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Originally Posted by Radius
JC, Not getting a chance to comment on all of your goings on, but I am watching them with interest.
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Hey Ray,
Don't know if you have been watching the national weather situation, but we have been getting a line of thunder storms that is moving NNE from the SSW, going right over where Lorrie and the 3.14 are sitting! Yesterday it rained EXTREMELY hard, and the temps were in the high 70s, so I put on an old pair of cutoffs, a T-Shirt, and no shoes, and went out to play in the rain by getting the hose with a high pressure nozzle on it, and washed out all the fourteen years of accumulated leaves, and attendant compost from under Lorrie, and the flow of rain water coming down the drive way carried it all away, thus effectively doing (having a clean driveway pavement area under Lorrie) that moving her back would have accomplished. I haven't gone out in the rain for year and years, and it was quite exhilarating! Spent about an hour out there!
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Never have had a positive experience with AutoZone- terrible quality, but they are at times the only game in town, or something equivalent.
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There are two NAPAs, an O'Reilly's, and an Auto Zone here. That's it! One of the NAPAs is local (in Onalaska, Texas), the other three stores are in Livingston, thirteen miles East of here. If one wants MORE selection, one has to go thirty-three miles West to Hunstville, Texas.
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Makes me miss the Western Auto that was in the town where I grew up.
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I know what you mean. I was raised in Southern California (Ontario, California), and there were auto supply stores in profusive abundance.
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I forgot to mention that the sign on the van now reads 6 cylinders, so no luck on the V8.
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Not having had any experience with a Dodge V8, I can't say what the pros and cons of the situation is, but I can tell you that the 225 Slant Six is as bulletproof an engine as one could ever hope to have.
The one weak spot on the engine is the Exhaust Manifold has a tendency to crack from the engine torquing with the Exhaust Pipe to the muffler being stationary. The solution to THAT is to put a solid connection from the one of the Studs on the end of the Exhaust Manifold to one of the bolts on the Bell Housing thus making the flexing transmitted to the Exhaust Pipe hanger which is flexible. I broke two Exhaust Manifolds before I finally made THAT connection, and haven't had a problem since.
Also, it's a good idea to put a sheetmetal baffle between the Exhaust Manifold and the Alternator. The Exhaust Manifold gets hot enough to glow a medium cherry red, and that can over heat the Alternator which is only about 12" away.
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What should I look for/at on the beast, when I go to look at it?
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Check the upper end of the Radiator where the hose from the water pump connects. Again the torqueing of the engine has a tendency to crack the tube going into the Radiator. That can be reinforced with a piece of copper tubing brazed into the upper Rad Shell just below the hose tube. I had that done, and it solved THAT problem.
Check to see if there is a tag on the Differential. It will tell you the gear ratio of the Ring and Pinion.
Also, get the numbers off the Warranty Tag. It should be inside and just in front of one of the sliding doors. It has a wealth of information on it. I can interpret it for you.
Also, there are manuals for Dodge Vans available. If you DO get "The Beast", one of them is indispensable.
You are, of course, welcome.
Yesterday morning before it started raining, I got the Accelerator Pedal unfastended from the floor, and the OLD Carpet removed. Also Got everything from the back of the doors forward cleaned up.
Have to remove a couple of sacks of cement that are stored in the back of Lorrie, and the Cabinetry that was over the engine compartment as it is pretty much going to be scrapped, and a new engine enclosure made.
The weather system is supposed to clear out of here late this afternoon, and so Saturday, will probably get Lorrie up off the ground, and get started on removing her wheels, and brake assemblies.
The Master Cylinder is most likely going to be in at Auto Zone, and I may pick it up on Saturday morning. Going to have to positively find out what to use to remove any Silicone Brake Fluid residue on the Metal Brake Lines.
While Lorrie is up off the ground, I plan on wire brushing the Front Axle, and Leaf Springs and getting them cleaned and painted.
Will spiff up the Brake Back Plates, and Drums. and get them painted and ready for reassembly when the NEW Wheel Cylinders and Flex Hoses come in.
Weather has been forecast to be GORGEOUS on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. And though THAT'S all the further the forecast goes, that weather should be good for another three or four days after Monday. So it looks as if LOTS will get done in the next few days.
Will keep you updated.
JC
