+1It's not rocket science. It's not open heart surgery. It's just a truck. It'sjust nuts and bolts. Somegears and some wires, some gaskets and fluids. If you'd have put those headers on yourself you'd be a thousand dollars ahead right now, and you wouldn't have had all the issues you did. There's no point in posting about how you took your truck to a mechanic on a self help forum.

 

Oh yeah, do yourself a favor and buy like an entire case of PB blaster. Cause sometimes those nuts and bolts don't want to come off.

 

You just need to settle down a bit my son was the same way but I have calmed him down a bit on this stuff. Most shops are going to give you the dark view especially if you are young and they think they can get away with it. The problem you are describing I had with a chrysler car I had and it was the pressure sensors so it definatly could still be your tranny. Let them look at it again it almost sounds like they did not replace all the sensors and hopefully they will find it. But comming from that part of the world they will not admit to it I will bet ya they will just say it was an adjustment. This forum is a great source of info but you kind of have to weigh all the responces and still make your own choice and stick with it right or wrong. I just ordered and recieved my Dr. Evil trans and hopefully I will put it in next weekend and I will let you know how that goes. Keep us up to date and just ignore about half the crap people give you some guys just enjoy riding you because they get a responce from you.

 

I don't know what is guys. It's always my first tendancy to just assume " I couldn't do that myself ". You would think, a guy like me, who loves his truck so much, and has so much passion for automobiles, would be all over doing it himself. It's kind of a stupid resistance I always have in my head. Even with something as stupid as headlights...I'd have the bodyshop put them in. It comes down to it, I'm such a cheap *** that I won't even go out and buy some ****ing tools, I'd rather just have someone do it perfectly (in my cases this never happens lol) and just pay them for it, which doesn't make sense. When I get my truck back from the transmission ship and all is taken care of, I am going to start tackling this **** by myself. I mean, I'm really causing a scene on this forum, and in the family. It's getting pretty close for my parents to pull the plug on me with this truck. They don't like it at all, because they know all the money I drop into it. If I did **** myself, I could just buy the parts, and that would be it. More often than not, I am spending more money on labor than I am for the own parts, it's insane.

I want to invest in a good set of jacks. Should I get ramps, or jacks? I want a nice tool set that will have everything I need to do projects like the plenum gasket, my cold air intake, the fastman throttle body, oil changes etc.. And I want a manual that tells me how to do it all. Does this sound like everything I need to start doing **** myself? I know you guys often give me names for manuals, but I forgot which it is. What manual will help guide me through basic nuts and bolts jobs that I can start doing myself. I do want to get good at this stuff guys. I know that great feeling you get when you do something yourself, it's an awesome feeling, and quite the bragging rights. Sorry I'm such a bitch, I know why you guys get annoyed. I want my truck back from these losers, and then I'd like to start tackling my own ****. I want to be able to start asking you guys how to do things instead of telling you whats happening. I mean I don't even know how to change my own spark plugs and wires. I'd even be happy to know how to do simple **** like that lol. I know I give you guys a ride, but I promise to change my ways. I don't want guys who know there stuff not liking me. I'd like to be able to go to IndyRamMan and get his advice how to do something, or go to CerealKiller, Silver_Dodge, Motorbrreath, PaDodgeRam, HomeTheaterMan, Slomojo, Scurtis, Rabbler...the list goes on and on. You guys are all mechanically inclined. I need to stop wasting your time, and actually asking you how to do it, and not telling you wtf some dumb mechanic is doing to my truck. So I hear you guys loud and clear. Just would like some help what I should look for to start doing this **** myself and stop thinking I don't have it in me. I'd love to work on my own truck, it's my pride and joy. Most importantly I can save my precious money and stop making this truck the family spotlight nightmare lol, thank you all.

 

Well dude, im not going to lie... Putting the headlights in my truck was more of a pain than replaceing my plenum gasket...

Mechanics will pretty much never do anything perfectly, they want you to come back in the future so they will fix things to work for now, and break later most of the time... you are the exception, they dont even build them good enough to get out of the shop.

Your going to want a jack, at least 2 jack stands, and ramps can come in handy too... A jack and stands come in more handy than ramps. I would say you would want more than just a 150 pc set of tools... Back when I just had a 150 or so set of tools I was always using my dads tools, I invested over 2 grand in tools. I have a tool box taller than me stuffed full, and still find myself custom making tools at times. Get the biggest set you can afford if you plan on working on your own stuff.

 

You just have to start somewhere get you some tools heck ask for them for your birthday or something and a jack and stands always come in handy. I am not a big fan of ramps but that is because I had a car come off them and crunch me so a little paranoid of them. Try doing small stuff plugs wire stuff like that and work your way up. You can also check with the city and see if they have adult ed classes that you can take.

 

The names of the manuals you were asking about are either "Haynes" or "Chilton" I'd try to find the chilton's manual though as they tend to be a bit better.

 

I'm finding a Haynes manual for my 2001 Ram, but it looks like the Chiton is leaving out 2001? I'll keep looking, but just wanted to see if someone could confirm that?

 

I have a Haynes and a Chiltons that I carry in the truck, but i also get a ton of use out of this one:

https://dodgeforum.com/m_340929/tm.htm

As for tools, start with a good set as Indy indicated, then just buy others as you need them. Other tools to think about getting might include jack stands (I have 2 jack stands that I use often, but I have 4 total) and a jack (I use a single 6 ton bottle jack, I also have a Hi-lift, but I rarely use it). A ft/lb torque wrench is a good investment too. That will cover you for the vast majority of projects you might want to do on your truck. Then just buy tools for other projects as you need them. You can pick up a lot of this stuff cheap at garage sales, Craigslist, or when stores are having sales.

The only thing that I have that I think you said you didn't was a garage. That makes a big difference, but I have done a lot of work on my vehicles out in the street too. Your just at the mercy of the weather is all.

 

I don't have a garage either. I do all my work on the basketball court (where my truck is in my sig pic). Anyplace that's flat and solid will do though. I got a piece of carpet I lay on if I'm gonna be under there for awhile.