buy the box truck, and shove the box off it. replace that with a 3"x12" plank deck and some side rails. voila - instant straight truck. ----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <biofuel@sustainablelists.org> Sent: Thursday, February 01, 2007 2:04 PM Subject: [Biofuel] She's Dead, Jim
>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. > > Ironically, this occurred while I was on my way to a funeral. (I made > it, but I was late. The tow truck driver dropped us off at the church > on the way to the garage. We're on a first name basis. My son thinks > that's funny.) > > I have been running B20 for the past year. I don't think that has > anything to do with the oil pump going. Just posting this as a > warning to others that this is something to watch out for in the GM > engines of this vintage. > > The truck doesn't get a lot of use, as a rule, but I figure it paid > for itself in the time I had it. It carried and pulled a lot in the > times it was used. > > I have started looking for a replacement, but there isn't much to > choose from in the low end of the market in terms of diesels. There > are some large cube vans available at the top end of my price range > (up to Cdn$4500), but they would present an issue in terms of parking. > I need something that can pull up to 3500 pounds (Class 2), and > carry "ugly" cargo (compost, scrap metal, used construction material). > Pretty doesn't matter - in fact ugly has proven advantageous in > terms or reducing requests to borrow the last vehicle. Robust and > reliable does matter, as others drive the vehicle more often than I > do. I'm thinking either pickup truck or full-size van. Any other > thoughts? It took me more than a year to find a diesel the last time, > and I don't have the luxury of that much time now. Suggestions? > > -- > Darryl McMahon > It's your planet. If you won't look after it, who will? > > > > _______________________________________________ > Biofuel mailing list > Biofuel@sustainablelists.org > http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org > > Biofuel at Journey to Forever: > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > > Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 > messages): > http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.5.431 / Virus Database: 268.17.16/660 - Release Date: 1/30/2007 > 5:04 PM > > -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.431 / Virus Database: 268.17.16/660 - Release Date: 1/30/2007 5:04 PM _______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/