So I'm in the middle of the San Luis Valley and that odd tapping from the engine keeps getting louder and louder! What to do? Limp into Saguache, CO, and call home. The Dog will be going home on a stretcher, I suspect I put a few thousand miles too many on the rod bearings! My fault, but a bummer just the same.

R.

Sometimes they just need a little medical attention from time to time.

pull plug wires until you locate the rod making the noise--then pull the sparkplug from the bad cylinder---sounds like you have decided to limp home and rebuild later....bob

If I can limp it onto a uhaul trailer and then off that'll be the extent of it. I don't want any more carnage.

R.

I'm at the McDonalds in Pagosa Springs, Dog is on a trailer. I don't know what is in the
Chevy Uhaul 10' van, but I REALLY had to flog it over Wolf Creek Pass. It needed Second gear in the 6-speed auto, 3000 rpm at 30mph! It wouldn't pu=ll Third for most of it.
Maybe it's a 4.8, but it's a gutless wonder.

R.

Dog didn't want to go to the hospital! Came off the trailer about 50 miles from home. Lucky me, no damage to the pickup, and I got it reloaded and made it into town and into bed.

The Chevy 4.8 is what was under the hood, a destroked 5.3 and with a shorter stroke and longer rod it really liked to rev, but no power at all under about 3200rpm.

I absolutely LOVE the new 6-speed auto with manual shift. The gears are nicely spaced (except it seems a big gap between 2 and 3) and the shifts are instant. Averaged 12.7mpg with empty 10-foot van, trailer and 4000lb Dog.


R.

Here it is back home. It's a nice contrast to the red rocks.
R.

i guess we'll take your word for that.



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