Where did you hear head gaskets cost $800
Head gaskets are like $30-$35 a piece.

A brand new water pump is like $500 but i'm sure if you get a new bolt for yours it will be fine.

A new grill is like $250 but you can get one out of a junk yard for cheaper than that

So lets add this all up

Headgaskets - $75 (replace both of them while it's open, it's worth it)
Waterpump bolt - ??? not much
Grill- $250

So what're we up to? $325 on top of your $700 truck? I'd say you got a deal.

 

i got a full fel-pro engine gasket set for 80 bucks from autozone the 800 came from me havin to pay the guy im at a boarding school and caint do sumthin that involved here but hes only gunna charge me 500 if i can get all the parts for him

 

i paid only a $1000 dollars for mine 2 years ago and im really thinking about selling it but really don't want to deal with that shipping but if you need a part give me a quote for what you will give me its blue and the truck is scratched up but what do you expect for mud-boggin and off-roading so you need a part just give me a quote and will think about it or just e-mail me at neon01rt@yahoo.comthanks

 

Or you could put a Cummins in it...

 

Yo fivenine,

I live in Lewisburg, not too far from you.

1) Go to O'Reillys Auto. I got a brand new lifetime warranty waterpump for $110. It take a few hours to put it in. It doesn't take anything crazy in the way of tools, but you will need a pipewrench to remove the fan/fan-clutch assembly. Also a long screwdriver you don't mind bending a little to held that mother still while you loosen that big, honkin nut.

2) Replace the t-stat, about $9.

3) Find a mechanic you can trust to evaluate your head gasket issue. The last thing you want is to do all that work and find out the heads need to be re-worked-not cool.

4) I'm here to tell you the 5.9L(360 ci) is a bulletproof motor. The tranny in your '98 is not. A 440ci will turn your tranny into confetti-not cool, again. Check around, you can get a rebuild on the tranny for $1500. Get them to use some 3/4 parts in it and you will be set. Also, as a side note, that same 440 will make your rear diff go boom in a big way, and you'll get a rousing 5-7mpg. In the days of $3/ gallon of gas-you'll hate it.

I bought my 2000 Ram in Sept of 06. It had 147K on it then. If I didn't believe in these trucks, I wouldn't tell you fix it, drive it and have fun with it. I do not know it all by a long shot, but this is a great place to get help. This forum is slam-full of knowledgable, helpful people who are more than willing to share their experience with you. Welcome to the Ram family, brother.

 

thnx i appriciate it but i caint go to o'rielly im in a military school down in florida but im comin back up there ina few weeks are you talin about the one over by where shoneys and that little like strip mall is

 

Please, for the sake of anyone's potential future children, no more visuals like that. Can you imagine having that picture pop into your head at just the wrong time? [:'(]

 

i live just outside st.louis and there is a ton of parts here. check craigslist in st. louis mo

 

Yeah dude. The Lewisburg O'Reillys is on the north side of hwy 50. There is also one is Chapel Hill. I live about halfway in between both of them (Law's Hill area). The assistant mgr in Lewisburg is Nick Brewer-great guy very knowledgable. I would really consider fixing than replacing.
Where in FL are you going to school? I grew up in Sarasota, and lived in Tallahassee for 12 yrs, then DeFuniak Springs before moving to TN. FL is a great place to grow up bur a horrible place to try and pay for the privilege of living in. No offense to any Floridians-I am married to a lovely one.

 

im over in melbourne at florida air academy i grew up in mt.juliet tn the truck is at the shop this week gettin the head gasket put on id do it but im here and i almost got my truck impounded because of the a**hole maintenence guy here for regluing my headliner out in the back parkin lot