Wild and Free

The switch on the compressor is the high pressure switch and is meant to shut the compressor off at a certain pressure to prevent damage. For testing purposes the switch on the dryer is the low pressure switch which is what supplies the compressor with power or ground if there is enough pressure in the system to do so. generally 10-20 psi switch. You can turn the key on and jump the terminals there to listen if the clutch will engage..........With the engine off of course. If you have checked the fuses and they are good yet then go to the switch and jumper it. I have not looked at a schematic to see how they are wired. Some have power to the compressor and the switch makes the ground and some send power through the low pressure switch. You need to check that with your meter................. NEVER JUMPER TERMINALS UNTIL YOU KNOW WHAT IT DOES AND HOW IT WORKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As you found out with the smoke signals it sent you. Also after rereading your first post.........NEVER FORCE AN EXTERNAL VOLTAGE TO AN ALREADY LIVE CIRCUIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In other words never jumper a circuit with power from another spot like battery or alt ect without knowing exactly what you are hooking into. Your quick and easy ac repair could end up costing you a dead ecm and pcm by jumpering wrong wires and adding power..............

Bigger injectors bigger turbos and a dying VP44 are all possible cruise surging causes also. My 02 started surging as the very first sign of the VP44 dying a few days later it got the hard start when warm issue then a few days later I lost the throttle. Chrysler bought that one for me though as it was still under warranty at 40k.

Wow from the pics it looks like you need to fix some oil leaks before you worry about the ac system.

If it has been dead for a while there will be air and moisture in the system. Throw the walmart low pressure charge system in the garbage and get a pro to vacuum it down and leak check it. Then the dryer will need to be changed out as it filters out moisture and if it was at atmospheric pressure it had moisture in it. The reason it would not take freon was because it had air in the system and there was no room for the freon which is why it needs to be vacuumed down. The only time the elcheapo low pressure charge kits work is if the system has a slooooowwwww leak and still has freon pressure and just needs to be topped off. It will do nothing for a dead system. The reason the compressor would not kick in is because the low pressure switch was not letting the power or ground to get to the clutch due to not enough pressure in the system.

Where did you get the info of ATF-4 breaking down at 175*? It is a partial synthetic and I have never seen an oil that degrades at that low of temp. Even with carbon based oils you are good to 200ish most synthetics will take a lot higher temp for a lot longer before breaking down. Rule of thumb is anything over 210-215 for extended periods is bad anything under 200 is ok for extended periods.

I just bought a 0-30 Westach fuel pressure gauge today from www.Genosgarage.com and they have a special if you buy a gauge you get the pods half price.

The stock needle bearing pilots are the worst as the needle rollers actually ride on the input shaft as they get dry they knurl the shaft and then get rusty and start to bind up. Similar to a dead u-joint. The enclosed rollers can and do get dry and fail over time also, this will cause the pilot bearing inside race to actually weld itself to the shaft then it will spin the entire bearing inside the flywheel. I have seen it happen a few times. That is how I know to throw these odd ball scenarios out there.

I just learned something new.......... Want to share that info with us inquiring minds please?

It could also be a bad pilot bearing. If it is siezing to the input shaft a bit it will cause the same issue. Depending if it is a bearing or bushing style either can do it. but the bearing style is more prone to causing issues.

Just ordered one for my 02. It hasn't thrown any codes yet but it will not stay calibrated more than a few days anymore.

Manual or auto tranny? The manuals are nothing too complicated but I would leave the auto to a professional.

The problem with the Port that you have it in has "Stagnet" oil in it and is only reading the trans case temp and not the actual real life oil temp. The line is the front line as it comes out the driverside of the tranny and it is really easy to replace. This is the hottest oil in the system and is the only place to get the accurate oil temp from. Measuring oil in the pan is inaccurate also. it is the oil that has already came back from the cooler and is the coolest oil in the system. I have tried the pan and port and saw no difference and then added the line with a sensor in it at the same time as I had a sensor in the pan yet and saw an average temp difference of 30-50 degrees hotter at the converter out line at normal operating temps. But during town driving it would be as much as 50-80 gegrees different. By the time you saw a hot reading at the pan or the port it is way too late and the tranny has already been deep fried. A lot of people just cut the line and used compression fittings to add a fitting to add a sensor in the line themselves but that creates another point to fail and leak in my opinion. If you want cheap You could go with this part it would be a bit more accurate than the port reading but in extreme cold temps or wet weather I think it could cause a lower reading. http://www.genosgarage.com/prodinfo.asp?number=ACUTEMP_ADAPTER

Check out my posts in this thread, it will answer all your questions. http://forum.mopar1973man.com/showthread.php/1135-Installing-Tranny-temp-gauge?p=7422&highlight=#post7422

The only time these cummins ever had an issue of plugging a cooling jet was from low quality oil filters and the glue they used to hold them together with inside would come loose and find its way to the piston cooling nozzle and cause piston meltdowns. If I am not mistaken there was a TSB many years ago about this problem.

The Man you need to talk to is Chris Snyder He is on Many diesel forums as CSnyder he specializes in 2nd gen and 3rd gen Dodge rams, he does gas to diesel swaps and he buys and sells complete chassis or parts ect. His contact info for all your needs in both parts and advice in this department is http://www.ramboyz.com/

Yep Mike makes a good point. But if it is just for street play all you need are some good tranny upgrades. If you are going to the track or pulls You would probably need to upgrade the dana 70 to a dana 80. but other than that the rest of it holds up pretty good. I highly recommend ladder bars or traction bars as a must. It helps get the power to the ground just as much as a good torque converter and saves lots of other driveline parts from damage as well.

Call Bob Wagner, he is the USA distributer for Smarty. Here is his contact info. He sent me one a few years ago. Before the Smarty programmer was out they actually programmed the Ecm's with catcher tunes and they have some on hand as replacements. http://shop.wagnerandassociates.biz/main.sc

Best is to use original Cummins internal parts. As far as cam goes a lot of people are running the cummins marine cam which is probably what most aftermarket cams are designed after as far as lift and duration, stay away from regrinds go with a new cam. A cam will not give anymore power persay but lets more airflow through the engine. Best if done with head porting. You can run different size pistons in the B cummins so you only need to bore the affected holes as these engines are internally balanced. Or you can overbore and sleeve back to stock bore diameter.

First off is what do you plan to do with the power? Need to know this before throwing out any info. Why does it need to be rebuilt, whats wrong with it currently?

1 thing that is most often over looked is the wiring itself. Inspect the pins and sockets very closely to make sure they are not coroded and that none of the pins or sockets are pushed out of the connector itself. Then look at the wiring and make sure no one has butchered into it somewhere to check for power "Example is holes poked in the wire insulation that lets water in for the corrosion to start inside the wire itself. Look close to the connectors for this. Double check that both batteries are good and charged up also. There is a ground under and slightly behind the passenger battery that can cause issues also. It is a connector that can get corrosion inside it.

From what I read and hear the Toyo M55 tires are bar none the best tire on the market as far as durability and longevity goes but have a price tag to show it also.

Thread life has way to many variables to be consistant. Gravel pavement queen trailer or not all the time ect. Speed heat road conditions on and on and on. The Toyo has a 50k warranty as well as the hankooks so if they wear out prematurely they should prorate to a new tire.

Around here the Toyo AT seems to be the overwelming dominator for several years but the new style of Hankook dyna pro ATM seem to be popping up all over and guys seem to like them but no longevity reports yet. I just bought a set my self but am waiting for my OEM BFGs to wear out, Currenty have 75K on them and still counting. http://www.discounttire.com/infohankookdynaproatm/hankookdynaproatm.html

It is big enough line and it doesn't sit and idle enough to get them amount of condensation required to plug it up. The only time I have ever seen engines freeze up a vent line is if it where partially plugged with debris already and or excessive idling in wet freezing weather. An engine under load and at operating temps should never freeze up a clean vent line unless it has water in the crankcase or something else wrong.

I just added a long piece of old 3/4 inch garden hose and ran it through the frame box and exited it in front of the fuel tank and pointed it down and it has been that way for about 7 years and 100k miles with no issues or oil on my under side or anywhere else for that matter. in the summer I might get a drop or 2 on the floor when I park it after a long hot day of running.