CUCV 1986 M1008 - In a Real Pickle - Bad Heads - Need Advice

[cucvrus]

Yes it will fit. It is NOT the most accurate place to check coolant temperature. But many people do it.

 

[Commander5993]

Yes it will fit. It is NOT the most accurate place to check coolant temperature. But many people do it.

well, I guess the most accurate would be in the head?
There just isn't any more ports open.

Could I pull one of the other sensors, like the glow plug temp sensor or ?, and put it in the this pipe and then install my temp gauge sending unit where it was, and get a more accurate temp?


I thought this crossover pipe would have been fairly accurate though as it is on the engine side of the thermostat ??

I had thought about putting the sending unit where the plug is in the water pump, but that wouldn't be accurate either, as that is water coming back from the radiator... plus I tried several breaker bars with cheater pipes, and finally even my impact and gave up on getting the plug out as I was afraid I was going to break something. I think someone must have put thread lock on the plug....

 

[cucvrus]

The passengers side of the rear of the head has an open port that is plated off. You could use that if you have another threaded plate like the left side rear port has. If you still want the idiot light to work you could move the current idiot light sending unit to the crossover manifold and then put your temp gauge sending unit in the left head where the stock idiot light sending unit was. Good Luck. I think the fact that the coolant crossover is thinner aluminum and smaller would be inaccurate because it allows the water to be cooled on 360 degrees and thru aluminum. Unlike the cast iron engine and heads. Do as you wish it is your truck. I suspect it will never hurt a thing either way you install it. The head is jusyt more accurate of internal engine coolant temperature. probably with in a few degrees either way.

 

[Commander5993]

The passengers side of the rear of the head has an open port that is plated off. You could use that if you have another threaded plate like the left side rear port has. If you still want the idiot light to work you could move the current idiot light sending unit to the crossover manifold and then put your temp gauge sending unit in the left head where the stock idiot light sending unit was. Good Luck. I think the fact that the coolant crossover is thinner aluminum and smaller would be inaccurate because it allows the water to be cooled on 360 degrees and thru aluminum. Unlike the cast iron engine and heads. Do as you wish it is your truck. I suspect it will never hurt a thing either way you install it. The head is jusyt more accurate of internal engine coolant temperature. probably with in a few degrees either way.

I had thought about getting another threaded block off plate before. Guess I should have stuck with that idea.
I'll change my wanted ad and see what I can find.
Thanks

 

[cucvrus]

Let me see if I can locate one.

 

[cucvrus]

Discontinued at this point. GM PN 14028949. I did have one made at a machine shop it cost me $30. but I needed it for a customers truck. I think Mean Green M1009 has that part on it. You could T off the drivers side idiot sending unit and do it that way. It is just pipe fittings.

 

[Commander5993]

Well, if I had an extra regular block off plate, I could probably make one myself. I don't want to really try it with the original block off plate, as if I screw it up, then I won't be able to run the truck.

Actually, now that I'm thinking about it, I think I can make the whole plate... Its just flat steel with a couple holes in it

First... got to fix the fuel leak and get the truck running, so I've got to get at it.

 

[cucvrus]

If you can make the intake work you can make that simple plate. You could weld the correct fitting to another flat plate with a hole in it. And it could be made to look professional. Probably a lot less the $30. I paid. i was going to have a few made but was shot down with an Ebay sale of them. I should have pulled the trigger. But it would be like everything else I had made. I would have 3 lifetime supplies of them.

 

[ken]

I have used the port at the front of the drivers side head also. But the probe ends up VERY close to the head casting. So when you put the engine under a load the gauge shows the water temp to skyrocket! Then it drops when you let off the throttle. It would peg the gauge when towing my tractor under hard acceleration from a red light. I too moved to probe to the crossover. I used a crossover from a 89 model 6.2. It has a extra port like the Humvee crossover you pictured. The Humvee crossover will work. Now the gauge reads 180. I installed a VDO gauge that is accurate. I tested it in a pot of water with a thermometer.

 

[Commander5993]

well... so far I have plenty fuel, with no air, to the filter (when the vent was open)... but we have not seen a drop come out the injector lines.

I've got all glow plugs pulled, and have all injector lines loose, with one line completely off, yet we haven't seen a drop of fuel.

And we've cranked the engine no less than 20 times. We crank the engine for approx 10 seconds, then let the starter cool for 30sec to a min or two, three times in a row.
Then let the starter cool for 5+ minutes with charger on the batteries. Engine cranks fast, but nothing comes out............

-----------
EDIT:
The sensor on the front side of the drivers head, some how apparently the electrical blade connection got broke off since I reinstalled it. could this have something to do with it? I wouldn't think so...

 

[cucvrus]

I would like to see the fuel pump. I think you may have the wrong fuel pump. I have had this in the past.On the left is the incorrect fuel pump. It fits in the hole and the lever does move back and forth. But note the difference in the lever. The pump on the right the pumping action takes place immediately on compression of the lever. The pump on the left the pumping action does not take place for a 1/2" to 3/4" of free play of the lever. Note the spring in visible. The spring being visible at the side angle is a dead giveaway that this is the incorrect pump. Top wrong. Correct pump on leftIf this were the correct pump you would see the spring in the back of the lever up top. This is what the engine looked like that I changed the head gaskets and all the other gaskets and seals on.

 

[ken]

Just checking but do you have the pink wire on the IP? And are you holding the throttle wide open while cranking? At WOT the pump will deliver more fuel and therefore push the air out faster. Yes this process takes forever. CUCVRS it correct. I too have seen the wrong pump installed.

 

[Commander5993]

Ok guys, wanted to post an Update.

Good News:
It did finally bleed the air out... Ken you are correct, I didn't have the pink wire on for a bit, for some reason I was thinking it had to be taken off... until I got to thinking about the solenoid shut off valve, its not going to open without power... so i finally figured that out and hooked it back up. Then several more times cranking after that, fuel started to flow. Closed all the fuel lines up, and reinstalled the glow plugs etc, cranked again, right at the end of cranking it started to try to hit... let the starter cool for a minuet or two, cranked again AND......

THANK THE HEAVENLY FATHER YAHUAH IT FINALLY FIRED UP!!

Ran it for about 20 minutes, everything sounded good, looked good, and I didn't see any apparent leaks.


The Bad News:

Well... none that I know of
Hope and Pray there won't be any... more...

Still got a lot of little things to button up, but should be able to get that done tomorrow

Cucvrus, I saw your post about the fuel pumps back sometime ago, and I tried to find it again before I installed this one this last time, but wasn't able to. So thanks for posting it, as looking at your photos and description, I think I do have the correct pump. It has the black lever, you couldn't see the spring from the side that I remember, and the lever didn't have any free play.
So I'm hoping its the right one... which btw I finally figured out why I had so much trouble installing it the first time, as it tried to do the same thing this time.

After installing the new pushrod, when I tried to reinstall the pump again, it was the same problem with getting the bolts to start. They just were impossible almost. And when they did start, it tried to cross thread every single time.

So finally I took it all back out, and tried to thread the bolts in without the pump. Still the same issue. So I checked the thread pitch on the bolts, found the correct threader and tried to run it on the bolts, but by hand it would just start one thread maybe and that's it. So I locked the heads of the bolts into my vise, run the threader down each of them. Then I checked the bolt holes, and they had the same issue, so I ran a threader in each of them too. After that, the bolts went right in with no issues at all.

I'm guessing that whoever installed the "original pump" that was on the truck, they must have cross threaded both of them with a impact or pneumatic ratchet or something.

Anyway... I'm just thankful to have it running. I knew it was going to be a job... but good grief...

In any case, I want to Thank Everyone who replied to questions, or had any input here, as it was all GREATLY HELPFUL!And it is Very Much Appreciated .

So Thanks Again All

 

[Commander5993]

View attachment 698216This is what the engine looked like that I changed the head gaskets and all the other gaskets and seals on.

Nice Looking engine... I really wish I had pulled this engine when i first started, if I had to do it over (Which I Pray that I Never Do) I would pull the engine before doing anything else.

 

[ken]

Good to hear you got it done. It sure put up a good fight.

 

[Commander5993]

Good to hear you got it done. It sure put up a good fight.

Yeah no kidding... hope it fights just as hard to stay running

 

[Commander5993]

Ok, well I got everything buttoned up, except for the oil pressure gauge and temp gauge.

I did get the block off plate on the passengers side head modified, and I put the temperature gauge sending unit in there.
I'll post a couple photos of it tomorrow, although it's not much to look at, pretty straight forward.


Here's a question though, when I got it started yesterday for the first time, for about the first 30 seconds or so it was puffing out white smoke on the passengers side, after which the smoke stopped and completed cleared. I ran the truck for about 20 minutes.
Which the passengers side is the same side that the head gasket blew on originally, and of course when it did, it was puffing quite a bit of white smoke.
Today, when I started it up, it still was puffing white smoke for about 30 seconds, maybe not as much as yesterday though....

Is this coming from coolant still in the passenger's side exhaust from when the head gasket originally blew??
Or should I be worried... ??

 

[cucvrus]

I would hope it is coolant that was trapped in the muffler. How does the idle seem? Is it smooth? report back.

 

[ken]

I think cucrus is right. More than likely coolant is puddled into the fiberglass in the muffler. Drive it 10 miles or so to heat enough to evap it out. You can also have some one hold cardboard by the exhaust. Then when it smokes, if it is water/coolant it will make the cardboard wet. You can then touch/smell it. if it's unburt fuel from a bad glow plug you will be able to tell. Take the rad cap off. Look for bubbles in the coolant. Check the oil, is it turning milky? Does the engine make good power? How is the idle? Is it smooth after a 5 mile drive, long enough to get it warmed up?

 

[Commander5993]

Will Check it today, will report back.
Going to try to finish wiring the gauges, and then take it for a drive.

EDIT:
Seems to idle smooth by the way.
I am going to have to replace the temp sensor in the front end of the drivers side head, as the blade got broke off somehow.
Can't remember if that is the glow plug temp sensor, or the high idle sensor.