Newbie with questions

[cseger1]

Hi Folks,

Great site. I have been reading the topics in the PU forum and have answered a lot of my questions but I still have a few.

I just got an 81 king cab 720. Its my first diesel. It has 245k on the clock. My questions are these.

Can someone post a pic of the stock rear suspension? My truck has an extra leaf and no shocks. I need help to return to stock.

The engine does not rev out very far. W/o a tach I can't say how far, but in second its maxed out at 20mph. Does that sound right?

The steering effort is ridiculous. The tires are pretty low so I am thinking that's part of the problem. Is there something else I should look for?

Does anyone know of a SD22 specialist in the Houston area?

thanks.

Christian

[redmondjp]

Welcome to the forum!

On the rear suspension issue: are you close to any scrapyards (esp. the self-service ones with names like Pick-a-part, or Pull-a-part, etc)? If so, it's probably not hard to go out and find another 720 pickup and take a look at it. My truck is at home--if I have time after work this week, I'll try to take a picture underneath the rear for you.

Issue #2--You have a diesel engine, and it is a low-revving diesel engine (not like the VW 4-cyl diesels which will easily rev up to 4-5K rpm) and the maximum RPM is covered in other threads--from memory, somwhere just above 2K.

You're going 20 mph in 2nd gear??? I'm in second gear half-way across the intersection when starting out after the light changes (slows down the impatient people behind me as I double-clutch when the tranny fluid is cold).

First and 2nd gears in these trucks are positively tractor-like--3rd is where you finally get up some speed. I first learned how to drive at 12 years old on my grandfather's 1953 Allis-Chalmers 'WC' tractor, so I can honestly compare the two.

If you're used to driving high-revving 4-cylinder gas-powered rigs where you have to get up to 4K rpm before you get any power out, you need to seriously recalibrate yourself to drive this vehicle. Pace yourself. Take lots of deep breaths. Pause a moment to enjoy life. Turn off the stereo and practice meditation while you wait for the glow plug relay to 'thunk' off before starting. Shift early, shift often . . . enjoy the diesel's low-rpm torque. Don't worry, you'll still get there.

[cseger1]

Redmond,

Thanks for the great reply. I am currnetly driving a Yamaha RD350 which would likely be the most opposite vehicle possible from a small diesel. No power until it hits the pipe at 5k. I have some experience driving an isuzu bobtail that reved pretty high which is what brought on the question. That Isuzu is turbo though. When I am on the freeway I am usually very slow in a car. Thanks for the scrap yard idea. I will go find one this week.

[AStevens]

Pace yourself. Take lots of deep breaths. Pause a moment to enjoy life. Turn off the stereo and practice meditation while you wait for the glow plug relay to 'thunk' off before starting. Shift early, shift often . . . enjoy the diesel's low-rpm torque. Don't worry, you'll still get there.

The Zen Of Normally Aspirated Diesel. Great stuff!

[asavage]

The steering effort is ridiculous. The tires are pretty low so I am thinking that's part of the problem. Is there something else I should look for?

Read Philip's 720 suspension tale of woe.

[EvergreenSD]

Check also that it has stock rims. Rims that are too wide or have too much offset will give you trouble as well.

[cseger1]

I read the suspension tale of woe. I will be getting stock size tires if I get the truck to start again.

Astevens, I read your new project thread and I am convinced from the pics that my truck and your truck were once owned by the same crack head. It was last titled to a man named Robert Harmless in Cashion AZ. Ring any bells?

[philip]

I read the suspension tale of woe. I will be getting stock size tires if I get the truck to start again.

DPC mechanism in operation video

Finding the 'A' arms reversed has to be a first.

[ffdjm]

An extra leaf in the rear of the 720 is a good idea. The stock setup is far too rubbery for a hard working truck.

My 720 has very light steering. Tires are 185R14 8 ply tires on stock rims well inflated. Benefits: no flats (other than bead leaks) in 250k miles. Problems: hard noisy ride. But it's a truck, right?

20 mph max in 2nd does not sound good. You may have some restriction to fuel flow, like a nearly plugged fuel filter. Keep looking, sounds like something easy to correct but hard to find.

Good luck.

Douglas