cummins2k

Amen. Not many things worse in this country then seeing someone on unemployment doing better than you while your falling apart working two jobs.

Looks like a lot of work. Beautiful view though, even better with all the Mopars.

Love the wild. Can't afford a fifth wheel or even a pop-up with this economy but I don't mind sleeping out in the wild with a little OFF. I can't believe how people are scared to venture out without cell phones with 4g internet. When I was growing up we went off on foot with nothing but a propane lantern, fishing poles, and a bow and arrow. I see these survival shows and laugh. Seriously watch them and the guy takes the hardest paths to prove a point. This is a great place to take your kids. Take their cell phones, and internet tablets away and show them what life is really like. Give them a pole, a bow, a gun and show them how to survive. This is what they were meant to do. Not sit in front of the TV all day. It is time man got back to the basics and knew how to survive. Health insurance wont always be around and even if it is it wont always fix all your problems (trust me I know) but life goes on. Get out there and enjoy life.

Congrats...

Well to make a long story short a previous manager that recommended the job moved to corporate. My attitude is well known to her. I called her and told her to get her a... down there because I was about to leave. She came and pulled me into an office. I told her what was happening and she left very angry. Next thing I know a guy from Texas is handling my paper work and I am being told they are fixing it. The H.R. lady has been very very quiet around every one despite the fact she was joking last week about people getting fired for opposing her. I guess it pays to know people in higher places. I seriously thought I would get fired and the company was allowing this but apparently they didn't know. So kudos to the corporation for setting things straight so far. On a side note the surgeon told me today that my wrist was ruined. Basically he stated I could have the bone cut 3mm to relieve stress but it would simply increase my time. Otherwise it was just worn out. It was the last thing I wanted to hear. I still have many years with my two kids and I don't want to spend them with a bum hand. In my sons first four years of life I have had too much fun showing him how to cause trouble to stop now lol. However we will see how it goes. I am told that Colorado requires retraining by work comp insurance for a career that will support a permanent disability. Hopefully if it gets that far it is a career I can tolerate cause I can't think of one that would make me happy without using my hand.

So my wife purchased a Focus a couple years ago. Not a bad car, little small, but good fuel mileage. However since we have had the car it has been a lemon. First issue was random acceleration. Yes that is right. I swear this car is half Toyota. This was at 4k miles. The dealer claimed wires were improperly restrained and rubbed through on the clutch pedal. However I distinctly remember while cleaning the car there were no wires hanging down in this area. There was also a lot of noise when the transmission was in neutral and the clutch was engaged. They claimed it was normal gear mesh / no load noise. I called B.S. but they stuck to their story. In fact for the last 41k miles they have. Despite the fact I can simply set my foot on the pedal, taking up the free play in the pedal, and it stops. Mind you the clutch is NOT disengaged, the transmission is still spinning, and there is still NO LOAD. This sounds like a classic throw-out bearing issue to me. What do I know though, I just grew up working in a shop, learning from a 70 year old mechanic that spent 50 years working on cars. For god sakes I don't hold the holy ASE license like them.Well guess what? At 10k it went all nuts. It would randomly accelerate hit about 5,000 RPM then a wrench light would come on the dash. The car would then go to idle and the gas pedal would no longer do anything. They claimed it was just a random malfunction and they "reset" the computer. B.S.To make a long story short we kept taking it back complaining, in fact twice after this. Now I have just completed the FIFTH time I have taken it in. Now they think the THROTTLE BODY is bad! They wanted me to pay nearly $700! I blew up, called the manager an idiot, told him he didn't know his head from his...well you can guess the rest.I guess I made enough of a scene that he got in touch with Ford and they offered to "cover all but $175." I flipped again. Why should I pay $175 for a problem that has existed since the car was BRAND NEW. I could understand if a part failed after the 3yr/36,000 mile warranty. However if I have been in 5 TIMES for the same problem they should just fix it. Mind you this isn't the first time we have had problems with this dealer. My wife took it in because I told her to make them check it. It was vibrating while driving down the highway and I noticed a small amount of abnormal tire wear. It didn't hardly have any miles on it at the time. They said they would check it out and tell her what was wrong. Needless to say they came and got her. Told her to go to the cashier there was a $160 charge for an alignment! She never approved it! So she stayed and argued with the manager that convinced her he would only charge her $100 since it was their error about approval. She paid!I was pissed to say the least. The car hadn't hit a pothole, hadn't been handled rough, and was brand spankin new at the time they did this. Why should I pay for an alignment on a new car. It should have been properly aligned off the lot. Well here is the kicker. They don't show this alignment in the computer now. They say they never performed an alignment. Well I have a withdrawl on my bank account that shows $100 to them. They claim they didn't see the car but twice for the acceleration problem. They don't show the time they had it for 3 WEEKS. So after the last time at the dealer I demanded they fix it and they refused until I pay part. I blew my top and almost got the police called on me. They directed me to a dealer about 30 miles away that is purchasing used cars due to low demand. I will not take less than blue book and they know that. I can sell it private party for more. I am sure I ruined at least 10 sales that day lol.What really makes me angry is I came home and took the throttle body off. Mind you the replacement charges me for 3.5hrs of labor according to them. It took less than 10 mins for me to remove it. Remove the air filter box held on by 3-clips. Remove the ducting to the throttle body, just hose clamps. Remove two wire connectors and 4 bolts. It is now off and in your hand. I cleaned it with carb cleaner. Opened the sensors and cleaned them with electronic cleaner and greased the drive-by-wire gears with white lithium grease and haven't had a problem since. In fact I drove the car 100 miles today and didn't have one problem. Usually I have one dead pedal about every 20 miles and have to restart the car. How come a total of about 30 mins and the car goes 100 miles without a problem but the holy grail of a dealership can't make it go more than 20 MILES!I just hope this POS sells tomorrow for bluebook. Bluebook is more than I owe, so I can afford to buy my wife another car. She has been informed from now on I pick her next car whether she likes the looks or not. Just in case your wondering I did compare my Dodges (Dakota, Ram, my parents Dakota and Stratus) to this lemon. He said "apples to oranges." I remarked you mean "oranges to lemons" right. None of these vehicles have less than 100k. None of them have had major malfunctions under 100k. In fact the most major is my Dakota with a bad timing chain, and my moms Stratus with a bad A/C compressor and head gasket. Each costs me well under the $700 the dealer wanted to fix my wife's car. Sure I fixed them myself but that is because I am willing to if they carried me over 100k problem free and are OUT OF WARRANTY.So to end my rant, the MORAL of the story is never have a vehicle serviced by O'MERA FORD.

I am contacting a few. Thing is I really don't care about money so much. This lady in HR seems to think everyone is out for a settlement. I DON'T WANT A SETTLEMENT, I WANT MY HAND TO WORK. Is it that hard to believe I work for the money and at the end of the day I would like the ability to pick my kids up. Isn't the point of this system to fix a work related injury and get you back to work? Why does it seem like my employer is fighting me so hard? You think they would want this injury to get fixed and for me to get back to work. Besides it isn't their money, it is their insurance. I don't fight my wife when she wants to take the kids to the doctor, I pay for the policy use it.

It was billed under work comp for the procedure I just had. The doctor tells me that rarely does work comp insurance (Pinnacol) ever approve of ulnar shortening, which is the procedure he would have to perform to fix the tfcc. Certainly an issue I will press. I am also having issues with my work. Our HR person is a promoted receptionist on a power trip. Colorado law states that work comp insurance doesn't start reimbursing wages for 3 days so for the first three days the employer can use your sick time. Which is fine I have a ton I have never used. After however they are suppose to reimburse you 2/3 you normal weekly wage. She is refusing to do anything or even release my sick time till I personally bring a letter to her stating "i am under the doctors care for this week i'm off." First off all my vehicles are manual transmissions plus I have two kids and trying to juggle kids and a stick shift in Denver traffic with one hand is not very easy. Secondly I don't see where it is my responsibility to get her more documentation. I gave her every sheet the doctor gave me. The last one states "return to work pending surgery, off one full week beginning day of surgery, weight restriction after surgery 2#." Also at the beginning of all this they made me sign a medical release so my employer could speak to my doctor. So why do I need to run errands for her? They have a fax and a phone. Her attitude today is pushing me to the point I am tempted to get an attorney cause she has done nothing but fight me this entire time and I will not stand by and let her short me money especially if it is coming from my earned sick time. Just crap if you ask me.

Well got out of surgery. Last thing i needed to here was the surgeon telling me he successfully removed the cyst but couldn't fix the tfcc. So the bump is gone but the underlying problem is not. Basically told me the insurance wouldn't cover a corrective procedure because it would require ulnar shortening i.e. bone removal.

Mine is a 94' 4X4. Ball joints just replaced last year. It also needs a timing chain and a cv shaft. Not bad for only fluid, filter, and brake changes the rest of its life. Compared to my ram it does great on tires to. Not much power but come winter weather and it goes where full size trucks cant.

Well I do have insurance, unfortunately I think they would let me die also lol. The doctor told me that they had denied a bunch of claims he put through on this kind of injury unless you could prove there was a trauma. I can't. I was working, obviously using my hands as I always do and something popped/snapped. Just felt tender for a bit and progressed. Now I have a lump. However while I went in for the doc to inspect the lump it turns out that it is not a problem per say but a symptom according to him. It formed because of the damage and didn't cause the damage. He even agrees that the snapping/pop sensation was most likely the tendon letting go, but the insurance is most likely going to fight it. Makes me wonder if I should just shell out the cash and have my insurance cover it or fight it if they do in fact try to deny it. I know this company that does my works workmen's comp insurance was under investigation by the state and local news not to long ago so I suppose we will see if their tactics change.

Any one ever tore the cartilage in their wrists? :yme:Not even sure how I did it, just at work a few weeks ago and my wrist started to hurt. Got progressively worse and finally formed a bump. Bump started out about a 1/4" and now is about 1". Doctor referred me to an orthopedic which in turn sent me for MRI's. The results came back and say that I have torn the Triangular Fibro Cartilage Complex or TFCC and as a result a ganglion cyst has formed. I couldn't get back in to see the orthopedic but my doctor said most likely they will want to do surgery because the damage seems to be getting worse every time he sees me. I really don't feel like I am working it any harder than I ever have and he claims it isn't related to the carpal tunnel syndrome I already have.Luckily the day it started hurting I had asked my manager for ibuprofen and he gave me a speech about filing an accident report anytime you feel injured whether you can place your finger on how you did it or not. :nono:The doctor said he wouldn't know for sure but in his experience it usually takes 8-12 weeks to recover. Hopefully I don't loose wages.

I have always loved Tesla coils. Originally Tesla wanted to use it for wireless power transmission. Everyone thought he was a crack pot. However look at everything we use today which truth be told came from him.

Shell is running $4.13 here, but prices go up to $4.21 depending on how far into the city I drive. Highway stations that service big rigs are the worst. They know the tractor trailers can't get into any of the smaller stations so they raise their prices knowing there is no way around it. Gasoline on the other hand is $3.77 per gallon for 85 octane.Funny thing is family members have told me I am stupid for continuing to drive my Ram with the cost of diesel. My V6 Dodge Dakota has been getting 12-13mpg highway (needs work) and the Ram a solid 19mpg. Do the math and it costs me $0.29 per mile to drive the Dakota and about $0.22 a mile to drive the Ram. Even if my Dakota was pulling the advertised 15mpg highway it is suppose to it would cost about $0.25 a mile. So the Ram would still win.Now if only I had a 4bt Cummins to slap under the hood of the Dakota. I would have an awesome go anywhere truck that would be economical to.

Actually it is Carbon Monoxide. In the levels injected into most meats the FDA claims it will not harm a human being. I have always been skeptical and really see no need. Re-education is in order for a lot of these health food freaks. They have brought about a lot of the pollution seen in the food industry. The make it out like any bacteria is bad bacteria, color should remain the same as the day it was cut from the cow, and fat should be non existent. As a chef I laugh when I see people at the grocery store looking for a piece of steak that is pink and without fat. See the problem is everyone wants perfection. Ever looked at Tyson raw chicken sold in the store? Are you seriously going to tell me those chickens got to be the exact same size naturally? Then you run down to the farmers market to get some locally raised chicken and the sizes are all over the place. Well that doesn't mean Tyson raises better chickens. It means something not so natural is happening because nature is just not that perfect. I think if you looked at a lot of the additives being put in your food you would be more likely to grow a garden and raise live stock. It is just scary.

Well thank you. Figured I would stick it here cause it seems this forum still believes in ingenuity over just throwing parts at a truck.

I have seen the question asked a million times on other forums. It usually comes down to someone claiming to be an awesome mechanic stating that hydroboost brake boosters aren't rebuild-able/resealable or that they are so complicated if you took them apart you would never get them back together. :banghead: Well even though my hydroboost has been doing a great job keeping my undercarriage lubricated the constant top offs with power steering fluid and air in the system got pretty annoying. I decided that I would take a peek inside of it and possibly reseal it. I didn't plan to rebuild the unit as there are a couple specialized tools you either have to purchase or improvise. First off when my power steering system wasn't low and had set for a bit to allow the air to work itself out the brakes worked fine. Once the booster saw air it was hard to push them and they had a tendency to jerk. So in other words my booster was functioning. Just leaking fluid and drawing air. I started off by finding a kit. I purchased a MBM #50 kit that cost me $25 through piratejack brakes. Next I flushed the system, not that it needed it because it went through powersteering fluid constantly. Removing the brake booster is frustrating because of course it requires you to remove 4 nuts and the pedal rod from under the dash. The pedal rod is held on by a washer and clip. The 3 out of the 4 nuts were quickly removed using a 3/8 air ratchet, swivel, extensions, and a 15mm deep socket. The last one was removed using a ratchet, short extension, and a deep 15mm socket. Of course there are 2 15mm holding the master cylinder to the booster. Two pipe fittings 16mm (power steering), and a hose that is held on by a clamp (also power steering). Afterwards I had to remove two plastic line holders from the brake lines to allow them to move a bit. Then I merely slid the master cylinder off it's studs and moved it to the side being careful not to bend the brake lines. I found this gave me the benefit of not having to bleed the brakes and bench bleed the master. At this point carefully manipulated the booster out of the truck. Once on the floor I placed it on a rubbermaid container lid to catch any fluid that spilled out once opened. I removed 2 15mm nuts that held on the adapter plate that bolts to the master cylinder. At this point a star retainer, spring, rod, and plastic washer will come out. The star retainer will come off by itself but the spring, rod, and plastic washer assembly should remain as one piece. Next I removed the 5 3/8" bolts that held the casings together. It took very little persuasion to separate the case halves. It is important to note at this point I remembered I had forgot to apply the brakes 10 times with the engine off to de-pressurize the booster. Not such a big deal cause I had no intentions of removing the gas canister on the booster anyway. Once the halves began to come apart the spool valve fell out. Not a big deal as it can only go back in one way. Oddly enough I found the check valve was missing and in the back of the casing. I noticed matching marks on the check valve and housing right behind the fork on the pedal rod. I am still not sure what happened here, cause the booster seemed to work. All parts were accounted for so I moved on to resealing it. I removed the original figure eight seal that sits between the two housings. Comparing the new and the old as well as looking at marks on the housing it would seem this was my problem seal. The old seal was considerably thinner, probably due to shrinking. The new seal can be pushed into place with fingers. Next I used some small hooks that I had to fish the piston seal out of the piston bore without damaging the bore. Pay attention to the orientation of the piston seal when removing it. Once again the new seal can be installed simply by fishing it in there and working it in with your fingers. I now reinstalled the check valve and the spool valve. I connected the pedal rod to the spool valve and reinserted the piston into it's bore. Just as before press the housings back together, this shouldn't take anymore than hand force. Reinstall the 5 3/8" bolts and snug them down. Back on the other side of things reinsert the spring, rod, and washer assembly. Place the star retainer back on the rod making sure to have the curved points toward the inside. Reinstall the master cylinder adapter over this, it will retain the spring assembly. Tighten the 15mm nuts. After that it is pretty much reverse of removal. Place the booster back in the truck. Tighten the 4 15mm nuts under the dash that retain it to the firewall. Reinstall the pedal rod, washer, and clip. Back under the hood reconnect the power steering lines, and master cylinder. Top off the system with power steering fluid and work the wheel back and forth, lock to lock while pressing the brake pedal. It will feel funny at first but it will tighten up as the fluid gets to it. You may hear strange noises due to the air in the system but don't worry the air will work it's way out after sitting for a bit. I have yet to notice a leak. Took her on a trip around the neighborhood for a bit after degreasing everything and haven't noticed anything new. My brakes even feel stronger. Hopefully this helps someone not spend $200 over a simple leak.

I have seen the question asked a million times on other forums. It usually comes down to someone claiming to be an awesome mechanic stating that hydroboost brake boosters aren't rebuild-able/resealable or that they are so complicated if you took them apart you would never get them back together. :banghead: Well even though my hydroboost has been doing a great job keeping my undercarriage lubricated the constant top offs with power steering fluid and air in the system got pretty annoying. I decided that I would take a peek inside of it and possibly reseal it. I didn't plan to rebuild the unit as there are a couple specialized tools you either have to purchase or improvise. First off when my power steering system wasn't low and had set for a bit to allow the air to work itself out the brakes worked fine. Once the booster saw air it was hard to push them and they had a tendency to jerk. So in other words my booster was functioning. Just leaking fluid and drawing air. I started off by finding a kit. I purchased a MBM #50 kit that cost me $25 through piratejack brakes. Next I flushed the system, not that it needed it because it went through powersteering fluid constantly. Removing the brake booster is frustrating because of course it requires you to remove 4 nuts and the pedal rod from under the dash. The pedal rod is held on by a washer and clip. The 3 out of the 4 nuts were quickly removed using a 3/8 air ratchet, swivel, extensions, and a 15mm deep socket. The last one was removed using a ratchet, short extension, and a deep 15mm socket. Of course there are 2 15mm holding the master cylinder to the booster. Two pipe fittings 16mm (power steering), and a hose that is held on by a clamp (also power steering). Afterwards I had to remove two plastic line holders from the brake lines to allow them to move a bit. Then I merely slid the master cylinder off it's studs and moved it to the side being careful not to bend the brake lines. I found this gave me the benefit of not having to bleed the brakes and bench bleed the master. At this point carefully manipulated the booster out of the truck. Once on the floor I placed it on a rubbermaid container lid to catch any fluid that spilled out once opened. I removed 2 15mm nuts that held on the adapter plate that bolts to the master cylinder. At this point a star retainer, spring, rod, and plastic washer will come out. The star retainer will come off by itself but the spring, rod, and plastic washer assembly should remain as one piece. Next I removed the 5 3/8" bolts that held the casings together. It took very little persuasion to separate the case halves. It is important to note at this point I remembered I had forgot to apply the brakes 10 times with the engine off to de-pressurize the booster. Not such a big deal cause I had no intentions of removing the gas canister on the booster anyway. Once the halves began to come apart the spool valve fell out. Not a big deal as it can only go back in one way. Oddly enough I found the check valve was missing and in the back of the casing. I noticed matching marks on the check valve and housing right behind the fork on the pedal rod. I am still not sure what happened here, cause the booster seemed to work. All parts were accounted for so I moved on to resealing it. I removed the original figure eight seal that sits between the two housings. Comparing the new and the old as well as looking at marks on the housing it would seem this was my problem seal. The old seal was considerably thinner, probably due to shrinking. The new seal can be pushed into place with fingers. Next I used some small hooks that I had to fish the piston seal out of the piston bore without damaging the bore. Pay attention to the orientation of the piston seal when removing it. Once again the new seal can be installed simply by fishing it in there and working it in with your fingers. I now reinstalled the check valve and the spool valve. I connected the pedal rod to the spool valve and reinserted the piston into it's bore. Just as before press the housings back together, this shouldn't take anymore than hand force. Reinstall the 5 3/8" bolts and snug them down. Back on the other side of things reinsert the spring, rod, and washer assembly. Place the star retainer back on the rod making sure to have the curved points toward the inside. Reinstall the master cylinder adapter over this, it will retain the spring assembly. Tighten the 15mm nuts. After that it is pretty much reverse of removal. Place the booster back in the truck. Tighten the 4 15mm nuts under the dash that retain it to the firewall. Reinstall the pedal rod, washer, and clip. Back under the hood reconnect the power steering lines, and master cylinder. Top off the system with power steering fluid and work the wheel back and forth, lock to lock while pressing the brake pedal. It will feel funny at first but it will tighten up as the fluid gets to it. You may hear strange noises due to the air in the system but don't worry the air will work it's way out after sitting for a bit. I have yet to notice a leak. Took her on a trip around the neighborhood for a bit after degreasing everything and haven't noticed anything new. My brakes even feel stronger. Hopefully this helps someone not spend $200 over a simple leak.

I have been running Ubuntu and ran other distributions in the past. I have been running linux since about 1998. I also dual boot windows. Currently I am running Windows XP on my other partition.I am also running a custom version of Ubuntu on another old computer that I intend to use for CNC milling. It is called EMC2 or Enhanced Machine Controller.As for browsers I am using Chrome at the moment on both Ubuntu and Windows and it seems to be working well for me. Occasionally I hit a snag and revert back to Firefox.

The 2500's came with either a D70 (automatic) or a D80 Hybrid (manual / HO) which is physically different that the 3500 and 3500 CC trucks. Basically the hybrid axle is a D80 center section and D70 tubes from my understanding. The D80 Hybrid in 2500's is NOT wider than the D80 installed in 3500 trucks. It is the other way around. If you converted a 3500 to single the track would be 4" wider (2" per side) than a 2500. The exception to this rule is the Cab and Chassis axle which I do not have dimensions for but it is supposedly narrower than the 3500 axle. Edcasey did a 3500 SRW conversion using 2500 wheels and retained the 3500 axle. Here is his swap. http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20727

Lots of aftermarket places sell control arms. If you want high quality then go with a company like Thuren Fabrication. They will set you back about $700. I also like this guys. He doesn't sell them but shows you that they are pretty easy to make if you are handy with a welder. http://www.mark74.com/ram_modifications.htm#Control arms

Unless there is an obvious design flaw always machine your rotors it is far cheaper and all the brakes need to function properly is a flat surface. There is no sense in replacing a perfectly good and meaty brake rotor for new one. Calipers are the biggest issue as is fluid. Rebuild the faulty caliper and replace and bleed the fluid and your brakes will keep you happy for years to come.

Just a thought but how is the truck parked when it fails to start? Is it on a hill?

Yep, actually I think I posted that a while ago when I was tinkering with my Dakota getting it to run right. However while I think the timing chain may have accelerated wear on the distributor the injector sync and distributor wear seemed to be the culprit when it came to the surge and back fire. Mine was intermittent. If I were to raise the rpms up to about 1800-2400 rpm in any gear and then stab the clutch I would hear a decent backfire followed by a few smaller pops as the rpms fell.

If it is a V6 I would assume a typo and guess that it is a 3.9l? In 2000 to the best my knowledge there were 3.9l, 4.7l, and 5.9l engines available. The 3.9l being the only V6. I have a 1994 which is much older than this one but I was plagued by problems with back firing more so between 1800-2400rpm. So if your engine is anywhere near the same here is what I went through.Turns out that for one my timing chain had a lot of slack, they make a tensioner to fix this. Also my distributor was wore out and out of sync. Replacing the distributor is easy but in order to properly set the sync you need to have a Dodge dealer bring out there scan tool and twist the distributor until it is correct. The distributor position on these trucks doesn't affect ignition timing it affects injector timing. Then to top it off Dodge has a plug wire reroute TSB that they suggest to prevent cross firing between the wires. Just a few thoughts.