m1009 blazer 25mph @ 8% grade

[OddballJ]

I've put off posting this for a week or so because I've been searching the archives for something related to my problem, but I haven't found anything and I'm now coming before the masses begging your forgiveness for my ignorance and a solution to my plight.
Here's the story: I bought an m1009 a few weeks back and had to drive it up a few hills to get it back to school. Being a first time MV owner, I don't really know what to expect, but a maximum speed of 25mph on an 8% grade seemed a little slow. 6% grade will let me do another 10mph or so, but I still feel like I'm crawling. Any attempt to give it more throttle just makes the engine sound a little different. I don't actually go any faster. The altitude change goes from approximately 2k to 3k feet, so it's not like I'm trying to feed it clouds for air.
It was suggested that I change the air filter, fuel filter and clean the check valve. I have done all of these and have seen no improvement. I have also added a bottle of seafoam to the tank to try to clean out the injectors if they're the issue (only driven about 5 miles since then).
from my travels on SS, it looks like it might be one of a few issues:
1) bad injectors. I really haven't been able to find a definitive list of symptoms, but most posts were saying that bad injectors would lead to a rough idle, and it sounds okay to me, so I don't know if this is a possible issue or not.
2) An issue with the timing, or else the IP is set too low. ultimately, I know next to nothing about these issues, but there were things people mentioned as ways to increase power.
3) Restricted air flow. any suggestions for improving air flow without dropping 500-2500 on a turbo would be great.
If you all have any other ideas I would love to hear them. If I'm being dumb and 25 up an 8% is standard, tell me and I'll shut up and get out I'm not expecting sports car performance, but from what I've read they should at least be able to get out of their own way...
Thank you all for your time and money. I have a jar at the ready to fill with your 2 cents.

 

[Armada]

So the truck runs out fine on flat roads? Did you try dropping the truck into a lower gear? The 3:08 rears are not the best for pulling itself up a long grade. Also, be very careful lugging the engine on a long grade. It can put the coolant temps into the danger zone. Try the next lower gear on the trans, that should be a big help.

 

[kentuckycucv]

Sounds like a lack of fuel problem....The only time mine acted that way is when i had a bad fuel filter and it would slow down going up hills on the expressway. Loss of power... Maybe some other fuel restriction????

 

[OddballJ]

The truck does seem to run well on the flats. Not great, it does the same thing when you try to accelerate hard: it just sort of chokes the engine out a little more. I don't think gearing is the issue. I've tried to downshift, but it's already in 2nd and first makes the engine rev too high. When it' in 2nd gear the rpm's just continue to drop until we're chugging along at 25mph...

I changed the fuel filter, so that doesn't seem to be the problem, but maybe there's clogged fuel lines? I hear that the golden rule for new CUCV's is "if it's electrical, clean it, and if it's rubber, replace it." Time to replace the fuel lines maybe?

 

[colelkhunter]

get a big hammer out of your tool box and show it to the truck. Take it around by the headlights and make sure it gets a good look. They describe how the hammer will be used in it's immediate disassembly and be graphic. This has helped me more than once. Didn't solve the problem mind you, but it did help me feel better.

 

[Westech]

a M1009 can cruse in first gear at 25 MPH no problem. If the timing is too Retarded it will act like that. Also Injectors and pump might be a little on the weak side. 1st.. make sure your not really in 3rd gear... slam it all the way down in 1st and up shift from there. 2ed rebuild the injectors (cost is about 80 bucks for all 8 ) use the search function to find the posts about that. I have helped too many members now with part numbers ect... its all in here. After that make sure the timing is correct or even a little advanced from the stock marks is good. After that its going to be pump time.

 

[Barrman]

Was your check valve on the top of the IP dirty?

How about your exhaust, is one of the pipes flattened as if a fork lift picked it up wrong and pinched it shut? Air in doesn't help if you aren't getting air out.

What kind of mileage are you getting? Keeping the truck below 65 mph should give you 18-22 mpg.

Seems like you are on the right track by changing out filters and checking stuff. Diesel engines are weird in the fact that the longer they sit and just idle around. The worse they run. Now that you are home from school, fill the tank and take it for a 100-200 mile run at speed or at least with a load on it. Not racing it, just driving it along at 60-65 mph, getting fully warmed up, fuel circulating through the system and basically letting the thing wake up some.

I had mine out in the only hills we have in this part of the world back in October. Pulling the M101 loaded down with camping gear I drove pretty flat ground at 60-62 mph for 260 miles to get out there. I took a different way home and ended up doing almost 100 miles of mountain 2 lane back roads. Lots of switch backs. I had to purposfully not get faster than 35 mph climbing the hills because then it would shift to 3rd and I didn't want to make too much heat. I don't know the grades going up because the signs only told how steep the down hill runs were. 6%-8% going down the other side of most of the mountains. I wasn't anywhere near the floor and was trying very hard not to push the truck too hard. However, I wasn't holding anybody up either. There were a few mini vans and a family in a Suburban that would be on my tail being pains when I was going just as slow down as I did going up. I would get 3-4 switch backs ahead of them going up though.

Just trying to give you an example of how mine did. Your results may vary some, but not as low as you are reporting. Time to check everything and then check it again. Do that long drive though just to make sure slimy diesel in the injectors isn't your problem.

 

[armytruck63]

I agree with Armada. As you go up a hill, as soon as you drop to 50 MPH, shift into second. You might be able to go farther up the hill before you have to shift into first gear. You can go up this hill at 25 MPH in first gear if needed.

 

[taildragger03]

One thing you could try, is a taller air filter element. What I mean is, your stock "HEIGHT" air filter is nicely protected by its housing which has an anemic small opening to feed air into the manifold.
Measure the height of your air filter and replace it with one that raises the lid of the housing giving 360 degrees of air access. Down sides: Exposes the air filter to more water intrusion, mud and what not, and heated air from the engine and radiator. This simple modification may also increase the noise (as if they don't already).
Cheap yet effective way to flow more air.

 

[wkbrdngsnw]

The CUCV was never meant to be like a modern diesel and drag 10,000 lb up a 7% grade at 75. With turbo 65-70 would be max up a 7% roasting the motor. I run about 55 but before the turbo 40 was not uncommon. EGT is always a concern going up hills since you can melt the motor lugging.

With stock tires and gears at 25 its only spinning about 1500 in 2nd and 2400 in 1st. At 25 in 2nd up a 8% your making about 97 ft-lb of torque at 1500 which is much less than the 230 ft-lb its supposed to be making. The 1009's gearing is definitely not suited to pulling hills its 2nd is almost the 3rd of a 1008. One thing I learned is that when starting up a hill already be in 2nd to keep the revs up.

I agree though that your truck should be going a little faster, something like 30-40. Is it smoking? If not maybe your pump is detuned. If that kind of grade is common I highly recommend a pyrometer to measure EGT and make sure your not burning holes in your pistons.

As for the attached graph I got that from someone else so I don't know specifics but that's what I based my speed calculation spread sheet off of.

 

[REDWOLF]

Easy way to grt more air flow in is to flip the top of the air cleaner over and put it back on. This will make a lot of air noise in the cab thow.

 

[ken]

Look at the flange where the IP bolts to the timing gear/chain housing. Make sure the scribed line in the IP is just to the drivers side of the line scribed in the timing housing. I have seen these on the passenger side, if it is the timing is retarded and won't make much power. Also i agree with Barrman. Take it out and run it. Put some lucas fuel treatment in the tank. 6.2's hate to sit. Also when climbing this grade is there any smoke from the exaust? White is unburnt fuel. Black smoke is a rich contition. And at a few thousand feet luging it you should see black smoke. If not it's starving for fuel.

 

[OddballJ]

Thank you all for your feedback. I'm sorry it's taken me this long to post an update. My poor little computer finally bit the dust, and between crappy weather and a family trip to Florida, I have made very little progress on the M1009. I did get a chance to run it on a long trip though, and after about a half a tank treated with "power service Diesel kleen" or whatever that stuff is called, I'm not noticing much of a difference. I also tried a less restrictive air intake by flipping filter cover top over with un-noticeable results.
I did, however, pay a little more attention to the way I was driving and the exhaust and here's what I found:
Downshifting into first gives the truck enough power to accelerate up to 35 mph, but if allowed to shift into second it will drop down to 25 again. As for the Exhaust, well, there is none. Or at least nothing that I can see looking in the mirrors, and my brother following closely in a car didn't see anything either.
I looked at the IP under the hood for those scribed lines, and the line on the IP is to the passenger side of the line on the chain housing by about a 16th to an 8th of an inch (rough guess) which makes me think it's an issue with the timing.
Any thoughts on where I go from here? I'm seriously considering taking her up to a diesel mechanic in the area to have the timing adjusted properly. Worth the money or should I try to adjust it and do it by ear?

 

[67_C-30]

Thank you all for your feedback. I'm sorry it's taken me this long to post an update. My poor little computer finally bit the dust, and between crappy weather and a family trip to Florida, I have made very little progress on the M1009. I did get a chance to run it on a long trip though, and after about a half a tank treated with "power service Diesel kleen" or whatever that stuff is called, I'm not noticing much of a difference. I also tried a less restrictive air intake by flipping filter cover top over with un-noticeable results.
I did, however, pay a little more attention to the way I was driving and the exhaust and here's what I found:
Downshifting into first gives the truck enough power to accelerate up to 35 mph, but if allowed to shift into second it will drop down to 25 again. As for the Exhaust, well, there is none. Or at least nothing that I can see looking in the mirrors, and my brother following closely in a car didn't see anything either.
I looked at the IP under the hood for those scribed lines, and the line on the IP is to the passenger side of the line on the chain housing by about a 16th to an 8th of an inch (rough guess) which makes me think it's an issue with the timing.
Any thoughts on where I go from here? I'm seriously considering taking her up to a diesel mechanic in the area to have the timing adjusted properly. Worth the money or should I try to adjust it and do it by ear?

That much in either ditrection is way too much! Loosen the 3 bolts and line it back up and try it. That should tell you a lot.

 

[DokWatson]

Something definitely isn't right... I slow down on hills, but nowhere near that slow. I'm running a heavy rig too. I usually click it down into 2nd if it doesn't do it itself, sometimes my passing gear will kick it in.

I have had a similar problem with a gas vehicle due to partially clogged fuel filter. Gravity kicked its butt when it came to pushing fuel through. Might be something to look into.

 

[OddballJ]

Seems one of those bolts is tricky to get to and they're all excessively tight!
A clogged fuel filter was one of the first things recommended to me, so I swapped that out, but it didn't seem to fix anything. I also took the check valve off to see if it was clogged, but it looked clear. I blasted it with some carb cleaner for the heck of it, but that all seemed fine. I'm going to take another shot at those bolts later today though.

 

[MuleMac01]

Look at the flange where the IP bolts to the timing gear/chain housing. Make sure the scribed line in the IP is just to the drivers side of the line scribed in the timing housing. I have seen these on the passenger side, if it is the timing is retarded and won't make much power. Also i agree with Barrman. Take it out and run it. Put some lucas fuel treatment in the tank. 6.2's hate to sit. Also when climbing this grade is there any smoke from the exaust? White is unburnt fuel. Black smoke is a rich contition. And at a few thousand feet luging it you should see black smoke. If not it's starving for fuel.

can someone post a picture of this please?

 

[cfish]

Ok should the line that is on the drivers side be the one on the IP?? Is the hash mark on the TC housing the index mark?

 

[ken]

The line on the pump itself should be on the drivers side of the line on the timing housing.
When the lines are touching eachother it should be firing at #1 top dead center. If your pump's line is on the passenger side. It is firing late. And reducing your power output. If your timing chain is streched and they usally are, it will magnify the problem. When i get one with really tight nuts on the IP. I remove the intake manafold. Then use a really long extension with a ratchet to loosen them. Otherwise the one one the bottom passengerside may not come loose.

 

[MuleMac01]

ya but i dont know whats i'm looking at or where to look please post a picture