So long as you get good engagement of the slip yoke on the driveshaft, it's all good. Bad things happen when it doesn't go in as far as it should, and wobbles around. Things tend to go bad REAL quick.

 

Ok good to know I'll go out and look at them.

 

If the gear swap for the speedo that HeyYou is lining you out on doesn't work you can try this: http://www.dakotadigital.com/index.c...rod/prd126.htm.
I have one that I put in about the same Time as my 408, and it works great. Because of swapping my 97 1500 auto cab on to a 98 2500 manual frame, I didn't have an easy speedo option. Mine reads off of the tone ring like the 98 and newer trucks do. If you look around their site they have options to add a tone ring to the drive line instead.
It also makes it easy to adjust for different tires or gears

 

Can anyone please help and explain this to me. Never noticed until now but where the tranny bolts to the motor there is only about 3 bolts holding it on. All at the top. All of the bell housing to the tranny is there but I feel like something is missing off the motor. All 3 or 4 bolts on the bottom don't have anything to bolt to. You can see the flywheel and even clear up to the crank sensor. I can't find anywhere online about the piece that I think is missing...... Thanks.

 

Some of them come thru from the front, there are two on the starter motor, more on the other side.

The piece you are missing is just a dust shield. Basically a flat piece of thin sheetmetal. Get one from a junkyard.

 

I have an extra dust shield if you're interested. Found my original after getting one from a junkyard and installing it.

 

Thank you. Going tommorow to a junkyard. I also found that there are 2 bars that come from the engine mount bolt to each side of the tranny bell housing. These bars haven't been on the truck the entire time I've had it. I looked at my dad's truck that's how I noticed it. We made one real quick to test and it drives so much smoother with it on. Time to go over the whole drivetrain bolts because who know what else this moron didn't put back on..... Thanks again.

 

For some reason I cannot post anymore so hopefully someone sees this. My 96 dodge ram 1500 with 318 magnum 5 speed manual ( used to be automatic and still has the auto computer and wiring harness ) wont start now. Drove it to work fine. Left work went to the gym, came home and parked it. Hooked up new speakers and they worked fine didn't attempt to start it up that night though. It will sit there and crank all day but I don't have any spark and the injectors aren't letting gas into cylinders. Fuel pump is working and there's fuel to the rail. New CPS tried a working cam sensor and coil and cap. Tried a known working PCM and no difference. Replaced all relays and fuses ( inside ) and under hood. Have fully dissected wiring harness looking for cracks breaks etc. Took radio out and undid everything back to when it was running. Checked all grounds. Checked continuity clear across harness and all sensors no broken wires anywhere. Sometimes relays will click and I got one little sputter out of it today. I am absolutely lost here. I only hooked up 4 speakers wires no sparks or anything happened ive done many radios. Some pins on my pcm that are supposed to have 5 volts supply only have like 1.3 - 1.7 volts. But crank and cam sensors both have 5 volts. Both wires on coil have 12 volts with key on. Not sure if that's right. Sorry for long post and also posting on this old one I'm just completely out of ideas. Thanks

 

Coil should see 12 volts for about 3 seconds when you first turn the key on. If the PCM doesn't see the engine turning, it will turn off power to the coil. (and injectors as well)

Unplug the coil, should be 12 volts on one side, and nothin' on the other. If you still have 12 volts on both wires, you have a short somewhere.

 

Ok I think I've been beat and the truck is gonna go to the junkyard soon. Its been 3 days now and haven't gotten anywhere. Crank shaft position sensor and cam sensor are good. Wires are all good. All 3 wires have what there supposed to. A ground a signal and a constant 5 volts. My coil is getting 12 volts when the motor is cranking and the other wire is flashing the test light like it's supposed to. All my dash light work, windows, door lock etc. No blown fuses or fuse links. Replaced and tryed bypassing asd relay. Fuel pump comes on for 2-3 seconds as usual. All wires at PCM have everything the diagram shows it's supposed to. Meaning power ground etc. Took my computer and put it in another truck and it started up perfectly. Tried the computer out of another truck and still nothing. Check continuity from fuse distribution box to PCM on all wires and all checked out. Looked under truck for broken/ cracked hanging wires and nothing. TPS, MAP, IAC all have power, ground, and signal. I think I already mentioned I tried a working coil and still nothing. The fuel injectors have 12 volts power but wont inject but that doesn't matter seeing how I don't have spark. I'm completely lost on this truck and running out of patience. Thanks.