Dodge Dakota ForumDodge Dakota PhotosDodgeDakota.net Membership
  Forums   Forum Tools
08:06:35 - 05/19/2024

Dakota Performance
FromMessage
drtswinger
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
 Email

2/10/2002
14:30:01

Subject: BIG PROBLEMS, HELP
IP: Logged

Message:
Ok, I have posted a couple messages, addressing these problems. But now I have figured they all come together due to one big one. I have a 99' rt, reg. cab with 50k miles. I put the powerdyne sc on it, exhaust and k&n filter. Well first it started developing a fuel pressure drop as I drove it, the longer i drive, the lower it goes. Then the coolant problem started showing up. It would spit up a little after shutting off the engine, and eventually get low on coolant. Well, now my truck seems to lose half the coolant in the system after 20-30 minutes of driving, and spits it out bad when I accelerate hard. My idle has turned to crap, it feels like i have a cam, and my fuel pressure will drop worse than the previous 35 psi limit, I have now seen it go down to 2 psi. (yes that is a 2, i did not forget the zero to make it 20) surprizingly it still ran under barely any pressure. I changed out the thermostat, and the cap.... no change. Well now my truck isn't drivable, because my temp starts jumping up and down the range, and im afraid to overheat it. One more thing.... when i have the cap off, and fill it up to the neck of the radiator.... bubbles come up, but the level stays the same. Im thinking a head gasket.... but then again there is no oil water mixing in either the engine or radiator. Please help, I'm stumped on what to do, and what to get to fix it. any help would be great, thank you.



CW
GenIII
 Email User Profile


2/10/2002
16:17:18

RE: BIG PROBLEMS, HELP
IP: Logged

Message:
Kinda sounds like a head gasket. It may have detonated when the fuel pressure got to low and blew the head gasket. Get that fuel system fixed or engine damage will result from running lean under boost.

2001 RC 4.7 5sp 9.25" 3.92 LSD
Ported 68mm throttle body, IAT adjuster, 3" flowmaster cat back, TPS @ .76V, 4" cold air, Roadmaster active suspention, Removed Third cat. Electric fan Convertion, Awaiting HO cams.
Working on adjustable fuel pressure with return.

Art
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE


2/10/2002
16:27:11

RE: BIG PROBLEMS, HELP
IP: Logged

Message:
Well you have to do a compression test,and leak down test to see what is going on there and as far as the fuel problem goes did you hook up your FMU right? sounds like a blockage somewhere or a bad fuel pump,its an electric fuel pump it wont matter if the truck is running or not it should keep the pressure up or it is just droped the cylinders so bad that the PCM doesnt know what to do,do the compression test so you know where you stand first,then go from there to iron out the fuel prob



1FLAMED92 DAK
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE


2/10/2002
23:30:30

RE: BIG PROBLEMS, HELP
IP: Logged

Message:
Sounds like you lost a head gasket 99% sure on that one Sound like it leaned way out when you lost fuel pressure



drtswinger
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
 Email

2/10/2002
23:45:54

RE: BIG PROBLEMS, HELP
IP: Logged

Message:
Ok, so Im pretty sure its the head gaskets. But why would the fuel pressure drop as the truck heated up? Could it be that the computer didnt know what to do with the excess heat and startwed shutting off fuel? The only thing is, when the pressure went down, the temp gauge wasnt even moving. But, they have been getting progressivly worse with each other.... i just dont see the relation. I think im going to tear down the top of the motor this weekend, and replace all off the gaskets. And maybe put in the m1 intake while im at it. Anyone know where i can get a gasket set for the project I might be doing? What brand should i get, and should i get better bolts? I want to keep this from happening again. any help is appreciated.



bad news
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE


2/11/2002
10:59:20

RE: BIG PROBLEMS, HELP
IP: Logged

Message:
its a piece of crap dodge , what can i say?



kota on 20s
GenIII
 Email User Profile


2/11/2002
12:58:20

RE: BIG PROBLEMS, HELP
IP: Logged

Message:
hey bad news, what do you drive?

" I have now seen it go down to 2 psi. (yes that is a 2, i did not forget the zero to make it 20) surprizingly it still ran under barely any pressure. "

that was a quote from drtswinger. how many trucks do you know of that can run on a blown head gasket, and barly any fuel pressure?!!

go back and drive your "rock" or "turd"

Eric




handi2
GenIII
 Email User Profile


2/11/2002
20:53:50

RE: BIG PROBLEMS, HELP
IP: Logged

Message:
It sounds just like a blown head gasket around one or more of the exhaust valves. The pressure from the piston on the compression stroke will push thru the bad part of the gasket causing the bubbling or foaming in your radiator. The easiest way to find out is to get some Bar's or Bard's (i don't remember) stop leak. It's the bottle with liquid and pellets inside. Put that in your radiator and let the engine run for a while. If it doesn't help it sure wont hurt a thing. The product is made to also seal head gaskets.

2002 Quad Cab SLT 4.7 Every Avaiable Option
Bed Rug/Access Tonneau Cover/2"by3" drop
Airaid Intake/Jet 2/Roadmaster Suspension/Bed Extender

Einstein
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
 Email

2/11/2002
21:02:46

RE: BIG PROBLEMS, HELP
IP: Logged

Message:
Gasket in a bottle?

Where can I find blower in a bottle?



drtswinger
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
 Email

2/12/2002
00:13:59

RE: BIG PROBLEMS, HELP
IP: Logged

Message:
I plan on putting in new gaskets anyways, and maybe adding in a new intake (m1). Question though, do you think i have done any internal damage to the engine. At idle the truck makes a weird noise that me and a friend who is a dodge mechanic cant pinpoint. It could be knocking, or could be the screwdriver i dropped and never saw hit the ground. Anyways, i just want to know if this condition on the engine causes any damage.



Art
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE


2/12/2002
03:51:30

RE: BIG PROBLEMS, HELP
IP: Logged

Message:
Man you are one stupid guy,do a compression check abd your mechanic freind is even dumber and this handi2 guy using bars leak to fix a head gasket OMG,let me say again you need to do a comression check it will tell you what is wrong,that way you know what your looking for when tearing down the engine,Im sorry but some of you on here dont have a clue



Todd W
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE


2/12/2002
08:28:57

RE: BIG PROBLEMS, HELP
IP: Logged

Message:
Stop Leak...?

*CRINGE*

Don't even use it to fix your radiator, it gums stuff up! It's gummy! Thats how it stops leaks! Like Fix-a-flat, have you _ever_ taken the tire off the rim after using fix-a-flat?

Do _NOT_ use stop leak to fix your head gasket! GAHHH! If your radiator is leaking too, -get it professionally fixed-! Don't fix something halfway (Let's face it, stop leak - quick and dirty, plus cheap)



drtswinger
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE


2/12/2002
09:30:17

RE: BIG PROBLEMS, HELP
IP: Logged

Message:
Well actually art, the only reason we havent done a compression test yet is because the truck is sitting at a friends house and we are trying to diagnose it before we take it into the shop on sat. on his free time to fix it on the side because I cant afford to pay dodge to do it.Me on one hand, I'm 17 and have never had this type of problem before, and my "mechanic friend" was looking at my truck in an alley after I pulled it over when it started acting up. Now we checked all the spark plugs, and they all looked ok, dirty, but no signs of coolant.No mixing has been done in the oil or coolant. The only reason I'm asking for opinions now is because i only have a weekend at Dodge to fix the problem, so i want to know all possiblities. So any tests done before sat. are going to be driveway done. thanks for the input though. as for stop leak, wasn't even considered an option.



Art
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE


2/12/2002
14:22:17

RE: BIG PROBLEMS, HELP
IP: Logged

Message:
Swinger a comprression test is the first thing to do if you can pull out spark plugs you can do a compression test and Im sure if he`s a mechanic he will have a compression tester,all it is a guage that you screw in the spark plug hole of each cylinder and then crank the engine over and read the compression,if you find a low cylinder you can then squirt a little oil in the low one if the compression comes up after the oil,that then is a sign of bad rings if it doesnt come up then that is a sign of a mechanical problem i:e a valve or piston or a crack,then aswell with a leak down tester you can pinpoint the problem,it pays off very much to know what the problem is before ripping anything appart,sure more than likely its a head gasket but say you take the heads off and then replace the gasket and then same problem,then what? do it all over again to find a cracked head,anyways good luck



handi2
GenIII
 Email User Profile


2/12/2002
16:10:29

RE: BIG PROBLEMS, HELP
IP: Logged

Message:
Just a little note...Most new car manufacturers do put stop leak in brand new engines as they come off the line...! Bard's stop leak is made to seal leaks in radiators, heater cores, freeze plugs (which are really casting holes so the sand can be cleaned out) and head gaskets. I mentioned using it to determine if he indeed had a bad gasket around an exhaust valve. I know he does and the stop leak will show it. He then can get it fixed correctly. I was building engines 30 years ago and have seen it all.

2002 Quad Cab SLT 4.7 Every Avaiable Option
Bed Rug/Access Tonneau Cover/2"by3" drop
Airaid Intake/Jet 2/Roadmaster Suspension/Bed Extender

steph
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE


2/13/2002
08:55:27

RE: BIG PROBLEMS, HELP
IP: Logged

Message:
I had a leaky heater core on my 87 Buick LeSabre. Took it to a shop and asked the guy for a cheap fix as I was low on funds. He suggested BARRS LEAKS. Never again. I put in the BARRS LEAKS in the summer, that winter I had no heat or very little. Ended up changing out the heater core the following summer. You shoulda seen the crap that come out of the old one. No wonder it plugged up. It's a quick fix alright but results in problems down the road. My suggestion, stay away from it.
Steph.



   P 1


Post a reply to this message:

Username Registration: Optional
All visitors are allowed to post messages


Name:
Email:
Notify me when I get a reply to my message:Yes  No

Icons:            

Subject:
Message:
 



Home | Forums | Members | Pictures | Contact Us

This site is in no way affiliated with Chrysler or any of its subsidiaries.