Re: Christine Is Back From The Dead.... again...

From: Bill Day (billday@comwares.net)
Date: Thu Dec 09 2004 - 10:38:51 EST


<jabs>
Maybe its in relation to how you treat her.... 8-)
</jabs>

my poor beaten up DAK has about 150k on the clok right now with factory
drivetrain and a replaced motor at about 75k orig miles. I got a short
block for her when I first purchased her used as it went south after only 3
months.

But ever since, she has failed to let me down.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Terrible Tom" <SilverEightynine@aol.com>
To: <dakota-truck-moderator@bent.twistedbits.net>
Sent: Wednesday, December 08, 2004 11:18 PM
Subject: DML: Christine Is Back From The Dead.... again...

Just a short post to announce I have a Dodge Dakota in running order. I
had the transmission rebuilt - again - the right way this time... by a
shop owned by an old man who has been rebuilding transmissions for 30
years, not by a friend fresh out of tech school. heh... (I still don't
blame him however)

Cost me $372 for the shop to take it apart, use some parts scavanged
from my 2wd tranny, and put it all back together again. All in all that
is pretty cheap to get the trans running again. But with no warranty.
I also took a gamble and used the torque converter from the 2wd truck.
Having to drop almost $400 on a trans kinda wiped me out for this
month... and I didn't want to foot the bill for a new torque converter
at about $130.

Soooo far it seems ok. I backed her out of The Swamp, out to the road
and then up the main driveway....backed out again, and drove back into
The Swamp.

Problem now is the engine. I changed plugs - numbers one and three were
starting to go black. I suspect problems on the passenger side head.
Remember I found drips of coolant coming off the crank bearing caps when
I changed the oil pan? I'm going to do a compression test as soon as
possible.

The engine seriously lacks power and bogs down when you step on the gas.
  I changed out the IAC motor and the TPS sensor, with the ones from my
other engine. Made little difference. I suspect the wires are bad. I
know for a fact I have at least one bad wire (ripped boot). And correct
me if I'm wrong, but seeing a bright green inside the boots of the
wires, behind the connector clip, is not a good thing eh? Methinks that
be corrosion and not some new fangled bright green insulation material
in the wire ends heh. These are Mopar wires for what its worth. I plan
on changing them this weekend.

I have a flooded email box, and over a weeks worth of unread DML posts
on the list. I can't believe how busy I have been as of late. I have
very little free time anymore. IT SUCKS! I'm a born slacker! All this
work and productivity is bunk!

One good thing (or is that bad?) out of all of this, is I am getting
REALLY good at tearing this truck apart and putting it back together
again. (sigh) it felt good to see her off the jack stands and all back
together looking like a truck once more. It just stopps looking like a
truck after you remove the hood, wheels, axles, front end, bumper, drive
shafts, transfer case, tranny, and with an engine hoist supporting the
engine for ehhh.... 9 months - give or take one or two months.

No pics to show off yet - but I will have them soon. This marks a total
of three engines and three trannys since I purchased Christine.

--
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Attention Infidels: I am your official DBDoMPfIWUMOT!
Terrible Tom -- AIM & Yahoo Name: SilverEightynine
http://members.aol.com/silvereightynine/

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