Diesel help?

[msdz]

The battery cables are copper. I have drained all oil and checked it for any metal shaving as well....NONE. While running though I used a garden hose and held it toward the bottom of the pan and it sounds like a knock in the rear part of the engine.?. Not sure if this is normal?
Talked t another buddy of mine and he also said that the mud could have caused a poor ground, his suggestion, wash the complete engine compartment with a pessure washer. He also thinks the ground cable that is getting hot is not the issue, it proves to him that it is the only one making a good ground and when cranking it should have 24 volts going through it of the other ground wire is not making a good contact. This I have not checked cause I did not think it was the issue, I will probably look at it better today and possibly move it to a better location. Buddy said where it is located could be the problem, it is mounted on the intake which he said could be aluminum, not a good conductor.
My buddy actually wants to trade me a 94 Cadillac Deville Concours or a 95 Probe and also pay me $500. Thinking hard about trading for the probe, lol. So to me that proves it must be something simple if he is wanting it. Claims he can get $1,500 just out of the heavy duty 3/4 ton axles. Says he is wanting to part it out.
I will continue to search for the problem though. It does act like the batteries or the starter to me. Which could be in the cables as well. I have never seen a bearing tighten up like that and not make a sound on a gasser, would think that the diesel would not be much different. I will probably use a multi meter and check for resistance in the cables to make sure they are good and also check the voltage at that starter when trying to start it. Was told the engine being warm could cause it to start hard if starting on 12 volts but easy to turn over when cold. So I guess that is where I may start first.

EDIT:
Just to let you know it is a "J" engine code.

[mbumgua]

You have two batteries in this truck. but it is still a 12 volt system unless it is a military truck. What are the first 8 VIN digits? Do both ground straps go to the negative terminals? The pressure wash might do the trick as something ocurred during the mud bath to cause the problem. Also on my 90 chev 6.2 3/4 ton 4x4 I obtained two of the large braided ground straps and put one from each battery to the radiator support. Don't know if it does any good but makes me feel better!

[msdz]

Yeah, I did some reading around and talking to my buddy some more and he said and what I read said that it was only a 12 volt system. Main battery with an auxiliary booster battery. Buddy told me it would have to be wired up differently than what it is to be a 24 volt system and explained to me how that was done but why not to do that. I would fry all my 12 volt accessories.
I have been a little aggravated with the truck lately so thought I would not do nothing for a while. If I go out and fool with it while being aggravated I would just end up breaking something.
The more I think about the truck though it seems like it almost has to lie in the cables or batteries, maybe even the starter but the batteries and starter are testing good.

[msdz]

I found out what the problem was. Something comletely simple as it usually is. It was the ground cable from the auxillary battery not making a good ground to the block. It was connected to the intake and I decided to disconnect the main battery and see if I could get any dash lights and seat belt buzzer to work with the main battery disconnected, I didn't so that is when I started fooling with the cables. I completely removed the ground cable and then touch it to the A/C bracket, I got dash lights and the seat belt wwarning buzzer so decided to connect it to that. So far it has been starting with no problems when it has been warm.

Now the next 2 problems I need to tackle. I need to buy a rebuild kit for my steering gear box. Whihc I wanted to ask if any have done this and if so are any special tools required? I have a major leak coming from the seal the shaft goes in, I know I can buy just a seal kit but decided I will buy a complete rebuild kit. Most of the time I have seen the bearings go out and cause a little bit of slap arpound to cause the seals to wear out. The kit is supposed to come with new bearings and seals, that should tighten the shaft back up and keep the new seals from getting wore out so quickly.

Then the brake caliper on the driver side is sticking. Figured the first thing I would so with it is remove it and then press on the brake pedal to push the piston out, after I got it out then take a peice of steel wool or emery cloth and clean the piston up. I will also check the o-ring in the caliper and the inside of the caliper to make sure no rust or debris is in there. Maybe buy a rebuild kit for the caliper if needed.

Anyway, I want to thank all for the ideas that helped me to get the truck starting properly.

[bobss396]

See? I knew it was something relatively minor. Glad you solved the mystery once and for all.

I can't help much with the steering box, I'm sure you can find a good "how to" in a shop manual.

You might just want to get a rebuilt caliper to save yourself some work. I always take them off and blow them out with compressed air to get the pistons out. Really stubborn ones I've tossed back on the car and used the method you suggest. The GM pistons don't rust like other makes, they do get a ring of crud around them though.

While you're at it, I'd do both calipers and front flex hoses. GM products are known for collapsed brake hoses that can lead you to think you have a bad caliper.

Bob

[msdz]

Well, I did some other work on the truck the last 2 days(new steering gear box and brake caliper) and got all in good shape. I went out to test drive the truck to make sure I got the steering all lined up and brakes working fine and the truck started running rough. I headed back to the house and just as I got in front of the driveway it died. Just like I turned the key off, no sputtering or nothing, just died instantly. I tried starting it again and nothing. It rolled over really good and I had checked that it was getting fuel up to and past the fuel filter. It is getting fuel past the filter but it acts like it is not getting any fuel at all. I plan on disconnecting my glow plugs later and getting a can of ether or WD40 and just checking to see if it will "hit".
Ao, any ideas of what it may be? I was thinking wires, fuses?, injection pump(hope not), or maybe something like the shutoff solenoid. I had even thought the gauge for some reason took a dump on me, I got a few gallons of diesel and put in the tank to see if that was it. Of course it wasn't, that was when I decided to check to see if the electric fuel pump I have hooked up was working and fuel was going up to and past the fuel filter.

Anyway, any ideas to help me out would be nice.

[msdz]

I came across a cheap 6.5L engine I am thinking of swapping into the truck. It is turbo charged as well. I have been doing some research on this and found out I would definitely need the PCM from the other truck the 6.5L came out of due to the injector pump OR I could just use my 6.2L injector pump cause it is not electronically controlled.
I could also go with the option of just using the turbo and the exhaust manifolds off the 6.5L and put them on my 6.2L. I am not completely sure if what I want to do to the truck yet. I am slowly wanting power it up a little, nothing much and I figured keeping my engine and adding turbo would be the better choice, any thoughts? I also want to get rid of the TH400 automatic and get the 4 speed SM465 transmission or possibly even say heck with it and find a NV3500(light duty)or NV4500(heavy duty) 5 speed transmissions. My biggest problem would be finding the right transfer case to use. Maybe somebody would know that as well. Would it be possible for my NP208 to work on ither of these transmissions?

[msdz]

Been a while since I had been on here with my problems with this truck so I thought I would update. I had went out and bought 2 brand new batteries and all new "0" gauge battery cables to cure my problems of hard starting due to weak batteries and/or to small of cables. That seemed to help for a while but then the problem came back. I ran all new fuel lines cause I found out my buddy that had placed the electric fuel pump on the truck befor ei owned it used rubber lines and they were extremely close to the exhaust, actually they were laying on the exhaust and caused the problem of it shuttiong down on me and not wanting to start till the next day after it cooled down completely.
I also had some difficulty starting it when it was warm due to the fact I think the injection pump was leaking off a little in to the cylinders. I did not get a different injection pump instead I wired up a push button to operate my glow plugs manually, doing this from some other peoples advice helped to start the truck a lot quicker. I was told that when the injection pump leaked off in to the cylinders it is hydro locking it, adding a manual push button for my glow plugs would cause the diesel to vaporize making it easier to start. It worked of course!!

Anyway, I did a lot of work to the old truck and got it running and starting really good, I even solved my problem with the truck hard shifting at a high RPM with a new governor and then made a lot of tweaking adjustments on the modulator valve. I still did not trust for my wife to drive it just yet so I took it off the road completely and was using it on a friends farm till I was absolutely sure I wouldtrust the truck for her to drive if she wanted to.
While it was sitting at my buddies farm one of his buddies asked me if I would trade, I did. I got an 97 Escort and a 92 Isuzu 4WD pickup out of it. Both in good shape except the Isuzu needed a clutch. I know I kinda got a crappy end of the deal there but I was thankful a couple days later when I bumped into the young boy at the store and he told me the engine blew up in the truck. I asked him what he did and he said "nothing". I thought to myself maybe the noise I heard was a rod knocking then or the boy being yong he was a biut rough on the diesel engine thinking he could play around with it like a gasoline engine. So, for now I am over in the Escort & Grand Cherokee part of the forums. I sold the Isuzu pickup after I put a clutch in it for almost the cost of whatI had in the diesel pickup truck, so I almost made my money back but I now have an Escort as well.
I thought I would give this update to all who helped me out.

[MagicRat]

Thank you for the update!