Before I start just wanted to say hi everyone the name is Adam. I just joined the site and I've owned my first diesel for about 5 months now and I got to say I'll never go back to gas. I understand the basics of a diesel but I'm no Diesel mechanic... that's why I'm posting on the site and consulting the big dogs so be gentle haha.

So with that said this is the what happened (its lengthy but bare with me the more info the better, right?) About two months ago my vacuum pump started to make a wapuling sound so I know it was going to crap out on me soon so I did some research on what my options where. I decided that when it did go I was going to just switch it over to a homemade mechanical wastgate.

Last week you, guessed it, the vacuum pump froze up and blew the belt all to heck leaving me on the side of the freeway. I had a worker pick me up and run me to napa, got a 1 inch smaller belt, went back and took the vacuum pump off on the side of the road and threw that piece of crap in the ditch (just kidding, but I wanted to) I left the wastgate open just to get it home. NOTE it was blowing black smoke all the way home. The more I got on the throttle, the more smoke. I didn't pay any attention to it because I just thought it was the wastgate not working correctly.

Yesterday, I made the typical homemade wastgate that everyone has made. I cut the top off the vacuum can, welded a threaded bar to the damper arm, got a #49 spring from ACE and a wing nut. I cranked/screwed it down 9 times. NOTE But this is the problem, went to do my lawn accounts today and the truck is still blowing a lot of black smoke. The more throttle the more smoke! Eventually when I get going about 50 to 60 and let off, it stops but at stop lights starting off medium/big ploom of black then a trail of light to medium black. Prior to this vacuum pump event I was lucky to get a ploom of black if I was towing or really got on it at a stop light.

I will admit it is cool but something is not right. As a business owner, all I see is unused fuel and money signs $$$ blowing out my tailpipe. What am I missing, what did I do wrong? Is the spring too loose? Too tight? Did the belt when it snapped screw something up like hit a wire harness? I don't know, and need some suggestions and some ideas from you guys. I just want to get it back to 100% before plowing starts. Thanks guys.

Another weird thing is before my vac went out I had an awesome turbo sound and now its as quiet as a mouse. I'm thinking it could have been the sound of the bearings going out in the vacuum pump? The turbo still spins like a champ so I don't know?

The truck is a 1996 chevy 2500 4x4 6.5 turbo diesel "f vin" awesome truck runs like a champ 207k miles best buy of the year for my lawn business. Prevues owner did a lot of work to it with all recipes and maintenance logs

 

i found that #49 spring was to weak have gone with #62 or 68 can't remebmer witch it was and it work great

but also check cross over pipe for leaks and exhaust check air filter , fuel filter

 

Thanks crazy for the info ill try swapping out the spring this weekend. Can you do me a favor and measure your spring the way it sits compressed so I know how far to crank my spring down. Also are you running a boost psi gauge if so what is your boost peaking at, thanks.

 

Not to ask a dumb question but you say you welded the threaded rod to the damper ARM, are you talking the ARM coming off the turbo?

 

Yes

 

It needs to be able to hinge or move the arm, by welding it its holding it in only one position probably keeping it open, if possible cut the weld off and remove the threaded rod, most people use a battery hold down rod (threaded with a j hook at the end) but you need a tap to run the threads down more, i found a threaded hook at ace that i used and just insert the hook into the hole at the end of the waste gate actuator so it can move freely

 

Ya I saw that on another website, I was just trying to get it back on the road ill probably fix it to this set up. But can you tell me about the spring you used, like how far I should crank it down. I don't really want to drop the cash on a boost gauge right now. Thanks for the reply

 

I have a boost guage, i tried the spring on the diy post but found it had too much tension and wouldn't adjust down i do not recall which spring i ended up using, and i have my boost set to 13psi (it keeps throwing turbo performance codes and derating me, i need to turn it down). my best advice would be to get a spring maybe one or two steps softer than the one on the post, tighten it down slightly and test drive, keep adjusting it down until you only have a slight amount of smoke at full acceleration (best way i can come up with to adjust without a guage, but there are a LOT of smart people on here someone else might have a better / easier way to adjust)
Glad to help when i can