RE: Jack's Black Dak BuyBack

From: Sam Parthemer (srp@home.com)
Date: Thu Jul 27 2000 - 20:45:11 EDT


Getting this 3rd hand now--- WTF?? Huh?

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-dakota-truck@buffnet.net
> [mailto:owner-dakota-truck@buffnet.net]On Behalf Of Rob Parenti
> Sent: Thursday, July 27, 2000 5:26 PM
> To: dakota-truck@buffnet.net
> Subject: DML: Jack's Black Dak BuyBack
>
>
> I thought the story of Jack's Black Dak BuyBack was interesting:
> http://webpages.charter.net/hemi/rtgone.html, so I sent it to my brother,
> and here is his response. I think he was confused about Jack's mentioning
> the distinction between 5.2's and 5.9's (I know I am), but the
> rest is food
> for thought. It kind of makes you wish DC was more forthright in
> the first
> place: they took a reliability issue, kept it secret, and it becomes a
> safety/liability urban legend!
> >>
> Nice try Mr. R/T but here's the real story: First of all, I'm assuming
> most know this but R/T's are 5.9L, not 5.2. Secondly, the suspension has
> stiffer springs (not de-arched) and also uses higher pressure in the
> struts. Thirdly, towing capacity has absolutely nothing to do with rear
> axle travel, which is merely a function of trailer tongue weight

Struts??? No Dakota (or RT Dakota) has struts...

> (typically
> 100-200 lbs or so). The real reason for the reduction in GCW (Gross
> Combination Weight) has to do with the engine calibration.

Wrong!@! 1st) tonque weight is supposed to be at least 10% of the weight
being towed-- thus 200# = 2000 trailer.. so whatever. 2nd) The rear axle
travel
has everything to do with towing capacity... the RT's suspension is lower
than
a stock Dakota, and this being said-- the distance from normal height to the
bump
stops is less with the RT... It cannot handle the higher weights-- namely,
600#
tongue weight which you would have with a 6000# trailer... It would bottom
out
the axle against the bump stops-- constantly.

> Because the R/T
> package has a premium fuel calibration, combustion chamber pressures tend
> to be significantly higher than a normal 5.9L cal due to the
> advanced spark
> timing. This resulted in increased occurrence of blown out head gaskets,
> especially under extended high MAP/high temp conditions (such as towing a
> heavy load). Hence the change to the GCW rating.
> <<

The RT is designed to run on 87, standard octane fuel. Not premium. Etc.
etc..
The only blown head gaskets that I've heard of with RT's were one's running
superchargers. Sure any RT could have a head gasket problem, but that's not
considered a wide spread problem.

Sam '00 RT *Have had 3 RTs, 1 SLT, 1 LE, 1 Sport-- I think I know what I am
talking about*



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