Bought a 2002 T800 12.7 500 Detroit
 

Continuing from here:

http://www.classadrivers.com/forum/o...sed-truck.html

I'll get some pictures up asap.

one of the best damn looking trucks ever! good luck with it!

These are the pictures the dealer took before the detailing. All the aluminum remains unpolished.

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p...T800SLP001.jpg

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p...T800SLP002.jpg

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p...T800SLP003.jpg

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p...T800SLP006.jpg

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p...T800SLP009.jpg

Good from far, but far from good.

Oh I don't know, She's got good bones. Good rubber and the Air Glide 400 suspension. A little aluminum polish will go a long way. You don't see too many with internal air filter and side exhaust. I drive a '98 studio with a shorter wheelbase, fuel tanks under the doors and a tiny little M11 and I like it alot.

I didn't add the specs

2002 T800
12.7 DDC IV 500 HP
13 Speed
3.55 gears (would've preferred 3.70s)
22.5LP tires - all fairly new
Espar Engine heater
Espar Bunk heater
Side exhaust, internal air cleaner
70" sleeper
Grey VIT interior
Davco heated fuel filter (oddly enough there's no main fuel filter?)
120 gallon tanks
236" or so wheelbase
AG200 upgraded to AG400 rear suspension
Some gauges - need to add tranny temp, diff temps, and a pyro

Projects over the next few days:

- Finish DRL install and get RIV inspection done
- Remove upper fairing
- Change all oils and filters
- Adjust wheel stops
- Install TPMS
- Install oil bypass filter
- Headache rack
- Full fenders
- Replace rear fairing brackets with stainless brackets
- Battery/starter/alternator
- Full brake job (Centrifuse drums, Platinumshield shoes, Lifeseal brake chambers, Stemco wheel seals, Stemco pro torq wheel end products, wheel bearings/s-cams/bushings will be as needed)
- Air compressor
- Air dryer
- Polish everything up
- All shocks
- Grease job
- Adjust clutch
- Adjust steering box (looks like it has to be removed to do this)
- Install wheel balancers
- Stemco kaiser kingpins
- Valve set

Trying to keep it reasonable here...

Further down the road projects:

- Aftermarket exhaust manifold + turbo
- PPP engine balancer and damper
- Engine rebuild that won't be standard (out of frame with more internal machinework than usual to really tweak efficiency)
- APU (diesel or battery not sure)
- 244" wheelbase
- ~100" sleeper
- Custom enclosed headache rack
- Nice set of pipes
- Custom paint job
- Paint the frame

Yeah I noticed that. That little upgrade cost me close to 3,000 in parts + labour IIRC. So it's good that's already done.

You should have a much easier time than I did installing mine on a two-thirty-something wheelbase, sixty something bunk with exhaust behind the bunk.

Where do you get stainless ones? I've been making my own from the corners of farmers gates.....it amounts to 1" square tube bent 90 degrees. Works good. Don't forget to isolate the steel from the aluminum with rubber.

Why do you think I insisted on getting side exhaust?

Kenworth part #K275-6001SS

SS fairing bracket LF4

$44.00 each

They even gave me the small screws for the fairings, but not the bolts that go into the sleeper. I'm having a real bitch of a time removing those.

Today(thursday the 2nd):

- Finished oil change
- Finished DRL install and put together dash
- Two front shocks
- Adjusted steering box (required partial removal)
- Dicked around with steering stops, only to realize it's the steering box that sets the limits. It doesn't even come close to the limiters on the axle!
- Removed lower two fairing brackets (with some damage)
- Finished p/s filter/oil change
- Did one rear brake chamber
- Both front brake chambers, needs two new slacks (they were different brands anyways)

Discovered:

- Passenger side step has no provisions for storage
- The truck only has 3 batteries

it nice but steering wheel on the wrong side haha

Scrapping the idea of polishing the wheels myself. It's way too much work even with a polisher. I don't know how you stop it from jumping around on the holes either.

Sent the wheels off to a local polisher. They even picked them up for me.

A few things:

- Axle tubes in the rear have considerable wear, to the point where they need to be replaced. I can't set up the wheel bearings properly
- One of the grease nipple plates on the kingpins won't come off. It's completely seized. Probably put 800 ft lbs on it, eventually the nut stripped. Going to try to weld a bigger nut on
- Decided to do more work than originally planned. Added tie rod ends and drag link.
- Brake job in the rear is finally done
- Shocks in rear are done (what a PITA!)
- Anti-seize is your friend! Why don't people use it?

Were the bottom shock bolts really close to those AG400 trailing arm things?

Yes they're really close. I'm guessing Gabriel makes their shocks a little longer than most. I looked at a new AG 400 setup and it's the same thing, but the shocks are shorter. The PITA was removing the old ones. I eventually cut them off but even that took hours. The nuts were those really shallow locking nuts and everything just skips off of them. Yes I put tons of anti-sieze on the new ones.

- Wheels turned out ok, not as good as I thought considering the money I paid
- Rear is almost done, just needs 2 air lines for spring chambers on front axle, all nuts torqued, brakes set up, then the diffs can be filled
- Front spindles are back on after kingpin job (Stemco Kaiser is an A+ product!) and the new tie rod and drag link are installed(with LOTS of anti-sieze), now it's s-cam bushings, s-cams, wheel bearings + races, plus brakes and the front is done
- My dad had to weld a huge rod to the bottom kingpin plate to get it off. More anti-sieze
- I told the GF to remove some rust under the mirror brackets with a polish and wow, the paint actually looks pretty good with some buffing, I plan on buffing up the whole truck now
- Truck is coming along pretty decent, but there's still lots of little things to be done

It's actually a 62" sleeper, seems big enough for now. Rear brake job is completely done, the fronts should be together by supper tomorrow. After it's together we're going to play with the wheel stops. I also want to take it for a spin to see if anything else needs work. I hope it rides good!

Up next:

- Finish the front, check toe in
- play with wheel stops
- fill diffs
- change tranny fluid
- swap batteries (3 for 4)
- finish rear brackets
- buff paint
- polish steps and tanks
- change alternator
- Install new radio/xm
- decals/plates/satellite
- full fenders
- alignment
- CAC test and overhead
- catwalk

I'm thinking it's going to take me another full week at least.

I find mine fairly OK. I wish I had more room for the microwave up top behind the passenger seat. Not much room for a TV either but I don't have one anyway so that doesn't big me at all.

Sounds like yours is similar to my '98 with the studio bunk. You have the fold out couch right?
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/h...0811134950.jpg

It's just the basic bunk with the bed. I'll probably take it for a spin Sunday. The clutch adjuster had a cracked tooth so the truck is yet again non-operable. I'm also finding the passenger steer feels "tight" for some reason, with the brake fully backed off. Drivers side feels great. Just have to change the adjuster and set up the clutch, lower the truck and torque the front wheels and hub caps, and torque the tie rod link nuts. After that I just check the toe in again and the truck should be operable. The only other major job it needs is the air compressor. The rest of the stuff is fairly small. I just hope the cracked tooth on the adjuster isn't due to a clutch at the limit. Sometimes guys will reef on it to try to get the clutch to adjust when it wont.

I'll get it running Sunday, go for a good wash, scale it, and hook up to my trailer to check the 5th wheel. After bringing it home I'll check the passenger steer wheel again. It should loosen up, if not there's an issue. It's probably just the brake dragging in one spot.

Lots done:

- Clutch is adjusted
- Upper fairing removed
- Rear brackets are all stainless
- Screws on fairings all stainless
- Alternator plus belt
- New hood latches
- New upper bushings for exhaust
- Bunk air ride set
- Toe in set
- Cab air filter
- Batteries almost changed
- Blowby tube extended (to see where oil is coming from)

Scored a free headache rack too. But it needs work, the middle hanger cracked all the way through so it needs lots of welding. Nothing my dad can't handle!

You and your dad are a pair of handy fellows!

My allergies kicked into high gear (it's harvest here) so I've accomplished less than I should:

- Batteries turned out to be a bitch, the stupid bracket wouldn't fit over the batteries. After scratching my head for 3 damn days I figured it out, the batteries were in the wrong way! I'm used to my volvo where they're all in a line like this : IIII

- Headache rack is coming along, although I've spent about $450 on it (aluminum, new chain hangers, install kit)
- Truck is running again, going to take it for another test spin tomorrow, the rattles should be gone. Going to wash it for the first time as well
- After it's washed the GF is going to polish the paint
- After that's done she can polish the tanks

What's left:

- Headache rack
- Half fenders, might go with full fenders, probably Minimizer Poly Chrome
- Air compressor
- Finish stereo/XM install. All the hardware is done just have to finish the wires
- Rear tail light assembly
- Steal the rest of the TPMS sensors off the Volvo, may involve removing wheels

The other stuff can wait. After the above is done it's just a matter of getting the safety done, RIV inspection, Decals, Satellite, Plates.

nice truck hows she running. as long as shes making ya money is all that matters!!

Truck will make me money in September. It should be ready to rock Monday, then it goes for alignment, RIV inspection, safety, valve set, stripes, and satellite all next week.

Past couple days:

- Radio and XM installed
- Air compressor is out, going to buy the engine position sensors before putting new one in
- Going to change all the hoses while I'm at it
- Half the truck is polished
- Headache rack is repaired and ready to install
- Straightened tail light assembly, might just leave it on there

The bull gear should be fine there was absolutely no debris on the engine position sensors.

All the hoses>fuel lines or air lines OR both?

Coolant hoses. Air lines are easy to fix and usually aren't catastrophic. I've never replaced any fuel lines, just haven't had problems.

I found a large oil leak today. At the bottom of the oil fill tube is a large fitting from threaded to barbed for the rubber hose. The threaded part wasn't threaded at all, just loosely sitting on the top of the housing. No wonder there's oil everywhere!

Hit another snag:

Upper and lower coolant tubes are $380 each from Kenworth. The reason is because it's a detroit engine. Other engines would be cheaper. Oh and $125 to ship, each since they're not in the same location. There's also only one of each in the system. I see prices online for stainless are half that, but it's a bitch because I'm in Canada. Might just go custom stainless locally.

Volvo has a centralized distribution center and if the local dealer doesn't have the part you get it the next morning, no air charges. So far I'm thinking Volvo parts are more available.

Truck is almost ready! Just a couple things to do over the weekend, and it goes for a safety on Monday and alignment on Tuesday. I can't believe how long everything has taken, I wanted to be on the road last weekend. That's just the way it is sometimes.

I used the 3 stainless tubes from bh tubes, got them in 2 days, perfect fit excellent quality, priced right compared to KW

That's what I ended up doing. 4 tubes for $780 shipped.

I'll be interested to see if you find the ride harsh.

It's quite a bit different from the Volvo that's for sure. Problem is the Volvo had a ride quality issue, that's why I got rid of it. Haven't hooked up to a trailer yet. Bobtailing it is maybe a little rougher, not much. Doesn't bounce around or sway as bad though. It feels more like a real truck.

Should be rolling wednesday.

Stainless is the ticket unless you only plan to keep a couple of years.

The rear kit that I bought to upgrade to the AG400 came with torsion bars that they use on the 46,000 lb rears. I had no choice. dealer said all the kits come with the heavier round bars. 40,000 lb bars are smaller dia. It rides rough empty.

Went for the first trip and everything went "ok". Had a few issues:

- Air dryer needs to be done ASAP, the purge valve is screwing up, I was hoping I could wait a while to push more oil out of the system before replacing it
- Espar started blowing diesel smoke into the sleeper, an easy fix
- Front end shimmy, needed a new steer tire
- Handling issue that is probably fixed with the new tire, but I will check the toe in tomorrow just in case
- Drivers door leaks a LOT by the locking mechanism, I put a new gasket there but I think it needs silicon behind the gasket
- A fuel tank vent was actually replaced with a plug, causing that tank to stay full
- Needs a new 5th wheel, surprised it passed safety
- Going to insulate the big sleeper windows, they let in too much noise while sleeping
- Dash fan doesn't seem to push out enough volume of air

The truck did 7.8 and 7.3 MPG. It is not geared correctly, when I'm heavy I have to go either 58 in 12th (1480 rpms) or 63+ in 13th, but it still lugs on the hills too much. The door tag and diffs say 3.55 but I think it actually has 3.36 gears!

Tell me about it. They suck for that. My "heater box" (i.e. the tin housing that houses the squirrel cage fan, located on the firewall, in the engine bay, in front of the glove box) was leaking a massive amount of air. I replaced it and that improved the situation, but not much.

funny my father and i were talkign the other day about that. in his t800 it didnt blow out worth a damn. his 379 blows out like crazy.

The heater boxes on KW's are a weak spot they rust out badly, especially in the rust belt, I have no issues with the blower speed, it will blow your hair back on high,check to see that the hoses behind the dash are good and that they are connected properly,also check the squirrel cages the plastics ones sometimes "slip"