JAG1

Timothy, learn how to do all the excellent work on your own truck and acquire all the tools. Then when you've learned you can start your own small shop and make a killer income. Don't mess around with things that don't let you get to where you want to be. But by all means take excellent care of your customers cause when you can really honestly do that it will be returned to you many times over. Once you get to where you enjoy the good things you do for others, the money will take care of itself. Focus on what you can do better for your customers and your ideas will build your reputation like non other. Don't be like Dripley cause he's always throwing himself into the fryer.......

Timothy, every one of us have gone thru the exact same scenario that you are going thru. We have all had the modify our trucks to keep them going for the long haul by taking care of the 4 items above. Plus..... I might add that we have all learned to do the work ourselves because we are tired of the less than fully educated mechanics throwing parts and ideas at these great trucks that drain the pocketbook. I was so afraid to change out my VP44 on my own, but these guys not only coached me they helped me every step of the way. Unlike many experiences having to pay for work to be done...... I experienced the sheer satisfaction of doing a tight and careful job. It was wonderful when she fired off so smooth after a new VP. Even my plumber who is mostly interested in going on vacation all the time had to comment on how smooth my truck ran. He got in it and says, '' man this thing runs smooth, nice. Where did you find this truck?'' Well I had taken care of the 4 items with the correct mods as well as a new VP (left me stranded on a Friday rush hour on a two lane road). Plus I had to replace the vibration damper from the previous owner letting the puke bottle overflow onto everything up front. I got the expensive one, not aftermarket which also made a difference as everything else I did. These trucks need an owner that really wants to take care of them and they will return many years savings. I invested in all the tools and found I enjoy the work a lot. I have two of these trucks and in just two measly weekends I accomplished 1700 bucks worth the work on my own doing more upgrades and maintenance. Very satisfying. I couldn't have done it without the folks on this forum to help me. I hope that you discover the same enjoyment too.

There is often a lot of resistance to ground that occurs thru the alternator bracket. The alternator does not have it's own ground wire from case housing to a negative post so this all important ground is often found to be compromised by it running thru the rusted or slightly corroded mounting bolts. Even the heavily painted black surface of the alternator bracket with paint under the bolt head can help to insure a bit more resistance to ground. A well grounded alternator helps create a better balanced electrical system and helps reduce the damaging AC voltage ripple to the PCM and other components. AC ripple can not only cause damage, but can confuse the PCM into some troubling issues.

Dieselfuture refers to his truck as 'the stud stretcher'

I had the same problem. Don't know if its the blend door actuator or the piece that the heater treater rplaces. I got mine to work one last time on hot so it's staying there till I or MoparMan gets a chance to completely redo everything on the HVAC system. Last friday I smelled antifreeze when turning on the defroster so my heater core is going. Plus I got a leak in the evaporative cooler that IBMobile found. My suggestion is to replace everything once you pull the dash to get in there. my replacement list; Heater treater evaporative cooler heater core new foam tape/ gasket to the clamshell design new condenser drain hose thru the firewall with a downward 90 outside lube all moving parts I can always replace the blower and resistor later along with the blend door actuator from the outside of the whole plenum.

I didn't know they require an approval now. Haven't been on the forum there for a very long time as Mopar1073Man has been a very big help for reliability and good down home advice. for many of us here. This place has been simply tremendous. If you get into the articles sam you will find why this place is first and foremost above all the diesel forums.

sam, just look up N.W. Bombers diesel truck forums and join in the conversation about finding a local shop, but do mention that I said something about 'Hoss' a NW member in Arlington on a ten acre place. He's a real nice guy with an amazing shop. He helps a lot of people, but you want to be fair with him about money and take good care of his labor too. Amazing I remembered his name..... everyone calls him that. His wifes coffee is the best too. One last note; I have seen Hoss do 24 valve removal and replacements..... probably more times than he remembers.

sam, your in Everett wa. There is a group of 2nd gen owners up there around there called NW Bombers. There is a guy with a private shop in Arlington on a ten acre place. I cannot remember his name, but has a real nice private shop and he is a real good guy. I would try talking with him on the NW Bombers forum see if you can get him to do the work. Everyone knows who he is in Arlington up there. He is one to be trusted with your work for sure. He has to do it in his spare time I know, but his work is neat and organized and thorough Mopar Man won't even answer question about retorquing old bolts.

That's me after they started impeachment proceedings from the Mopar Forum. After that I could not find a lick of work for myself.

I am talking stock studs Mike....... because they stretch shouldn't we be carefully retorquing them anytime the valve cover is off? . As long as my question doesn't start an impeachment hearing and pics of Jag1 surrounded by donkies everything is alright.

sam, how many miles on your truck? Do you have any power mods? Please be careful who works on your truck. Does this mean whenever we do an injector change the head bolts should be retorqued, provided the gasket doesn't leak?

Your using the 2 stroke oil, that;s great What about your fuel pressure? Are you at least above 14 p.s.i. all the time? I ask because this is the number one concern about making our 2nd gens last and be reliable.

Okay I hope your still around after me leaving this by the wayside. I'm sorry for that as I finally got things done around here..... Now if you go into the second gen articles section that is fine too, but on our first gens there are 4 grounds fused together with some sort of plastic, as I said, but they are located in the wire harness in front of the injection pump. Dodge had no business fusing those without a drop of solder, so most all of us have taken those 4 sensor grounds and soldered them together and bonded them to the back of the gear case under or to the side of the injection pump.There is an already threaded hole in the gear case for a small size threaded bolt to go in there with a ring terminal on the bolt. Now Dripley has found another location of inferior grounds fused together again with that same sort of hard plastic. He says it's inside the wire harness down near the ECM. I finally found the all important ground for the power distribution center. Everyone talked about it being down low on top of the wheel well fender in front of the drivers battery except I could never see it there until one day I moved a small portion of wiring out of the way and there it was. Kind of funny the way Dodge so neatly hid this all important location so perfectly under a small section of wire harness that the normal eye would think that there is nothing under there. Anyhow I hope you respond after my absence. I will think of more as I get time.

I drove my truck a couple years on an 0216 code. Never did leave me by the roadside, but will eventually though.

Mike, is there a possibility that the 0216 code could be from low fuel pressure, lack of TCW3 two stroke oil in the fuel and the injection pump would be okay for now if corrected? Looks like Dave110 is part of the family now, since he goes huntin' and peckin' too. Mopar Man head Rooster.

Did I at least get a half smile out of you?

Mopar73Man put extra blow in insulation in the attic, I bet he burns a cord or two less this year. I believe in that stuff, but you got to get the good stuff that is like white fiberglass cotton not the ground up newspaper stuff that;s bad. I had a wealthy client blow in double the normal amount. I was swimmin' in that stuff just to find each truss so I would not go thru the ceiling. I had the new circuit wire in my teeth while feeling my way to the other end of the house where the electrical panel was. It rolled off the spool of wire just fine and I didn't loose any teeth. You know.... like Dripley he has no teeth in that beak.... anyway, I think he said his heat bill went way down in that huge house.

I used that word because I don't think anyone knows what you mean when you always say, 'pecker'. You good man..... my wood is inside but not all split. I do have a 4x4x8 foot wood bin of mostly 2x4 scrap that is full because the cold that refuses to show up this november. Also..... hardly any rain, no wind, no storms, which by now should be a lot of them coming thru one after another. It's really very strange.

I only have experience with locating the second gen grounds. Some so important and yet hidden for some reason. Also some very important sensor grounds discovered fused together in the wire harness with some sort of hardened plastic not a drop of solder in them . I wonder therefore if a 3rd gen harness is similar in some ways..... I can tell you where to look and what to look for if interested.

Mike has rescued me several times with excellent advice on the telephone while out in the shop working on my trucks. So has IBMobile.

You should stay away from the dealer. They will do things to get you to give in / buy a new truck. You say time is money..... I saved 1300 bucks doing my own work inside of a couple Saturdays and no headaches no leaks no problems.

Welcome to the Forum. I hope you can enjoy it the way we all have around here with Mikes good advice and other members wisdom. Good place to sit down and have a cup of coffee

How about good ole lacquer paint? That stuff is good to work with, but may not hold up. Thanks to IBMobile my joints hurt a little more this morn. If I'm so ancient how come I favor black and white movies over other garbage?

Thank you Dieselfuture. I will do some more searching to find more about it. I like the money in the bank more than a new paint job, so I'm going to find an option that will allow me to do my own repair. I've been good with an automotive paint sprayer in the past. I really don't like that clear coat stuff as it never existed when I was in school. Why have that stuff anyway ..... is it because the paint is so cheaply done?