My Diesel

While I was in college I started my own remodeling company and was using my 01 1500 to tow my new trailer, an 18' 12k bumper pull. The transmission in it was giving me fits, shifting in and out of overdrive with the empty trailer so I started looking for a used diesel with a manual transmission. I found a few trucks that I liked but none were close to where I was. I talked to the bank and they told me that I could get a brand new truck for the same payment that I would be paying for any used truck, so I figured why not.

I got online and built the truck I wanted, did a dealer search for it and could not find it anywhere in the US. So I went to a local to dealer at college to see if they could find it or order it. They said that they could order it, or if I wanted to give up some options they could have one there the next week. I decided to go to a dealer at home and see what they could do. They also could not find it, but could order it for me and I would have it within eight weeks. So I ordered my 06.

When it came in I was like a kid in a candy store. The dealer called me on Wednesday to tell me that it was being unloaded as we were talking. I had work that I had to do until Friday afternoon then I when home to pick it up. I had not told anyone that I was getting a new rig yet, so when I pulled up to the house in it my family was shocked to say the least.

In the first year I owned the truck I put a camper shell on it to protect my tools from the weather, installed gauges above the rear view mirror, and did a muffler delete.

Fast forward one year to me finishing college and moving to Maryland. I had wanted to start making some bombs to my truck, just did not have the financing, or knowledge yet. I found a group of guys out here that were big into their trucks and started hanging out with them.

After a few weeks I bought my first programmer and chip, a Diablo Puck and Predator stack. Got it installed and could not believe the power that it gave my truck. I took it to a dyno event and put down 462/816 with everything else 100% stock. My clutch slipped for the first time on the dyno.

After a few months of driving the truck with the programmer I was on my way to a truck pull with a buddy and we got into a wreck. We came around a blind curve to find traffic stopped. I was following him; he could not get stopped and rear-ended a minivan. I had a split second to make a decision of left, straight, or right and I chose right. I went off the road, split a telephone pole in half, and took out a dozen or so little trees. I walked from this accident with minor scratches on my left arm and had to get three pieces of glass taken out of my arm. It took two months to fix my truck and cost the insurance company $25,000+.

Once I got it back I took the camper shell off, sold it and bought stacks for it. After that the slope just started falling. I drove the truck only on weekends since I bought a cheap daily driver while the truck was being fixed. The fuel pressure was not keeping up with just the Puck/Predator stack so I ordered an AD 100 and installed it in January of 08.

I was getting tired of the Puck/Predator stack so I started shopping for a Smarty. I found one used for a great price so I bought it. Time to change the programmer I thought but my clutch had other ideas.

While I was rarely driving the truck, I still started to notice the clutch slipping. It kept getting worse every time I drove it. I took a trip home in January of 08 and on the way back I had to turn the truck to stock because I could not make it up a hill without the clutch slipping. Time to start saving for a clutch, and fast if I want to keep driving the truck since it was now slipping with stock power. In late February I bit the bullet and bought a new clutch. A SBC DD 3600# 12CB sprung hub. With the help of a few friends I got it installed the same weekend it came in.

I drive the truck to work the day after the clutch install with stock power. The trip from the garage, to home, to work was a total of 15 miles. That's enough break in time on a new clutch, right? At lunch I loaded up the Smarty, to level 9 and went for a quick drive. Pulled out on the main road from the jobsite and blacked out the road, blew the tires off and slid it sideways. Wow this Smarty is the cats meow and the clutch is just laughing at me.

I started looking for a TST to stack with the Smarty. It didn't take long to find a used one in the classifieds for a good price so I bought it. The day it came in I printed the instructions and headed up to the garage to install it. Dang are there a bunch of connections on a TST, and some are a pain to get to. I was not sure of all of the settings yet, but figured the clutch could hold it so I turned it up and went for a drive. I pulled out onto the highway headed home and punched it. Wow did it get hot fast, so I backed out of it to try to figure it out. On the way home I took a detour to get a chance to get up to cruising speed on the beltway and try this TST out, maybe figure it out also. I played with the settings for over an hour while driving; turning stuff up, down, on, off until I punched it once and the boost pegged my 60# gauge. I though crap what did I do. I said screw it and went home. I finally figured out that the TST is very powerful, I needed to turn it down and then there were no issues.

The AD 100 was barely keeping up with the Smarty TST stack so I started looking for a 150. A friend of mine had his lift pump on his 99 go bad so he was also looking, but he only wanted a 100. He found a good deal on a 150, and asked me if I wanted to switch him, my 100 for his 150. Heck yes, let's do it, so I got a brand new 150 and helped him install my 100 on his truck.

Fast forward about six months. I sent in an oil sample to see how the motor was doing. I got a call for Blackstone suggesting that I change the oil ASAP. When I asked why they said there was antifreeze in the oil, enough to warrant a phone call. Crap, where is it coming from. Hum, I did peg the boost gauge a few months ago, I wonder if I lifted the head when I did that. I stopped driving the truck while I saved for head studs and a head gasket.

I ordered the head gasket from the dealer, and the parts guy asked me how many miles I had on the truck. I had 35,8XX on her at the time. He got this perplexed look on his face and asked why I was not bringing it in for a warranty repair. I just smiled and said I would rather do it myself because I wanted to see it and learn how to do it myself. He just laughed at me.

While I had the head off for the head gasket repair I figured I would upgrade a few parts. So here comes heavier valve springs, head studs, and why not, a bigger charger. Once everything was here I started the repair one weekend before two sled pulls that I was supposed to tow a buddy to. Everything came off great, but I was concerned with the trueness of the head so I took it to a machine shop to get checked. Luckily they found no problems, so I was back to the repair. I finished up the repair late Wednesday night, took it to work Thursday and on the way there I hear this loud pop.

Crap I though, I blew the HG again. I checked all the gauges and everything looked in check, so I proceeded to work. When I got there I popped the hood. I could not see anything wrong at first. Then I noticed oil on the back of the block around #6. I got to looking and there was oil all over the bottom side of the truck, even wrapped around to the tailgate. I was pissed to say the least. I called the dealer and ordered another HG, they same parts guy took the call and said, you want it to be warranty this time? Nope, I need to figure out why it blew again.

I got it home and started to tear into it again. While I was taking off the spacer plate I noticed that the back was not fully seated. What could be causing this? I took it off and noticed some indentations on a lip, so I checked out what they could be from. Dang, the head studs are taller than the stock bolts and this lip is hitting the top of the stud, causing it to not fully seat. I clearanced the lip to allow a full seat and put the truck back together. By this time I was getting pretty good at assembling the top end. But that does not explain the pop I heard. I did a quick test on the intercooler and found out that I had blown a boot loose, not broke luckily, just loose. Tightened it and took it for a drive.

Finally everything was working properly again. On the trip to the pulls I discovered the new found air changed the exhaust tone, and not a good way. I got a major headache, so I decided that the stacks were going to be taken off and back to stock exhaust with the muffler delete.

That's basically how the truck sits now, stock appearing with a few goodies under the hood. I have a few more goodies sitting on the table, but I need to upgrade another part before I install them, otherwise I do not think it will be able to keep up. Not to mention the traction bars that I am going to me making at the end of the year when all the parts get here and I get some free time.