6.5 Turbo Diesel maintenance is, for the most part, very easy. As opposed to maintenance on smaller vehicles, doing the basic stuff on a big rig with all that room makes things a LOT more pleasant.
And the fact that we drive a diesel means that we don’t have the regular tune-up stuff like cap, rotor, wires and spark-plugs!
Also on these older rigs, you can still do most all of it with the tools you already have in your toolbox or you can fill in the blanks of your toolbox with ones that are readily available. And who doesn’t love new tools!
There is of course the standard maintenance list that most all vehicles have, namely oil changes and filter changes and medium range duties like changing a worn out starter But there are the other less popular steps like chassis lube and coolant system maintenance that is easily done as well.
But there are other little things that tend to crop up over time, some that are particular to our trucks like the door hinge pins that wear and will need to be replaced.
Along with larger projects like replacing a whole engine or worn transmission that you can and should do too!
Aside from the money savings (there are a few people who don’t worry about that), there is a connection with your vehicle that grows over time when you do the work yourself that helps you to know when things are not quite right.
This will allow you to stop problems before they cause any real harm and you will likely be able to do the fix yourself because you have gained more experience with your truck from maintenance work.
You also gain a level of knowledge of your diesel that will allow you to talk intelligently with your mechanic for those times that you do need to have work done by others. This will help them to get the right work done correctly and likely save you money as well.
As important as these reasons are, equally as important is the confidence that you gain from you learning, figuring it out and having your own hands do all the work yourself.
Whether you live in an apartment building, in a suburban home or out on a farm, most of the maintenance on your 6.5 turbo diesel can be done by you, with your tools, in a short amount of time so there really are few excuses unless you just, plain don’t want to.
But then you wouldn’t be here reading this page, would you? So let’s get going!