While you shouldn’t need to peer inside of the built engine under the hood of your daily driver
every winter, after a handful of years it’s wise to semi-disassemble and take stock. Sure you
can wait until a compression test is required or blow-by gets excessive, but then you’re already
past the point of no return. Trust us, with engine turnaround time not exactly being quick in the
diesel industry, setting aside some time to do a once-over every few years is much better than
windowing a block and being without your truck for several months.Any time you’re building an engine that’s had a few miles put on it it’s wise to install new
front accessory items. Things like water pumps, belt tensioners, idlers, serpentine belts, and even
radiator hoses all have life expectancies that rarely exceed eight to 10 years. It’s best to start fresh
not only internally during an engine build, but externally, to keep your truck on the road.Of course, there are freak failures that can occur on any engine, built or not. Take this 6.7LP
Stroke for example. After its aftermarket oil pressure regulator failed, the lack of oil pressurele
several spun rod bearings. While this isn’t meant to scare you, it is proof that anything can happe
even if an engine has been balanced, blueprinted, and assembled with the best parts available.If you’re running a built engine, chances are pretty good that you perform regular maintenance
on your truck and use a quality engine oil. However, there are always truck owners that neglect
to carry out proper maintenance intervals or forgo them altogether for excessive periods of time.
Trust us, no engine (built or not) will last if it’s neglected. This means regular uid and lter
changes aren’t a recommendation but a necessity—especially on today’s common-rail engines.Not that it’s ever a bad idea with higher miles, but if you’re launching in four-wheel drive
and under boost at the drag strip it pays to keep an eye on your U-joints, yokes, carrier
bearing, and driveshafts. As soon as they’re visibly questionable or causing a vibration or
noise, replace them. For the most part, the stock hardware (such as this recently replaced
Spicer transmission slip yoke and corresponding 1330 series U-joint on an F-350’s front
drive shaft) will suffice at the power levels most hot street trucks see.There’s no denying that traction bars absorb the brunt of abuse present in your driveline, so
invest wisely here. If you’re running the type of traction bars that employ budget-friendly, off-the-
shelf Heim joints on your street-driven truck, they’re virtually guaranteed to make noise at some
point, with many even needing replacing every year or two. DIY’ers have had great success using
the greasableJohnnyjointsf mCurrieEnterprises over theyearsThoughtheycostmoremoney
thetractionbarsoffer e UpOffroadare designe
thanksto theiru bushingjoints (shown).Plan ompete
regularlyn yourlocal
truckpullswitha truck
making big power?
Better plan on upgrading
the U-joints and yokes.
Billet rear pinion yokes,
like the units offered
by Dirty Hooker Diesel,
provide for 1480
series U-joints to be
run and are extremely
popular on Duramax-
powered trucks. For
drive lines that see a
lot of punishment, also
stick with a solid, non-
greasable U-joint.Even things like brakes
shouldn’t be overlooked—and
replaced or upgraded if neces-
sary. You’d be surprised how
many folks add 300 or 400 hp
to their truck without so much
as even inspecting their pads or
rotors. Companies like SSBC and
Wilwood make brake upgrades
(such as low-dust pads, calipers
with improved pistons, and cross-
drilled and/or slotted rotors) a
cinch for most late model trucks,
and they can make a considerable
difference in braking ability.Withmostmodi edtrucks
sporting larger tires with wider,
offset wheels, the front wheel
bearings (and even ball joints)
are under more stress, and as
such are prone to increased
wear. This is because the further
the wheel is mounted from
the bearing and the more it
weighs, the manner in which
the bearing is intended to be
loaded changes, thereby adding
more stress on the bearing. As
such, premature wheel bearing
failure is common. Our advice:
check your wheel bearings (i.e.
non-serviceable unit bearings
on newer trucks) any time your
truck is on a lift or the wheels
and tires are off.TECH BUILT TRUCK REFRESHDRIVELINE
70 OCTOBER I 2019 • DIESEL WORLD http://www.dieselworldmag.com