0 Leftover screws

I got around to replacing a heater core and A/C evaporator in Debs 98 Ram today.

Here is a squirrel cage in its truest form.
Attachment 1863

A couple of years ago Deb and the grand-kids got in the habit of feeding the squirrels peanuts. Dodge did a poor job screening the intake at the cowl. A combination of that and parking outside, and a block heater that we use in the winter attracted the little devils to Deb and Joes place for some free heat and shelter.

All the leaves and everything else in there rotted them out.

Attachment 1864
The steering column had to come down and all removed.

Attachment 1865


Attachment 1866

All good as new again.

Attachment 1867

Heater core and evaporator were under 200 and I had to force 100 bucks into the guys pocket who coached me.

Deb accused me of not being able to reassemble without any left over screws. Possibly some psychology on her part?:rolleyes:

Not a single one:p

You are my hero Joe. Is it my imagination or is Deb driving a Diesel?

If I'm right, can you guess how I came to that conclusion?

Its a 318, I ordered it that way. Do not care for the 360. Never owned a diesel PU but I think one might be in our future.

158,000 and do not add oil between changes. Been running Mobil 1 Syn. 15-50 on 10000 mile intervals since it was new.

Accept for a new timing chain and water pump right at 100000, just for insurance and not due to failure, never any drive train issues.

My 04 with the 5.7 uses some oil:( How is yours? I think I'm going to experiment with some different oils, you know sometimes that will change the issue. I'm being told this is becoming a common occurrence.

No matter I still love the performance out of that 04 and 5.7. and will put up with it. If my old 73 Cuda 340 had it it would have taken a very fast car even quicker.

I saw the gauges on the LH windshield post and thought they were tubo boost gauges for the diesel.

Mine only has 25,000 miles (4.7) and with 3500 mile oil changes I never see it go down on the stick but it is too new.

But with the manual transmission I get 18.4 MPG so I will likely be driving it a long time.

If it was a chain why would you change it? Timing belts, yes.

I usually wait on water pump changes until that first drop or two appears. Since I keep my vehicles in the garage I can see stuff like that on the garage floor.

I haven't had to disassemble a dash since my first Corvette. It took 9 hours the first time and less than three by the time I got around to the third time. So think how quick it will be the next time you do it.

Engine and Trans temp. gauges.

As for the chain, they stretch, cam turns a degree or two behind, mileage and performance suffer. Deb is all over the country in it and often without me.

I'm surprised someone with a maintenance schedule such as yourself would not understand?

I'm from the old school where the chain tensioners dealt with the stretch, and as long as nothing jumped teeth everything was best left untouched.

I have zero experience with the timing belts that are a maintenance item.

I'm surprised you would do a timing chain that hadn't evidenced any problems.