water pump .... one step at a time
From : asr
Q: wrote as much as ive enjoyed my 97 ram and use now as a work truck on a daily basis sometimes working on it can be a bit of a pain. changed the waterpump yesterday. first lesson i learned was that the fan shroud does not come off first. you must remove clutch fan assembly then pull the shroud and fan out at same time. a lousy 1/2 difference in shroud width and this would not be the case. as for the clutch fan..what a fricken pain in the ass. using special tools .... an adjustable wrench and crow bar i successfully removed it allowing access to pump. pump came off easily and replacement was quick cept for one little glitch. the heater hose going to pump secures to a tube that is pressed into pump. this tube does not come with new pump and attempting to reuse the old one didnt work since it did not come out in one piece from old pump. just glad advance auto was open till eleven last night. i just have to question some of the engineering that goes into designing the layout of the truck ....ie last project was changing distributor cap and rotor by feel since it is placed in a spot that had to be intentionally designed to make it inaccessable or at least as aggrevating as possible. with 100k on vehicle i took opportunity to change belt and thermostat at same time along with hoses. now i am wondering if i should have also done timing chain since i spent a fricken day doing a lousy water pump i do not even want to think about getting in there again anytime soon. you should increase your antifreeze consentration as the corroded tube/nipple is a sign that your currnet level is not doing it for you. also on cars with clutch fans mounted with a single big nut attaching them to water pump pulley a strap wrench goes a long way it holding the pulley to break nut loose. -- posted using the http//www.autoforumz.com interface at authors request articles individually checked for conformance to usenet standards topic url http//www.autoforumz.com/dodge-water-pump-step-time-ftopict126733.html visit topic url to contact author reg. reqd. report abuse http//www.autoforumz.com/eform.phpp=617738 .
Replies:
From : Annonymous
to see the greenish color towards the top of the pump. i realize i could replace the pump now...but how do i know when i really have to replace it soon when it starts making horrendous noise shaking like a paint mixer or when your engine overheats and siezes up on you. if its leaking coolant that means the seal is shot and youre getting coolant in the bearing. its not long for this life... you can replace it now on your time or replace it later as in weeks not months when it decides its time. .
From : snoman
shifting up seems to be getting a little spongy of late.any special trick to adjusting the bands not really... as long as you have a torque wrench click-type preferable here as its pretty tight and unless youre an ostrich its hard to crane your neck up enough to read the wrench. tighten to 72 in.lbs. back off the indicated number of turns then tighten the jam nuts. make sure you hold the adjuster in place while you re-tighten the jam nut - they like to spin with em. while youre at it id take the opportunity and install a drain plug in the pan to make future fluid/filter changes and adjustments a little less messy. .
From : tom lawrence
shifting up seems to be getting a little spongy of late.any special trick to adjusting the bands not really... as long as you have a torque wrench click-type preferable here as its pretty tight and unless youre an ostrich its hard to crane your neck up enough to read the wrench. tighten to 72 in.lbs. back off the indicated number of turns then tighten the jam nuts. make sure you hold the adjuster in place while you re-tighten the jam nut - they like to spin with em. while youre at it id take the opportunity and install a drain plug in the pan to make future fluid/filter changes and adjustments a little less messy. and unless theyve changed the adjusting screws youll need an 8-point socket to turn them. i believe theyre 5/16 square-head screws. bryan .
From : trey
case. as for the clutch fan..what a fricken pain in the ass. a tip for the next time... leave the belt on. put the wrench on the nut handle sticking straight up and smack it real good with a hammer counter-clockwise. it should come loose always have for me. conversely when re-installing its much easier to leave the belt off slide the shroud/fan into place hold the fan/clutch still and spin the water pump pulley by hand to thread into the nut. quick cept for one little glitch. the heater hose going to pump secures to a tube that is pressed into pump. this tube does not come with new pump and attempting to reuse the old one didnt work since it did not come out in one yep - thats got to be one of the biggest pitas... there are aftermarket pumps that have a threaded fitting here instead of the stock press-in. on a friends vehicle we were able to get it out but it wouldnt re-seal. some permatex brass putty for repairing radiators - amazing stuff all around the base of the tube finally sealed things up. i just have to question some of the engineering that goes into designing the not much consideration is given to servicability unfortunately. changing the cap/rotor on a 5.2/5.9 isnt the easiest job in the world... its a whole lot easier on a hemi the 426 not the 343 same time along with hoses. now i am wondering if i should have also done timing chain since i spent a fricken day doing a lousy water pump i do not even want to think about getting in there again anytime soon. nah - fortunately its an actual chain not a belt. it should be good to at least 110k .
From : tom lawrence
chrisclem@dmhotrods.com wrote www.dmhtorods.com you spelled it wrong dumbass .
From : tom lawrence
id like a set of mud flaps like these for my big horn dually http//powerstore.cummins.com/products/truck-mud-flaps-detail.jpg theyre way to big and im not sure if they could be cut down small enough to fit without cutting into the logo. ive seen these http//powerstore.cummins.com/products/dually-mud-flaps-detail.jpg which are made for my dually but id rather keep with the plain black/white flaps like shown above. anybody ever seen flaps like the top ones sold for the dodge dually and can tell me where to get them give a silk screener a call see if they can silkscreen the white c onto a set of plain black flaps. .
From : Annonymous
id like a set of mud flaps like these for my big horn dually http//powerstore.cummins.com/products/truck-mud-flaps-detail.jpg theyre way to big and im not sure if they could be cut down small enough to fit without cutting into the logo. ive seen these http//powerstore.cummins.com/products/dually-mud-flaps-detail.jpg which are made for my dually but id rather keep with the plain black/white flaps like shown above. anybody ever seen flaps like the top ones sold for the dodge dually and can tell me where to get them thanks -- nathan w. collier http//7slotgrille.com http//utilityoffroad.com .