Bill,
First, whose lame-brain idea was it to put a plastic radiator in a
TRUCK?!?!
Second, my radiator developed a hole shortly after a front-end
collision, after Service King had repaired the damaged, that was
covered under my extended warranty (coverage was $900,
purchased when the truck was new). The dealer replaced the
radiator but I don't know what they would have charged me if I
didn't have the warranty.
Third, in a fit of exuberance over the installation of the K&N FIPK,
my wife's driving habits caused a heater hose to blow a 1 inch slit
at the bend just a few inches away from its connection to the
intake (right above the water pump). I also wonder if the pump
was working overtime.
I saw a pulley-reduction kit in the Summit cat. for around $150, if
my memory is doing it's job properly. I'm concerned with putting
one on for fear of starving the engine by:
running the alt. or A/C compressor too slow,
not pumping enough water or P/S fluid at idle or low RPMs
not pumping enough coolant through the tranny.
Any opinions out there on pulley reductions?
klm
>>> Bill Countie <wgcount@husc.HARVARD.EDU> 07/11/96
09:05pm >>>
Hey all,
I didn't think it could happen to me. I was losing a tailgater
(in a big way) while in 4th and noticed I was doing much more
mph's than
I intended. I shifted into 5th, slowed to double digits, and took my
exit. I didn't think anything about it except "what a ride" and
parked
it. I drove the truck later and I noticed a little trail of coolant in my
driveway. It seems that in my exuberent demonstration of my
irritation
with the tailgater, my waterpump worked so well as to prise the
plastic
tank off my radiator away from the fins. The replacement cost of a
new
radiator (the plastic tanked ones cannot be rebuilt it seems) was
$298.
My replacement also has a plastic tank. My next purchase, when
I recover
from this financial bind, is for an underdrive pulley. I figure that this
may occur again and the pulley system must cost less than yet
another
radiator. So beware Ram truck and Dakota owners, this unlikely
occurence
could happen. This whole thing would have been covered by
warranty if I
had opted for the 3 year 36,000 mile one not the 7 year 70,000
powertrain
only one. The dealership's answer was to try to sell me another
warranty
with greater coverage for another $450.
I didn't bite.
Well, with the new radiator, the idle has smoothed out quite a bit.
I
have no idea if these two things are related. I have had no error
codes
besides the 55.
I'm taking it a little more easy now. I'm trying for 21 mpg on the
trip
to Carlisle. That might occur if I don't listen to Phillip Massie on
the
way over. ;-)
If you see me, come by for a beer. I'll be at the campground on
Friday
night. My white Dakota looks like an ice cream truck without the
friendly
stickers all over it. A rack of virtual beer for all who are elsewhere.
Cheers,
1994 Dakota 5.2l 5 speed (R/T in progress)
Bill Countie
e-mail wgcount@husc7.harvard.edu
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