When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
No idea why they stick with me but they are fantastic. I am moving slower than a turtle yet without them I'd never have even tried.
Because we are gluttons for punishment? Lovers of lost causes? Or maybe, we just have too much time on our hands.
That, and we like to see these trucks FIXED, not scrapped, and helping someone to learn as they go, is its own reward. We have buncha members with a LOT of knowledge, that they are happy to share. Personally, I like doing my mechanic work on the forums, a whole lot better than actually doing the work... Just getting too old (and crotchety) for that kind of behavior. Passing along knowledge is my way of giving back to the folks that helped ME, when I was new.
That said, with the radiator and such out of the way, you can probably snake the lower shroud into place, even with the fan and such on there.
Just got back from a 2500 mile trip in my 01, a trip which saw the Odo pass 280,000 miles, and almost 281,000. Will cross that tomorrow.
at 258,000 I had a problem with what was then the original engine. No problem, it's still in good shape, let's build a new fresh engine for it and keep on trucking.
I bought an engine from craigslist that had a sketchy story so I wasn't gonna just stick it in there. So I rebuilt that one while we nursed the original one along (cyl 6 misfire that when it started didn't run like a misfire) and when the machine shop was done and I had the replacement motor ready I did the swap. That engine went a whole couple of hours of run time, not even 6 miles and one of the injectors I had had rebuilt chasing that miss stuck wide open. And on a different cylinder I had a valve stick and smack a piston (brand NEW EQ heads, not used, not rebuilt) I had just rebuilt the transmission at same time I put that engine in "just because" I didn't know the history on it, besides I do ALL of my own work. I'm a fleet mechanic. I don't send anything out besides alignments, machine work, etc. So I have to pay no one for labor and I get better deals than retail on parts.
I was beyond pissed, had too much tied up in it to walk away. And it was in too good of condition despite the miles.
it became a garage ornament for about 3 years while I got over being mad at it.
I went back to craigslist and found another engine, put it onto the stand, and replaced all the gaskets, freeze plugs, water pump, timing chain, and put a Hughes plate on the manifold. I sent those new heads thru the machine shop, (letting it sit, exhausted the warranty)
As it turns out all of the stem to guide clearances were too tight on those new heads. I'd spent over$700 on that set of brand new "ready to run" heads that weren't. Cyl 4 was the one that bent the valve, but all intakes we're way too tight according to the machine shop. So after another $200 in those brand new $700+ heads I put them onto engine#2 and dropped it in.so far 23k miles later it's been fine. As I said I have 281,000 on the body, original engine went 258,470..and even then the cylinders on that original engine still showed factory machine marks, cross hatch, etc. Engine currently in it has right around 160,000 on it so I'm hoping that going by the original, it has another 100,000 in it or more. This Durango had more Miles on it when we bought it (214,000) than any other vehicle we have ever had, did when we bought them. So being as how I got another 44k out of the original, that tells me the owners before me kept pretty good care of it. And sometimes knowing the history of your vehicle means more than what the odometer says.
The point of all this is that you get yours back on the road, and it will likely serve you better than anything you could buy because you don't know how anything else out there has been maintained. Like you do what you have already.
I run my stuff into the ground. But I take care of it in the meantime.
I see lots of vehicles over 200k at work, and they have the added disadvantage of tons of idle time where the engine runs while parked, wear and tear that doesn't show up on the odometer. I think you'd be happier fixing what you have than buying something else
Last edited by volaredon; May 30, 2021 at 08:43 PM.
I do love this story as it makes a lot of sense, I have owned this car since it rolled off the lot and taken pretty decent care of it within my power, and would love to have it a while longer. It was approaching 200k and it would be a real pleasure to see it go beyond that and be behind the wheel again!
That said, setback with the power steering pulley today. Got the proper tool with the metal halves and collar and installed it. I do not have an impact wrench and knew elbow grease would be required with my ratchet and wrench.
After installing the tool, and getting to the point of toughest friction, when the pulley should begin to pull back, the half pieces are actually somehow winning the war and finding their way OVER the lip of the darn pulley! Pictures ahead. I assume I have this on correctly. I saw in one youtube video that someone actually had to get a metal hose clamp and place it around the collar to succeed. Which means the tool itself is not doing what it is supposed to do. So it has to be one of these:
1. operator error - I've installed the pulley remover or am using it incorrectly
2. need an impact wrench to shock it into submission, hand tools will not be sufficient
3. need to somehow further tighten the collar to prevent it from slipping off the pulley wheels notches (still amazed it's doing this).
Photos ahead, one way you can see the gap is so large I can't get the collar around, the other way the collar goes on almost too easily, I have seen lots of grumbling on forums of people with this process, maybe I just need to take a break and figure out what is wrong here. My guess is that it's #3 and the pulley puller is not tight enough around the inside lip of the pulley to be grabbing and that's why it's slipping, but it's also possible I missed a piece or a step with the puller that is causing it to not hold flush. Thoughts on my incompetence are welcome.
First photo shows when the tool is starting to slip away, second and third show the two ways to put the half circles around the pulley (first way too much of a gap to get the collar on, second way it's almost too loose and the reason it slips I assume).
Look at the ends of the 1/2 pieces. The ends are 2 different diameters, if you need the smaller one (bigger lip) and you use the ends with the small lip it might do that.
try the ends with the thicker lip (use both of the same side against the pulley) If the sleeve doesn't slide over the halves like that (spread too far for sleeve to slide on) then that's not it. Could just be a "cheap" version of that tool. AKA Junk
Alright, so I'm not throwing in the towel yet but this one worries me. I must have disconnected and reconnected that tool 10 times today. Finally got my hands on an impact wrench and the same thing happened as before -- Just faster and it took half the lip of the pulley with it (in other words, nothing left to grip on the pulley anymore at least on half of it). So, the pulley was on there so well that the hold was stronger than the metal lip. Great.
Frustrating for sure. I am not sure what to do from here, other than professionals, which sort of defeats the purpose of this whole project anyway.
I should have not forced it and taken greater heed when you guys and everyone on YouTube seemed to say a power steering pulley was difficult to remove, though I think I did everything as well as I could have with the tools I had -- I just don't know how to pull it off without that lip anymore.
Ugh. Probably why amateurs shouldn't try working on cars huh.
Alright guys, it's ironic but this is likely where the journey ends since I'm not paying a mechanic to make a house call.
I've now snapped that threaded piece off, half in the pulley and half inside the hollow puller (grisly photos ahead). I now owe the auto parts store a new puller tool (or will buy this one with the pieces I broke. Additionally, the remainder of the flange/lip around the pulley came off when I put the impact on it.
Mistakes made:
- I watched a lot of videos on using the puller tool and everyone did it differently. I should have been more patient to get the answer for my exact vehicle. Some people were using a smaller threaded piece on the end of the larger one and threading into the pulley, others seemed to not use anything going into the pulley at all, and others used a long non-threaded piece in there that just sort of went into the hole. Mine had threads so I assumed it was meant to be screwed into. May have been wrong. I'm not sure which was the right way for the Durango but I threaded assuming always better to have a hold and
- I ran the impact clockwise which I BELIEVE is correct from all the videos I watched, where I watched some people spin it for over a minute before the pulley came loose. That's why I didn't let up and eventually the weakest point (which I guess was the hardware and not the hold of the pulley) snapped and failed.
Ironic that a part I wasn't initially planning to replace (though with the dings I think I needed to) became the downfall before I even managed to get the new belt, engine fan, and clutch on there. I actually thought this would be the easier part.
I think I'm done, guys. I don't know how to remove a power steering pulley with a broken off piece of attachment inside it, and no flange to grab. I'm not going to remove the power steering pump and replace that too at this point. We're just getting into too much of a rabbit hole now.
Either I did this wrong, and caused the break, or the pulley was on so well that I did it right and it just caused it to snap anyway.
From the photos, you'll see the metal lip to grip on the pulley is now completely broken off, and half of the smaller metal attachment I used to join the larger puller tool attachment is inside the pulley, and the other half is inside the tool.
Take the entire bracket off, with the pump still attached. Then you can take just that part in to wherever someone can extract the broken part, and if necessary, cut the pulley off......
The pump was easier to get off than the pulley. A lot lot lot lot lot easier. You guys didn't tell me that. Pulleys suck. Holy cow.
And yes, as you guys predicted, I got mad, then, breathed a bit, then got back to work.
Anyway I sourced a used pump with pulley attached, got 'er on there today along with the new belt and the engine fan and clutch. I still need to tighten the fan clutch somehow as I have tightened it to the point where it's moving the belt, and I have to imagine it needs to be tightened further so I'll find a way to brace the new fan carefully.
After that, next business is sourcing a lower radiator shroud which is a little tough. New radiator and hoses are here. The lower hose does NOT have a spring inside and that concerns me a bit. I almost wonder if I should just put the old lower radiator hose back on which still has the spring inside. Not sure what is better at this point. Weird they sell the new ones without spring coils in there.
Putting the new radiator and condenser on and re-attaching all the hardware is probably the trickiest part, but at least without a bumper it's easier to get to things. I'll be back when I'm stuck again.
Also, interested to hear what you guys think about the lack of a spring in the new lower radiator hose.
Which I could test run it now but I don't feel like running the fluid bypass so will just wait until I get the radiator back on there once I find a reasonable priced lower shroud.
