She lives again!

[k20]

Well, installed my rebuilt IP today (it was jammed up according to the injection shop), anyway, fired it up and at idle it is about 40psi of oil pressure. What are yall looking like at cold idle, just wanting to get an idea of how tired my engine is. Next, I have some smoke at idle. I know one of my injector lines is dripping and that bank seems to smoke just a tick more than the other, might be getting a little air. At idle the smoke seems to be a light gray/light blue (truck is in the shade, damn time change). If you barely rev it up, the smoke takes on a slightly whiter shade, but if you stab it really quick it almost looks brown. My pump appears to be slightly advanced (didnt notice it til I had it running, must have moved slightly when I was tightening it up), it looks advanced by about a line width.

Should I advance or retard it to try to clear up the smoke at idle, or would that be considered normal? As it sits, it will haze up the yard when it runs for more than about 10 mins.

 

[Russell]

Sounds like how my IP behaves if the lift pump isn't supplying enough pressure...

 

[tRustyK5]

My '83 hovers at ~70 psi cold. Idling when warmed up is about 50 psi. It has about 140,000 on it.

Generally advancing the pump timing should clear the smoke, but it sounds like you already have it a bit advanced. My '83 did the whole light grey smoke thing (passenger pipe) for a while after I got it from Can Can. Turned out to be head gaskets.

I messed with pump timing, swapped injectors from one bank to the other (trying to get same smoke from drivers pipe) and finally I had it hydro-lock on me one day. It wasn't running when it did it...I tried to re-start it after it had sit for about an hour or so. After letting it sit longer I managed to get it to start and that was the last time it ran until I did the head gaskets.

Rene

 

[k20]

to make sure I have the advance retard thing correct, it is advanced if the line on the pump is further to the drivers side than the mark on the front cover, correct?

 

[k20]

nevermind

 

[kennyw]

The best thing you could do for that rebuilt pump is pay to have the timing set at the diesel shop. Last time I did it was around $50. It makes a world of difference over trying to time it by ear/tailpipe.

 

[k20]

yeh...about that....I have no driveshafts, no steering, etc etc etc. This is the first step in a whole longgggggg longgggggggggggg longggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg list. But yeh, after I get all those things done to where I can drive it there, any idea how much that would run me?

 

[kennyw]

If it isn't on the road yet, then I wouldn't worry about exact timing either. But when you get to that point it is worthwhile. Why not call the shop that rebuilt the pump and ask them to quote setting the timing?

 

[tRustyK5]

Ballpark I use is this. If it sounds really clattery like a 12 valve, it's too advanced. Quiet like a small block, too retarded. Try lining it up with the scribe mark and see how it is...

Rene

 

[k20]

Well by that ballpark I would say its a little advanced, its clattery as a mofo in the cab.

 

[diesel4me]

The smoke could be from the old diesel fuel maybe?...or have you flushed the fuel out?..

My oil pressure varies between my two 6.2's..on my '82 GMC K2500,it starts off at about 45 psi,then drops as it warms up to 30-40 lbs,and the gauge needle vibrates rapidly..might need a sending unit?...my '85 Burb's 6.2 starts out at 60 PSI cold and drops no lower than 40-45 psi at idle hot..(and both could stand to have the oil changed,its been in them a long time)...my Burb's engine is MUCH quieter than the one in my pickup is,it seems more "lazy" too,so I'm betting the timing on it is slightly retarted ,it sounds more rattlly after a cold start until the cold start advance kicks off,then its a lot quieter..my pickup's engine is clattery all the time and I dont think the cold advance works because I get no fast idle after a cold start like I do in the Burb..someone probably advanced the timing on it before I got it..I dont feel confident messing with the timing myself,I'd probably screw it up worse so I'm not touching it..the pickup starts a LOT better cold than my Burb does,but the Burb may still have glow plug woes,or possibly low compression--it smokes blue on the drivers side when you goose it...

 

[k20]

It has some 'older' diesel in it, but I freshened it up with some new. Could be crap in the lines though. Also has a good bit of additives at the recommendation of the injection shop. They said the inside of my IP had a brown 'film' that they had to blast off so they gave me a big bottle of stanadyne, said dump it all in even though it treats a ton more fuel, to try to clean out the injectors. I had already added an overtreatment of the 2stroke/powerservice cocktail I run in my dmax. So could be from all the additives in the tank as well.

2 more questions for you guys

1. Whats the part number for the glowplug relay? Mine is clicking but not switching power and sending voltage to the GP's. I may have something wired wrong from when I converted to 12v, but I dont think so. Currently it has the round silver 'can' looking relay.

2. Can I adjust the idle speed solenoid to make it bump the idle higher? Reason I ask is since I have converted to sm465, I think it might be cool to use that solenoid as my hand throttle vs running another cable/etc.

 

[kennyw]

You do realize the 6.2L is governed right? You can let it idle over obstacles and the governor will keep the RPM's constant.

 

[k20]

well.....tbi is also supposedly governed and friend of mine had some issues til he hand throttled it.

 

[Russell]

Definitely easy to stall a 6.2L out -- Done it many times when trying to crawl over stuff with 4.10s, 37" boggers and an NV3500 in 1st gear

 

[kennyw]

Definitely easy to stall a 6.2L out -- Done it many times when trying to crawl over stuff with 4.10s, 37" boggers and an NV3500 in 1st gear

That sounds like a gearing issue. With 4.10's, 33's and an SM465 you can just put it in low and let it idle over just about anything. But don't plan on going over 60 MPH very often.

TBI's are electronically governed at best and have a slow reaction time. The mechanical governor in the 6.2L works very well if the truck is reasonably geared.

 

[k20]

well Im probably going to be a little undergeared, 4.56s and probably in the 38-40 range. Anyway, would also be nice to kick the idle up to run the york a little faster.

So yeh, any way to adjust that solenoid and does anyone have the p/n for the GP relay? Every one I see is different than the one I have. Like I said the round can style. Looked on steel soldiers and wasnt successful.

 

[kennyw]

You need the '83/84 version g/p relay. A Ford starter solenoid will work as well.

The high idle solenoid has a small screw slot on the back of the center rod to allow you to adjust it.

 

[tRustyK5]

Definitely easy to stall a 6.2L out -- Done it many times when trying to crawl over stuff with 4.10s, 37" boggers and an NV3500 in 1st gear

Due entirely to the craptastic first gear in the NV3500. With 4.56's, 40's, SM 465 and NP 205 my old K5 would climb vertical rock ledges at idle. I never did manage to stall it at Blazer Bash...at least not in first gear and low range. i wheeled the first half of prichett canyon with my feet flat on the floor.

Rene

 

[k20]

Ok, retarded the pump timing today, lost alot of clatter and smoke seems less. Still what I would call excessive smoke, but much better. Also replaced the glow plug relay so I dont have to jumper the glowplugs.

Now onto bigger fish, I cant get the damn alternator to charge.

Ok, converted my truck to 12v via the roscommon article. Now the passenger side alternator is hooked up, but its not charging the battery. Now when I bought the truck it had no belts so there is a possibility the alternators were dead, but who knows.

Anyway, does anyone know of a 'common' problem or missed step in the conversion that may be causing the alternator not to charge? If it is the alternator gone bad, I would probably swap in a different style (not the isolated ground style that is in there now) does anyone know what style, (10si/12si/etc) is the same case size as the cucv alternator?

Doesnt have to be stock amperage, probably best if it was an upgraded amperage.

Oh and if I pull this off to take to the parts store to get them to test it, is there any specific thing they need to do when they hook it up? (I assume hook something to the ground terminal, but anything else, or can they even use their machine?)