The Millicent Chronicles; two foot roof raise, big tailgate

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by GEORGE ARMSTRONG

Did you ever manage to find any indication as to the identity of the Albatross and the name of the Scrap Dealer in San Diego the other went to?

George Armstrong

Hows the weather in West Scotland, mate?

[Elliot Naess]

Back to Millicent business:

Is it possible that I live right after all?
…That the benign ghost of C. L. Cummins might deign to gaze down upon me with favor and tolerance, in spite of all?
…
I finally got around to pressure testing Millicent’s oil cooler.
…
…
It leaks.

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by Elliot Naess

Back to Millicent business:

Is it possible that I live right after all?
…That the benign ghost of C. L. Cummins might deign to gaze down upon me with favor and tolerance, in spite of all?
…
I finally got around to pressure testing Millicent’s oil cooler.
…
…
It leaks.

Great news !!!!, err, I mean GREAT NEWS !!!

Who called it- was it 4Bt Tahoe? Good work.

[Tango]

More jb weld!!!

[Rivetboy]

Ouch thats a quick 300 bucks at the Dealer. I know, I just bought one!. Your welcome to my old one It has some nodes growing on it 151k but perfectly serviceable In L.a. area.

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by Rivetboy

Ouch thats a quick 300 bucks at the Dealer. I know, I just bought one!. Your welcome to my old one It has some nodes growing on it 151k but perfectly serviceable In L.a. area.

I'd take a $300 fix over complete overhaul any day.

[Mr4btTahoe]

Hell yeah bud! Glad it was the issue. $300 and a few hours work sure beats the alternative.

[Elliot Naess]

Aftermarket coolers are available for less than $100. But... poor as I am... The Real Thing might help me sleep better. I once bought a radiator for a car, with transmission cooler inside -- the cheapest I could find. Those fluids started mixing after just a couple weeks.

[Elliot Naess]

And yes! Mr4btTahoe called it! Thank you Sir!

Originally Posted by Mr4btTahoe

5.9 Cummins? Id say you lost the oil cooler or oil cooler gasket.

IF it's the same setup as the one used in light duty applications, the oil filter mount is bolted to the side of the block. Once removed, you'll find the oil cooler (inside the water jacket on the side of the block). When they fail or the gasket fails, they fill the cooling system with oil. The gaskets are cheap... the cooler isn't but can be found used.

Pretty simple DIY fix if thats the case. If its the headgasket... not nearly as simple but not terrible either.

[Elliot Naess]

So, I bought the Alliant Power oil cooler, from Thoroughbred Diesel. $240.47 delivered to my mail box.
The label says "Country of Origin: US".

Now I need dry weather and some free time to install it.
We are glad for the rain, and I am currently deeply occupied with the play I am acting in. (George Orwell's classic Animal Farm.)

[Elliot Naess]

Annnnnnd... she seems to be ALIVE!
Finally installed the oil cooler, and she runs with no apparent fluid gushing out anywhere.

Did have to jump the starter relay (classic Ford style), which BB hid pretty well on the inside of the frame rail and behind the exhaust pipe. Will see if I can put the new one in a more accessible place.

Now comes a bunch of oil changes and all manner of flushing of cooling system.
I may drop the oil pan, but probably not until after our Memorial Weekend outing -- unless she still shows water in the oil after three or four changes.

To facilitate all the flushing, I took the thermostat out. Very clever seal for the thermostat housing -- and NAPA had it in stock for Dodge pickups.

[Elliot Naess]

Next to the starter relay is a "modern" relay -- a rectangular box. It appears to be powered by the same feed as the starter relay. Anybody know what this mystery relay is for?
Photo shows the mystery relay in foreground -- Bosch brand -- and the starter relay behind it.
This is inside the channel of the frame rail. The exhaust down-pipe from the turbo is to the right, wrapped in insulation.
And the only reason I was able to take this picture... is that the camera is far smaller than any part of me. lol

[Twigg]

Originally Posted by Elliot Naess

Next to the starter relay is a "modern" relay -- a rectangular box. It appears to be powered by the same feed as the starter relay. Anybody know what this mystery relay is for?
Photo shows the mystery relay in foreground -- Bosch brand -- and the starter relay behind it.
This is inside the channel of the frame rail. The exhaust down-pipe from the turbo is to the right, wrapped in insulation.
And the only reason I was able to take this picture... is that the camera is far smaller than any part of me. lol

On general principles, relays are used either to activate a 'thing" based on something else happening, or, more commonly, used to deliver high current from remote actuators (like a switch).

So what's down there that might pull a higher amperage?

[Elliot Naess]

I do appreciate the reminder of what relays do. Lots of us read the forum, and this is how we spread knowledge. (This reminds me of a golden rule whenever we are interviewed by any kind of reporter -- always begin the reply with a reference to the question, so readers/watchers don't lose track of what we are talking about.)

There is nothing else near there -- only the starter below. The switched wires on the Bosch relay (orange with black stripe, and red) disappear into a thick harness (in the plastic conduit), and I will need to open that harness to maybe find a clue.

I did see one clue... the orange wire is marked "51". But there are a bunch of 51s in the electric cabinet, so not much help there.

I need to (somehow!) extract the starter relay wires, so maybe I will come across a clue then.

But I am also hoping somebody here has been thru this themselves before.

Now... all that said.... I have one off-chance guess: Since it may have to do with starting, it could possibly be related to the electronic timer / voltage-reducer that operates the solenoid for the fuel shutoff. If that is the case, I can discard this relay, since I have removed that solenoid and the prone-to-failure timer, and now I shut the fuel off with a push-pull cable.

I suppose I could disconnect this relay and maybe find out what does not work, if anything.

[M1031A1]

Originally Posted by Elliot Naess

I do appreciate the reminder of what relays do. Lots of us read the forum, and this is how we spread knowledge. (This reminds me of a golden rule whenever we are interviewed by any kind of reporter -- always begin the reply with a reference to the question, so readers/watchers don't lose track of what we are talking about.)

There is nothing else near there -- only the starter below. The switched wires on the Bosch relay (orange with black stripe, and red) disappear into a thick harness (in the plastic conduit), and I will need to open that harness to maybe find a clue.

I did see one clue... the orange wire is marked "51". But there are a bunch of 51s in the electric cabinet, so not much help there.

I need to (somehow!) extract the starter relay wires, so maybe I will come across a clue then.

But I am also hoping somebody here has been thru this themselves before.

Now... all that said.... I have one off-chance guess: Since it may have to do with starting, it could possibly be related to the electronic timer / voltage-reducer that operates the solenoid for the fuel shutoff. If that is the case, I can discard this relay, since I have removed that solenoid and the prone-to-failure timer, and now I shut the fuel off with a push-pull cable.

I suppose I could disconnect this relay and maybe find out what does not work, if anything.

Hey Elliot, when playing with electricity - don't forget to wet BOTH hands for good contact...... You'll get curly and grey hair like mine - AND the benefit of being called "Smokey"....... opcorn :

M

[Elliot Naess]

I have done a bit of 220 volt arc welding in rain -- accompanied by a "funny tingling sensation".

[Rivetboy]

Do you have a huury heat eletric heater next to the drivers seat? Had relay similar to your set up and it was for that heater.

[Elliot Naess]

There was indeed a heater by the driver's seat, but that circuit is always on. (I use it for the power seat now.)

The Bosch relay comes on with the ignition switch in the "run" position. There are only a few things controlled by that key -- radiator fan, interior fan, instruments, and the aforementioned fuel solenoid... that I can think of now.

"Cover me, I'm going in" (to disconnect that relay, and see what stops working).

[Elliot Naess]

Annnnnnd.... Looks like yesterday's "off-chance" guess may have been correct.
The only this I can find that went dark is the wire that used to go to the fuel solenoid. In which case... that Bosch relay is now "surplus".

Can anyone think of anything else it could be -- something I am completely forgetting? All the lights work without the key on. And the heaters.
Earlier, I forgot about the windshield wipers, but they still work now.

[Elliot Naess]

Hoping to relocate the starter relay... I am actually working with a surgical scalpel to extricate the relevant wires from the harness! I can just barely sneak one hand half way down there, and BB taped the Charles Dickens out of this stuff!