Everything posted by ronman
-
Anybody replace their clearance lights?
My center light has sprung a leak, and when it rains hard (i.e., every afternoon during the Florida summer monsoon season) I get some drips coming out of my overhead console. Clearly, this cannot stand, so I need some new ones. Anybody switched to LEDs or the 4th-gen style, or anything different?
-
Front rotors on a Dually 2WD
Mine is an early '01, so it's still drums out back. That's the front rotor before mounting the dually adapter...
-
Front rotors on a Dually 2WD
We run Porterfield R-compounds in our race cars, but I don't want to eat up the rotors like they do... I'd never use ceramics on my truck. The EBC yellows are high end semi metallics. http://www.urotuned.com/ebc_brake_temp.jpg
-
Dissected my old AC lines
I have a similar bag (actually an old brake pad box) of tricks... Bunch of replacement caps, bonded orings, regular orings, valve cores, and I'm not sure what else is in there. Probably a small refrigeration thermometer, unless somebody has moved it. Last 134a conversion I did was on my dad's 85 Ramcharger, that's gotta be 10 years ago now.
-
Anyone upgrade their headlights in the 2nd Gen trucks?
So now that I just saw the last post... I installed Morimoto Mini D2S in my truck with 35w 4300k bulbs. Not sure what "special bulbs" people think Morimoto uses, they're standard HID capsules, of which there are currently like 5 types. Cheap ballasts like you find on eBay are absolutely terrible. Good Mori ballasts are just over $100 a pair, and are worth every cent. I bought a set of cheap Taiwan replacements on eBay that were as close to stock-looking as possible while still having a clear lens (obviously very important!) for like $60. They're already a year old and aren't fogging and haven't showed any signs of water intrusion. I probably went overboard on revealing them, though. The Retrofit Source (another recommendation for those guys, their service is second to none in the HID business) sells fairly inexpensive rolls of replacement butyl rubber sealant.
-
Anyone upgrade their headlights in the 2nd Gen trucks?
Put it in the oven for 20 minutes at 250, then use a screwdriver to separate the clips and pull steadily apart, while wearing welding gloves.
-
Teardown and Rebuild
I need to make a recording of my exhaust... I've never actually heard it, other than bounced off jersey barriers. I'm definitely curious to know how you set that up!
-
Front rotors on a Dually 2WD
Some surface cracking is visible, but the ridges are very much not worn down. They're getting replaced in a few months, I'm contemplating trying out EBC Yellow pads. Also going to rebuild the calipers while I'm in there...
-
Dissected my old AC lines
The angle grinder is good stress relief.
-
Dissected my old AC lines
^ The thread on the Schrader valve appears to be M5x0.5 ^ Springlock connector disassembled.
-
Dissected my old AC lines
^ The very much non-removable high-pressure valve and the field-replaceable low-pressure valve with removal tool. ^ The low and high pressure hoses are 1/2" OD aluminum tube. The ends (that the spring-lock connectors engage) are extruded from this material. ^ ~.055 wall thickness
-
Dissected my old AC lines
^ The high-pressure valve with damaged bonded o-ring clearly visible. ^ The low-side Schrader valve with some contaminants and UV dye visible ^ Low-side valve removed. Note that this is not the OEM valve, I replaced the valve core with one from Autozone in 2011. ^ Low-side valve closed. ^ Low-side valve open. ^ Detail showing the conical shape of the low-side valve. ^ Valves side by side.
-
Dissected my old AC lines
^ Another detail showing the Acme fitting and the seam where the valve is pressed into the bung. ^ This is the bottom of the high-side valve in the closed position. The star-shaped clip positions the end of the needle inside the barrel. ^ The high side valve exposed. ^ The valve depressed; you can partly make out the the bonded o-ring that seals the top of the valve against the body. ^ The green HNBR o-ring seals the valve body to the bung. ^ Cutaway of the high-pressure valve.
-
Dissected my old AC lines
These are the factory hoses/lines off my early '01 3500, with 240K on the clock. ^ Side by side of the valves; field-replaceable low-side on the left, non-serviceable high-side on the right. ^ High-side valve in detail. Note the seam where the valve assembly is pressed into the bung on the line. ^ High-side part number. I assume the AA revision has something to do with the integral orifice valve, but I have nothing to substantiate that. ^ The aluminum tube section containing the orifice valve (behind the pass. side battery) is wrapped in a thick rubbery mastic and then covered in aluminum tape. There are three deep dimples in the hose to retain the orifice in place. ^ The orifice is not serviceable; the line must be cut to remove it. It is installed at the factory before the individual sections of the line are soldered together. The retention dimples are clearly visible here. ^ My factory orifice was a pretty decent shape, considering its age. The nylon screen was worn at the outlet. ^ "T&L" stamped into the lower part of the high-side valve. ^ The amount of thickness in the valve body itself is quite substantial.
-
Anyone upgrade their headlights in the 2nd Gen trucks?
I had sport housings, but they fogged and leaked really badly, so they didn't stick around very long.
-
AIR COND Leak
I picked up a set of those, and a new set of the bigger plastic ones on sale. Next time I do an AC job I'll see how well they work.
-
Front rotors on a Dually 2WD
As for the point of them, when it rains like it does here in the tropics, it's nice not to have that initial hesitation caused by water between the pad and rotor surface. It's clear from reading your posts that you baby your truck, so it's entirely possible that you haven't had the need to replace your rotors. Plenty of people do replace them, and have perfectly valid reasons for it. You probably don't have to haul your truck down from highway speeds to a near-panic stop multiple times a trip because tourists don't know how to deal with exit signs and merge lanes, and freak out when it's raining at 3"/hr, for example... I replaced my rotors because my original brakes were garbage, and I wanted to upgrade to bigger, better 3rd-gen parts. Since buying used brake rotors is about as stupid as "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" I needed good rotors. People whose opinion I trust suggested these and they have not proved wrong; in fact, people I road race with who've driven my truck cannot stop talking about how good my brakes are - huge stopping power, superb pedal feel, etc.
-
Front rotors on a Dually 2WD
Actually 90k on Hawk red/HDs (20k+ of that towing >10klbs) and they're still plenty deep... I'll try to get a pic.
-
Front rotors on a Dually 2WD
It's really so nice not having to deal with bearings to change rotors.
-
AIR COND Leak
The cheap 4-way tool I had didn't fit inside the fitting even after I ground a considerable amount off the circumference. http://contentinfo.autozone.com/znetcs/product-info/en/US/grn/25042/image/4/ I also tried these, and the one that fit properly over the line wouldn't fit inside the connector to work the spring... http://contentinfo.autozone.com/znetcs/product-info/en/US/grn/25052/image/3/ I also have a set of these, and they, too, were too fat to fit up inside the fitting far enough to expand the spring. http://contentinfo.autozone.com/znetcs/product-info/en/US/grn/25182/image/3/ The only other set I could have tried would be the big fat plastic ring-type, but my nephew had to go home and I wasn't about to put everything back together to drive my truck the 14 miles to the nearest parts store. They might have worked, I dunno. But looking on Amazon at the "good" Lisle set, it appears that it also would have been too fat to fit inside the high pressure line. Maybe it was replaced at some point in the truck's life. Also note that this was the hard line that goes from the lower evaporator port, up the fender, behind the battery, and into the tube on the condenser - not a flex line. And I know what you mean, I did the compressor on an '05 Taurus a couple years ago with a buddy of mine. Also, an '02 Windstar. Blech. I'll have to cut the old valve apart later today. It's definitely NOT a serviceable valve. Instead of a Schrader like the low side, it's a flat brass slug with a thin o-ring around the outside that fits inside the Acme fitting, similar in operation to a Schrader but not design. And the connector itself doesn't unscrew, either.
-
Anyone upgrade their headlights in the 2nd Gen trucks?
I upgraded because my original lights were so oxidized you couldn't see more than about 50 feet in front of you, even with the fog lights on. Plus, as a rule, I hate dual-filament lights (9004/9007) and wanted dual bulbs. With the projectors in there I've simplified the wiring a bit, but while I had it all apart I added relays for my quad-note Cadillac horns and fog lights... Still have to get around to the fog light install.
-
AIR COND Leak
That line is a right royal $%^@% to replace! None of the standard line disconnect tools are thin enough to engage the spring. I had to get creative with the Dremel... but, AC is cold as now.
-
Anyone upgrade their headlights in the 2nd Gen trucks?
Sounds like a problem with your rig... before I put relays for sport headlights in my truck I had 14.2 at idle at the battery and 13.3 at the pass. side headlight plug. After the relays, I've got 14.2.
-
Most amazing mod I've ever made to a 2d gen... a new cupholder.
http://www.genosgarage.com/DODGE-RAM-CENTER-CONSOLE-CUP-HOLDER-98-02-2500_3500/productinfo/CUP%2DHOLDER%2D9802/#.VZeWNXD3arU
-
AIR COND Leak
I replaced my is discharge hose, and after vacuuming it down and getting ready to charge the system, I discovered I was out of refrigerant. So, a trip to my buddy the refrigerant guy solved that, and I went ahead and charged the system... Only to discover a new leak, in the high-pressure fitting. This one was pretty easy to identify, by the geyser of 134 shooting out of it. Fortunately my local Autozone had that line in stock, so I picked it up ($39) and will put it on tomorrow before work... Triage on the old low-pressure fitting shows one badly nicked o-ring in the valve. Hopefully this new high-press line solves my problem...