Now that we've finished our "black and white" discussion, let's talk grey
areas.
There's is a WHOLE world of space between 1800RPMs and beating the hell out
of the truck. When I say you have to drive the truck the way it was meant
to be driven, I'm talking about winding it out to 2500-3000 RPM's when you
shift, and maybe, just maybe, letting it see the 3000's once in awhile. You
even mentioned your uncles truck, which he "runs the 427 at 4000 rpms all
day long". 4000 is a LONG ways from 1800.
Let's be serious here, nobody is telling you to beat the hell out of the
truck, but for God sakes, drive the poor thing. You are once step from just
pushing it around.
--Nick
----- Original Message -----
From: "Will Coughlin" <willcoughlin@hotmail.com>
To: <dakota-truck@buffnet.net>
Sent: Tuesday, February 27, 2001 10:06 AM
Subject: DML: I think I'm making myself misunderstood here......
> Ok, I think most of you misunderstand what I'm trying to do with my
> Dakota.My Dakota was given to me.I just think I owe it to my father to
take
> care of it to the best of my ability.I've never been one to cuase abuse to
> vehicles on purpose.When I drive other people's vehicles for my business
or
> at my other job(I AM a mechanic during the week), I do not "hot-rod" them.
> I'm not "scared" of high rpms, as I may have suggested.I just don't find
it
> anywhere near neceassary for what I do with my truck.My Uncle, who I spend
> as much time with as I can(He has prostate cancer that has spread to
> back,and I don't know what I'll do when he passes-he's taught me so
> much),basically taught me how to care for a vehicle.He has& has had lots
of
> high-mileage vehicles.His '80 model Chevrolet 4x4(350 4-bolt,SM465
> 4-speed,NP205,3.73 axles)has 360,XXX miles on the original,unopened
> drivetrain(It has always been shifted at about 16-1800 rpm and it cruises
at
> 1800-1900.It's never "had the soot blown out of it") His 1961 model
> Chevrolet C-60 10-wheeler has 480,XXX miles on the original,unopened
> drivetrain.He drives it up and down the east coast,and runs the 427 at
4000
> rpms all day long( I replace the valvesprings,rockers,and lifters every
> fall,and I had the heads completely off this fall for a total rework).It
was
> built to take it,though.The Dodge D300 custom I use at work and what not
has
> 530,000 on the originsl transmission & rearend(NP435 wide-ratio,Dana 60
rear
> 5.13 gear).The original 318 cu.in. motor failed in the Dodge when another
> boy decided he would "blow the soot out of 'er"(bent a pushrod,then
dropped
> a valve which in turn took out #3 piston). Now I work on cars all day long
> and you can definitely tell most of the ones that have been given hell.I
> have also built cars/trucks that are "built",as in built to take some
> serious abuse.The 327 I built 2 years ago has been making 7.90(1/8
> mi.)passes since the day it was built.2 years later, it still turns the
same
> numbers.It sees 7000 rpm on a pretty regular basis.Now,that said, What
does
> everybody think that I should be doing with my Dakota? Should I drive it
the
> way I have been,or should I get out and give it hell to see what I can
tear
> up?? The transmission's already on it's way out,what should I aim for
next?
> Blow the bottom end of the motor apart? Break the spiders out of the
> rearend? How many rpm's should it turn on a daily basis? Maybe I'll go
make
> a pass at the strip just to see how much wear I can cause on a pickup
truck
> that I have to rely on to get me everywhere I need to go.Sorry if I sound
a
> little annoyed. I just get frustrated when I try to take care of things
that
> mean alot to me and people look down on me for it. Please, give me input
on
> how better to make my Dakota last longer.After all, that's all I'm trying
to
> do for it. I just want to see it stay with me for as long as
possible.Please
> give me some feedback on this. I apparently need help as to how to better
> care for my Dakota.
>
> Will Coughlin willcoughlin@hotmail.com
> '00 reg.cab,2wd,4.7L/hd5-spd/3.92sg(9.25")
> http://www.geocities.com/willcoughlin/index.html
>
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