Have been a dodge owner for years, now owning a 2012 2500 with the cummins. Son is about to turn 14, and we just picked up a project truck for him to fix up when he is ready to drive. Its a 95 Dakota with 5.2 in it. We have already fixed some of the critical items, but with oil leaking out the rear main, a bad temp sending unit, weeping water pump, and generally rough running, am thinking that pulling the engine and going through it once might be a good start for him. That way we can get some fresh gaskets and seals on it, clean it up good, and give him a complete familiarity for future repairs.

When we got it, a relative had just had the vehicle blowing antifreeze everywhere. would not run below 1000 rpm and left it on the side of the road. He gifted it to my son, and we first found that the seal on the tube for the heating core in the water pump had disintegrated. Replacing that o-ring allowed us to see that the pump is weeping, but that is a minor repair. Next was to clean the IA sensor and gain the idle back...albeit rough still. It does have 257,000 miles on it, so even a rebuild won't gain a hell of a lot of miles, but a fairly inexpensive education.....now THAT it will.

 

Welcome to DF!

With that many miles on it, going thru it is probably a good plan. Don't forget to address the intake plenum.

 

Welcome to DF!

 

I just had to go back and read that post...laughing a bit at the inexpensive education part. If you read what i posted earlier today and see what happened yesterday on his rebuild you will understand....