mine either....I keep getting air in the rad but have no idea where its comming from...no leaks that i can find and it stays pretty close to full...I just get air in the hose and gurgling in the cab....heater core is not leaking.... and oil is fine.?

 

Yepper. Just dropped the pan on Sunday to put what my machinist calls a "***ish Knurl" on one of the mains, reinstalled the bearing, and all back together. I had to do that as my crank had too much endplay/thrust.

 

And where have you been? You and Talon6 disappeared for a while.

 

I am a new dodge ram owner. Just purchased a 1997. Love the truck so far and this forum has been extremely helpful in resolving a few minor issues. One that I did not notice until the limited warranty was up involved the temp. gauge. I have attached a screen shot. I was not sure what a normal temperature was until I found this thread. When I turn on the heater it does drop, but this was a picture of the gauge during highway driving. I have noted a ton of ideas in this thread, but was look for a place to start. The truck does not run rough and the only issue within the engine compartment I have noticed is that there appears to be a small leak in one of the transmission lines...

Thanks.

Brett

 

Yup, that's running hot for sure. I would start by making sure you don't have a leak or air bubbles in the system ,flushing the system, replace thermostat and gauge temp sensor.

 

^^Actually, have the timing checked. After going round and round and round and round, my engine guy got in touch with someone who can scan my truck's computer to see if it's in time. After explaining all of the symptoms and when this occurs (under load, hills, etc) that's what we've deduced. I tried to get in last week and it didn't work. Hopefully, I can get in this week to get the timing checked.

 

The thermostat doesn't regulate a cooler temp. It maintains a minimum temp. If you are over heating beyond the rating of your thermostat, it won't matter how low of a temp thermstat you put in. The only difference would be the point that it opens.

 

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!! I've been trying to explain that about thermostats to people on this board for over two years, but they are convinced that if it opens earlier then the engine will run cooler.

Yesterday, I finally got the truck to a mechanic recommended by a friend. He connected his scan tool to the diagnostic port and checked it. The timing is set at 19.3'. He tried to retard the timing by adjusting the distributor but there was no affect. He reviewed his material regarding the Dodge and *WHOOPS*, the timing cannot be adjusted. Set the engine to 0' and the PCM takes over. I've been trying to explain that to my engine guy for months to no avail. Looks like I'll have more ammo next time I see him.

So, it appears that I have a faulty PCM. JJ is going to check with a buddy of his who he states is the top Dodge technician in the State. He's going to ask if it's possible to reprogram the PCM, get a new PCM, or get a rebuilt unit. This all makes sense to me as the truck was running hot when I first bought it and drove it for approximately 8K miles.

More to follow, but I'm finally on the right track.

 

Maybe the distributor is off a tooth or two when it was installed. And btw, when he checked the timing, the rpm's should be at 1500, IIRC.

 

I don't believe so. I shudder at the idea of trying to remove the distributor because A) its location, and B) it is TIGHT. They had a helluva time trying to turn it.

We'll see what Mr Dodge expert suggests.