It was one of the biggest problems on those engines (NA)...head gasket
failure on the R/R corner at the cooling passage. They updated the gaskets
with a reinforcement around the passage on the gasket but most people reused
the old bolts - bad idea (leaked again).
- Bernd
-----Original Message-----
From: Pindell, Tim P [mailto:TPindell@otterbein.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2007 9:26 AM
To: dml@dakota-truck.net
Subject: RE: DML: New Dodges (was "Dakotas")
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-dakota-truck@bent.twistedbits.net
> [mailto:owner-dakota-truck@bent.twistedbits.net] On Behalf Of
> Bernd D. Ratsch
> Sent: Monday, October 01, 2007 8:57 PM
> To: dakota-truck@dakota-truck.net
> Subject: RE: DML: New Dodges (was "Dakotas")
>
>
> Uhhhhh....I don't want to think about any of those cars at
> all...just got done with an '89 Dynasty (2.5L) - cylinder
> head job. Yech....too small, no power, and no "creature comforts".
>
> - Bernd
>
In my limited experience, it's not very often that a head gasket needs
to be replaced on a NA 2.2 or 2.5. I've replaced one in a '94 Acclaim
and it was because the previous owner overheated it and warped the head.
I bought the car as a non-runner for a song, fixed it and gave it to my
parents several years ago. It's for sale now if anybody wants some very
cheap transportation! Seriously! I have pics!
Heh...creature comforts. My Omni seems to have been built for some
other creature, not entirely human. I don't think ergonomics were a
consideration in '86 when my GLH was built. It's almost comical how
much of a POS that thing is in some ways. Perhaps "primitive" is a
better way to put it. The pedals are too close to the steering wheel so
I have to scoot the seat back, but not too far, other wise I have to
reach too much to shift and steer. My knee goes between the steering
wheel and the door while operating the clutch because there isn't enough
room where there should be. The turn signal stalk is too far forward of
the steering wheel to flip easily with your hand on the wheel so you
have to reach for it. And those invisible HVAC controls seem to be an
afterthought on the extreme left end of the dash hidden under the
steering wheel... It seems to have more in common regarding construction
with 60's and 70's-era Mopars than to vehicles just a few years newer.
Power, on the other hand, is not something the GLH lacks, although
putting it to the ground safely and controllably with such a primitive
front suspension can increase the pucker factor somewhat. It sounds
like a tiny deuce-and-a-half sometimes with the whistling turbo.
Despite the quirks, or maybe because of them, I love the car. It would
take a small fortune to pry it out of the garage.
I don't have a problem at all with the interior and build quality of my
'04 Ram and other newer Mopars. The "dual-zone" HVAC controls are
probably the only creature comfort that the Ram offers that the other
vehicles in our stable do not have. I did enjoy the interior of the SRT8
that I tried on, but $45k-ish was a bit much for some really comfy
seats. Perhaps I'm not terribly picky, I don't know any better, or I'm
tempered by nostalgia. I've never owned anything else but Mopar,
although my spousal-unit owned a '89 Pontiac Grand Am for several years
after we met. She sold it in '99 and bought a Stratus. =]
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu Nov 01 2007 - 00:07:06 EDT