Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
I have had my 2000 2wd CTD since last Feb. I have just over 50K on the clock. I have a couple of questions that I would like to ask the membership.
1) I had to leave the truck for nearly 6 weeks, during which time it was not run. When I returned to the truck it started instantly and I let it idle for a minute or so to stabilize everything. I put transmission in drive and nothing happened. I moved to reverse and still nothing, other than a faint bump. I moved selection lever back and fore and after three or four cycles the transmission began to work. Is this normal? I have had a number of vehicles with auto transmissions and never had this symptom when the fluid levels were at normal levels, as is the case here. I have noticed in the warm weather that the trans temp can get up to 240 deg if I am stuck in traffic on a hill. This is with an empty bed. The P. O. may have towed a trailer as there is a B-D exhaust-brake installed and a Torq-loc in addition to a heavy duty hitch and wiring. I have not talked to PO.
2) I installed a fuel pressure guage, a Westach 0-30 psi, and at idle I get 13-14psi and under full acceleration it drops to 5 or 6 and then rises back up to about 10-12. Is there any need for concern with these numbers? I put in a new Stratopore fuel filter at the same time.
3) I changed the oil and filter the other day and had aterrible job getting the filter off. Also I had to get a breaker-bar to undo the pan plug. PO always had truck serviced at the dealers. What is the deal with putting on the filter so tight? I have never had to put on a filter more than hand-tight, and have always been able get it off by hand. Same goes for the oil plug... . just moderately tight with a 9 or 10 inch ratchet. Anyway, while I was struggling with the filter I had to remove the large air-hose from the air cleaner to the turbo inlet. I noticed that the bellows FROM the turbo to the air-charge cooler was not on correctly and there was a large pucker where the clamp had not caught it and I assume that large quantities of pressurised air was leaking and never making it to the inlet manifold. It seemed that the performance was markedly improved, but you know how it after you change the oil... . the vehicle seems to run better and be smoother!! I always felt that it ran out of steam earlier than it should have, and I just thought it was hitting the governor. Could the above situation have anything to do with the pyrometer reading pretty high for no particularly good reason?? All I ever had on the truck is an 8' camper running at sea-level and with a moderate rise in elevation, the pyrometer climbed up to nearly 1200 deg and I couldn't stay in O/D.
My apologies for this getting more involved than I expected. I have never owned a vehicle that I liked so much from the very start, nor one that has raised so many questions. I purchased an extended warrantee when I bought the truck, and if the transmission is iffy then I want to have it dealt with before it strands me in the middle of nowhere.
Thanks for your input.
Ian
1) I had to leave the truck for nearly 6 weeks, during which time it was not run. When I returned to the truck it started instantly and I let it idle for a minute or so to stabilize everything. I put transmission in drive and nothing happened. I moved to reverse and still nothing, other than a faint bump. I moved selection lever back and fore and after three or four cycles the transmission began to work. Is this normal? I have had a number of vehicles with auto transmissions and never had this symptom when the fluid levels were at normal levels, as is the case here. I have noticed in the warm weather that the trans temp can get up to 240 deg if I am stuck in traffic on a hill. This is with an empty bed. The P. O. may have towed a trailer as there is a B-D exhaust-brake installed and a Torq-loc in addition to a heavy duty hitch and wiring. I have not talked to PO.
2) I installed a fuel pressure guage, a Westach 0-30 psi, and at idle I get 13-14psi and under full acceleration it drops to 5 or 6 and then rises back up to about 10-12. Is there any need for concern with these numbers? I put in a new Stratopore fuel filter at the same time.
3) I changed the oil and filter the other day and had aterrible job getting the filter off. Also I had to get a breaker-bar to undo the pan plug. PO always had truck serviced at the dealers. What is the deal with putting on the filter so tight? I have never had to put on a filter more than hand-tight, and have always been able get it off by hand. Same goes for the oil plug... . just moderately tight with a 9 or 10 inch ratchet. Anyway, while I was struggling with the filter I had to remove the large air-hose from the air cleaner to the turbo inlet. I noticed that the bellows FROM the turbo to the air-charge cooler was not on correctly and there was a large pucker where the clamp had not caught it and I assume that large quantities of pressurised air was leaking and never making it to the inlet manifold. It seemed that the performance was markedly improved, but you know how it after you change the oil... . the vehicle seems to run better and be smoother!! I always felt that it ran out of steam earlier than it should have, and I just thought it was hitting the governor. Could the above situation have anything to do with the pyrometer reading pretty high for no particularly good reason?? All I ever had on the truck is an 8' camper running at sea-level and with a moderate rise in elevation, the pyrometer climbed up to nearly 1200 deg and I couldn't stay in O/D.
My apologies for this getting more involved than I expected. I have never owned a vehicle that I liked so much from the very start, nor one that has raised so many questions. I purchased an extended warrantee when I bought the truck, and if the transmission is iffy then I want to have it dealt with before it strands me in the middle of nowhere.
Thanks for your input.
Ian
