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BP in Rochelle, Illinois E-85 $2.60 (test 84%) 87 $4.80 89 $5.30 93 $5.80 Pepper is back on E-85

Imagine my excitement when gas price locally went down from $210.9 per litre to $207.9 per litre this weekend!

MA is screwing us to the wall as usual with road taxes. $4.49 for the company van - $119.00 to fill. If you saw our roads & bridges you'd wonder just where in the hell all this tax money ended up ... This is just a railroad bridge with 100+ tons rolling over your head while stuck at the traffic light. Nothing to see here! https://postimg.cc/gallery/dZdHmdG

I'd be willing to bet you wouldn't lose much in the mpg dept. with a 3.42 ratio, if you can't find a good used one with the G80 locker and you know somebody with a stick welder, you could always do a Lincoln Locker, lol. I know you probably don't drive Pepper in the snow, but for those that don't know with a nose heavy 2wd you want an open differential on packed snowy roads, a posi-trac or locking rear end will slide your ass into the ditch quicker than snot on anything other than a dead flat road, even the crown on a highway will do it.

Changed transmission fluid, filters and gave it a bath.

What is your rear differential gear ratio Grumpy? I've seen instances of people with low numerical differentials actually gain mpg by going up a notch. Or you could go crazy with the gear ratio, get an E-85 tune and go out and smoke some V-8's!

Your disrespect makes you a little man. We’re in the top three for growth. You live a beautiful area. Maybe you’ll change your voting habits before all your businesses are gone. It’s utopia here except for two months of oppressive heat. In retirement it’s very easy to work around the heat. Remote start, climate control garage and an emergency generator. All easily affordable with all the money saved with low taxes and low cost of living. All you bluebirds can continue to vote in the destruction of your state. All I ask is don’t move here and ruin our wonderful utopia. Unless you finally wise up.

Joint replacement surgery is a good option for me. I didn't request surgery but have a huge amount of respect for the knowledgeable surgeon who recommended my operation(s). My decision was made easier by two friends in their 80's who regret not having surgery when it was offered. They didn't take into account that waiting may allow other age related issues render them too high risk for elective surgery.

5/17/2026 Service Note 192,500 Miles Got Pepper back last night. Added to the work list above a compression check. It was better than good. After 37,750 miles on alcohol the injectors removed looked like new as did a borescope of the cylinders. I'll look in having them rebuilt anyway and hold them in reserve. HPFP piston seal was indeed leaking. 60% of the OEM pad still there. Better than originally thought once measured during disassembly. Jason said, "I love working on this truck. Clean as new everywhere and nothing fighting me. It's like working on a new truck" (I do get a discount for that ) He also likes to drive it. I need to get the AFM disabled from the lower gears. Low speed, low throttle position shutter when active. Easy work around. Use M5 in town and run 50 mph or more on the highway. (Shorter gear when replaced). She's not wear free, just wear low. A bit of play in the pinion bearing. Nothing serious but....a reason to change gears I need new rubbers for the lower air box mount. Found during service, unable to source replacement at this time. Need some bed plugs too. No catch can, no problem Not only were the runners clean, the manifold was dead dry and the throttle body was hardly worth the cleaning he gave it. MAF cleaned as well. I'll run down this tank of Shell V Power Nitro + 93 and go back to alcohol.

I have consistently gotten 7-8 years out of the batteries I have bought from the Chevy dealer parts department, and their prices are competitive if not better given the performance of the batteries.

I've owned my truck for Just over five years. I put new tires on it (earlier than needed), I've changed the oil and filters ahead of schedule and now I just completed the fluid changes recommended using the severe maintenance schedule in the manual. It always hurts to spend $2,100 but I'm doing everything I can to keep this truck in good repair. For one, that's just my nature. Second, is that I loan it to my daughter to pull a small camper when her family (grandkids) go camping. Given the cost of a new truck, or any vehicle for that matter, $2,100 is a small price to pay for reliable transportation that also provides good utility from time to time. All tolled, I've spent $4,500 on maintenance - so less than a $100 per month and less than 10 cents per mile. That seems reasonable. I wish I had the tools and ability to do things like the brakes, but those days are gone. I did all the work on my cars in my teens through my 30's. Then I got a job with a car stipend, leased cars, and never had to even think about repairs. However, in retirement (8 years), I now own my vehicles and I'll have to pay to get things done. I think the best thing I could do now is find a good independent mechanic so I don't have to rely on the dealer.

1500s you do. You have to retract the parking brake which can be done with a scan tool, or via a procedure with the parking brake button/switch on the dash. Also. Disconnecting the negative battery cable is a MUST on the 1500s as if you don't, all sorts of errors and warnings will trigger. HDs do not need any sort of procedure as the parking brake is separate from the caliper. So only servicing the parking brake would require a special procedure.

I'm not a fan in general, what is the purpose? I could understand a branded performance caliper being a specific color, not painting one for the sake of... I am much more critical of whether or not they are clean.

Because I added the trans dipstick to a new truck. So I’m assuming the fluid is already at the right level from the factory. And because no one has ever opened up my new truck that I got with 5mi on it, I would also assume that the fact it is showing full on my added transmission dipstick, that all is right. it would be different if I added this dipstick to an old truck that I didn’t buy brand new. Then I get what you’re saying.

3/21/2026 Maintenance Update 192,400 miles / 309,638 km Still at Deegan's but getting closer. Lots of family stuff holding things up but thought an update would be okay, eh? Brake work. Still on the original pads with over 50% left up front and near new out back. Calipers were removed, pins/slides cleaned and greased as were the pad holders. Pads are wearing even and the rotors are minty fresh. Full system purge with at least a pint of DOT 4 passing through each position. Yes, ABS rattled. Lines, mint. Leaf springs. Drivers side front hanger bolt pulled (tank removal required), cleaned and greased. All U bolts retorqued. Pesky click on damp days. Fuel System. New high pressure pump and six new OEM Direct fit parts installed. Lifter removed and inspected. Good as new. All new hard lines. Will send injectors out for rebuilding. Valves. This motor has never had a valve service. Never employed a catch can. Does not use oil and has been on diet of Ester based oil and for the last half of her life been feed E85. Do they look new? No. They look like new parts spraypainted wet flat black as do the runners but very little build up. Like can see the original texture through the EGR caused coating. Walnut blasting would be a waste of time and money. Inlet gaskets. #4 cylinder had a gasket leak leaving a soot witness mark. Shrinkage? but trims were good and it never missed so.....hardly worth the mention. PCV Valve. Replaced. Third valve. OEM plus two since. Precautionary. Nothing I could see wrong with the last one. Oil Change. 6 Quarts Mobil 1 5W40 Euro FS and new Purolator PL22500 filter. Alky motors never show fuel in the UOA but the iron and copper were indeed elevated and base line oxidation was drawn back about 20 points. Using Mobil as a flushing oil. A few thousand miles then back to by Ester stocks. Even elevated they were still withing 'normal' limits for the Ecotec3 platform. Trans Service. I'll do this one when I get her home. A gallon of Red Line D6, a spill and fill service. Note: 1.) I saw absolutely nothing that told me that this motor would have benefited from the use of a catch can. EGR deposits will not be abated by a can. Ester based oils will minimize them. 2.) Just before taking her in I ran the tank near empty and filled with Shell V Power Nitro + 93 and a bottle of Red Line SI-1 system cleaner then ran it a few hundred miles before delivery. I'll finish this tank then go back to E85. 3.) You don't realize how long the inlet runners are in these motors until you get the manifold off. That sir, is a deep well. And it is a long way from the nose of the truck to a vantage point where one could attempt a photo. Jason is going to try, and I mean try, to get a snap with a borescope. My original instruction was to photo the all before and after cleaning. Well they don't need cleaning and they all look the same. Deactivation as well as normal ports. So...I said IF you can grab a photo, say cylinder #2 (easiest to get at) then that will be enough as they all look alike. I also found out that an old fat guy can climb back out once in. Who knew, right? But I can't get in and take a photo.