Oh, I wasn't complaining about you... I'm happy for any suggestions!

Regarding mechanics I trust, there aren't any. The best Italian car specialist in Northern California used a chisel to pry up the aluminum head on my old Spider, thereby destroying the head and the block... A respectable Mercedes mechanic diagnosed a bad sensor as rod knock on a 2000 S500. And the Jaguar dealership once sent my mom on her way without actually attaching the bolts to her brake caliper. I know everybody makes mistakes, but at least if I am the one making the mistake I have only myself to blame.

Regarding the radiator - I picked it up from Amazon.com... I get a lot of car stuff there these days. Once I figured out that nobody stocks radiators and everybody ships from a generic warehouse, I decided that the $150 from Pep Boys was the exact same radiator as the $80 from Amazon.

 

I haven't had any terrible experiences with mechanics over the years. It's just that for the most part, and with all their "certifications," they don't know anything magical and can't do anything more than I've been able to.

My most recent experience with clueless mechanics was on a 89 Geo Tracker that couldn't fine a stable idle (needed it to be able to pass smog in Reno.) Took it to the Chevy dealer and to an independent shop. Both charged thru the Wazoo and didn't get it fixed (tho the independent shop dummied up a smog certificate at least.) Ended up buying a used throttle body & a rebuilt ECM and that seemed to fix it. The money spent at the shops was just wasted.

On our first generation Dakotas, better to find a factory shop manual and buy an OBD 1 or 2 scanner. Got most all the tools the shop would use (except for a lift!) And we can spend time actually learning about our own truck--instead of letting a disinterested generalist "expert" blunder about.

Glad it was only your radiator. That's relatively easy, tho getting the viscous fan clutch off is a bit** ain't it? I ended up welding up a spanner to hold the pulley while I attacked the nut on the fan clutch with a big pipe wrench.

 

Actually, when I did the fan clutch the week before it just popped off. And I am NOT a super strong person... I was surprised.

Doing the radiator, I didn't even pull the fan off. Just moved the shroud over it and lifted. No problem except that I got tranny fluid all over everything. That stuff is slippery!

 

i had a tranny line blow while i was backing down my driveway in the rain. that day learned that dish soap and a pressure washer removes that crap. needless to say i had to tow my truck back up the driveway and back into the garage i just moved it out of...lol