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Reviving a 93

28K views 233 replies 26 participants last post by  56pan 
#1 ·
Today I finally got around to getting my 93 K2500HD back in the shop. It has been sitting for well over a year[maybe 2?] since I worked on it last.:eek: I had bought this truck as non-running that was making very bad knocking sound . The PO had started taking it apart and then threw in the towel and let it sit for a year or 2.
Shortly after I bought it , I got it running with the crossover exhaust pipe removed. It did have a very terrible knock that I could easily hear over the very loud exhaust. It did still have good oil pressure, so there was still some hope but I was going to pull the engine out to really check it out.
It turned out the bad knock was mostly the broken flexplate.:idea: As long as the engine was out and on a stand, I figured there was no better time to put in new head gaskets, ARP studs, timing chain and reseal the whole engine.
After pulling the heads off I found divits in the pistons from running with very bad injectors and rust in 1 cylinder from either a leaky head gasket or from sitting with no exhaust and a valve open. I pulled that rod and piston out, honed the cylinder and put new rings only on that piston.
I put it back together with Fel-Pro head gaskets, ARP head studs, Cloyes timing set, new valve seals, 97 HO water pump and a new set of "Medallion" injectors from Accurate Diesel. I cleaned it all up good and painted it Alpine Green which is better known as Detroit Diesel Green.
I cleaned up the engine compartment and painted it also. I put in Energy Suspension Poly engine and transfer case mounts and bought a oil cooler line set from Lubrication Specialist.
I put the engine in and got it running but it ran terrible. It wouldn't rev and there was lots of blue smoke. Apparently the injection pump went bad from sitting so long. :banghead::banghead: I didn't have a spare IP at the time and other things came up so the truck got pushed outside and ignored.:whistle:
Now with the frame on my 92 getting close to :eek::eek:dangerous, I need another truck running ,so this 93 got the call today. I'll be swapping a used 4911 IP on it, making some new battery cables for it and more than likely doing rear brakes and new steel lines since the rear reservoir was empty when i looked in it today.
Today was just getting it in the shop and start cleaning and looking over what else will need to be done to get it drivable.
I will do a separate thread on building battery cables. I've bought the tools and supplies to make my own since I have so many trucks and other equipment .
 

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#2 ·
Good job. Nice clean engine bay. :bigglasse Nice truck. What was it with the red interiors on these chevy's? :shake:
 
#3 ·
:boxing:I like the red 94- interiors. I have 4 of them:eek:. I have a pair of Flexsteel buckets that have the matching fabric. I need to find a red console to go with them.
The truck has just a little over 200,000 miles on it. 4.10 gears:thumbsdow:thumbsdow. It does have rust since it is a Minnesota truck but should last a few years. This truck hasn't been driven since 2006:eek:.
 
#7 ·
LOL. I like the red interior, but not everything red. Some differentiating colors would be nice. Oh well, its grown on me some in the last couple of years. But when I paint my truck, Ill probably be changing the interior color at the same time. Probably gray and black, with a little red. We shall see.
I agree the 4.10 gears suck. I changed mine out for a set of 3.73 and wish I had the 3.56 instead. But I cant afford them yet.
 
#8 ·
My 92 has 3.42 gears. For me, the 3.42 gears seem to be the best ratio. This truck may get the rear axle and front diff from the 92 when it gets junked.
The gray seats and carpet stain easily and show dirt. I have the tan interior in my 93 burb. That's not bad either.
 
#10 ·
Your running an automatic trans? With my NV4500 I think the 3.42 might be too high. Great mileage, but sucky for trailers or heavy loads. Good point on the gray. But Im repainting her midnight blue (lower section), dark wineberry red (top section) and dark gunmetel gray (a strip down the red/blue devider at the body crease). I am not a artist, so interior colors are kinda not making sense in my head. LOL.
 
#13 ·
A 6.5 with 4.10 gears at 70mph!?!? You must be mad bro! I think 2100rpm at 60mph is too high! LOL.
 
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#18 ·
It would not rev above 1200rpm. The smoke was unburnt fuel. A 91 6.2 that I had did the same thing when the IP went bad.
There had been trouble with this IP previously. I found a receipt from a diesel shop in the glove box. I wouldn't rule out that the internal filter screen in the IP is all gummed up. I'll be pulling it apart to look after the replacement IP is on.
 
#16 · (Edited)
Maybe ill make it out this summer and learn something from you:HiHi:
I saw the thread from when you bought this truck a while back. You may beat me to getting these battery cables built. Got a ton on my plate here good luck with getting this truck up:thumb:
 
#19 ·
IP removal today

:hole: I started on the IP swap today.
Since there wasn't any batteries in this truck, I didn't have the need to disconnect them. I did remove the side to side connecting battery cable since it will be replaced with a new custom cable. I removed both ground cables also. They will be replaced too.
Next, I unplugged the wiring harness from the A/C, coolant temp switch, cold advance, shut off and fast idle solenoid. I pulled the harness back and tucked it behind the transmission dipstick to keep it out of the way. The upper intake was next. The RTV I had used on the rubber connector hose worked very well. I needed to get a thin screwdriver under the hose to get things un-stuck.

Removing Fuel Filter Manager from the intake was next. Remove the 2 bolts and push back to let it drop down out of the way. THe rear bracket from the alternator need to be removed also.
Then I was ready to remove all the lower intake manifold bolts/bolt-studs. Once they were all removed I took the high pressure injector lines loose from the brackets over the valve covers to get enough "give" in the lined to remove the injector line hold downs that are held down by the intake bolts. Lower Intake removed.
Removing the high pressure injector lines was next. The tin heat shield between the passenger side exhaust manifold is the first thing to come off. There are only t small screws[8mm heads] that hold it at the top. It is slid down on 2 tabs coming from a bracket over the valve cover. This took a bit if wiggling and prying to get off those tabs. A bit more maneuvering:boxing: to get out from between the manifold and valve cover. Next I took the lines loose from all the injectors. This really wasn't as hard as it looked to be at first. Then on to the connections on the IP. I took as many as I could loose with a 5/8 open end wrench. Then went to the crowsfoot open end wrench on a socket extension. I leave the separator clamps on the pairs of lines and remove them as a pair. It's much easier putting them back on in pairs since they will only go on one way then:idea:.
Next up is removing the IP. I took the 2 lower IP mounting nuts off the studs. I have a special wrench that I use especially for the passenger side lower nut. :mad::banghead: It works great on the newer DS4 IPs but not on this DB2. A long 15mm box end wrench worked but was slow going.
Next I needed room to work and see , so I removed the upper fan shroud and the fan-clutch assembly. The oil fill tube needs to come off for access to the bolts that hold the IP drive gear on. The engine needs to be turned over by hand to get the bolts to line up in the filler tube hole. Care needs to be taken not to drop these bolts into the timing cover. Once all 3 bolts were out, I removed the last nut holding the IP to the timing cover. I pulled the IP straight back to get it off the gear and out of the timing cover housing. Once out I looked at the drive end of the IP and the alignment dowl was not where it should have been on the hub:eek::eek:. Luckily it was stuck in the gear yet and hadn't fallen inside the timing cover.:clap:
That was it for today. Replacement IP should go on tomorrow:thumb:
 

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#20 ·
Awesome idea using foam for the intake ports!!!! i definitely gotta do that on mine so i can work and clean things better!!! :thumb:
 
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#21 ·
It was old packing material from computers or something. The round foam rod for filling cracks to be caulked works great also. I keep several different sizes around for plugging holes. I also made a couple sets of bolt on covers for the intake and exhaust ports, out of 1/4" hardboard. I used gaskets for the pattern. They work good for painting or storage.
 
#22 ·
nice ideas man
 
#23 · (Edited)
Nice work. I like the green, next one I install is getting that. Thats the factory colour of my 5.7 diesel in my 82 Park Avenue :thumb:
 
#24 ·
:confuzeld The 81 and 82 5.7 olds diesels I had were both Grey colored.
 
#25 ·
I don't know how important it is but I'm pretty sure the bleed/feed lines off your FFM are the opposite of mine. In other words, the outlet from the FFM to the IP on yours is the T-valve bleed line on mine. It's the passenger side outlet from the FFM which feeds the IP on mine.
 
#26 ·
:eek: I will check that out first thing today. The FFM is marked near the fittings. It wouldn't be the 1st mistake I've made:spank::duh::duh:.
 
#27 ·
Well it could be that my memory is off, or that the shop put my lines on the wrong fittings when they swapped in the new engine. But I did put new hoses on mine a few weeks ago and I'm pretty sure they were on the opposite fittings.
 
#29 ·
There are several different configurations of the FFM. The top looks the same, but the ports are different. Best to go by what is cast into them. I'll still be checking mine just to be sure.
 
#30 · (Edited)
Mine were definitely hooked up backwards. Shop that replaced the engine must have hooked them up backwards. I have no idea if they were reversed prior to the new engine being installed. So thanks for posting that picture. I would not have known had I not looked at yours. When I replaced the lines, I didn't look at the labeling, I just replaced them as they were. Live and learn. At least I can report with confidence that the engine will run if the IP is hooked up to the drain line. :)
 
#31 ·
Mine are hooked up correctly.:clap:
Not so good that you have been running unfiltered fuel and water into your IP:shock::eek:noz:
 
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#32 ·
ouch ouch ouch not good :bangdesk:
 
#34 ·
very true, we live and learn and that's all we can do
 
#37 ·
I think the shop which installed my engine was just trying to save me a few bucks on filters. :) Sorry of the hijack of your thread but again my thanks for posting the picture which saved me a lot of money and headaches in the future.
 
#38 ·
Not really a hijack. It never hurts to check seemingly small details and shine light on them to others:thumb:. I prefer to learn from other people's mistakes but I have paid my dues/tuition at the school of hard knocks many times:banghead::banghead:.
Here is a couple close ups of the FFM:
 

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#39 · (Edited)
Going Back Together

I've had a slight delay in posting progress because my camera decided to quit communicating with my computer:banghead::banghead:. I bought a new connector cord for it yesterday and that was NOT the problem:confuzeld:banghead:. I took it to a camera store today to only find out it will probbly cost the better part of $200:eek::eek::wtf: to get it fixed right. It does still take pics. I bought a "card reader" to read the memory card , so i am back in business with just a slight PIA to get the pics in my computer. This was a $500+ camera that now, like most electronics , is outdated. A newer used camera is in my near future:thumbsdow.
Meanwhile, I did make some progress getting the replacement IP on. It seems that getting the mounting nuts back on the lower 2 studs :boxing::boxing: required some inventiveness. I had to get the nut on the end of the stud with a magnet retrieval tool and reach with my finger tips to get it started on the threads. The magnet was needed several times to retrieve the nut when it fell under the IP in the valley:bat:.
Something worth noting when putting the bolts in the drive gear, is that I cleaned all the oil from the bolts and the holes/threads in the hub of the IP. I put Blue Locktite on the threads of the bolts to be sure they would not back out. I have taken 6.5 engines apart that those bolts were loose. This engine was one of them, when I took it apart the 1st time.:eyecrazy:
After the circus with the IP mounting nuts, the high pressure lines didn't seem bad at all. Still a bit of a PIA.
The oil fill tube, Fan, fan shroud and serp belt went back on as soon as the bolts were in the drive gear. That gave me something to lay on getting the high pressure lines and lower intake on. Something to note here is that I started the line nuts on the injectors but left them and the hold downs loose until the lower intake was on so that I cold get the hold downs on that go to the intake bolts.
That takes it to where I'm at now. I'm hoping to have it all back together tomorrow after putting power steering hoses on my 94 Yukon:mad::truck:
The last pics are of the crow'sfoot 5/8" for the high pressure lines at the IP. The 90 degree 15mm wrench is one I customized. The open end wrench is ground down to fit the hex head on the bolt-studs used on the intake and exhaust manifolds and on some of the accessory brackets.:idea: The wrench is to hold the bolt stud from spinning when taking the nut off the top. I have a ground down 13mm for the valve cover bolt-studs.
 

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