Cheapo Tow Rig project

What weight oil are you using? I wouldn't be a bit surprised if that oil is going through the PCV valve and in to the intake. LS based motors have a notoriously crappy PCV system.

Also, changed my low pressure cutoff today. Go figure, the compressor cycles now :D

If you're ever feeling froggy, a TBSS intake manifold, some long tube headers, exhaust, and some HP Tuners love would wake that thing up quite a bit!
 
Using 5-w30 and a Wix filter
 
10w40 wouldn't hurt it a bit. It might even retain viscosity longer.
 
Been busy since returning from Harlan and haven’t reported back. Made the 600 mile round trip with no issues and no CEL. Guess hooking the O2 sensor back up solved that lol.

The low pressure switched certainly fixed the AC, not a single issue with it freezing up. I was able to keep it on low as needed and adjust the temp as needed. Never been able to do that before.

The Edge Tuner in Tow Tune did make a difference. I ran it all the way there and got 8.3mpg, but according to the tuner I had to run 93 which cost $1 more per gallon. So when I returned I set it back to stock and ran 87. That’s when I realized the difference it did make. I didn’t notice much power difference but the changes it made for the tranny were better. In tow mode it held the gears longer and shifted firmer, and would not drop RPMs as low when it did shift.
I gave the tuner back because I couldn’t justify $300+ $1 more per gallon, it works fine stock. I may have someone just do a custom tune with a lap top or something later on.

Truck with camper and Jeep done 70-75 no problem. I also got my oil analysis back and it showed I had water/coolant in the oil. Not sure where/why but I’m not real worried about it. I will changed the oil a little sooner now, maybe 3-4K. Gonna keep using the same oil and have another test done after 2 more oil changes.

Here is a screen shot of the report from Carolina Cat.

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The truck got some love recently. I finally got the radio I’ve been wanting from the beginning. Really wish I’d just put this in the first time. $200 on Amazon and it was well spent. The back up camera makes hooking up the trailer super easy, and Apple CarPlay makes controlling music, navigation and voice texting super easy.

Pioneer 1300NEX
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77GreenMachine said:
Apple CarPlay makes controlling music, navigation and voice texting super easy
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I'd love to see a demonstration of this. Just not while Clay is actively txting you :huggy:
 
Only complaint is I didn’t bother to buy the $13 bypass harness for it cause I didn’t care to have the DVD feature working. I didn’t realize this locks out certain settings because it wants to know the parking brake is on before it lets you do that stuff. One of which is upload a custom image as a background/wallpaper. I’ll get that soon.
Otherwise, super happy about it.

The only other thing is while running the wire for the backup camera in the truck I noticed my radiator was leaking, due to a crack in the plastic tank on the drivers side. Which is also the side the oil cooler is on so that may explain why I had some coolant in the oil?? I got a new radiator, and it’s due for an oil change again soon since I’ve stepped it up to 3k instead of 5k due to the coolant contamination. I won’t bother for this oil change, but on the next round I’ll do an analysis again to see if I’m getting the same results.

Since the last post the truck has towed many times. One including going to WV with the Jeep and the camper where I averaged a touch over 8mpg.
 
77GreenMachine said:
Only complaint is I didn’t bother to buy the $13 bypass harness for it cause I didn’t care to have the DVD feature working. I didn’t realize this locks out certain settings because it wants to know the parking brake is on before it lets you do that stuff. One of which is upload a custom image as a background/wallpaper. I’ll get that soon.
Otherwise, super happy about it.

The only other thing is while running the wire for the backup camera in the truck I noticed my radiator was leaking, due to a crack in the plastic tank on the drivers side. Which is also the side the oil cooler is on so that may explain why I had some coolant in the oil?? I got a new radiator, and it’s due for an oil change again soon since I’ve stepped it up to 3k instead of 5k due to the coolant contamination. I won’t bother for this oil change, but on the next round I’ll do an analysis again to see if I’m getting the same results.

Since the last post the truck has towed many times. One including going to WV with the Jeep and the camper where I averaged a touch over 8mpg.
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On that 7.3 I had, all I had to do to get the DVD feature to work while driving (with no parking brake engagement) was ground out the purple (I believe it was purple anyways) wire. Quick Google search resolved the issue and took <5 minutes to fix.
 
rcalexander105 said:
On that 7.3 I had, all I had to do to get the DVD feature to work while driving (with no parking brake engagement) was ground out the purple (I believe it was purple anyways) wire. Quick Google search resolved the issue and took <5 minutes to fix.
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I done that, which opened up most of the setting I needed (like the dimmer) but it views my flash drive with pictures as media so it won’t download the image, it just gives me a warning about being unsafe. It needs a double pulse ground, they’ve increased the tech because of that and it senses the ground being on immediately at startup so it still won’t do it. I’ll pull it out and wire in the bypass thing soon.
 
77GreenMachine said:
I done that, which opened up most of the setting I needed (like the dimmer) but it views my flash drive with pictures as media so it won’t download the image, it just gives me a warning about being unsafe. It needs a double pulse ground, they’ve increased the tech because of that and it senses the ground being on immediately at startup so it still won’t do it. I’ll pull it out and wire in the bypass thing soon.
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A simple toggle switch would take care of that
 
77GreenMachine said:
You heathens and your death metal. I’ll stick with my country and bluegrass lol.
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I'm also a fan of country and especially bluegrass. I don't want to limit myself to just a couple of genres. Today in fact I'm listening to the likes of Tyler Childers, the Dead South, lost dog street band, Colter Wall, the native howl, the steel drivers and so on. But I'll always be a metal head.
Chris_Keziah said:
:rolleyes: no, Joe showed me the dark side



It's actually not death metal :flipoff2: although I do listen to death metal from time to time.
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I listen to a VERY wide range of music. Shuffle would lend you anything from Christian music, bluegrass, country, old country, classic rock, hip-hop, old gangsta rap, alternative rock etc. lol.

Metal is about the only thing I don’t care for. Some of it is ok, but what I HATE more than anything is Avenged Seven Fold. Probably the most terrible music I can think of. Oddly enough, I can get down on some Bullet For My Valentine, Hollywood Undead, and despite it being popular to hate them, I like Nickleback o_O
 
77GreenMachine said:
what I HATE more than anything is Avenged Seven Fold. Probably the most terrible music I can think of.
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COME ON MAN! I haven't listened to any of their stuff in a while, but if the first 45 seconds of this album doesn't get you pumped then what the actual fuck...

 
77GreenMachine said:
I listen to a VERY wide range of music. Shuffle would lend you anything from Christian music, bluegrass, country, old country, classic rock, hip-hop, old gangsta rap, alternative rock etc. lol.

Metal is about the only thing I don’t care for. Some of it is ok, but what I HATE more than anything is Avenged Seven Fold. Probably the most terrible music I can think of. Oddly enough, I can get down on some Bullet For My Valentine, Hollywood Undead, and despite it being popular to hate them, I like Nickleback o_O
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@Joe J. Looks like we'll be rocking out to a bit of Bat Country next week.
 
Finally getting around to that tune up I’ve been putting off for over a year. It’s a good thing too. I knew I was going to run AC Delco, but with an abundance of mixed info online about which plug is best between iridium, copper, platinum etc, I wasn’t sure. So I decided the truck has done excellent the last 16k miles towing and such, I’ll just go see what’s in it now and that’s what I’ll put back in it.

Everything I’ve read said the plugs should be gapped at .040 and I was shocked to find this
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That’s an AC Delco 41-805 which is a double platinum. I wouldn’t have thought much about checking except it seemed like a huge gap. So I grabbed my gauge and it’s well over .080
I don’t know how the truck ran as well as it did unless I’m missing something.

So I ordered ACD platinum plugs and ACD plug wires. Excited to see if it makes a big difference. I feel like it should between new wires and the correct gap. The wires are in pretty rough shape.
 
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Got the plugs and wires changed along with a new air filter. I believe the tips were burnt off the old plugs.

Initially I noticed a much smoother idle. Then when taking off normal I was impressed that the power felt, less throttle input and the acceleration was just better. I was happy, but it was a difference that I may not have noticed if I hadn’t been looking for it.
The real difference was when I actually laid into it. I was shocked after I made a turn and then stomped on the throttle. The power and acceleration when I really lay into it vastly different than before. I can’t wait to tow with the truck again and see the difference.

Hoping we are seeing the beginning of things opening back up. I’m heading to AOP soon or somewhere similar if things start opening again.
 
Now you just need a TBSS intake, bigger throttle body, headers, a nice exhaust, and some HP Tuners love to really let the torque out! I think I've said all this before... :D
 
Croatan_Kid said:
Now you just need a TBSS intake, bigger throttle body, headers, a nice exhaust, and some HP Tuners love to really let the torque out! I think I've said all this before... :D
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LOL you have. And I may do that at some point. I would love a good tune to do away with the torque management to make those shifts a little firmer and not lose as much RPM. It may happen eventually.
 
My father in law had a 2006 2500hd with the 6.0, my mother in law still has it. I want to get a tune for it just to get rid if the "squishy" pedal. There is so much lag it makes it difficult to drive!
 
NCJeeplover said:
My father in law had a 2006 2500hd with the 6.0, my mother in law still has it. I want to get a tune for it just to get rid if the "squishy" pedal. There is so much lag it makes it difficult to drive!
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Yeah it could be so much better. I had a friend let me borrow an Edge tuner for a trip to Harlan. The throttle response and trans shifting was the biggest difference. That was with a basic can tune. A custom tune would be much better.
 
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