Ok so here is the deal, I had other threads to the other problems but lets just get it all here in this thread. 1996 Dodge Ram 1500 5.2L. It was stalling on me sometimes when I would stop at a light or something and then start right back up, I put a new IAC in it and cleaned the battery connections and replaced the spark plugs. After that it has not stalled out anymore at a stop.

Tonight, coming home from work I went to make a left turn at a intersection and was not stopped because the light was green, and it died on me while driving! so I am fighting this stupid thing trying to make it turn to not wreck into anything and trying to get it to brake to a stop, anyways I stopped, put it in park and restarted it and drove it home...

I need some good advice as to what is going on here with my truck... let me say what I know is wrong with it... it does have a SLOW antifreeze leak which I believe is coming from the water pump. It also is leaking oil slowly I believe from the rear main seal and oil pan gasket. Also the oil pressure gauge drops a little (not bottomed out but down some) sometimes but goes up as the RPM's increase, at idle the oil pressure gauge stays a little below the center mark and slightly moves down and up. And lastly, this one was posted in my other thread, lately its making a popping noise when I let off the gas or if I run the RPM's up near 3k and it shifts and the RPM's drop off and makes a pop sounds not loud but slight pop, sounds to be coming from behind the center of the dash...

Any help is appreciated, I am about fed up with this truck and really need to get it running right.

 

start off with the cheap stuff cap and rotor

 

any secret to accessing that easiest? It's nice and tucked away back in the back

 

not hard to get to at all. easiest way is to do it when fixing the plenum gasket. other than that i find it easiest to get in a comfortable spot laying on the motor(when its cooled down of course) and do it then. its not hard at all.

 

I stole someone else's idea, and tossed a piece of plywood up there to lay on. That actually worked out fairly well.

 

Went to Autozone today, tested alternator and battery, alternator was good but battery bad so I bought a new battery and put it in, also new dist. Cap and rotor to put in maybe tomorrow, and also a new thermostat and gasket. You gotta unbolt the alternator and move it over to change the thermostat?

 

No, but it's a tighter fit if you don't. Remove the alt bracket and have a magnetic pickup tool handy for the t stat housing bolts.

If you grind the "front" tab off of the t stat housing, it's much easier to reinstall the housing without knocking out the bolts.

 

Argh, just gone attempting to do this, tried to get the alternator bracket out of the way but the front bolt wouldnt budge and I slightly stripped it. I am gonna take it to a mechanic, done messing with it