Who else is getting plagued with nonsense right now?


My duramax is down for at least another week.

Tuesday
It all started with a simple oil change. It went so well I decided to do the fuel filter. I air locked it and couldn't get the truck started. I then broke off the plastic bleeder screw. At this point the wrench fell out of my hand and some how ended up on the other side of the garage. I called it a night.

Wednesday
Fixed the air bleeder ($10 in parts). Truck wouldn't start. After some disbelief it was determined that both of the batteries were bad ($300). While looking for the reason the motor wouldn't turn over I discovered antifreeze on the bottom of the engine.

Thursday
While running back and forth to town to get parts in my old wood/plow truck it developed a sever miss in the engine

Friday
I found the antifreeze leak in the duramax. The water pump is leaking ($250 in parts so far). Everything I have read so far says 4 to 6 hours to replace.

Saturday
I didn't even look at anything

Sunday
Curiosity got the better of me, and I looked into the miss on the wood truck. 9pm I replaced the spark plugs with less than 2,000 miles on them. One had fallen apart

Monday
I just spent the last 2 hours taking parts off the duramax so I could see the pump that needs to be replaced. I also spent half an hour online ordering parts and tools. I have changed my share of water pumps, and never have I seen anything this stupid. Who ever decided to put one of the pump bolts behind the harmonic balancer, so it has to be removed with a special socket, and a special tool to hold the engine so you can put enough force on the six foot breaker bar to remove the bolt...... they are some kind of special person. I know I spent at least 1 hour just taking off the clutch fan. I have at least 10 water pump wrenches in my tool box and non of them fit. I had to dig in my secret stash of homemade wrenches. I can't wait for tomorrow...

Yep can identify with you sadly. Spent the last 2 months one after the other. Tacoma with multiple misfires and the 4 runner with a mysterious clunk when hit the brakes. Fought a couple 7.3 diesels as well over they years. Their water pump is a little easier but not by much. You still need a special wrench for them as well.

This retired life ain't what I had imagined LOL.

Don't feel bad, both Mine and my wifes trucks need work, a neighbor was selling a older suburban and I thought I should pick that up so we have a vehicle while I fix the other ones, That day her steering cooler went, so I came home and bought the suburban, had to wait 2 days for a new cooler, her truck was stuck at her work. And when the part finally came it rained all day. Now I have the suburban I can do a timing belt on my Tacoma and a head gasket in her truck.

When I was a kid I loved fixing my own vehicles. Now I absolutely hate it.

Patfundine, I enjoyed your story. We have a tractor that is kinda like your truck.

X2

It's all the specialized tool u need now!!

X2 but i keep doing it.

If u only had an electrode to set the gap!! Wonder where that is????

My 2007 Ram 2500 has been in the shop for 3 weeks as of today. The gas gauge started fritzing intermittantly. Tech says its a loose wire in a control board and needs to be rebuilt/resoldered. Can't replace because not only are they not made, but the module holds the mileage memory. They pulled the module and sent it off for repair. Can't use the truck w/o the module because the batteries won't charge. At least it was something that could wait until I didn't need the truck for a while.

Seven and a half hours, so far on the duramax water pump and there's at least three more.


Who ever heard of taking off a tire to change a water pump? This is ridiculous......

I was going to replace the lower hose on the water pump, until I saw the price. Aftermarket online $274 for a hose

Be glad you don't own a Duramax with the CP4 fuel pump. When it scatters you're in for about $10k. $14k at the Dealer. This one only had about 120,000 miles on it. Owner is NOT happy. About half the guys that own these have no means to repair them when they break. They'd need a 5 year loan to pay for it.

I'll never own another diesel for one main reason: Repairs (and just parts alone) are 2 or 3 times the price of gas engines. I guess they figure if you have money for the diesel, you have extra money for parts. Diesels (although they have their place) just cost a lot more to run.

Pat: when you're finished with that duramax you can start on my Nissan

I'm pushing 9 hours of labor now, and still bolting parts back on. I'll pass on the Nissan

Yes, but back then all you needed for tools was a 7/17, 9/16 maybe a 5/8's, a couple of screwdrivers a pair of pliers and a hammer.
Those 327's and 283's were actually fun to work on.

Not just that it all the time you have to spend doing it, used to be cars were easy to fix now with all the added stuff what used to be a simple repair take hours and that's if everything goes well, and we all know how that goes

I love Saturdays!

How about the Ford 5.4 3 V engines with the wrong 2 piece spark plugs that some wonder at Ford spec'ed. Many break when trying to change. Oh, by the way, the new 2 piece plugs are welded together. Pretty novel idea, huh? How about cup holders that won't hold a cup? Hi beams that aren't very hi? No inner fenders to stop mud from filling the back frame rails. Rusty oil pans?
This was my first Ford. Probably my last. I had Toyotas for 25 years. Can't believe the difference.