So... I was forced to look into this noisy engine thing... last night
the water pump started leaking like a siv
Whole thing was the water pump...
I've never seen a worse pump w/o being seized... there was about 1/2" of
play in the pulley/bearings and it was noisy just being spun by hand...
Anyway... $65 from AZ and 4 hours later... the truck purrs like a kitten
Ethan Schwartz wrote:
>
>
>
> Terrible Tom wrote:
>
>>
>> Ethan Schwartz wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> My Dakota has always registered what I consider to be low oil
>>> pressure on the gauge, esp. at hot idle, which reads just above the
>>> white line at the left (minimum) side of the gauge. I did replace
>>> the sensor myself, and there was no change.
>>
>>
>>
>> With that many miles on an engine it is very possible to have an
>> engine with a worn out oil pump. Melling makes high volume/pressure
>> oil pumps. While I do not have any personal experiance with their
>> pumps, I have never heard anything bad about them.
>>
>
> Oil pump would def. end up being a dealer/shop thing for me... the shop
> manual has way too many steps to getting the pan out on a 4x4 5.2
>
>>
>>> In the last 2-4 weeks the engine has developed a rattle sound... like
>>> a few marbles being swished around in an empty coffee can, or a
>>> bowling ball with a chip rolling down the lane... it's not a
>>> rod-knock or anything I've heard w/ other failed engines, but it's
>>> enough that a friend w/ a 98 5.2 Dakota said "WTF is that noise??"
>>> the other day... It's not the A/C compressor, which was my first
>>> thought, though I haven't pulled the belt to check if it's some other
>>> pump/pulley.
>>
>>
>>
>> Does the rattle sound anything like the noise in this MP3 file?
>>
>> http://members.aol.com/silvereightynine/rattle.mp3
>>
>> In late 2002, after the 4th DML BBQ, the timing chain in my 3.9L v6
>> crapped out. It sounded like an indistinct rattle, not rythmic like a
>> rod or a lifter clacking with each rotation. I tore down the front of
>> the engine to discover HELLA amounts of slack in the chain.
>>
>> http://members.aol.com/silvereightynine/christine/mothballed/
>>
>
> Sounds similar...
>
> I have some time this weekend, so first thing I'm going to do is pull
> the acc. belt and check that the accessories are not the issue. I
> checked the convertors by holding a broom stick against them to check
> for rattles... didn't notice anything change, but I'll take a closer look.
>
>>
>>
>>> My brakes have also become harder (both the pedal itself and the
>>> ability to stop)... which makes me wonder if I have low vaccum...
>>
>>
>>
>> Change the brake fluid and bleed the lines. Also check the thickness
>> and status of the brake pads, rotors, and rear drums and shoes. Could
>> also be the brake booster. Low vaccum - on a stock engine, would
>> indicate bad vaccume lines, possible bad rings (do a compression
>> test), is there a vaccum reserve canister on our trucks? I know there
>> is a charocoal canister - but that is for emissions - not vaccum
>> reserve right?
>>
>
> Charcoal canister removes fumes from the gas tank via some vapor lines I
> believe... no idea if these cars have vac. reserves... usually the vac.
> reserves are for cars that have climate & cruise systems that are vac.
> powered and cruise systems that are vac powered... (like older Fords
> where you get full-heat on defrost when you floor it, even if you're on
> max-a/c :))
>
> I def. need to do something about the brakes... I was towing a
> lightly-loaded 5x9 trailer yesterday (moving day for a friend) and I
> almost couldn't stop at a few red lights...
>
>>
>>> It seems like I could have a failing engine (I'm weeks away from 100k
>>> miles, but I bought the truck at an auction with 89k, so I have no
>>> idea what type of abuse it received...)
>>>
>>> I know it's always worthwhile to try to pre-empt a problem like this...
>>>
>>> So does anyone know an honest mechanic south or west of Boston that I
>>> could bring this to for diagnosis? I've only found dead beats around
>>> here that overcharge and either don't find problems (that are real)
>>> or find non-existant ones...
>>
>>
>>
>> I don't know of any out that way unfortunatly. I've been screwed by
>> service shops before and I know the feeling. If you want to attempt
>> some of the repairs on your own - its not impossible. Once you take
>> apart your truck and put it back together again half dozen times, even
>> a guy like me can get good at it eventually LOL
>>
>
> I used to love working on cars, back in high school I even worked at AZ
> for 2 years for the discount :) But the last 3-4 years I just haven't
> had the time or the space...
>
> I moved out from home after college and ended up at apartment that says
> no to car work other then lifiting the hood... and after I left my
> parents sold their house moved into a condo that doesn't even let you
> lift your hood in your own driveway (it's a rule in their telephone book
> sized association document)
>
> So a good location to do work is tough to find for me... usually I end
> up doing most stuff in the parking lot at work on the weekends... but it
> gets tough when you need a part or a tool and your wheels are off and
> the brakes are disassembled! So I stick to the simple stuff...
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Fri Oct 01 2004 - 11:38:58 EDT