Allan, have you faxed the title to US Customs yet? Remember that they have to receive it 72 hours (3 working days) before you export the truck.

 

Yes I faxed that sucker almost 2 weeks ago. I forgot to get a recall clearance letter or whatever it's called, I'll call to see if I need it at import or at registration.

 

When you get a moment can you tell me/us the Kenworth part number for those stainless cab extender brackets please.

 

OK, just makin sure you knew about the suspension.

Yep all the KW's have issues with the fairing brackets, like the frame rails, no primer used, just paint over bare metal.

While you're at it, check the heater/A/C box on the firewall, it is another source of rust thru, I have a buddy who has replaced his already on a 1998, another friend who is going to soon on a 1996, and my own a 1999 is getting pretty rusty.

They sell it with the heater core and A/C evap and expansion valve already in place, in the $2000.00 range(US)

 

K275-6001SS

SS fairing bracket LF4

$44.00 each

 

Finally got the truck home, had to wait for the compliance/VIN stickers to come in. CBP and CBSA both didn't even bother to check the VIN! Ah well. Unfortunately I had a bit of a surprise when I started putting the stickers on. The GVWR for the truck is only 48,000, not 52,000. I can only put 36,000 on the rears. This is an issue because I'm legal for 37,485 (17,000 kg) in Canada. It does have 40,000 lb rears, so I'm not sure why it is rated differently. Suspension or frame is my guess. Does anyone know if this can be changed?

The truck definitely needs some work, there's a howl somewhere in the front, I'm thinking passenger side wheel bearing. Not sure if it's making the boost it should, I got it up to 30 once. I guess bobtailing makes less boost though. It is a 430/500 engine but not sure if someone changed that.

The thing turns like a damn boat too. It's maybe 4" longer wheelbase than my Volvo, but it feels like it's 8 feet longer. Maybe the steering stops aren't set correctly, or it has a short pitmen arm.

 

DRL install is taking too long. I think I have it figured out. Kenworth sold me a DRL module that was supposed to plug right into the harness. It doesn't. So what I'm going to do is steal an air switch from the Volvo, have one side to ground and the other side to a relay. The positive side of the relay will be to ignition +. The other side of the relay will ground the headlight relay (that's how the headlight switches work on a Kenworth, they ground the relay). I could just cheat and have the air switch ground the headlight relay, but then the headlights would come on any time the yellow button is pushed in. I want them to come on only with ignition on and yellow button pushed in. So basically the relay turns an ignition positive to an ignition ground. Unless I can find an ignition ground somewhere.

 

Sounds like a good plan to me.

 

Man this stuff would've been done so quick on the Volvo. Everything seems to take longer, not because it's harder to work on (it's actually much easier in a lot of ways) but simply because I don't know where things are. Had the DRL installed but I had a 5 pole relay. I guess I switched two wires. The DRL's would come on with the yellow button out, and turn off when I pushed it in. So then I switched the wires, but realized I didn't have enough air to try it again. All trucks have somewhere that you can add air to the system. I simply couldn't find it on this truck. I finally found it tucked behind the governor on the air compressor in an impossible position. Abandoning that plan, I proceeded to finish the oil change (I had drained it earlier for an oil sample). I then discovered several things. First, the truck only has a Davco for a fuel filter, no secondary filtering. Second, the oil filters are in a very bad spot, they're tucked against the frame and do not stick down at all straight above the front axle. Third, they're freaking huge and I do not have a large enough filter wrench.

So here I sit with a half done oil change and a 3/4 done DRL install.

The good news is I received my recall clearance today, sent it off to RIV and they approved. So now I need an RIV inspection (just checking for stickers and DRL) then I should be able to register the truck in Canada after a safety. The locks are all fixed up, and I got a bunch of spare keys cut today. I also fixed a whole bunch of interior lights, mostly warning lights. The CEL was burnt out. I didn't check for that while checking the truck, the engine could have 10 codes and I never would've known. I also changed almost every filter known to man, including flushing the power steering.

continued here with pictures:

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