Just installed cold weather kit

Woke up this morning to someone knocking on the door.

Neighbor kid (15) decide to go wheeling out in the swamp before school (no DL, no permit) and got stuck with his 92 IFS Chevy rotfl"Can you pull me out?"

So I jump in some jeans and grab my trucker chain & keys. After the grid heater kicked out, the BRD^3 rumbled to life, but didn't sound real happy about it. Looked at the temp and it was 12 :doah:

This is my first winter with a CTD, and I plan to have this thing until they invent flying cars, so after I pulled the kid out (backing down a two-track and going through mud & around trees with a dually crewcab and NOT getting stuck speaks somewhat about the value of life experience) and dragging him the whole way out with his brake lights on, I drove down to the dealer and bought the cold weather kit for my rig. $180 later I was heading back home.

Fairly straight forward install, however the pictograph instructions are not the best way I see doing things. Couple of pointers if you are interested in doing this yourself:

1: you will need a pair of dykes (snip pliers), a 7 mm nut driver, a 10 mm speed wrench, a 13 mm combination wrench, some machinist wire, vice grips, penetrating oil, and an adjustable wrench. (and the kit of course).
2: disconnect the two batteries (neg1, neg2) using the 13 mm combo wrench
3: remove the tube between the airbox and the turbo with 7 mm nut driver on both ends (or a flathead if need be)
4: if you have a block heater wired up already, spray the knurled cap down with penetrating oil (I recommend CRC's Knock'r Loose). The cap was crusted on pretty tight to the heater, and the location is akward to get a hand onto (unless you are rockclimbing gymastic, this will be the hard part).
5: Try to work it off by hand after the penetrating oil takes hold. Ultimately this is how I got mine off. The vice grips are in case you can't (tried that first, and the block heater itself just started turning ) I think that my engine block heater was installed by the "new guy" because that sucker wasn't even hand tight (hence the need for the adjustable wrench).
6: After the vodoo dance ritual with disconnecting the original plug, remove the factory plug wire (runs along under the frame to the PS grill area.
7: unpack the new harness, and lay it out as shown in the pictograph directions, EXCEPT:
-Run the PS wires under the airbox (use zip tie on wire bundle already there
-run the DS blanket wire under the battery wire on top the grill (no zip ties needed and nicer looking install
8: install the blankets as followed in the pictograph directions. I was able to install the DS one without removing the battery from the tray, just removing the cleat at the bottom. The PS is impossible to do that because of the power connections RIGHT BY the battery (in fact, disconnect the two leads going to the positive terminal from these connections, as it makes installing the battery with blanket easier
9: Use the wire to fish out the tools you drop in the inaccessible holes and between the intercooler and radiator (are these things magnetized?)
10: Install the front cover as shown in the pictograph in it's own box, but don't count on the velcro for the sides (the adhesive sux). Buy better velcro in the spring (what I will do).

Takes a normal man about an hour, maybe 1:15. Took me 2 hours, but that is par for course (if it weren't for bad luck, I wouldn't have any luck at all).

So, the next time you start your diesel cold and it's grumblin, get it a cold weather kit and make it happy

 

What is contained in the actuall kit, what does it do?

 

Kit contains two battery blankets, a wiring harness that connects them and your engine block heater to a plug, and a front end cover.

That way when you plug in, you keep the batteries and the block warm, and the cover lets you adjust the cooling rate of the radiator (to keep it as close to 200 as possible).

Shane

 

Got it. THanks.

 

Where's the pics?

 

Well, I would do pix, BUT,

The next morning, after having the truck plugged in all night, came out, turned the key, and the grid heaters didn't even light up imp:

Started right up and running smooooth.

Let it idle for a minute, then put it in gear, eased out of the clutch, then brrrrummmppupup.... died

Hmm, never did that before. Start it again, fires right up, holds for 15 seconds, then dies. WTF?

Back of my mind is saying "lifter pump" or "injector pump" but I cannot accept that.

Finally, I give up and call my cousin (wrecker business). They flatbed me to Dodge, and I leave it there.

Call them back in the afternoon, and the lady tells me it is the "fuel pump". Whether it is the lifter pump or the injector pump I don't know, because she was useless, and the diesel tech wasn't there right now. We had to order the part, it should be done Thursday. A frickin week to fix my truck

29,800 miles, and it lost a pump.

So, if it is the lifter pump, they are probably doing the in-tank conversion for it. If it is the injector pump, you will be damn sure I will be doing a FASS on it. In fact, if it is the in-tank system, I am asking them to give me the parts to convert it BACK when (not if) that fails, then put on an FASS.

I will know more Monday when I can talk to the actual tech.

Saturday I had to pick up 500 lbs of wood pellets in my bonneville :doah: Now I hope that tides me over heat wise until I get the truck back and can buy/haul a couple tons......

Not really happy with Dodge right now. Why did they go away from manual lift pumps anyways?

 

Hmm, I didn't think 3rd gens shared our problems...:doah:

 

The inline pumps in the 3rd gens do fail often. The in tanks are much better and you should be good to go once it's in. But, if you plan on doing some power mods then you will want to do the fass but if your keeping the engine stock then go with the in tank. My truck is an 03 SO with the in line pump and it's fine at 101k.

 

Just saw the service dept this morning (had to get my parking pass out of the truck). He said that they are all in-tank now rotfl He obviously didn't know or look or anything, so I couldn't really explain to him that I wanted to keep the stuff to convert it back at a later date (if I wish to).

I don't know if I am going to bomb my truck or not, but if I do, it will not be until I am out of warentee.

Would probably be exhaust brake, the Edge kit, better exhaust, and that's it. Don't see me doing NOS, LPG, methanol, twin turbos (but it would be cool)