LOL any job is a DIY job if your willing to put the effort

 

That's pretty much the way most heater cores are. Just lots of time. The Dodges (Ram, Dakota/Durango) are probably some of the easiest; Expeditions/F-150's and Explorers are a royal PITA.

Check around the timing cover where it meets the block. Common failure point, and it's hot enough in there that the coolant usually doesn't make it to the ground until the gasket really lets go.

 

I was going to say heater core could be as the heater box is bolted together horizontally so I would need to fill up quite a bit before actually leaking

 

The post-assembly leak turned out to be a quick fix once we were able to pressurize the system. The hose clamps must have stretched when i removed them where the lines connect to the heater core, and they were not sealing properly. So I took them off and used pliers to "make them small again" Seems to have worked like a charm!

 

One last problem....

After reassembling the dash and buttoning everything up I've discovered that my shift lever (on the column - I've got an auto) no longer matches up with the gear indicator on the dash.

Basically when I'm in drive my dash shows that I'm in reverse
When my dash shows I'm in Drive the truck is actually in 1

Everything worked fine prior to me ripping the dash out, so I am guessing... well actually I don't know what I'm guessing.

Any thoughts, guesses, fixes???

 

There is a cable that can be adjusted, but since it was fine before, you either ruined or stretched it or didn't rout it back correctly. Did you disconnect it it when you took the dash out?

 

Yea I was afraid of the ruining or stretching aspect of things

I didn't think to remove or unhook it when I was swinging the dash away from the windshield. But I'm glad to hear these trucks use a cable rather than a rod.

I'll try and climb under there after work tonight, but in the meantime if anyone else has any input, I'd welcome it.

Thanks

 

Well if you didn't disconnect it during the procedure , you damgaged it or the bracket it goes around is bent or broke.

 

I just wanted to comment on the coolant leak issue. Noone mentioned the keep it simple/back to basics methodology of tracking something like this down. Active leaks you will see no matter what. The very next step would have been a cooling system pressure test. Guess what? If the cooling system(your radiator/block/hoses/etc... )tested fine, you still need to test the cap separately. I am new to the Dodge scene, but I can tell you that 90% of my coolant loss issues in the past were due to failed radiator caps. I have also suffered mass coolant loss(no OBVIOUS sign of a leak) due to a warped block deck and all the compression being pushed into the cooling system and dumping through and out the recovery tank. Someone mentioned "think of what 160psi will do to a radiator". I can only imagine, but it is VERY unlikely as the 13 or 15 or whatever psi your sytem's cap is will start to allow coolant dump right after the system goes beyond it's psi rating. My 2 cents, so maybe not worth too much these days!! HA!

 

My 2000 5.9 was leaking slowly from the timing cover gasket between the cover and the block in the upper left corner facing from the front. My coolant was going down and I started to get worried, especially after the temp gage jumped. Luckily I had Prestone (not dex cool) and limped home. The cover gasket actually sprayed a small stream out to the passenger side all over. $41 for the whole gasket set. No problems since, knock on wood..

Forgot to mention what a great help I had on this forum for torque figures and pictures that made my life easier. Thanks guys!