[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>I was riding in the passenger seat as my son was driving my 1990 Chev
>Cheyenne on Tuesday morning. It has the GM 6.2 litre diesel engine.
>It was a cold day (-22 C), but the truck started easily (block heater
>had been used). We were about 4 km out when I heard a new top end
>racket as he accelerated out of a curve. The check gauges light came
>on, and the oil pressure was reading zero. I had him pull over and
>shut down, hoping we were quick enough to avoid damage.
>
>Yesterday, I got the preliminary report from the mechanic. The oil
>pump failed, so the engine was not being lubricated. It is not seized
>(the engine never got up to temperature on the trip), but there are a
>lot of ugly noises, even at idle. I trust this shop, and have for
>years. They figure a bottom-end rebuild is in order, but question the
>value of proceeding on an 18-year-old truck. The rebuild estimate is
>approximately what I paid for the truck a year and a half ago.
>
>
I would rebuild it and turbocharge it if I were you. As long as the
engine didn't overheat (it sounds like it didn't), you'll probably just
be dealing with cylinder bore and bearing issues. Put in some lower
compression pistons (like 18:1 or so) and a turbocharger when you do the
rebuild. Financially, you're better off doing that than in buying
something new, and if you get another used truck who can say whether or
not the same thing will happen down the road. The really expensive
stuff on a diesel involves the fuel pump. (Although I kinda like the
Roosa Master fuel pump, it's not an ideal pump for biodiesel.) I'm
confident you can do the rebuild for less money than you'd spend
replacing the truck outright, Darryl.
I'm still driving my 1993 Ranger . . . I don't think I'm going to
buy another truck until Toyota comes out with a hybrid . . .
robert luis rabello
"The Edge of Justice"
"The Long Journey"
New Adventure for Your Mind
http://www.newadventure.ca
Ranger Supercharger Project Page
http://www.members.shaw.ca/rabello/
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