Last year..about this time my 2000 B2500 started to idle rough, was fine under load. That went on for maybe 6 weeks during which time I changed the plugs/wires, cleaned throttle body. Nothing helped and finally it threw a code, cyl 2 misfire. I thought "awesome now I have some direction!" I did a compression test, and compression was good. OK, had to be spark, fuel or air then right? Down the bunny hole I went, IAC, TPS, coils, new injectors, redid the vacuum lines with new silicone hose, DPFE. Nothing was helping and I was getting frustrated as heck. Then one day in hot temps last summer it started to stall out when idled for a 5-10mins and keep on wanting to stall out even under load. Let it cool and it would start up again. It mostly sat the last 10 months and every now and then when I got frustrated I would try and figure it out. Eventually, after a short run to the dump my check engine light went from being the normal steady on 0302 code to flashing..which means enough fuel was getting dumped that the computer was worried about the cat. I let it sit another month, did too much internet troubleshooting and decided to start again from scratch.

redid the compression and cylinder 2 was barely 50 to the others 150. Well, that tell me something finally! I poured some oil in the cylinder, redid the compression and still right at 50. At this time I was pretty sure it was the head. This was literally a few days before a month long business trip to asia. I saw a 25% off coupon for autozone, plus a $50 mail in rebate, a $10 instant gift card and free shipping special. Total for the head would be $340 or $470 depending if it was a 6mm or 8mm thermostat housing bolt. The sale ended that night so instead of going and you know, actually checking i went surfing and found a few online cylinder head suppliers specified that the 2000 is 8mm bolts, that worked for me as the cheaper head was the 8mm bolt one!

So, while I was away the head comes in. After my return it's time to do the head..all went well, except that my truck has 6mm therm bolts. Of course it does.... I looked at the thermostat housing and where the bolts go thru are brass inserts, and they looked thick enough to drill them out with a drill and use 8mm bolts, so i did and they drilled no problem. If faced with the same, just be careful to center the drill. The bolts needed were 8mm 1.25x30, worked perfect.

Truck back together, idles awesome and think it's fixed, not so fast. Went thru takeout two days later and it started to stall again. WTF over! It's heat soak related, that much is clear now. Did more google and saw coil packs come up now and then, happened to have the old coil packs I switched when chasing the idle, switched and no change. (also now have a spare set of coils). Started to think fuel system. I had changed the filter in the bad idle chase, so I knew wasn't that. the fuel pump has just under 300k on it, so wouldn't be a shock, could be the return valve on the rail, but that didn't show any gas in the vacuum line. So...was thinking fuel pump. I don't have a pressure gauge to check rail pressure, was thinking of getting one but decided to check the fuel pump relay first. Touched it after a drive and it was VERY hot, like this once a chef couldn't even touch it again. So, grabbed a relay from the parts store for $17 and viola, fixed. It was working fine when cool, heat soaked, not so much.

Just posted this in case somebody else runs into some of these issues, the 6mm or 8mm, got the wrong head issue (both work fine, I saw some posts where people used the other head and thermostat housing and lived with the CEL ) or if they are having heat sink stalling issues under load.

Have had this truck since new, being originally from Canada but in the US (when I moved here I bought the truck ) and the deep south where vehicles hardly rust it's been kinda fun to just keep it on the road. It's not my only transport, but it has become like a comfortable pair of jeans I prefer to use. I'm also too cheap to pay somebody more than the truck is worth to fix it, so I have been practicing LONG dormant auto/bike repair skills from when I was a kid in HS, college, broke kid in the military using the base auto club when things still used carbs still LOL.

To my surprise, it came back fairly well once I got into it and I found myself enjoying it. If it was my only transport i suspect there would be less fun and more "I hate this truck" going on

Next on the list, the LBJ and UBJ are very close to needing replacing, I actually had the LBJ on hand and front brake pads when it started to idle bad. Until idle was resolved didn't feel like doing them, that is now on the to do list. The headliner is starting to sag, new headliner material on hand and #M spray glue, that will be done soon, rear brakes have meat left on them and the drums, but are seriously like 14 years old, so gonna change them..just because. Then after the mechanicals are all sorted, the rood and hood clearcoat is peeling, gonna tackle that.


In the meantime, kinda nice to "fit" in the ole jeans again