Since getting home, a few things have been repaired, and a few more things needing attention have been identified.
The first order of business was the charging system. Testing indicated that the alternator wasn’t charging, or at least wasn’t charging much. I suspected that the brushes in the alternator were probably toast, so I ordered replacements.
Apparently you can service the brushes with the alternator in place if you are dexterous, but I figured it might be easier just to pull it and do it on the bench. Getting the alternator off and out was a bit more involved than I anticipated. Since it is a diesel, it has a vacuum pump for the brakes which is attached to the back of the alternator. The pump is lubricated by engine oil that is plumbed into the alternator by a hose, and also has a drain hose. I ended up disconnecting the oil lines and taking pump and alternator out as a unit.
In the process of removing the alternator, I got so frustrated with the brush guard, I ended up just taking it off. I was already contemplating removing it. It doesn’t offer much protection for the lights, I’m not sold on the looks of it, and it makes opening the hood a real pain because it runs right where your hand needs to be to release the catch. To top it off, it makes access to the engine bay from the front of the truck really difficult. I suppose the risk of hitting a big animal is always possible, but doesn’t seem to be a huge risk in my area. I’ve been driving on backroads for thirty years with no collisions. We don’t have many deer around here. The wooded areas=livestock fencing and the areas of open range with potential wandering livestock=open with very few trees and great visibility. I’m also good at identifying areas that are likely to be elk/deer crossings and slow down in those scenarios, so I don’t feel the need for a bull bar. I can always install recovery points and/or driving lights to the bumper as needed.
I got the alternator apart on the bench, and the brushes were completely worn out. They were several millimeters beyond the minimum spec, and I could see that one hadn’t been making contact in a while.
I desoldered the old bushes, and borrowed my co-worker to help with soldering the new ones in place. It is an easy job requiring one hand (or a clamp/vise) to hold the brush assembly, one hand to compress the spring and hold the brush in place, one hand to hold the wire lead at the correct length, one hand to hold the soldering iron, and one more hand to hold the solder…easy! 🤣
I cleaned up the inside (to get good contact) and a bit of the outside of the alternator and buttoned it back up and dropped it into place. The repair seems to have worked! One of the two batteries isn’t happy. After a few days on the trickle charger, I tested both. One was rock solid at 13.15V. The low-side one read 12.5V, no 12.9, wait..13.1, no…now it is 11.0, no…11.5, wait…11.8, now 12.4, no…hmm. Seems like a dead/dying cell.
I will probably replace both batteries before too long to keep a matched pair for size/model/age which is apparently essential for good battery life with the 24V system. So far with the fixed alternator it seems to have enough juice to start, and run the lights as needed, but I don’t know how long I can trust the batteries, and an imbalance will kill the healthy one eventually. Replacing them will be a good opportunity to replace the tired old terminals and take a look at some decidedly non-factory wiring, plus look into the aftermarket 12V converter to see what is going on there.
The next issue to pop up was an existing minor oil leak. At first it was tough to tell where it originates. There were drips off the corner of the sump, one ear on the bellhousing, the transmission crossmember, and the front driveshaft. Could have been anything from sump to rear main to the transfer case. After several rounds of cleaning, I isolated it to the sump, and pinpointed the oil return from the turbo where it enters the sump. The aftermarket line goes into a bung that I suspect was added when the turbo was added, and it looks to be leaking between the flange of the bung and the sheet metal of the sump. To repair it properly and I’m almost certain I’ll have to drop the sump pan.
The other very minor leak is from the steering box. It seems to be at the rate of a few drops a week, so not the highest priority, but would be nice to fix eventually.
I started making a plan to tackle some routine maintenance that I typically try to do on any used vehicle that is new to me. I bought some parts to this end. The list includes:
-Oil/filter change with analysis
-Sedimenter clean
-Diesel purge
-Check the drain for errant fluids In the injector pump
-Check/lube the injection pump diaphragm
-Air filter replacement
-Drain/flush/replace coolant
-Fix a couple broken clips for wiring/plumbing in the engine bay
