Doesn’t necessarily make you stronger but at least you ain’t dead.
Hopefully I can finish this job without it killing me.
I coulda sworn I heard a belt chirping or some kind of squeal on the way home yesterday but the traffic noise was bad.
After I got home from work tonight and went to shut the truck off I heard it again. Definitely a belt chirp.
So I opened the hood and the first thing I see is the serpentine belt wandering around on the water pump pulley.
Fuck, Me.
I shut it off, went back under the hood and grabbed the fan blade to give it a wiggle.
Bigger than shit the fan and the pulley start wobbling back and forth.
More and fouler language followed.
I took a few minutes to take in what all was involved, came in the house and hit YouTube to refresh my memory.
I’ve done Dodge 318 water pumps before but it’s been a long time ago.
And since this one is in a 3/4 ton 4 Wheel Drive, it’s up and in way farther than a passenger car.
A quick call to have a pump set out and a trip to the parts house lightened my bank account $139 but the pump it’s self was like $90.
I snagged a few other goodies.
I came home and started in because it was nice and sunny out.
It’s supposed to start raining tomorrow until next Thursday.
Of Course!
As you can see I did manage to get the old one out and judging by that nasty red high temp silicone, this won’t be the first water pump replacement at only 120,000 miles…
I’m here to tell ya, my body just can’t take much more of this shit.
As it is, I see it’s been so long since I have used my precious Snap On Impact Sockets that some of them are covered in rust.
50 lashes with a wet noodle for that sin.
Sweet Jesus now I gotta go through all those tools out there and clean them up and oil them.
First I gotta finish this little project.
Hopefully I can get this done without doing permanent injury.
Between my belly button and my ankles I have EIGHT clogged arteries.
My legs give out from just being on my feet too long and on a good day I might get 100 feet walking before they shut down and I have to stop.
Standing on a big step stool and kneeling on the winch and brush guard bar going across the top of while laying over the top of the radiator to get at it it ain’t much fun either.
Nor is standing on my tip toes trying to get to certain radiator shroud bolts.
But it’s gotta get done and if I can help it, I ain’t paying a shop $500 to do it, like I could even get an appointment this month.
So you know where I’ll be tomorrow.
In the fucking rain.
I’m damn sure not going out there before noon. I’m going to at least let it warn up some first.
Not a good omen.
Mine was making the same noise this afternoon.
Now I’m paranoid. I’ll have to check it before I head to town. I need to get my propane tanks filled and exchange my Stargon tank for the MiG welder.
Hope you get it done before you get a wet ass. Good luck.
Leigh
Whitehall, NY
Paranoia is a good thing in my book.
As bad as that thing was wobbling when I grabbed it, I can’t believe it wasn’t puking coolant all over.
Hopefully you don’t have a real issue and it is just a random belt squeak.
Fingers crossed.
One time a friend of mine heard a weird noise in the rotor system as he was shutting down a rented helicopter he had just flown. He couldn’t see what was but he was paranoid so he wrote up in the logbook and informed the owner. The next guy to use the copter that day was not paranoid so he ignored the write up. He paid for that with his life and that of his passenger when the rotor system came apart over the middle of the Mighty Mississippi river. They were never seen again. Paranoia is indeed a good thing.
Good luck to ya! My predicament was a lot worse. Motor hydrolocked at a friend’s house. Pushed it into his garage. Pulled the motor, swapped out a long block. Installation kit ordered with the block turned out to be for a 5.3L instead of a 5.7L. Head to the parts house to get new gaskets, hoses, belts, etc. Tried to fire her up, backfired through the throttle body. Another trip to the parts house. Of course they only had one injector in stock. Get the injectors, go to install and one of the o’rings is damaged. Back to the parts house. Had to purchase an entire repair kit cause they didn’t have the o’rings. Finally got it all installed and the timing roughly set. Taking care of that tomorrow. And it is supposed to be a heavy thunderstorm tomorrow. I know what you are going through with your body. I’m 67.
Gunny Frank. Sylvester GA
Is that short rubber hose that is only barely even possible to touch okay? I didn’t have to change the pump,but I got the owner to get that pricey little thing,just in case. He got a nephew to do it, thank Gawd.. We’ve both had back surgery,, and I’m short,truck is tall, it was going to work me over..
Yeah, it Needs done, but try to remember to admit when it’s time for a break.
Well, damnit! Fingers crossed for ya, and I hope the rain holds off. Yeah, fat chance of that up there in the PNW.
I don’t really want to know what new noises my car is making. The repair list is already too long. Two are so damn simple, or would be if Ford hadn’t buried the parts.
When the hell are the quacks going to do the roto-rooter? Seems like it’s been about a year…
Empathize with ya, Phil – my SHO is making serpentine idler pulley noises, at least I hope that’s what it is. Gonna be a bitch to fix with my broken back but I’ll git-er-done somehow.
At least I can get the car in the garage…
On my 03 Tacoma with a DOHC V6 the water pump was driven by the timing belt. I loved that truck and my son still has it but sometimes Toyota engineering would leave me asking “what the actual fuck”. To be fair it never went out but I changed while it was torn down for the timing belt anyway. Have you ever tried changing a starter on a Gen 1 4WD Tacoma? Those do go out.
I have a couple of those 10′ x 10′ foldup canopy-tents. They come in handy to shield rain and sun. Fairly inexpensive as well. Crawlers and folding steps help a lot, too.
Drop the front tyre pressures right down to lower the work site and make it easier to get to.
Sidewalk repair, sounds familiar.
Can you remove the front grill, radiator, fan, and go in from the front?
Blue permatex
Don’t forget to replace that little bent hose on the top of the water pump. It’s a real pain to change after the fact, and trying a short length of straight hose bent over will end up getting cut on the inside of the hose against the pipe nipple.
I did a valve job to a 79 dodge truck, I used concrete blocks supporting a 2×10 as a way to reach the engine.
For the rust issues on your tools, try using Strike Hold (I used to sell it as a gun cleaner/protector…It works well for longer term storage, even if you garage/toolbox is unheated.
Wiper on, let set, wipe off. Yer good for about 3 years. The rust will come off too.
this 2 oz bottle will do lots of tools….
https://www.amazon.com/Strike-Hold-2-oz-Ounce/dp/B003LZ6ARI/ref=sr_1_7?crid=3GLAOQ8QBD578&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.AZ2soMLitvBfz2zeawY2jGuuVf0kS0aGlOSkPTNQChBgkQs_xhE2FEciSjLY-dCHsEwvkSoUuDF7EC7T6pmnJ1v3uHITtOkHOF1bDyRr9vx_X6FDfDv4sB2z8_xHyWvTzDApvKoaedDcgatbiE_b7IS28xSC0LX6sZdRUw3_4Fiz0qgvu3H5ggef5eEYF6WisERVhRgNP9ANYZjNFSjIBOf3BjPueBQTt-8dFthgnH481aMuOHWZGZYGRCV3i93m1qbOXaSC_PXp_YMG35fXB35_4rgwp9dTUjkuV1-psrA.VPdFzpcDppY3hCCG_SgGT0rNZLNK7MmUI3gq2w3zWEI&dib_tag=se&keywords=strike+hold&qid=1709996860&sprefix=strike+hold%2Caps%2C303&sr=8-7
Been there, done that, no fun. I’m an old man now, so I’ll pay the shop next time.
More power to you!
“this won’t be the first water pump replacement at only 120,000 miles…”,hmmm….,well maintained 318’s good forever or at least seems that way,so,your going to do it again at some point,cleaning the bolts and neverseize is your friend.
You die before next pump when someone does the job you will hear in the next life a small” thanks “,from next shade tree mechanic,oh,and with your goodies did you get a 12 pack for when your done/!
I tried to tell you to keep the El Camino and give your son, or whoever it was, the Dodge. A Dodge can never be fixed. They do not want to be fixed. As soon as you repair one thing on them something more expensive goes bad. Dodges are made to be yard ornaments.
Shoot the inside and outside of the new hoses with silicone spray. I avoid the clamp internal areas. Seem to last longer.
Beats having the water pump behind the timing belt like my pickup. Also beats the water pump on my old Ford Taurus where there is barely enough room to extract/insert the water pump between the engine and the fender. I hate transverse engines.
Good luck!
Life is hard. Harder if you are stupid, which you aren’t. But still leaves hard. I think the next time I have to do a water pump, I will hire someone younger to do it.
Surface rust on tools..
Soak in a solution of very hot water, dawn dish soap, and white vinegar. Use a scotchbrite green pad to knock off any stubborn rust spots. Rinse, dry with compressed air, and wipe down with a rag soaked in wd40, or other water displacing lubricant.
MBIC, you need a truck creeper(top side) we both know you won’t stop wrenching
so make it a little easier on yourself.
https://www.amazon.com/Adjustable-Automotive-Capacity-Foldable-Maintenance/dp/B0CCDF4CSG/ref=sr_1_9?crid=2LQBSL664CCU9&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.wr7cViB0bKQdJr8Zkg-StXY1xD9Irq3daaKm9moddjj7eERBBmSUqzk6Lkw6SoKI3UqPuuwnvAYXI6rjUHd-3Ztr5CtQwvzL-hn3UlZR0HIeDqbwJWG2ez0wRG_HoQ5RaeYWveZOP-B-uTc3IaKATYIwsTbCQkZuvgqbehU20WucRwoIMvSfjDRYHEjYnJ1vdk05qXn0NfV7lHQ2cvbyCgK8e780xBsxWP_o1Ix29l9kF3usbsgGFfHwJjVa0Ej5-MhzoS5n9DNQOSPsyZibKVWLpkdGyaQCRI1fyQZ9bDE.XUMIJA8-bm3g7fkk_SxvscRMDCwhszM_c5fvYBYqlc8&dib_tag=se&keywords=truck+creeper+topside&qid=1710041273&sprefix=truck+creeper%2Caps%2C131&sr=8-9
Hoping to have the grandson trained up before I get to the point I can’t do it. Just did a transfer case nr repair on the 86 jeep Least I was lying down.