+1 on everything he said.

 

I've never had a timing chain go...my truck is coming up on 200k, should I be worried?

Never even thought to look on eBay. I get just about everything from Advance Auto Parts. I replaced just about everything in the front end too, with the exception of the bushings you mentioned and my front shocks. I can't get those bolts free and I'm scared to break them cause I can't be without the truck for any extended amount of time.

Now to get back on topic...that sounds like an awful lot of work and money. Is this going to be a show truck or a daily driver? Don't get me wrong, I would love to be able to do all that to my baby but, if you have $3500 budgeted just for the power and drive train, wouldn't that money be better spent on a rig that doesn't need that much work? There was a post here not too long ago asking if money were no object, what would you do...I struggled with that for a bit and thought of all the cool things I would do with my truck if I had an unlimited budget. The more I thought about it the more I thought, "If I had an unlimited budget, I'd buy a new truck"...

Holy crap, I sound like my father. I guess this first cup of coffee hasn't kicked in yet.

 

you disappoint me . but really, why get a new truck, when you can make the truck you own now new? or even better than new? new is not always better.

 

The $3500 includes some appearance items. I've had several new trucks over the years but for some crazy reason I want to work over this truck. I'm looking at NAPA also for parts. The way I look at it is I get the mechanicals up to par and for the money I spent I have few worries and no payment.

 

Not necessarily.
As I said, some people simply don't have problems.
Some people have problems with chain stretch, which usually causes the car to run like crap. Actually, in the few years I've been in the Gen 1 Dakota forum, I'm the only one I can remember that has faced actual mechanical failure of the timing chain. A few others have had it stretch though.

So, in short, no you shouldn't be worried.

That's the way I looked at it until after the transmission was replaced, the water pump and timing chain had to be replaced, 1 day after each other. Oh, and I was on vacation, so the truck was away from me for... 3 months. And THAN the transfer case exploded while I went on more time off to pick it up. Hahaha.
Pretty much the only thing I haven't replaced is the alternator... watch that go now!

 

This is true...for one thing, there's no truck payment and the insurance is at the minimum. I'm likin' it better already...

 

Actually now that you mention vacation, I did have an engine in my wife's 71' Nova go while we were on vacation in Maine back in the early 80's. I remember my dad came up from Jersey with all his tools and we rebuilt the top end of the engine at the cottage by the lake. It was a Sunday and everything was closed except the small town gas station. One of the guys that worked there happened to have replaced his 307 with a 350 and he gave me the timing gears and chain from his old engine for free. Those were the good ole' days. Back when I had the patience and time to do that sort of stuff at the drop of a hat.

 

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