On the Road Again...

From: JT McBride (James.McBride@GDEsystems.COM)
Date: Fri Mar 13 1998 - 19:25:22 EST


Took me longer than I expected, but my Dakota is back on the road again.

I started out intending to just swap timing chains, and bolt everything
back together, although with a new water pump.

After I got everything apart, I realized I really didn't want to be
doing this again anytime soon. Also, the thermostat had failed open,
and the rubber trans cooler hoses that are crimped onto the ends of
the steel tubing were both leaking.

Also changed the front body isolators, and cleaned and polished a lot
of the parts out of sheer anal retentiveness.

The flange holding onto the top tank of the radiator was cracked in two
places. I crimped things together, cleaned them up, and epoxied them.
We'll see how long that holds. Have they improved the heavy-duty
radiator since '93? Maybe an all-aluminum one? This is clearly a poor
design [plastic top and bottom tanks, brass/copper core].

I don't expect overheating will be a problem for the immediate future.
I'm off to Tahoe for a week of skiing. I'll report on Dakota survival
when I return.

Adios,

Jim

P--P-PP-P--P-PP-P--P-PP-P--P-PP-P--P-PP-P--P-PP-P--P-PP-P--P-PP-P--P-PP-P--
          Dakota: The Right Caliber of Dodge Magnum Force!
-PP-P--P-PP-P--P-PP-P--P-PP-P--P-PP-P--P-PP-P--P-PP-P--P-PP-P--P-PP-P--P-PP
1993 Emerald Green V8 4x4 CC K&N, Accel Coil, Bilsteins, Redline synthetics.
Tread Lightly on Public and Private Lands -- Abuse it and we'll lose it!



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