Re: Bad Dakota Weekend

From: Don Rey (radon220@gmail.com)
Date: Mon Jun 01 2009 - 11:12:27 EDT


On Sun, May 31, 2009 at 4:59 PM, Matt Beazer <teseract@moparhowto.com> wrote:
>
>
> Now I know why country music singers like to sing about their pickup
> trucks breaking down.  It's depressing!

Being a country music listener, I resent that generalization! (or...
maybe I resemble it!?).

> 2.) Don't base the RTV pattern on the diff covers from memory of the
> FSM - look at it first.  Now I'm wondering if I'll have a leak there
> since I looped around the outside of the bolt holes rather than around
> the inside.

It can leak through the bolt threads.... kinda makes sense to go
around the inside.

>
> 3.) Either the valve covers are leaking worse than I thought, or
> either the rear main seal or something else has a slow oil leak at the
> back of the engine.

Check your oil pressure sender (aka oil pressure switch). I thought I
had a valve cover leak.... replaced the gaskets, the leak got worse.
So I thought I had a rear main seal leak... I figgerd I'd wait till it
blew up on me. Well it did... kinda. Except the rear main seal was
fine. Turns out the oil pressure sender was sending me subtle hints in
the form of a growing oil leak. One day the seal in there burst and it
gushed a couple quarts of oil before I realized the problem. What a
mess. Sure beat replacing the rear main though.

> 4.) The transfer case drain plug on my year Dakota requires a 30mm
> socket but has no room for one -- so I guess I get to buy a 30mm open
> end wrench and hope it fits, because a crescent wrench sure won't.
> Stupid engineers.

Hmm... I solved that problem somehow... can't remember how. I'll get back to ya

> 5.) Skid plates on the transfer case do a good job of masking slow
> transfer case leaks.  I did a "Redneck repair" by cleaning the spot
> where the leak seems to be coming from (doesn't leak when the truck is
> cold) and smearing a good bead of RTV on it.  Short term solution -- I
> guess a transfer case rebuild is in my near future since if I'm
> pulling it, it's being gone though with a fine tooth comb. :(  It was
> a little less than a half quart low.

"If it ain't leakin it's outta oil." I wouldn't rebuild it for a mere
leak... but that's me. In fact, I wouldn't rebuild it till it breaks.
Why shell out big $$ for something that might be a problem? Keep an
eye on the fluid level and you may never have to rebuild it. It's a
pretty good unit (plus, junkyards have them if you do blow yours up)

> Time to go borrow my wife's country music CDs...

Now there ya go! You'll find it's not all about your dog dying and
your truck breaking and your wife leaving! It's good stuff!

Don in CT



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