Squeaky Penguin's (Trip Reports) Build Thread

I’d be interested to see someone do this test to brand new ones. For science.

 

Don't jinx it. I've been missing that one for a while, so now I'll probably loose the other one.

I can buy a lot of ball joints for the cost of that.

Didn't get my act together to try to warranty those while frantically finishing my truck. I'll keep a closer eye on the new set.

That's not confidence inspiring. Need someone who really knows what they're doing to make the same part, and then maybe it would work.

I think they would get creaky fast being exposed to lots of water and mud and stuff. I think the benefit would be the off the shelf uniball that's less than half the price of the OEM LBJs. If I'm going to be replacing them yearly, I would much rather just swap those.

I'll check these tomorrow.

 

Zero play when I checked mine after installing.

 

Probably true. Wouldn't be quite im sure. Im not sure you could find someone that makes them good. The photo I posted was the first guy I'd seen do that. But he quickly disapeared and never made more. The ebay dude is well..not a good choice.

I'd wonder if you found a really really good fabricator with the right skill set if then it would be worth it. You'd want them TIG welded like the photo I posted and a full cup. But you have to hole saw a LBJ the right way too. Seems like a bitch.

haha i never said it was cost effective in the long run haha

 

Most of you know I have a misfire. But I've been thinking maybe I might have a bad torque converter. The misfire isn't all the time. It's only when the truck is under a load trying to push the truck forward. Truck idles just fine. There is a huge lack of power while trying to drive. If the torque converter isn't working properly would that cause the motor to act up and say it has a misfire? I've already checked, cleaned or replaced fuel injectors, fuel pump, fuel filter, compression test, wires, coil packs, ignition module, air filter, MAF sensor, Thoughts....

Sorry Brett @Squeaky Penguin on stealing your thread but I figure this was a good place to start an educated conversation here since most of the guys here that follow you have a good head on thier shoulders. If I try anywhere else there would be to many random opinions of people I don't know or trust.

 

The only way I would run something like this is to have two sets. Easy pull out and bolt in when the time is right. Then replace the uniball when it's convenient to do it. It keeps haunting me on wanting to do it. But I really don't know if it's worth it.

 

Ray, you realize Brett and Eric frequent this thread? Good head for a helmet....?

 

I can deal with them wearing a helmet. But I'll draw the line once they start licking windows.

 

I not going to be of much help Ray.

I don't know much about automatic transmissions, but I feel like even if something was wrong with the torque converter, it wouldn't be throwing a misfire code. Which code are you getting again?

 

Not likely to cause a mis fire. Takes a lot to kill a torque converter. Not impossible though. Does it seem like it slips?

 

Spark
Fuel
Compression

You know you have good compression unless it's happening at the wrong time. The only way I know for that to happen would be timing and I think if that was bad it wouldn't run rather than have a misfire on a single cylinder. So scratch compression.

With a cap on coil system can you still do the old trick where you pull the plug but wire it and hold it against the block to verify spark?

 

@T-Rex266 can we get a thread title change to reflect the new purpose of this thread?

 

I only like changing the title of Old Brett's train thread. Speaking of which someone needs to build a train set, or fell a tree, albeit slowly, or something and resurrect that thread.

 

It started with p0300 random. I pull the injectors, sent them out and when I put it back together the truck had p0304 and that’s the cylinder that had that bad coil pack. Replaced all coil packs with new oem ones. Still have p0304. But the truck idles fine. It pulls when driving. No power.

Doesn’t slip but it feels like it pulls when trying to get going from a stop. Feels like power doesn’t transfer. Truck idles good. Seems to idle high for a bit but it evens out to normal after it gets warm.

Yes I pulled the #4 plug and check if I was getting spark to that cylinder. I put in a new plug to #4 and put it back together. The last #4 plug had a lot of carbon build up.

 

I think the flex plate being bad would be more likely but could be the torque converter. I'm not sure how you'd go about checking those things sadly.

 

Ok thanks.

 

Carbon buildup on the plug would certainly indicate an issue aside from the trans. How does the replacement plug you put in look? None of the other ones look like that?

edit: Have you done a leak down test, Ray?

 

Haven’t pulled the new plug. Maybe I should check it out because I’ve ran it a bit after I put it in. No leak down test but when I did the compression test I let the air hold for at least 5 minutes without a drop. So it held pressure.