You Think It's Time to Retire the Durango? Video on Page 2
 

We have a 1999 5.2L. For quite awhile it's been smoking but only upon hard acceleration. Doesn't smoke otherwise. I'm having to add about 2-1/2 quarts of oil about every 3-4 weeks. Then there's the coolant leaking. It's been leaking here and there but not a lot. The last two days I've seen huge spots of coolant leaking and I just filled the reservoir. Today I drove it about a mile and when I parked I noticed water leaking from the front center. Yep. Right where the water pump is. Lastly the tranny feels almost like it's laboring sometimes. Fluid level is where it should be.

The vehicle has 223K on the clock. I can certainly fix the little things in the next day or two, but thinking ahead over the course of the next year, where we average 10-12K miles per year, I just think it's time to stop the bleeding and get rid of it now and find something else. Anyone else concur with this mindset?

Thanks guys!

If the rest is ok and thats all the complaints, it's very fixable. I'm not going to advocate dumping a vehicle because the motor is old. Sounds like you made your mind up though and are just looking for support. It's not our call. You have to decide.

Time for the 392 crate HEMI!!! :icon_banana:

So losing 2 1/2 quarts of oil in less than a month is no big issue? Smoking on hard acceleration is normal? Water pump leaking profusely on a high mileage vehicle is no problem? If that's true I should have no problems getting another 100K miles on her.

Exactly, what is entailed on replacing the water pump? I've got a fully torn rotator cuff and am limited to just the one arm for awhile. I really need to know if I should even consider this or not.

Thanks Old School! Excellent video! I'm adding the one for the thermostat.

Assuming your post above is referring to my above above post, by 'if the rest is ok', I meant the rest of the truck other than the drive train is fine, no rust, good interior, etc. Replacing the motor is 'very fixable'. My truck is almost 14 years old, bought it new, and based upon it's present condition (I get a lot of 'Wow, this thing is that old?'), I'd swap/repair the motor without thinking twice.

I hear ya Don. That may be quite feasible to you but in my present situation, it is not. There are several factors to be considered. The Durango is our only source of transportation. With a torn rotator cuff, I am extremely limited as to what I am safely capable of doing as far as my own work. I'm also disabled which means my income level is severely limited. My wife works full time but we are both also full time college students, so our income levels won't change any time soon.

Believe me, if I were more capable, I wouldn't worry about it. I've got a 1978 BMW 320i that is a rolling chassis right now, waiting for the engine bay to be painted so I can finish the engine and drop it in before doing all the other things to it like new brakes and lines front and rear. Replacing the 4-speed with a 5-speed that I have ready to go in, rewiring the fuel tanks and replacing all the rear sub-frame bushings. I'd be doing all of this if I were physically capable and unfortunate shoulders take longer to heal than even knee replacements. Things don't get any easier when you're 60.

I went and checked out the fan and there is zero play, indicating that that the bushings are fine. Now I have to actually trace precisely where the water in coming from. I would be thrilled if it were just the underside of a hose somewhere.