Stripped the threads for the thermostat

Pick up a helicoil tomorrow to try again.

Flushed engine and removed thermostat, but I still cant believe the torque for those nuts are 16ft lbs.

 

dsertdog, when are you gonna get some pictures up of your progress?

 

That's a fair question, and I appreciate your interest.

However, wasting bandspace with pictures of old tupperware filled with painted fastners, a dull white bumper, and shocks hung from rebar like freshly painted metal sex toys drying in the sun...is not my style. Even the exhaust is awaiting the final touches.

I do promise to post a before/ after picture and a couple extra shots.

 

With everything you've done so far that thing shouldn't have too much more to be painted so I'll be waiting for those pictures.

On a separate note, are the ends of your sway bar parallel to each other when they're just resting on the end links without the pins in it?
Mine is off by about 3/4" (like it is twisted) and I made the end links the same length. I put the pins in my modified end links before I tightened the nuts down on top and now I can't get the pins out.
I tightened the passenger side first since it is the low side and the drivers side got pulled down about 3/4" when I tightened the nut. I'm wondering if it is tweaked or if that is normal. I know the pressure is the reason I can't get the pins out, if I were to take the nut off the drivers side then I could disconnect the bar but that doesn't seem right to me. I'm thinking about extending that end link to fix them.

 

Drilled, tapped and cap the thread for the thermostat.
Truck over heated again, looks like Im going to need to do the water pump.

OK, I need some help with this one, I cant get the fan off, need help, anybody close by that can come and instruct/help me?

 

that is actually the hardest part splat. once the fan/clutch is off, its smooth sailing

 

It isn't hard. If you have the holes in your water pump pulley then you can use a spanner wrench. If not the you can use a ratchet strap hooked to the frame and a piece of rubber for traction to hold it still.
Here's a reference to what I mean.

 

No not yesterday, I left the state around 9am on a trip so should have been another truck.

but so far the first two things are correct. My idle is holding strong and the truck overall feels like it's running smoother so I'm am really happy finally.

But new problem, well not really real, I've been expecting this for awhile but, I'm going to start saving money for a new tranny. I'm going to go with the mega viper so I'll be saving for a couple months but should be able to get it by years end. The reason why i say i need to replace it is because later sunday, a friend and I went off roading with my truck and i kind of beat the hell out of it a little, it's been over 2 1/2 years since I've done any off roading because i was in japan for 2 years but after we were done, and it's continued for a awhile afterwards, but my tranny is slipping while trying to shift fomr time to time when it use to work perfect before off roading. Oh well, it's 11 years old, 145k+ miles so I'm expecting it to be getting tired especially with what I've put it through let alone what the previous owners put it through.

 

im in dayton if i was closer i would help

 

Oh well. I was hoping. And it's not like we've got a shortage of Ram trucks around, huh?

Excellent! Glad to hear it.

That one oughta last a quarter million, eh? It's a lot of money to plunk down, but if it'll get you that far it's worth every penny. Ah the joy of running old trucks, eh?

We're planning to be out of here shortly, but if we're still in town then and you need a hand getting that beastie installed, let me know.