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Couple questions about a rear axle swap. I have a line on a 3.54 ratio complete assembly from a '98 2500. My truck ('99 3500 DRW) is fitted with a Dana 80.1) Does a '98 2500 diesel use a Dana 80?2) Are there differences between axles used in SRW and DRW applications?3) Are there any differences between the rear axles on a rear wheel only ABS truck & all wheel ABS truck (mine is the latter)?4) Are U joints the same between the two?5) Any challenges with attaching to the springs?I'm aware of the speedo cal issue. Anything else I'm not considering?Appreciate the help,Joe in St Louis

Shortly after purchasing my truck last November, I filled it up to get an understanding of how accurate the fuel gauge was. I found out it was somewhat conservative (~ 8 gal left when the light comes on @ the 1/8th tank level), and also found that the tank leaked fuel when full. Last Friday it had finally gotten warm enough & the tornadoes have subsided enough for me to drop the tank to find & fix the problem. The source of the problem was at the top of the fuel tank module. The lid of the module holds four components; the level sender electrical connector, the fuel suction/return lines, the roll-over valve, and an unused capped-off extra fuel line. Each one of these components is plug-shaped, about 1" in diameter, & is seald onto the lid with a rubber grommet. My problem was that the fuel suction/return line component had rusted through; not the lines themselves but rather the sheet metal that formed the plug & supported the lines.I called Mike to ask his advice on where to source a part (thanks Mike!) & he recommended I contact Vulcan, which I did. Their recommendation was the Draw Straw I, which is made to replace my rusted out part on the module lid; no drilling extra holes in the tank. I also ordered the big line kit & will be relocating my Airtex replacement pump down onto the frame rail next to the tank. The big line kit also includes elbows & hoses to replace the rigid line & banjos between the OEM filter & the injection pump. The injection pump elbow has a tap for a fuel pressure gauge to monitor pressure at the VP where it counts. I'm expecting delivery later this week.In the mean time I have plenty of work to do. After cleaning all the grime off the tank exterior with Purple Power & a scrub brush, I was able to do a pressure test of my tank to ensure that the filler & vent fittings were not leaking. Note: A Cool Whip container fits the module opening in the tank perfectly & allows the locking ring to screw down & seal off the big hole for a pressure test. My truck was originally owned & operated in up-state New York and it has seen it's fair share of salty roads - corrosion control is in order. I spent some time Saturday/Sunday adding doublers to the forward tank strap which had almost rusted through. And I have a new set of 1 3/16" bore rear wheel cylinders to install. I will update this thread with pictures as time permits.Joe in St Louis

Are you using UG on your '98 or your '03? I purchased an UG & did not find it to be very useful on my truck, a '99. It only had 12 gauges available. As far as engine monitoring goes it gave RPM, IAT, throttle % & Coolant temp. All 18 zones populate with the default setting, page 2 being all trip settings. I was not able to reassign some of the default gauges to different zones because they wouldn't show up in the gauge select menu. When powering up (turning on ignition) the gauges displayed are actually assigned to page 3 zones. I had a number of email conversations with their service department - their remarks were... " This is very poor output from your ECM. This essentially points to very, very few direct ECM gauges supported. Essentially RPM, MPH and Throttle position. Based on this your UG should not be showing Engine Temperature or Intake Temperature. Do the gauges show reasonable values?" " Given the very limited number of gauges, you might be better off retasking UltraGauge to another vehicle." "UG is primarily a digital device. It functions or it does not. The problems you have seen all stem from the shear lack of parameters available in Dodge RAM 3500. We have added it to our exceptions list. It appears Dodge corrected the deficiency in 2000." Their last statement may be true, since codes can be read from the odometer display starting in 2000 - that function does not work on my '99. Perhaps I am selling the UG short since I am not considering the code reader functions. But I'm not convinced that it should be permanently installed because of minimal gauges available. Like to compare notes on what year you are using your UG on & what gauges are available. Thanks, Joe in St Louis

I've noticed on many GM diesel trucks a device that I interpret to be some sort of exhaust extractor. It is a section of tubing, approximately 1 1/2 " larger in dia than the tail pipe, welded on to the end of the tail pipe with S-shaped pieces of round bar. It looks like there is a section of the larger tubing that is necked down like a venturi positioned just beyond the end of the tail pipe. I've seen them installed on private vehicles, business vehicles, and even public transportation vehicles. I'm just wondering what the heck it's called, what it's supposed to do, and why don't I see it employed on anything else besides GMs. Inquiring minds want to know!Thanks for your time,Joe in St Louis

Could you please elaborate on the GM dually wheel cylinders? Do they have larger piston diameters yielding better rear braking performance than the OEM wheel cylinders? Is this mod applicable to the Dodge dually, specifically a '99 3500 DRW, 4.10 Dana 80?Thanks,Joe in St Louis

I'm with you Mike. That looks like an accident waiting to happen. That location demands at the minimum the use a 90 deg elbow coming out of the tank. Perhaps some sort of sheet metal shield to cover up the vulnerable parts could be employed. Joe in St Louis

With regards to the high pressure switch, quote from the 2001 FSM A/C Specifications:High psi Control switch - opens > 450- 490 psi, resets <270 - 330 psiAt 80 deg I saw pressures going north of 350 psi on the high side until I put a fan (furnace blower) in front of the condenser. Also noticed as the high side got way up there the low side came up some too. Also, don't think you want to add liquid to the low side (can up side down).Joe in St Louis

Hey Kevin, A week or two ago I had my air cleaner off which gave me easy access to the waste gate lever with a vice grip. I was convinced mine was stuck, but it moved easily with the vice grip attached. Joe in St Louis

OK, well thanks guys. Guess I shouldn't be a wimp when I see the high side heading north of 350 psi - damned the torpedoes! I'll shove in some more juice. But I think I'll do it with a fan in front of the condenser. What I observed is when the high side climbs up so does the low side - enough to keep the compressor from cycling. Having a fan on the condenser simulates normal driving conditions.Appreciate your help & patience,Joe in St Louis

OK, I'll not worry about the pressures - thanks. So what do you think, does the A/C performance sound about right? Still cycling while driving around town (~30 mph) in 80 deg ambient, low humidity, conditioned air on normal mode (cooling outside air), fan on high, with output running 44-46 deg?I noticed when the pressures wet up while stopped, the conditioned air temps went up too. Still think a condenser fan might improve performance while stuck in traffic.Thanks again,Joe in St Louis

Follow-Up... I tell you; a man with tools & little knowledge is dangerous. I purchased some freon & serviced my A/C. Problem was I did it on a cool day, like around 50 deg F. The system sucked up the first can likity split & the compressor was still cycling real fast, so I loaded up a second can. Then it dawned on me to check the conditioned air temp, which was around 37 deg, so I stopped there. A couple days went by without me running the truck. I kept thinking about how much freon I had shoved into the system & convinced myself I had overcharged it. Yesterday the temps got up to 80 (27% humidity) so I hooked up the gauges again to see how it looked. At first the pressures looked ok -around 30 psi on the low & 175-190 on the high. Then after about 3 or 4 minutes the high side started to climb. I started to get nervous when the high side was approaching 350 psi & the compressor was not cycling so I shut it down. I figured I had verified that the system was over charged so I vented some out & checked again, but I got the same results. I vented some more & checked with no change. I noticed that the low side was going up slightly, like 40 psi when the high side was over 300. At this point I went back to the FSM. I read the diagnostic chart - symptom: normal/slightly high low side, very high high side - problem#1: clogged condenser/ low airflow through condenser. I recall noticing that the radiator fan was free-wheeling. I decided to monitor the pressures with air passing through the condenser. I positioned the gauges up on the windshield (held in place by the wipers), closed the hood to the safety latch & took a drive. Instantly the high side went down to 150 & would drop as the low side went below 30 & the compressor cycled. Conditioned air temp would run around 45-46 deg on the normal setting (cooling outside air) & down to 41 on max cool. But the compressor was still cycling pretty frequently, like 5 or 6 times a minute, and since the humidity was so low I figured it could use a little more juice. I came home & set up a fan in front of the condenser; it is a squirrel cage blower removed from a home furnace which blows some serious air. I let the truck & A/C run for a while with the fan running & the pressures and operation was similar to what I was seeing on my drive. I added about a half can of freon which brought the high side up to around 175 which was on the low side of specs for 80 deg, then I took another test drive. The compressor still cycled but not quite as often. The high side would get up to around 160 while driving before the compressor would cycle. But when stopped at a stop sign the pressures would start to climb to about 200-225. Conditioned air temps were a couple degrees cooler, around 43-45 with A/c control on normal. At one point I pulled over & let it idle for a couple minutes & high side pressure seemed to stabilize around 220-235. I switched over to max cool when I pulled over & temps got down to 39 deg. I drove home (about 5 blocks) & parked in the drive, leaving the truck idle. For a minute or so things looked as they did when I had pulled over, but then the high side started to climb again. I was out of time so I shut it down.I'm thinking I have it pretty close to the right charge, but I will monitor the conditioned air temp as ambient temps & humidity increase. I'm concerned with what happens with the high side pressures when airflow stalls through the condenser. I wonder what will happen in 100 deg temps when stuck in traffic. The FSM says the high pressure switch opens at 450-490 psi & resets at 270-330. I don't have any overheating problems - in fact my engine cooling system seems to be working well - I don't think there is a problem with the radiator fan clutch. A lot of cars these days have electric fans on their condensers that operate whenever the compressor is running - anybody ever try that? Maybe this is all normal. Any input appreciated.Thanks for your time,Joe in St Louis

If you look at the first picture of the OEM filter assembly you can see the water sensor plug at the bottom on the left side of the filter canister, adjacent to the drain outlet.

First off, I have no experience testing or troubleshooting automotive A/C systems, but I'm a quick study. Today is a sweetheart of a day -mid-60s, sunshine, and very light breezes - a perfect Spring day (finally). I'm cleaning up the cab of my truck, trying to get the smoke smell out of it left by the previous owner. I'm spraying the soft stuff with "frebreeze", and decided to spray some into the air intake for the HVAC system. Decided to check the A/C for operation - no dice. The compressor is cycling - runs for about 3 seconds then off for 10-15. Read up on the A/C system in the 2001 FSM (thanks again Mike). Last year I bought a set of A/C guages - haven't used them yet - perfect opportunity. I follow the gauge hook-up directions & get some readings. Static reading (engine not running) is ~60 psi. Started up the truck & put the control on Max A/C. Go around to the front & read the gauges. When compressor is running the suction side drops to about 15 psi when the low pressure switch opens up, then it resets at a ~ 40 psi. So the system is holding some pressure, the compressor is doing it's job, the pressure switch seems to be operating correctly, I presume it is just low on charge. Perhaps there is a slight leak somewhere, but not bad enough to tear it apart looking for the leak. I figure I should buy a can of 134A refrigerant & charge it up. This is the point where I need some guidance. All the bloody details; evacuating the hose that leads to the gauges from the refrigerant can? What side to charge-the low side or high side? How much, or when to stop - pressures or temps or both? Thanks in advance, Joe in St Louis

MoparMan wrote... One of the members here has a write up on how to repair that problem and has a whole bag of the O-rings needed to do the job. Yo Mike, it was me who started the thread back in November. I also did the write up on fixing the fuel filter leak & have the bag-o-rings if anyone needs a couple. As for the fuel lift pump, I installed a gauge at filter discharge port & found my pressures low, around 5 psi @ 60 mph. I went the cheap route & installed an Airtex fuel pump (~$125 with discount coupons). Fuel pressures have been good with minimum reading while underway at 13 - 14 psi. Two observations; 1) The fuel pressure gauge operates like an economy (vacuum) gauge on a gasser. As the engine load increases the fuel pressure decreases. 2) As engine/ambient/under hood temps increase, so does the fuel pressure. On a cold engine this winter, Ill see the fuel pressure drop to 13 psi pulling away from a stop driving like I have an egg under my foot. As the engine warms up, like on my drive to work (18 miles, 13 on interstate), it will get close to 15 psi at 55 mph by the end of the drive, even higher now that the weather is warming. I just got back from a trip out to Salina (415 miles each way) and outside temps got to the mid-60s. I was running cruise control 67-68 mph (4.10 rear axle) & was seeing 15-16 psi at those speeds while climbing the Flint Hills. Was seeing close to 21 mpg. There was even a 120 mile stint pulling a 10K 5th wheel where I saw 15 psi at 60 mph on the flats. Idle fuel pressures once good & hot are 18-18.5 psi. There are no mods on my truck other than an aftermarket air filter. I'm hoping the Airtex will keep up when I finally get around to mods. Joe in St Louis

My truck ('99) uses the P/N 4882423 fuel filter assembly. This is the one with the canister that drops off the bottom of the bracket, the fuel line banjo fittings are on top, and the fuel heater harness emerges from the top. I've been told that it is common for them to leak at the fuel heater harness & mine was no exception. In addition, I've been told that neither Dodge or Cummins supports this fuel filter any more, their recommendation being to update to the newer assembly. I was quoted almost $1500 by my local dealer for the repair - totally unacceptable!I disassembled the assembly (remove 3 torx screws, push heater assy/harness out) & found the leak was due to a degraded & damaged o-ring installed on the heater temp switch where it passes through the bracket. I took measurements & ordered a bag of o-rings from McMaster Carr. After clean-up & reassembly with the new o-ring, I'm happy to report the leak is fixed.I have 49 spare o-rings left. If anybody needs one send me a PM & I'll drop it in the mail to you.Joe in St Louis

My truck is still pretty new to me. The other day I was snooping around under the hood (cold motor) & saw the linkage rod that runs from the actuator to the waste gate bell crank. I grabbed it & tried to move it, pulling on it toward the front of the truck without any success - felt like it may be seized up. I don't know if it has thrown any codes (no reader yet) - there is no check engine light illuminated. Should I be able to move it by hand? Was I trying to move it the wrong direction? Should I pull the turbo assy off & free it up?Thanks,Joe in St Louis

Thanks Mike. I understand the basic math. What is unclear is what the buffer is doing. If the computer is trying to average MPG over the last 30 gal burned, then it would make sense that the display is changing rapidly after a reset since it could only average the MPG over the fuel burned following the reset. I reset the display again yesterday afternoon. This time I did it with the engine idling while in park. Again the display for "avg eco" reset to 2 MPG. I drove the short 1 mile drive from the parking lot at work to get onto the highway. The display would update about every 5 seconds gaining a tenth each time until it reached 21.0 or so, where it hovered until I exited the highway back onto city streets. Sitting at stop lights the number displayed would decrease slightly, but the updates were closer to 1 minute rather than 5 seconds. This morning's run into work was a continuation of yesterday's performance - lower economy when cold and in stop & go traffic, improved economy at steady state in O/D with TQ lock-up. I'd say it seems to be functioning correctly although I believe the reading is a bit optimistic, perhaps by 2 mpg. And I assume the frequent display updates are normal since I've only burned 4 gal or so of fuel since the last reset. I'd like to know if the operation I've described sounds normal, particularly the frequent updating of the display immediately following a reset. If anyone has access to a FSM from 1999 or earlier I would appreciate hearing how the system is described, since it appears (as per the 2001 FSM available here) that the trip computer went through an update since mine was built. Thanks for your patience, Joe in St Louis --- Update to the previous post... So Mike, how do you come up with the offset figures? How did you arrive at 24% for your GPH offset? Thanks, Joe in St Louis

Was driving the other day and noticed my overhead console display going haywire. I've had it on the fuel economy display lately & was pleased to see my mileage creep up with the warmer temps (got up to 19.7 mpg). Suddenly the numbers started to increase rapidly, about 2 tenths every second, then more like 2 mpg per second. The number kept on spooling up until it hit 99.9 then it stopped there. While it was spooling up I scrolled through the different displays & saw the miles to empty reading spooling real fast too. A few moments after it hit 99.0 I did a reset while I continued driving: it came back down to 2 mpg and then started to increase again but at a much slower rate, like a tenth every 10 seconds or so. It topped out at 27.5, then started to drop with stops & hills, eventually hovering around 24.3 to 25.2 until I parked the vehicle. Today I started it back up for the first time since the above incident. The display was right where it had left off at about 25.1. But this morning was in the 20s vice the 70s of the other day, and the MPG started to drop as expected, especially in the slow stop & go city driving. It dropped to 23.0 but went back up to about 23.2 after a short run on the highway.Naturally the present indicated mpg is inaccurate, but before the incident I feel it was functioning properly. Can't verify that until I fix the fuel tank leak that happens when I top it off (waiting for warmer weather). I guess that some connection went flakey, perhaps a fuel input from the ECM. And I guess that when I reset the MPG computer it should have reset to zero. I plan on resetting it again while stopped & see what happens.I'm not really clear on what the fuel economy reading is indicating. In the 2001 FSM it explains two economy displays; average (over past 30 gals) & instantaneous. Not sure what my '99 is displays. I read the owners manual & it wasn't very helpful.Any comments appreciated,Joe in St Louis

Sorry to weigh in late on this.I bought my '99 last Nov. with the abs/brake light lit. It is 2wd with 4-wheel abs. Dealer was able to diagnose to the right front sensor with DRB III. Pulled the rotor/hub & found the sensor cracked & split open. Purchased a new one on-line from an OEM parts discounter; $167 IIRC. Plugged it in & light went out without moving the vehicle. ABS seemed to work as designed on our icy roads earlier this month. I was able to take a reading with my digital VOM on the new part prior to installation - something real low like 1.5 ohms. Could only get a reading using the diode check function though.There ought to be some answers in there somewhere.Joe in St Louis

First Gens too! Joe in St Louis

I'm a little confused. Bearings are bearings & hubs are hubs. Are you saying that the races (cups) cannot be replaced without replacing the hubs?I recently took the same stroll but to fix a different problem. A previous owner had run the front brake pads down to metal-to-metal & damaged the braking surface on the rotor. I removed the rotors/hubs & took them in to the machine shop. Naturally there wasn't enough thickness left to resurface & was advised to replace the hubs. I shopped around (picked my jaw up off the floor) & decided to go the import route; ~$175 each from Advance Auto. But I saved $50 each on the purchase by buying on-line & using the discount code "visa" - don't know if the code is still operational. The new hubs came with the races already installed - maybe because they are not replaceable. If so, that's a hell of a note. No complaints so far with the import hubs. Haven't really worked them hard but they are smooth as silk. They look identical to the OEM items & ABS is functional.Good luck,Joe in St Louis

Sorry, I don't. But if I see another add posted by him I'll forward it to you. Joe in St Louis I think this is the fellow. http://stlouis.craigslist.org/pts/2182075254.html Good Luck!

Cheapest place in town (St Louis Area) was 2.89/gal for diesel up until yesterday. Today it is 2.91/gal even though gasoline prices are dropping. More common price is 3.19/ gal for diesel. http://www.stlouisgasprices.com/index.aspx?fuel=D Joe in St Louis

I did a Google search & found it at my local Advance Auto Parts, if that helps. Joe in St Louis

SEMO Cummins Rookie (SE Missouri?)Keep an eye on the St Louis Craigslist. There is a guy in Waterloo IL (I think) who advertized that he has a number of NV4500's and other dodge diesel stuff. Seems pretty reasonably priced as I recall.Joe in St Louis