Quote:
Originally Posted by andrewt2
PM me if you want my contact info in case you run into any trouble around Topeka, KS i would be more than willing to lend a hand!
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thanks, I just read this 4 days too late. I don't know what it is about Topeka, but every time I go back to ND from OKC, either there or back, I will get turned around in Topeka. This time I missed my 35S exit towards Wichita and ended up 80E to Junction City, then had to head 77S to El Dorado.
Anyhoos, this trip was the worst ever. Here goes:
OK, so I fly into Fargo Saturday around 2:30. Installed a new cig lighter and dash lights for the trip. I get on the road after having steak and shrimp with the fam around 4:30. I make it 2 hours in rain/fog to the Watertown, SD exit, and run out of gas (guage broken). I had put two 5-gal cans in the back for emergencies. I checked the fluids, topped off the tank, and pressed on.
I'm cruising about 50-60 until I hit massive fog around Sioux Falls - 40 mph. for a good half hour to hour. Make it to Sioux City ok. Using about a qt of oil every 100 miles. Averaging about 5-7 mpg. I make it to Council Bluffs/Omaha, and it all starts going south (metaphorically and physically). I noticed I was slowly losing power, acceleration, speed, etc. I was beginning to think I had pushed the old 350 too hard. I limped on at about 40-50. I took the wrong exit and ended up 10 miles West. By this time the truck was acting like it was on its last leg. To make matters worse, I was going so slow with such a noticeable load at 2:30 in the a.m. that some drunk hefty blonde drove by and flashed her huge 40-50 year old chest at me. I was so fried at this point she was a quarter mile ahead of me by the time I realized what she had actually done.
So, I limp (15 miles per hour on hills) to Nebraska City, find an O'reilly, and stop at 3:30 A.M. to realize that I had smoked two of my spark plug wires on the exhaust manifold. I slept in truck til 6, started assessing damage, adjusting, then at 9 they opened. Back on the road at 10am. Truck was a lot better, but not great. I tooled towards Topeka. Missed exit. Made it to Junction City and headed south. Hills the whole 100+ miles to I-35. Slowly started losing power again. Took 3 hours to go 100 miles. I actually remember the moment I lost my mind - so does my perfect dash pad (not perfect anymore). I made it to El Dorado, KS and called my dad, who was about an hour away and said I couldn't do it anymore. I camped for an hour, hooked up the trailer to dad's 1 ton. My truck purred at 60 mph all the way through Wichita.
Unloaded the 29 and extra sheet metal from bed and hauled butt to OKC at a cool 75 mph. The truck's not right, but it's not dead. I definately have some vacuum advance, detent issues. Carb and other adjustments.
Anyhoo - 30 hours of hell. Made it home at 10 pm last night. I will NEVER haul that far again in a truck I haven't had in my posession.
Here's a pic