Truck Part 3

[jbisme]

AAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I knew this day would come. :dance: I changed the oil in my 1990 F-150 and the oil has a strong gasoline smell. That probably means the rings are done at 190,000 miles. So I've got two choices, rebuild or replace. I've had this truck since 1997, so it has been a good run. The truck outlasted a 95 Pontiac, 85 Ranger, 91 Metro and a 92 Metro. Also, I have a 1991 with the same engine, so the 90 truck could become parts for it, so its not a total loss. The 1991 only has 93,000 miles on it. Coming home in the middle of the night from work, I could hit a deer so extra front parts isn't a bad idea.

But that brings me to the 1985 truck, it looks like I'll keep it for myself since the in-laws don't want it. I was ready to sell it until I changed the oil in my No. 1 truck. Is that what you would do? Or do I still sell the 85 and fix the 90? If I do scrap the 90, the truck bed would become a trailer and I'll sell my current truck bed trailer.

A little background, my wife and I are on the Dave Ramsey get out of debt plan. That is why I had the other garage sale cars listed above. I've got $3,400 left to go and everything is paid for, including my house. (Debt free next Summer.) Once the debt is gone, then I'll get serious about the boat-car. I'll also get serious about a newer paid-for vehicle.

For those of you who don't know who Dave Ramsey is, he has a radio show and a TV show on Fox Business. Real Debt Help - Get out of debt with Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover Plan.

I'm interested in your comments, because the 90 truck has become a special part of me in a sentimental sort of way. :yay: It isn't my first truck or car, but it has been mine longer than any of the others I've had.

 

[Keeper]

Are you burning oil? If not I would not be to worried about the truck. Pull all the plugs and see if they are normal or covered in black goo.

Trucks die, its all part of the circle of metal, scrap it, it becomes a new vehicle :dance: or if its not lucky it becomes cans of soup.

Personally I would check the plugs, toss in some "Restore" and drive it until it blows, then worry about scrap/fix.

 

[HAceT]

I had the same oil/gas smell in a vehicle several years ago and do you know what it was? It was the fuel pump.....the pump diaphragm had a small leak which allowed gas to get into the block. Just a little though. I believe though after late 80's the pump was electric so that won't apply.

 

[putz]

You could just have a leaking injector dumping gas and washing a cylinder then into the oil.

 

[rooster57]

Putz is right if you are not burning a bunch of oil you are just dumping fuel through a cylinder.

 

[jbisme]

No, there isn't any black smoke from oil burning. That's the part that had me confused. It has two electric fuel pumps in the gas tanks, it isn't the fuel pump. I did have a fuel injector go bad and start leaking. It leaked on the outside, I'm lucky it didn't get my engine caught on fire. It also had a water temp sensor go crazy and caused my engine to run very rich. That happened before this last oil change, so that could be it. I'll change the oil again at 2000 miles and see what its like then. It's due for spark plugs again, so I'll do that too. I'll do a bottle of "Restore" while I'm at it. Every now and then I use a little STP because Richard Petty told me to on the radio.

I still think I'll hold onto that 1985 just in case. Also, my wife has given me the green light to rebuild this truck after the debt is paid off. Because this truck means so much to me, I might just hot rod it with a certain 1966 352 FE big block and abandon the boat-car idea with that frame. I'm thinking something shorter like a jeep would make a better boat car, but that is a story for another time.

Your thoughts?

 

[jbisme]

I need to talk up my baby a bit.

The 90 truck has been amazing. It has a 4.9 (300) 6 cylinder engine. The only engine part to be replaced is the water pump. It has gone through several alternators, but I have an O'Reilly lifetime replacement, so it is just 20 minutes away from a new one. One fuel injector was replaced recently. The radiator was replaced 3 years ago. It is on its 3rd starter. Even the air conditioner still works, but this week it will need a new heater core.

It will need new shocks, but I also got the O'Reilly lifetime replacement ones in 1998, so that is only going to cost me time. Other than that, it has just been normal stuff like new U-joints, changing fluids, and the occasional electronic device failure (stupid electric windows and locks).

Not bad for 195,000 miles, huh.

So you can see why I panicked when the oil smelled like gasoline. This truck is very much my baby and a little piece of me would die if I had to give it up. Now the 91 truck, its good to have, but it isn't my baby. In time the 91 (Bucky) may grow on me too, but I've only had it 2 years. The name Bucky is from it shaking me hard all the way home from the Oklahoma field it was setting in. It had a clogged fuel injector and was only firing on 5 cylinders.