Hello! This is my first post. I traded in my 95 half ton for a 97 3/4 4x4 with a 6.5 td. It just rolled over 100,000 miles last week. I am kinda curious to any suggestions to what i can do for performance and anything that i should look at to see if it is operating correctly and any other preventive maintanence suggestions. I have already replaced the air filter with a k+n filter and have changed the oil to schaeffer's synthetic blend and the gear oil as well. I'm am open to any opinions and suggestions. Thanks.

This is my first diesel. My 95 was a 350 gasser. I have been around farm diesels a lot with living on a farm. My friends have powerstrokes and cummins so i am familiar with light truck diesels as well. From all the reading i have done in the past month on the 6.5, i am planning on changing the harmonic balancer, timing chain and gears within the next 10,000 miles. Planning on changing the tranny fluid and filter this weekend. A few other cheap upgrades im planning on are a b&m electronic shift improver and a heath diesel turbo master. I am well aware of the pmd problem and plan on installing the remote mount from heath once i get the $400. Tires are coming first though.


Are 285/75/R16's too much for 3.73's?

don't change the tranny fluid unless you want problems. IMHO. Everybody says exhaust and remount the psd. The tires should be fine.

I disagree about not changing the tranny oil. That only applys to trannys that have highER mileage and/or beat to all hell and never changed. youll know when you pull the dipstick it will be black/burnt and thick. one smell and youll know it.

I would pull the filter and spend the money on synthetic. Every 4L80E I've delt with had fluid that smelled like varnish. I changed the filters, flushed the tranny with the cheapest petroleum fluid I could get untill the fluid came out fresh. I had to change it again prematurely but with all the crap that came out of them, I'm glad I did it. The fluid doesn't smell burnt anymore.


Exhaust pipe is a good place to start on this truck. This is a 3" next to stock. 4" pipes are available.


http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/uploads/8AF_downpipes.jpg

Check the 6.5 upgrade post by Turbine Doc - it's good reading, and gives definite direction for improvements.


Also read the other posts here for problems and resolution info. Edited by: gmctd

Thank for the responses. I think i reallly need to do something with my transmission. On the way home to day it slipped a little up a hill and also had quite a chatter once when it came out of OD. I doubt a fluid change will solve this problem though.