NOT the Filter... :P
Well, whatever the problem with the Chevy 2500 is, it's not the fuel-filter. Granted, the filter was long overdue to be replaced, and that wasn't helping the situation, but it wasn't the root cause of the problem. I got another service call from Sears this morning, for yet another snow-blower down in Eastend that was having problems with its starter. This is the second machine of the same model that has had the exact same problem! Hmmmm... I don't think it's just a coincidence - my guess is that there's a bad batch of starters out there, and they're going to start popping up all over the place. Both owners are very pleased with the machines otherwise, they say that they have plenty of power, it's just the electric starters giving them problems. Thankfully these machines can be started with the recoil starter, so they're not stuck without a snow-blower.
The truck was fine all the way to Eastend, and on the way back I stopped at the farm where the Frankenengine now resides to see if I could tweak it at last. I think I've got it taken care of now - it was running very nicely by the time I left, and I've got it set as close to 3600rpm as I can get it. That's the speed at which the engine was designed to get the maximus horse-power. As I attempted to leave the farm however, the engine stalled. I got it started again, and then it stalled again several times on the way home. At one point, it managed to keep restarting itself, but it bucked and jumped and burped and farted for about 20 seconds barrelling down the highway before it settled down again.
Despite the amount of driving I did today, the engine temperature never rose to more than 72 on the gauge, and that's cold for a diesel! When I finally got home, I felt the radiator hose, and it was barely warm. The engine itself was cool to the touch, and it ought to have been hot after that much driving! That is, it ought to have been too hot to touch, let alone hold on to. Looking back to the problems with the trip to and from Swift Current, I see a pattern: During the day, when it was warmer, the truck performed without problems. But once we got into the evening and the air temperature dropped considerably, that's when the truck started having all these problems. My new theory is that the thermostat is buggered, and the engine is just plain running far too cold to work properly. The down side is, this is bound to be another situation were it's about a $25 part (maybe less!) but it'll cost a couple hundred dollars in labour to install it. I won't know for sure until I call the mechanics to ask them how much it will be, but that's sort of what I'm expecting. I'm hoping that turns out to be the problem, because it's only going to get a lot more expensive if it isn't. :/
Right now, the Kidling is in town with Trixstir at the bowling alley. I stopped by and offered to bring him home, but he said he'd rather stay there and do some work there. Hmmmm... Methinks he's just wanting to get out of doing more shovelling on the driveway! ;) In any case, I'm just as happy to have him stay there; I've had a headache all day, and I'm feeling queasy and achey. I'm just hoping that the Kidling didn't bring something home from school, though he's not showing any symptoms of anything yet...