The problem I'm having is when I first start the truck up and start travelling down the road, I have very little power. It takes me about 5-10 miles to inch my way up to 40 MPH. Then all of a sudden, I get an increase in power to normal ranges. Once this happens,
When I get to approximately 60 mph and shift into overdrive, my engine starts surging between 1300 and 1400 RPM's. So I've got to drive fast enough to keep the engine about 1500 RPM's. This happens at all speeds, so I'm thinking it isn't a transmission issue. I've changed the fuel and air filters, and looked at the turbo. It is spinning when the engine is idling, but of course I can't tell what it's doing when the engine is running faster.
Any help is appreciated since I can't find a diesel mechanic around here.

I forgot- I have 155,000 miles on the truck.

You may be experiencing "coking" in your turbo. I would definitely have it checked out. Be sure to only use a full synthetic HDEO (e.g. Mobil 1 DELVAC) with your diesel truck. Turbos are prone to problems with conventional oil.

Mobil Delvac 1 5W-40

Is that something I could do myself? ( I have limited experience working on engines, but pretty good mechanical aptitude. I'm assuming you mean that I'm building up deposits in my turbo. On the exhaust or drive side of the turbo?

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Originally Posted by txgreasemonkey

You may be experiencing "coking" in your turbo. I would definitely have it checked out. Be sure to only use a full synthetic HDEO (e.g., Mobil 1 DELVAC) with your diesel truck. Turbos are prone to problems with conventional oil.

Mobil Delvac 1 5W-40

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Yes. It is not likely a big deal to remove it and replace, if necessary. It's even possible to severely bend the blades of the turbo, if the air filter is not regularly replaced. Once you examine it closely, you'll be able to tell if it's the source of your problem or not.

To add a comment.. . The issue is not so much to just let the turbocharger cool off but to keep feeding it oil while it is slowing down. The rotor can be turning up to near 100,000 rpm when in full boost. From there is can take several minutes to roll to a stop. The problem is that, once the engine is shut down, the bearings stop getting a flow of oil and have to run with whatever oil is left in them. Because the turbocharger is still quite hot, conventional oil will actually "cook" and leave the bearings running dry. Good synthetic oil can take the heat and be able to provide adequate lubrication until the rotor comes to a stop. Or, you can let the engine idle for perhaps 2 to 5 minutes before shutting down.

I am having the same problem and would like to know if this fixed your truck