Well you guys finally talked me into modifying my truck. After months of reading your post I finally decieded I can do some things like add gauges and a few things. So let me start out with the truck, its an 96 Chevrolet C3500 with the 6.5 Turbo. I bought a gauge pod and a set of Autometer Nexus gauges (EGT, Tranny Temp, and boost). I read the posts on here about installing the Pyro preturbo and dropping the inner fender to get to it, this wasn't too bad. I even decieded to go ahead with the flowmaster down and crossover pipes while everything was out in the open. Well everything is good right? well... not quite. After getting the panel out of the way I see what every diesel probably has and everyone hates. yep leaking oil. Actually two leaking oils.... one just starting from the turbo and one at the back lower corner of the valve cover. Upon closer inspection of the turbo, specifically the shaft. It feels a little loose to me. I have 75000 on the truck. Is this low mileage for the turbo or about right? Well anyway I figure it has to come off, to get either replaced or rebuilt. Everything upbolted and came off with no problems so I feel fortunate for this. The valve cover was another story, the fuel rails goes over the top of the valve covers, so that meant pulling the intake to get to the lines. Well after a couple of hours this is all done. Now back to the original job of installing the Pyro. Fortunatly with the turbo off I was able to drop an magnet down the exhaust manifold to collect the pieces when I bored and tapped the hole. Everything went well and the pyro is installed. My main question is what are my options on the turbo? Do you guys just have them rebuilt or replace it with something better or what? Also what are the price range should I be looking at to have it rebuilt?

Thanks for your help and letting me vent some

Be more specific on the turbo leak, if its just in the compressor wheel thats normal, if its coming out the bottom that could just be a gasket for the drain line out the bottom to the oil pan, if you wiggle your compressor wheel and it doesn't touch the sides its probably all right. If the oil is coming out the exhaust turn down (wet inside), you may have a bad seal to replace.

It's all practice for when/if you pull the heads at some point.

Now that don't sound fun

Jperry

How well does the BOOST gauge work? After reading another post I was under the impression that the Nexus Boost gauge (6459?) would not work for us Diesel Dudes. Why it was said I'm not sure. I'm also considering the Nexus line...

all things being equal, ANY boost gauge should work. If not, you need to get your money back. It's usually a question of what you want to be looking at when you're driving.

Well after I get everything back together I can let you know how the boost gauge works. I like the Nexus line specifically for the ease of hooking up the gauges. I only had one small wire to run all the gauges. I mounted the Module inside my center console (aftermarket console that goes to the dash) all the sensors run to it. Then have one small wire running to the gauges. Each gauge is ran is series off that wire. I do another post once everything is up and running. And I figure out what to do with this turbo, I have about decieded to just have it rebuilt stock and put it back on.

After reading another post I was under the impression that the Nexus Boost gauge (6459?) would not work for us Diesel Dudes. Why it was said I'm not sure. I'm also considering the Nexus line..

that gauge will work just fine... it will never read in the vacuum side of the gauge as diesel engines have no throttle plate that creates a low pressure/vacuum in the intake... and if you do ever see a vacuum in your intake, you really need to clean out your intake air filter ;)

Or your turbo has had a catastrophic failure!:damnit1:

Ahhhhh, thanks Nick...

Never noticed the vac side on the meter. Hopefully they'll have BOOST only meters soon.

How's the install going Jperry?

Well something got in the way of my installs..... something called work... yea I know should have called in saying my truck was sick or something. Anyway still trying to make up my mind about this turbo, I am about decieded to put it back on the truck for now. I can at least play with my new gauges while I make up my mind. Not to mention not have to drive the spare vehicle (Astro) that thing is really putting my style to shame!

Ok I got another question, I figured with the hurrican headed my way this weekend I better get the truck back together in case I need to move the 5th wheel to the orange grove or something. Since the stock cross over and down pipe was already off I installed the Flowmaster pipes. The Crossover pipe went on well but that downpipe was something else. It seems to be hitting up against the flange of the crossover pipe. After much prying its finally on there but I dunno, seems to be some tension there. It looks like the Cat is pushed toward the frame rail about an inch and the down pipe is up against the crossover flange. Is this right? I wonder about that rattling or eventually wearing a hole in the pipe or something. Has anyone else installed this pipe? Thanks for the help

Did you say Cat??? Kill that thing (remove it, gut it, whatever it takes), sooner the better. It will lead to the untimely demise of your engine, and cost you power in the mean time. Even GM realized that they were a problem, I think they stopped useing them in '99.

Gee you guys finally talk me into modifying my truck (gauges and such) then I went ahead with the flowmaster down pipe. Truck is not even off the jack stands yet and now ya got me thinking about that bad boy cat. (thinking where does it end?) Ok Ok enough ranting. MDT you mention it will lead to the untimely demise of my engine. Pardon my ignorance but was just wondering what does it do to cause that?

Also will I get any codes or anything I need before I remove it?

Thanks for all the help and ideas

Removed my on a 94 no problems and no codes, 96 may be different but I don't thing so as far as setting codes cause of no cat. I ran my cat on the truck for over 200,000 and never had any problem, I would like to know as well what it would do to the motor?

(thinking where does it end?)

It never does.

'98 or '99 GM stopped putting cats on the 6.5s because they finally realized that they did nothing to help them with emissions.

I threw my cat away long ago. Computer has no way of knowing whether its there or not. Besides, your in TX, your vehicle is over 10 years old and and is emissions exempt.

As far as affect on longevity, it can ONLY reduce back pressure in the exhaust which lowers heat and improves exhaust flow and over-all performance and will help the motor last longer if anything.

My '99 K2500 6.5L TD pickup came with a cat... of course it was yanked when it put my 4" exhaust on. Still have it, just in case I need it down the road.

well does anyone sell a front pipe to fit these 6.5 or do I need to have something made up at the exhaust shop?

well does anyone sell a front pipe to fit these 6.5 or do I need to have something made up at the exhaust shop?

Check out any of the supporting vendors here. I have had great service adn support from Kennedy Diesel.

If in doubt, get a down pipe for a 92-93. These years did not have a Cat. After that you may need to add a length of pipe to fit in where that Cat once was. Better yet, go for the whole enchalata - 3 1/2" or 4" all the way back from the down pipe. You won't be disappointed and it is the basis for many more mods - don't ask me how I know this (DAMHIKT).

So what have you done with the turbo? My guess is that it's fine. They tend to have a little slop in them after some usage. Just change all the seals and put her back on. Otherwise, find someone to test it before you go spending the money. .02

Thats exactly what I did, I clean it up and put it back on. I convinced myself the oil may be coming from the K&N filter that I just recharged a couple weeks back. Also I noticed the breather tube from the valve cover was oily. So I am thinking between the two this might explain the oil from the bottom of the turbo. I am thinking of putting an AC Delco dry filter in for the time being to see if it drys up. Now that all being said and done I finally got to see some numbers on my gauges this morning. I was a little surprised with the boost gauge. If I took off hard from a red light it would go to 10psi, but would immediately drop to 0 or below once it hit 10psi. At 70MPH on cruise, its running about 2 or 3 on Vac side. If I stop the peddle it would bounce up to about 4 or 5 then back down to vac side again. I was running empty so maybe it doesn't need much boost, but seems I would have boost longer than that on takeoff especially if I am still accelerating. On the EGT I never saw over 600 mostly it would stay around 400-500. This seems low to me? Again I was empty and in the morning, the outside temp was around 75 if this matters. I am thinking about Heaths power package that includes the PDM mount, PCM reflash and boost controller. I may have to go ahead and get this if the boost is not working correctly. What do you guys think?

Your boost numbers are about the same as mine. How ever your EGT is low compaired to mine. I'm at WOT I can get it to 1100 in about 6 to 8 seconds that's from a dead stop. At about 2200 RMP or 70 mph I'm seeing about 550 to 600 EGT with the cruise set.

Removed my on a 94 no problems and no codes, 96 may be different but I don't thing so as far as setting codes cause of no cat. I ran my cat on the truck for over 200,000 and never had any problem, I would like to know as well what it would do to the motor?



It never does.

I've got a '96 K1500 with an "S" engine. Full Flowmaster 3" system from the turbo back, no cat, no problems.

Those Nexus guages sure look snerdy! I like!

JP,

Where is your EGT probe tap, makes a difference. Your boost is following stock GM program, give you a "tase of boost/power" then clip it just when you need it. Short term fix is a TM combined with fooling if not going to stay with vac system, or if staying with vac system, build/buy a fooler, that hides (lowers) boost sensor input to PCM so it doesn't know you are at a higher boost level, you can build one, search the forums on how, or buy a plug & play one from Kennedy Diesel. TM works but can set a code if running a non reflash PCM and not fooled.

If you have the coins, and are going for more power then go ahead and get the package deal, it's were you will ultimately wind up, a little power just leads to desire for more. :D

Yea I know what you mean about snerdy. However I really loved that one small wire running all the gauges. Plus lots of neat features like peak and warn. The colors are cool too but somehow don't see myself ever using the purple color. That seems kinda importish to me.

94Blazer6.5
I guess the turbo is working correctly if we are both seeing the same thing. I would have thought I would have boost as long as the foot is on the floor from take off. My boost drops off once I hit about 35 to 40 MPH.

JP,
I know what you mean, I'm looking in to doing what TD said below.

[quote=Turbine Doc;626414]JP,

Short term fix is a TM combined with fooling if not going to stay with vac system, or if staying with vac system, build/buy a fooler, that hides (lowers) boost sensor input to PCM so it doesn't know you are at a higher boost level, you can build one.

Turbine Doc, just reread your post and saw your question. My Probe is Preturbo. When I had the turbo off I stuck a magnet in manifold to catch shavings and installed it about 2 inches below turbo mount.

Got another update though. I didn't noticed much different yesterday afternoon from yesterday morning on numbers. But this morning, everything seems different. The truck seemed to be running much better and the boost was a lot more consistant. I took off from a dead stop the boost stayed around 10psi for a while then dropped to around 5 or 6 till about 70mph. At 70mph it dropped to around 1 or 2 and never went to vac. I noticed the EGT were higher also. At 10PSI it hit 1000 degrees for about 2 sec then when boost dropped to 5 or 6 the EGT dropped to around 700 - 800 degrees. Once the boost dropped off to 1 or 2 the EGT dropped to around 400. Overall the truck seemed to have more power and ran much better. Any idea whats going on here? If I could get it to run this way all the time I would be quite pleased. I am tempted to hook up the 5th wheel now to see how it pulls it.

Does this happen to anyone else? Any ideas?

Have you checked the turbine shaft for excessive play?

Well.... exactly how should I define excessive play? Yes I can move it enough to feel it but certainly not enough to see it move. There is also no marks on anything like the fan hitting the sides or anything. So I don't know. I am preaty convinced my oil leak was coming from my K&N filter so I don't think there is any oil leaking there. So to get back to your question.... I don't know. I could have it sent off to a rebuild shop but you know they are going to rebuild it anyway reguardless if it needed it or not. Realistically how could they not? If they say its alright and it comes apart next week then what?
Do you have someway to check it? If I had a new turbo I could compare it, but by itself well... who knows?

Any ideas?

It sounds like the endplay is ok. No need to rebuild. If you could move it enough to bind on the side then it would be time for rebuild but you would definately be able to see it move....lots. The only other thing I can think of if you already replaced the Vac solonoid and the lines are all good is maybe your Vac pump is weak or has an intermitant problem with the flutter valve in it. I think you should see more than 1 or 2 psi at hwy speeds. Will it sustain a higher boost at highway speeds if you are pulling a good load?

what is engine rpm at cruise speed, 1-2 psi empty truck at 70 mph, flat grade cruise, is what I used to see before modding mine, would edge up to 3-4 while climbing slight grades, or pulling 1500# trailer & MAX ATV kind of looks like normal GM crappy boost profile, most folks don't know how little boost is there until they gauge it.

Well I haven't had a load on it yet since putting gauges in so can't answer you about sustaining boost. I have the 4:11 (or is it 4:10) rearend so the engine rpm is up there. If I recall I think its around 2700 or so. Your right I didn't realize how low it was till I installed the gauges. I am still considering Heath's kit with reprogrammed ECM and boost controller. So maybe time to make that happen to fix this. Only thing I am concerned about is the constant boost. It seems when i have boost now the EGT's are rising. Seems the Egt's are the lowest when the boost is at the lowest. I noticed you have Heath's setup, how do you like it?

One other thing, I noticed you have the remote fan cooled cooler for trans. Do you happen to have any pics? Where did you end up mounting it? What brand? I am considering adding another cooler before I head on camping trip.

Boost lowers EGT to a point until compressed air actually starts raising combustion temps, which is need for IC at higher boost levels. No pics, camera is broke, mine is a Deraile kit, from Summit rated for 25K, mounted under the bed, thermostat to control onn/off of the fan and a manual switch to shut off the fan if blade gets stuck from turning; I found out the hard way you need to put a rock shield over the fan as gravel/mud can jam the fan and burn the fan motor up.

I found a pict of it mounted on cross member after a trip to the hunting camp during a mudded out day, it works just got to remember to keep the power feed switched off until you demud the thing, if I were in the mud a lot I'd mount it someplace less suceptable to mudding up. Fan can be mounted as a pusher or puller, mine pushes, and now sports a mesh cover over the fan grille to keep out the rocks & crud.

Well finally got truck back on road....again, The AC quit and took a couple weeks to get all the parts to redo it. Now I am finally back to modifying the truck. I still want to remote mount the module and am looking at PCM reflash. Which seems to open up another can or worms. Whose reflash to get. I keep changing my mind between Heaths and Kennedy's. I don't have the money to do this twice and compare and I am also thinking about buying another PCM to send in for the core. This way I can keep my original PCM for warranty work or if I have problems. What do you guys think? Am I being over cautious at that point? I have visions of taking my truck to the dealer for something and them thinking of doing me a favor by upgrade my PCM programming to latest level or something and losing what I paid for. Has this happened to anyone? Thoughts? Also please give me your thoughts and experience on each programming options as I am still undecieded which way to go there. Thanks for all the help and suggestions so far.

Overall the truck seemed to have more power and ran much better. Any idea whats going on here? If I could get it to run this way all the time I would be quite pleased. I am tempted to hook up the 5th wheel now to see how it pulls it.

Does this happen to anyone else? Any ideas?

Has your boost issue shown up again? I call it 'intermittent boost' and have seen it on mine on a weekend trip. I suspected the WG solenoid to be sticky, but spraying lubricant into it didn't help.

It came from the wires going to the WG solenoid being broken again. After replacing another piece of the wires (and also the plug this time), the problem was gone. I've strenghtened these wires with adhesive tape and fixed them with wire straps to protect them from vibration.

I traced it down to a loose ground wire I forgot to tighten up when I had the intake off. On the back corner of my intake there is two studs with ground wires. I tightened one and not the other. Since I have tightened it I haven't had any more boost issues. Who knows what those ground wires go to but definatly has something to do with the boost.