Now, the exhaust isn't really a problem. I could keep driving it and keep putting it off (which is something I would TOTALLY do), but that exhaust gas filling the cabin every time I roll the windows down (well, back when they WOULD roll down) was super annoying. So to keep my procrastination at bay, I drained the transfer case oil and promptly made a mess:
I should explain this picture a bit. Back when I put the transmission and transfer case back in the truck, I knew the truck would eventually be heading for Africa. I wanted the bestest baddest oil there was in the truck, and it cost me like $500 to get this stuff out to Hungary. I knew I was leaking fluid from the T-case, but I didn't know how much. Total capacity is 1.5-liters, so I figured I must be down to a liter...
And I wanted to save as much as I can, so...
Well, you see what happened. In short, I was off in my estimation by a little.
Ok, so while the T-case was draining I went ahead and changed the engine oil as well. Nothing like having fresh life-blood in the engine after so many long runs.
After that, I went to look at that split PCV hose. It had gotten worse:
As my coolant was full, and mostly free of rusty crap, I decided to cut this back and clean my IACV at the same time. This should solve my "hunting idle" issue I was experiencing at the border last time.
Moving forward (this isn't all happening on the same day, but in bits and pieces) we get to our next issue:
Charcoal canister pukes fluid when gas cap is tight:
This has been an ongoing issue ever since I've owned the truck. When I bought it, it had one of those "press in, universal caps" that just filled the hole but didn't plug anything. Naturally, I replaced it with a Standt vented unit.
and then the charcoal canister started puking fuel out of it, every time the truck sat...
At first I thought I just bought the wrong cap, and I waited until now to purchase another unit from Rock Auto. Same problem. By itself it's a head-scratcher, but I'm beginning to learn that "step 1" of troubleshooting anything wrong with this truck is "What did the previous owner touch". Naturally I thought of that fuel pump we just repaired...
I'm betting dollars to cents that he hooked the return line in the fuel tank (plumbed to the bottom of the tank) to the charcoal canister. Since the return line is always submerged, anytime pressure builds the fuel pukes out the can.
here goes:
I pop the fuel pump access panel, and remove the line that SHOULD go to the canister. I then remove the other side of the line FROM the canister. From there, I need something to tell me if pressure got through. Enter "My dad":
My dad taught me how to make spit wads when I was in kindergarten. It involved a McDonald's napkin and a straw. We plastered the entire side of our mailbox from a good 10-paces away.
In the second grade, I sat in the back of the class. I could have qualified for "sniper" levels of spit-wad accuracy. No one ever found out it was me . My dad didn't just teach me how to cause trouble, he taught me how not to get caught.
What you're looking at here is nothing more than a spit wad in a long straw. I apply shop-air to one side and it should go flying out the other!
'Cept it doesn't. Instead, my compressor is met with massive resistance.
I try it the other way (blowing in from the engine bay, spit wad near fuel cell): Nothin, but I think I hear bubbling coming from the fuel tank.
oooooh-kay...
Time to swap lines. I unplug the return line from the tank, put the spit wad in it's place near the charcoal can, and....
"Houston, we have lift-off"
Wouldn't you know? The previous owner struck again.