New Member with a 2000 K3500 Single Rear Wheel

[MrMarty51]

I had been looking for one of these trucks in a K2500 or K3500 for about three years. Checking C.L constantly. there would be trucks but just not quite what I was wanting. A crew cab with an automatic.
One day I was in C.L. and here is this fresh add, 2000 K3500, 235,000 miles. relocated PMD, No. 9 resistor, programmable trans shift, new tires and wheels, Nice bumper, pillar gauges with boost, pyrometer and trans temp. Everything I was looking for.
I sent the seller a message, told Him I`d be going to the bank on Monday morning to see if the banker would work with Me.
He replied back, You sound serious, I will hold it for You and He gave Me his phone number. We talked for a while about the truck and the deal was struck.
The bank had no problem lending Me the money.
The kid that had the truck lived quite about 375 miles away. He agreed to meet Me about 210 miles from where I live.
I had the trailer hitched to the 93 K1500 the night before and on that Wednesday morning I headed out.
I got to the meeting place in Lewistown Mt. and was early, Yeah, I was anxious LOL.
He got there at the agreed on time, I drove the truck, knew it was the right one, check and title exchanged hands and away We went on Our own perspective ways.
The first thing I noticed about the truck was, it pulled the trailer with the K1500 loaded easier than the K1500 pulled the trailer empty. LOL
The pyro gauge would go what I think might be dangerously high, right next to 1200 and the engine temp would get a ways above the 210 mark, there are some very long, steep and hard pulling hills between Lewistown and Miles city but the truck made it home okay.
I immediately pulled the T~Stat housing and installed a new set of stats. While I was at it, I noticed that there was oil/dirt mixed clinging to the radiator and condenser. Pulled the upper fan shroud, took the old H2O extinguisher, poured in a small amount of solvent, aired it up and give the mess a short burst of the solvent. allowed it to set a while then into the extinguisher with detergent and water, let it set then rinsed it out, blew it out real good with compressed air. That thing had enough straw, wheat, seed and bugs in it to plant a wheat field and fertilize it too. LOL I know not yet if it will run any cooler on a long hard pull as the weather had turned to winter right after I got done cleaning the radiator and changing the stats.
One thing that He did tell Me about was a very slow prestone seep from the top right of the timing cover, against the engine block. Not enough to have to add any between oil changes.
Just to be safe I changed the oil and filter right away.
Only problem i have had with it in 4,000 miles is the PMD expired. I was not sure what was happening, Engine revved against the redline, almost die then back to the redline. Big black smoke screen every time it would rev again, uncontrollably. fortunately I had already ordered in a new PMD and it was waiting at the parts store, I picked it up, installed it and the truck has been running real nice since then.
Not knowing when the engine had been tuned last, i got the garage emptied out and run the truck in. I am so happy that when I built this garage that I went with 28 X 28 because with a 24 ` garage, this thing would never have fir, with the work bench I have in there.
And so, new reman injectors, new timing chain/sprockets and fuel filters, fuel hoses, glow plugs and the turbo flange that sets against the exhaust manifold was warped terrible bad. I spent several hours with a block of hardwood and 80 grit sandpaper stapled to it to get that cleaned up, the manifold was also warped but not to the degree of the turbos flange.
I just finished the tune and mechanics on Sunday so I drove it to church, 30 miles one way, made the round trip without a hickup or a stutter.
Its a sweet runnin rig and every time I drive it, the more I like it.
i did make a terrible mistake one Sunday on the way to church. The wifey had not drove the new truck yet and so i allowed Her to drive it. That was a terrible mistake I will regret for the rest of My life. Now, everytime We are taking the truck, She wants to drive. It is a real battle maintaining the drivers seat.
One other thing. The kid told Me that it was filthy inside so he knocked off another four hundred from the price that i got Him down to. He had a jug of oil behind the drivers seat, He run the seat back and crushed a quart of oil into the carpet.
While I had it in the garage doing the tuneup, the seats, belt harnesses and the thresh holds were removed and the carpets, doors and seats thoroughly scrubbed.
There is still a little bit of staining in some areas but surprisingly where the main spill was had come up real clean.
Here is three pics. The last two is the carpet, before and after.IMG_2668.jpgIMG_3110.jpgIMG_3112.jpg

[MrMarty51]

Something else I did right after the tuneup was to order in a Stanadyne PMD, the adapter harness and the no. 9 resistor to fit the PMD.
Just to have one on hand. The PMD that is now on it is a Dorman, the only one I could get in this town. Well, at least it has a life time warranty. LOL
I guess I will keep running the Dormans and use the Stanadyne for a back up. Unless the Stanadyne gives Me some extra power and cooling. LOL