joecool911

Thanks dorkweed, that was my next question.

My tach is reading low. Idle zero. Any ideas? This is a 2006 Hemi.

Pex is the only way to go. When I got my trailer all lines were frozen. I re-plumbed the whole thing. Get set up for the copper crimp rings. Also get the ring cutter, as you will make mistakes and you will want to save the fittings. I'm far from being winter freeze proof. Have lines that run under the trailer. I'm thinking for me that storing water in 5 gallon containers in the tub and not using the black and gray tanks. It takes a lot of power to keep tanks and lines heated with electicity. My only alternative would be to buy a trailer that's setup for winter. Not worth the cost to me. I got my trailer initially for $500. Have about $1,500 into it now. It's probably worth $5 grand.

But automatic transmission damage is preventable by keeping your foot off of the pedal? Where I am most interested is the lower rpm torque range of 1,600 to 1,800. Power through hills without downshift. I can see damage coming from a heavy load and rapid starts. First gear seems to be a bit low when starting with a load on an uphill grade.Does adding fuel at low RPM's cause smoke?

I'm kinda ignorant about programmers/chips. I am not a big fan of HP mods, but definately fuel economy and I want to do the 3 cylinder warm up. I would appreciate more torque while towing up a grade and avoid shifting down into a lower gear.Can we discuss the pro's and con's of various options? Smarty, Edge, etc.. I prefer simple as well. Are there literally chips to install, or is that just a term for reprogramming?

I have a rather rambunctious dog, an Australian Shepherd. I worry about her kicking my rig into gear when I idle it for a short stop. What is it about a 3rd gen that requires your foot to be on the brake pedal in order to take the transmission out of park? Any ideas? I've got a low stall torque converter and the truck will go 10-12 mph at idle. Could be bad!!!

I am wishing to discuss maintenance in regards to replacement of items such as throttle position sensor, etc.. Looking to avoid critical failure due to higher mileage vehicle. I guess what I'm saying is...is there a point where we should consider replacement of systems and parts prior to failure, based on anticipated life? ECM, TPS, injection pump, injectors, etc..

I bought my travel trailer a year ago. 1998 and original tires. Might be overdue for replacement. Load rating B, 2 ply and 32psi inflation. Firestone beauties with like new tread.

I think I'm going to upgrade to 15" rims. Currently 14. The tire selection is so much better in 15. Plus the load rating increases.

Yes, disc brakes all around. The parking brake works a little, just that the pedal bottoms out before I can get enough holding power. I'll check it out. I got a new Harbor Freight electric impact wrench and deep well sockets. I'll pull off the drum and see how they look. Thanks.

Well, thanks for that, but I don't have an EGT gauge yet.

When you shut off the rig, seems like the rattling of the motor would be hard on the mounts/mount to block attachment. So possibly shut down when the motor has not reached operating temps may be hard on it? I usually idle mine while in the post office, etc. while warming up. Now I've not even looked to see if mine is a #53 or not.sont wish to hijack this thread, but what about turbo cool down? Kind of an opposite situation than warm up.

I only am towing about 3,000# on this hill and its only a half mile of so. Try to keep second gear wrapped up pretty good.

I got a 30 ton bottle jack today. Only $2.66 per ton. Has an 8" base for stability. I have no concrete, so a floor jack is not so feasible. Lifts about 9". I'll do my parking brake adjustment this weekend. Thanks guys!

I stand corrected. Just assumed there was a valve on the coolant going to the core. I'll look elsewhere. I've got a cooling system pressure tested. Any ideas on how high pressure I can go without causing more problems than I'm solving? Like 3-4# above cap pressure? I've done it before without success, or should I say without finding a leak.

I did the mod about a month ago. I used to need to add a quart of oil every 1,000 miles or so. Now 3,000 since my oil change and has not lost any oil at all. Thanks for the great info! I have a 16% grade in a residential area I service regularly. Bet that's where I was loosing oilBTW, 16% grade is 16% of what? 90*, 180*?

I was loosing a half gallon or so a week of cooling fluid last winter. Now I'm not. I suspect that it is a heater core issue? Heat turned off for months. I have no air conditioning system on my truck.

Doesn't the suspension adjust to varying heights of load? I've seen the suspension adjust to a flat on one wheel. Not sure I agree that an inch of tire height will add additional load to the other tire?

I wish to put 2 new tires for my travel trailer. Current tires are 205-75-14. Load range b. Max inflation is 35 psi. I would like to get 2 new tires prior to hunting season. We travel about 20 miles of good gravel road. I am thinking of getting 2 195-75-14 load range D. They inflate to 65psi and have a load rating of 1,710# each. My trailer gross max weight is 7k. Question is, is it advisable to mix-n-match tires? I'd put one on each side. So I'll at least have 2 that I can count on. These are BFG-KO's. Only size available in 14". And within an inch overall diameter of the 205's. In all the years of off roading we've never had a failure with these tires.

If I tried to be a long haired hippy, I'd look more like Bozo the clown. Bald on top and sides/back long. Then some Speedo's and I'd be set. The gal that cuts my hair...told her I should get a discount due to lack of hair. She said its more work cutting the hair off my neck and ears so it evens out.

With the jack on the perches, where are the stands going?

I'd like to hear more about this project! Seems like a great idea to me. Only thing I'd worry about is grass ooze draining down into the fresh cut. I'd love to get a salvaged bed piece to lay over the cutout and seal it off. You're a neighbor too.

This has gotten more attention than I figured it would. Thanks for the info. I figure that I always have a chain saw in my truck. So I can cut a round of wood for the OEM bottle jack. Jacking by the receiver hitch sounds like a good idea. Although if your intention is to lift the tires off the ground, axle will require a lot less effort. So you're saying its not a good idea to lift from the pumpkin (I assume we're talking about the ring gear area)? Jacking by the shock perches is considered OK? Jack stands under the leaf spring perches is OK?My first attempt to adjust the parking brake fell short when my floor jack was not heavy duty enough. I'm also working on gravel. Not the best medium for vehicle maintenance. But it's what I've got. Need to buy a more suitable jack.

My owners manual states that you should not jack up the vehicle by the rear axle. Any suggestions? I need to adjust my parking brake. Seems like when I get my tires rotated that they jack by the differential casting. Jack stands under spring perches?

How can we tell if the ECM has been enabled? If not, what is the procedure?