Finally,
I got around to working on my truck this weekend. I received the new JBA
power cables I ordered last week but hadn't time to install them. Besides,
I wanted to do the plugs, wires, cap and rotor all at the same time. I
stopped in NAPA for the plugs, cap rotor and anti-sieze, I ran into a guy
with a Durango who was telling the parts counter man about the problem he
was having with his truck. I listened to him for a bit and he said the
dealer thought it was a bad fuel pump and wanted over $300 to replace it. I
spoke up and told him to get his battery checked. Good info I got from the
DML. He thanked me and said he would give that a shot. The counter guy
heard me tell the Durango owner I was retired military and when he rang up
the parts, he gave me the military discount. For the brass cap, brass
rotor, 6 Autolite plugs and a tube of copper anti-sieze cost me $16.
I figured as long as I was doing the ignition stuff, I might as well pull
the TB and give it a good cleaning too. I was also gonna finally get rid of
those annoying heat shields, also known as dirt collectors, around the
plugs. The truck at the time of the tune up had 88566 miles on it and it
still had the factory cap, rotor, and wires installed. I checked my
maintenance logs and this is the 3rd set of plugs I've put in. I don't
remember and I didn't note what plugs were in the truck the first time I
changed them but I do know I had installed Champions at about 40000 miles.
They came out at 65000 miles in favor of Bosch Platinum plugs and for this
change, I went with what is recommended by the majority of ya'll here and
installed the Autolite 3923's. I first disconnected and removed the TB so
it would have a chance to let the cleaner soak in while I was changing the
plugs, etc. The TB was kind of dirty but when I got the IAC off, it was
really carboned up bad. I took a light and looked inside the intake. Slight
coat of oil film. nothing more. No puddles or anything, so I think I'm OK
there. I drew a diagram of which plug was in which cylinder and I also
copied down the firing order. One at a time I pulled the plug wires, blew
out the heat shield and pulled the plugs. They all looked pretty clean, no
deposits on the electrode, none fouled. I checked and gapped the new plugs
to .040 inch and made sure (this time!) I put anti-seize compound on the
threads. After all the new plugs were in, I pulled the cap. I found out the
only way to get the cap out is after loosing the hold down screws, it has
to come out the passenger side. Just not enough clearance on the drivers
side. When I finally got the cap out and was able to look at it I was
surprised the truck even ran at all! The tip of the rotor was burned and
corroded as was every terminal inside the cap. I set the old cap and wires
down on the work bench and installed the new JBA's on the new cap, using
the old cap wires as a guide on how they needed to be routed. Putting new
cap on was an exercise in contortion and vision. Seeing and getting the
screws tightened down was tricky but do-able. The stock looms won't accept
the larger power cables so I had to make sure they got routed when they
would not come in contact with anything hot. I also made sure I put the
dielectric grease in both end boots. Next, I turned my attention to the TB.
I took about 90 minutes to make sure it was as clean as I could get it, and
to get as much of the carbon build up off the IAC as possible.
I got it everthing re-assembled, re-installed and it was time for the
moment of truth. I hit the key, the truck fired right off and idled right
where it's supposed to. I took a minute or two for it to settle down but it
still idled perfectly. On my way to work this morning, the butt dyno say
the truck likes the new parts and all. I used to set the cruise at 65 and
the tach would read about 2250 RPM. This morning at 65, it was reading just
a needle width above 2000 RPM. When I picked it up to 75, the engine was
turning about 2300 RPM where it used to run nearly 2500 RPM. I pulled out
to pass a truck and when I stepped on the gas, the truck responded like
right now! I'm impressed! I'm not totally sure if any one thing made the
difference, I suspect it is a combination of all of them put together. All
in all, it was a Sunday afternoon well spent. Now I'm going off in search
of a wrecked V8 Dak or Dango that is willing to donate its TB to my cause,
LOL.
Talk to ya'll later....
Ray Irons
Dover DE
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