Hey guys,

So I have purchased GMB's 120-4350 water pump, Chrysler OEM coolant concentrate, and a spare Napa 33008S tstat and I am planning to change the waterpump on the dak this weekend. I feel pretty comfortable with the knowledge I have collected from the factory service manual and from threads here on this forum, I just thought it would not hurt to ask a couple questions before everything comes apart.

I have Friday night and all day Saturday Sunday available to work on the truck. I was thinking that while I have the clutch fan and shroud out, I will take the opportunity to clean/detail the engine compartment.

So I guess my question is does anyone have any tips/tricks/hints for me before I get into this? Any other bits or pieces that I should have on hand in case I need to (or rather, I should) replace? I did the 180 tstat last year so I don't expect to need the new one I bought, I just wanted to have it on hand in case I need it. If I don't, I can return no problem. Is there anything else that I should have just in case?

 

Took me all of about 45 mins to change my water pump. Super easy. Hardest part was figuring out how to hold the fan while getting the fan nut off. Nothing else really "needs" to be done unless you really want to.

 

Good to know. I've been using this truck as a way to learn about the different systems within a car....I don't mind taking my time to take something fully apart, clean it, and put it back together again. And if there is anything preventative or proactive that I could do now that would save me aggravation in the future I am all for it.

Eventually I'd like to get a V8 on an engine hoist so I can take a few months to disassemble everything, understand it all and clean everything along the way..... but for now I just want to make sure that I cover all maintenance that would be required as I approach 200k km.

 

If you don't know the maintenance history, then I would suggest at least a tune up while you are in the engine compartment.

 

What tasks specifically are included in a tune up?

 

Check your owners manual for the commended maintenance items and maintenance intervals. If you don't have one, you can download one for free from the Dodge/Ram.

 

I think I did spark plugs about 20k ago. And I did PCV about 6 months ago. Oil changes every 4-5km I do myself. In terms of regular scheduled maintenance per the owner's manual, I am up to speed. i was thinking more like....cleaning out the throttle body. You wouldn't find that listed in a maintenance schedule but some would argue that cleaning tb improves efficiency. Ya know what I mean? Or I've also read to replace the timing chain cover gasket while doing water pump, thoughts on this?

Would a manual transmission oil change and/or differential fluid change be part of regular maintenance? Are these even necessary? I've heard people say you should never do manual tranny oil change unless you need to, as the new oil could loosen dirt/debris that actually prevents leakage. I've also heard that you should change manny tranny oil, so just looking for some direction?

I found a tube of dielectric grease, would it be worth removing all spark plugs and applying a small bit (as directed)?

 

If the truck is over 100K miles, timing chain wouldn't hurt.

On the auto trans, doing a flush on an older vehicle is a bad idea..... on the manuals, there just aren't that many places for it to leak from, and having clean fluid in there really shouldn't hurt it.

Proper maintenance NEVER hurts.

 

Hope you're kidding. If this is the case they should have went with a belt.

 

Belts are generally maintenance items every 60K or so.

If you are doing the water pump, the timing chain/gears are only a few more bolts away..... and the morse style chains that Dodge seems to like, are quite prone to stretching.... replacing it with a good double roller unit really isn't a bad plan.

Also, you are going to be disturbing the timing cover anyway. You are removing a fair few bolts that hold it in place. That sometimes annoys the cover, to the point that it starts leaking coolant, and then you get to do the job again.

Or, you might get lucky. Up to you.