to NY to do the pump.

The pump changeout went well. I needed longer bolts for the gear puller. My new buddy helped me out with that. ( The guy that saved my bacon when the truck first broke down )



BUT after the pump change the truck wouldn't run well at all. It was hard to start, smoked bad all the time. It was missing. Low on power. Idled erratically.



Thursday had come to an end and I still couldn't drive home. Finally found some grub and hit a hotel. As soon as my head hit the pillow I was out.



Friday I met up with the father of " therabbittree" . The man is a class act.

And he was more than willing to help in any way possible.



I left out a lot but here's the summary:

When I was on my way home from CT I had made a fuel stop. I picked up a load of bad fuel. It finished off my tired VP.

After the pump change, adding fuel conditioner, topping off with fresh new fuel, it's looking promising.



I never did bring the truck back. I have to make one more trip to NY to do a fuel line upgrade. I just can't risk any problems with the new VP. The stock lines and fittings are too small for the mods. And maybe the Carter pusher pump is getting tired.



Anyway, I should be back on the road next week.

 

[b.ferrara]

DTROY, where is your truck sitting, I hope somewhere you don't have to worry about it. If you need anything give me a shout.

 

[DTroy]

Thanks "B" !



The truck is safe. I moved it from Fishkill to "therabbittree" household.

Deo is letting me keep the truck in his yard. He and his father helped me out.

His father took me to Autozone etc... etc...



Paul was letting me keep it at his workplace in Fishkill but I didn't want his employer to give him any grief. They didn't say anything to him or me, but I don't like to push my luck.



I'm going to work on the fuel lines and bring it home. I'm keeping my fingers crossed but I think I finally have it all sorted out.



I'm going to make sure that I never buy fuel from that same place again.



B. F. I don't know how long I'll be in NY the day I work on the truck. But if I finish at a decent time I can give you a buzz.

 

[b.ferrara]

yeah ok, give me a shout, also don't forget to post where you bought that bad fuel, so we don't have the same problem.

 

[DTroy]

It was the exit just before the Stormville N. Y. reststop going West on I-84. That was the 11th. It wasn't snowing or raining.



Friday the 23rd I was driving the truck. It wasn't running good. Plenty of smoke and low on power. And it was a mild day. Well above freezing.



As soon as I added conditioner it made a difference. I topped the tank off with fresh fuel and that made it even better.



So my guess is water contamination. And since it was a dry day, their hose or tank was at fault. I wonder how many others were affected.

 

[b.ferrara]

I don't know of any rest stop on that side of the bridge. I mean there's fueling stations off every exit, but the T/A's and Pilot's are on this side of the bridge, one off exit 7, brand new Pilot and one off exit 5, T/A. Both due 1,000's of gals a day, unfortunately you have to use these kind of places, they do volume, no standing or sitting around for months. I carry the travel companion because I've been having alot of problems with my transmission, I think it's a good idea to carry something that desiginates where all the T/A's or Pilots are. Good luck, like I said if you need anything, give me a shout.

 

[WantaCummins]

If i don't currently have a CTD am i welcome?? I have a 97 Powerjoke thats nice to look at but it can't pull a wet paper bag . I guess after having a 97 Correctly Valved P Pumped Cummins nothing can compare ! I got rid of it before it became a High Finance 97 EH Mike :-laf :-laf ..... Currently i'm looking for a CLEAN 1st Gen Club Cab eventully i'll p pump it and swap a nv 5600 and all the other good stuff and hopefully not have to pucker up while going 70mph on the highway for every little bump praying the Death Wobble doesn't visit like on my 97 . Hopefully i can attend the meeting at the Petro which is really close to my house. . As for going to shows,pulls and dyno's i used to go to them all but each year less and less of my friends went they got other interests or like me got married . I will always attend Bloomsburg but the other shows now depend if i can get off work and not lose too much $$$. . Well anyway count me in on the club if you let a Powerjoke owner in but i know it is junk and wish it was a 12 valve Cummins... .

 

[Highfinance97]

Bob of course your welcome to join us with your FERD.



Michael

 

[WantaCummins]

Ok but you know i can't take it out in the bad weather since it's a Show truck and thats all it's good for is to look at !!! I'll have to show up in my Mighty Nissan Frontier or worse yet my Suby !!!!! See what happens when you get married I once had 3 Diesels at the same time... ... ... .

 

[DTroy]

Welcome aboard WantaCummins! All dieselheads are welcome.



You won't be the only Powerstroke owner there.



Another TDR member from NEPA? That makes what, 4 of us now ?



I hope it's as warm on the 7th as it has been this week !

 

[WantaCummins]

Thanks for the welcome Dtroy. There are lots of diesels in this area but most owners don't care about BOMBing or TDR they just drive them as every day transportation. However we as a group may bring a interest on. Hopefully i can be around next Sat soo we can all meet up.

 

[DTroy]

I've been MIA. TDR may show me as online but that's because I tend to leave a browser open when I'm away from the 'puter if I haven't finished reading something.



Anywho, I've been working on the truck. I picked it up Wednesday and slowly brought it home. It was still missing in the 1400-2000 rpm range. I added Power Service 911. Cleaned the IAT sensor. Cleaned the connectors for the IAT, MAP, TPS and added dielectric. A small improvement. My guess is the TPS (APPS)



So, I drilled some holes in it tonight and sprayed electrical component cleaner in it. Tomorrow I will set the minimal voltage for it. I'm doing a fuel line overhaul.

If the local auto parts store doesn't have everything in stock I will have to special order it.



I want everything done before the big diesel day.



January 7th is almost here ! Oo.

 

[Highfinance97]

Bad News!!

Well wed. morning i went to see my buddy in wyoming (PA. ) when i got there i looked under the truck (force of habit since i always break the transmission)and i see somthing all over underneath of the truck, TRANS. FLUID oh no so i look closer and there is a hole in the back cover of the trans. :{ :{ I have been driving without 5th gear for about a week i lost the clutch overdrive gear. so it must have broke into pieces or something.



So i dont think my truck will be there on the 7th but I will try to be there.



Michael

 

[DTroy]

Bad bad news Mike.



But... I have the tools that you'll need to fix it. ( Just in case you're missing something )



I told B. that I would stop in again, I just haven't been down that way yet. .

 

[WantaCummins]

And the Saga Continues I feel bad since I am the one who told Mike about this truck and it has broke many times since. I had minor troubles (Compared to him) with my 97 also but i got out of it before it went too far :{ . If i drove my Powerjoke as a Daily Driver i'm sure it would always be broke . Especially when large quantities of Molson XXX are added and i feel like ruining a set of 38's and broken Spiders and a hole in the cover are the results... ... But my Eric "welded" locker is still holding up. . Mike good luck fixing it this time and maybee that Auto is looking better in the future...

 

[6BT-Dakota]

Hey everyone I am new to this whole TDR think as it was recommended to me by the 2 people that posted above me HIGHFINANCE97 & WantaCummins. I really want to be involved in this and I most likely will be at the meeting, but my truck isnt quite finished yet so ill be Cummin in my Durango

 

[DTroy]

Ding Ding Ding . . We have another winner!



Welcome aboard 6BT-Dakota ! Come to the Meet any way you can.



Good job on the membership drive you two. I'll make sure that you both get a bonus door prize.



WantaCummins, my neighbor is a big fan of the "Lincoln Locker".

 

[b.ferrara]

I don't want to start a war here, but my wife's van(powerstroke) turned 80k

today, had it 6 years and never a problem. My 97' has been good except for the transmission. why do so many people say that the powerstroke is junk, I mean there is no comparison in performance, but for an everyday driver to school and the grocery store it's been great. AS far as 2nd gen trucks, give me back my 1st gen, you hear that midwest dually, I want it back.

 

[WantaCummins]

Don't get me wrong i love my Ford and the Powerstroke has no problems it just doesn't hold a candle to the Cummins of the same year (1997) Lets face it the Cummins was old school mec pump real injectors and traditionl inline 6 359ci diesel. The PSD had HPOP driven direct injection computerized v8 444ci . Stock the power was similar but a little tweaking on the pump, timing and Gov springs youre close to 400hp to the wheels and 900tq . My Psd has a chip and 5" exhaust and it has a whoping 270 hp and 600tq ... But the problems i had with my 97Dodge were expected with close to 200k but what made me get rid of it was incureable Death Wobble I had the SSi stabilizer and 03 track bar replaced all wear items in the front end and it came back 10,000 mi later. Trust me if you experienced it you cringe at every imperfection in the road doing 60 + on the highway. I could have lived with the headlight switch problems, grid heaters working when they feel like it and the magical dissapearing 5th gear but the Death Wobble scared me. I was going to buy a 04. 5 but researched the death wobble in 3rd gens and it too was a problem . I ended up getting a good deal on a 04 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab :{ :{ decent truck but not really me . I now want a 1st gen Club cab eventually P pump conv and nv5600. .

 

[WantaCummins]

Oh i forgot welcome 6bt Dakota and for those who don't know he has a little FORD on his DODGE also... ... ... P. S b. ferrara were you at the Diesel Drags at E town there was a Econoline PSD running really strong it was like the "School Students" bus from hell????