I just purchased a 1994 GMC Sierra 2500 with a 6.5L diesel engine. The owner I bought it from had only owned it for a year and didn't do any maintenence. I checked the harmonic balancer and it looks good, but I want to do a thorough tune up on the engine to ensure it gets me back to Kansas from where it is in Texas. I plan on changing the oil, bleed the brakes, service the automatic transmission and flush the radiator. Is there anything else I should consider?

Should I go ahead and relocate the injector controller thing that always burns up? It hasn't been moved and while the truck runs fantastic, I want to do as much preventative maintenance over the next two weeks before I head back north as I can. Isit worth my while to go ahead and replace the glow plugs just as a matter of course? What else am I missing that I really ought to look into?

Thanks!

The PMD relocation is a good idea to do as preventative maintenance, as you said, but if the truck starts fine, there is really no reason to replace the glowplugs.

Over all just do a good check over, any types of smoke in the exhaust, bubbles in the overflow tank(unlikely, but just double check as it can mean headgasket problems), check over the vacuum lines to make sure you have no leaks or broken pieces, check to make sure the wastegate works freely, and then your other basic maintenance items and you should be set to go!

The PMD relocation is a good idea to do as preventative maintenance, as you said, but if the truck starts fine, there is really no reason to replace the glowplugs.

Over all just do a good check over, any types of smoke in the exhaust, bubbles in the overflow tank(unlikely, but just double check as it can mean headgasket problems), check over the vacuum lines to make sure you have no leaks or broken pieces, check to make sure the wastegate works freely, and then your other basic maintenance items and you should be set to go!

Cool, thanks. I don't think this engine has a turbo though. Should I still check the vacuum lines?

where are you at in texas

where are you at in texas

Killeen/Ft. Hood. I'm here on TDY, but assigned to Ft. Riley, KS.

a good distance from houston of course. i was thinking i might know someone in your area to take a look at it for you as a 2nd set of eyes. but i don't know any one in that area.
btw thankyou for your service.
most 6.5's do have a turbo.
wes

Cool, thanks. I don't think this engine has a turbo though. Should I still check the vacuum lines?

If it is a 1/2 ton it uses the vacuum to control the emissions equipment, but if it is a 3/4 ton the vacuum would only be used to control the turbo wastegate, but if it does not have a turbo, it probably does not have a vacuum system.

If you go to User CP at the top of the page, and fill out your signature, it will help us know more about your truck.

a good distance from houston of course. i was thinking i might know someone in your area to take a look at it for you as a 2nd set of eyes. but i don't know any one in that area.
btw thankyou for your service.
most 6.5's do have a turbo.
wes

My truck has a circular air filter and a 4" diameter plastic pipe that draws air in from the passenger side wheel well, or somewhere thereabouts. The air filter sits right on top of the intake manifold and does not route through a turbo as far as I can tell. I just got the truck so I'm not 125% sure though.

I can't believe this thread made it this far without:

Replace the sparkplugs if it's over 120k miles


Grease the muffler bearings http://thelincolnmarkviiclub.org/Gallery/albums/oldschool1/mufflerBearing.jpg
Change (flush) the Blinker Fluid (I recommend the "Hoot" method) http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:F9whpJGoV1nxiM:http://kalecoauto.com/images/BlinkFluid.jpg (http://kalecoauto.com/images/BlinkFluid.jpg)







BTW, welcome aboard

I can't believe this thread made it this far without:
Replace the sparkplugs if it's over 120k miles
Grease the muffler bearings
Change (flush) the Blinker Fluid (I recommend the "Hoot" method) http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:F9whpJGoV1nxiM:http://kalecoauto.com/images/BlinkFluid.jpg (http://kalecoauto.com/images/BlinkFluid.jpg)
BTW, welcome aboard

Lol, some of us were born on a Tuesday but it wasn't last Tuesday. I know better than to grease muffler bearings. Muffler bearings have specially formulated lifetime lubrication. Trying to get me ripped off, I see.

I can't believe this thread made it this far without:

Replace the sparkplugs if it's over 120k miles


Grease the muffler bearings http://thelincolnmarkviiclub.org/Gallery/albums/oldschool1/mufflerBearing.jpg
Change (flush) the Blinker Fluid (I recommend the "Hoot" method) http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:F9whpJGoV1nxiM:http://kalecoauto.com/images/BlinkFluid.jpg (http://kalecoauto.com/images/BlinkFluid.jpg)







BTW, welcome aboard

A resistance test of the glow plugs should be done. Make sure they are all good. Cold weather, aka Not in Texas, will need working glow plugs.

You will need to change the air in the tires before you go up north!
Seasonal Tire Air:

http://kalecoauto.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=45

May need to change, not grease, the muffler bearing if it has over 200K...

http://kalecoauto.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=10

It's unique iron-graphite composite with pre-grease-packed assembly provides over 200,000 miles of smooth muffler operation!

On a serious note how many quarts and of what fluid should I use to change the engine oil? Would pretty much any synthetic 15-40 work? Its getting colder so I'm not really sure. I'm not even sure what number/letter designation my transmission has so I don't have a clue which ATF to get, though I want to get a good performing fluid. The transmission shifts just fine right now and I'd like to keep it that way.