GREAT HORNY TOADS! I DID IT!!

THANK YOU ALL!!

Checking and (probably) rebuilding the fuel pump is one of the next projects. Basically, as soon as I find the buggering thing, ha ha!

I love this truck! She runs beautifully, and that eight bag rear suspension system cannot be beat for a smooth ride.

Did have a problem with the ignition system (please note the past tense). New batteries, new starter, new starter solenoid, new relays. Nothing done by the dealer prior to purchase provided a permanent fix. I got it to start by wiggling the starter relay, which got it home. But once I was in my driveway, even that stopped working.

She started easily if I jumped the starter solenoid off the batteries, that was out. I replaced the starter relay, the ACC bus relay, and the LVD bus relay. Still no joy. Now I think I have it narrowed down, but I want a test and an informed opinion. So I took her up to her new mad mechanical geniuses and asked them to test the wires leading from the relay to the solenoid. Bingo! No power!

$18 in parts, a couple of hours in personal labor, and I have a sweet old school push button start! The wiring fault is either between the ignition and the relay, or the relay and the solenoid. That will have to be tracked down and repaired, obviously. But now the truck fires up strong and solid every time.

The longest part of the operation was making it look as close to factory as I could. Plus, built it theft deterrence, bonus!

Now I have to check the fuel pump and tinker with the APU. For some reason, the APU (HP2000 with the Perkins engine) isn't getting any electrical power. I'm thinking it's either a bad connection somewhere, or a blown fuse.

 

I (briefly) was assigned into a 2012 Western Star that went into the dealer for a rebuild at 280-some odd thousand miles due to the famed carbon packing issue in the cylinders.

This motor has over 500,000 on the clock, and doesn't appear to have been rebuilt. Haven't seen any trace of oil use yet, but haven't put more than 400 miles on it yet. The Western Star was eating a gallon a day running up to rebuild.

Crossing my fingers that I lucked into a good motor. After the entire dog and pony show I went through to buy this one, trust me when I tell you I do NOT want to go through THAT again! I'll just keep maintaining and rebuilding this one until the frame disappears into a cloud of rust, thank you!