Dakota/ other projects are kickin my old A$$

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67Dart273

67Dart273

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Spent ?? last two weeks in the rain trying to figure how to pull ONLY the 5.2 out of a Dakota 4x4. This is the "Mini (White) Whale"

Bought with a bad 5.2 this winter. Drove it home with no brakes in low 4wd about a half mile up the street. It's sitting on the trailer, mainly, to take up less space. Stupid owner sold one disk and caliper and the alternator off it. So no brakes, no charge, and because of low voltage, no idle. I figured I'd just run it into a snow berm at low speed if I had to stop.

The front diff is attached to the engine with huge brackets, you cannot get to the converter bolts without removing one. IT SUCKS and the service manual SUCKS and is no help

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The Green Dakota

Bought it this winter, some kid had spun one wheel on ice until he broke the spider cross shaft IN THREE PIECES. Bought a used axle. Back yard was an ice patio all winter. Got nothing done. Got it running, licensed, THE HEATER leaked. This was all tore apart when the woman wrecked my Ranger, or I'd been driving THIS instead

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You pretty much have to drop the column, remove the entire dash, and remove the heater/ AC box to change the heater core. There are two listed, this one was the thin one, I PUT THE THICK ONE back in with a minor modification to the air box. On a "hi" note the new heater works GREAT
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Reminder........The White Whale III to replace White Whale I

You all remember the "White Whales I II and III right?

I is 1500 I am still driving it. That had the trans problem
II I junked

III I bought with bad trans. Got the trans about 1/2 together when "winter happened." It's STILL sitting there. This one "I hope" will replace WWI

White Whale I on the hoist with a transmission leak, soon to be junked WWII sitting behind

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The "to be" WWIII with a bad transmission

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The "transmission shop" in semi full operation Note lots of air leaks, no way to heat at 10-15F

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Meanwhile, some woman wrecked my cherry 98 Ranger for me. Only had 84K, loaded. Real nice, big cab, electric locks/ windows/ mirrors, AC, 4.0 V6 ran and drove like new. Arguing with State Farm who I'm certain is going to screw me

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Just tonight I called, and am supposed to drive 2 hours each way to look at a wrecked Durango for three brand new tires and a good engine, seats, and other parts for the white and green Dakota

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Heater core r&r sure is a pain with having to remove the whole dash. Hope your insurance company comes through for you.
 
Whew! When it rains it pours in Idaho!

Removing a engine from a 4 X 4 is no freaking joke! Chit is HARD!
 
67Dart273 said:
Meanwhile, some woman wrecked my cherry 98 Ranger for me. Only had 84K, loaded. Real nice, big cab, electric locks/ windows/ mirrors, AC, 4.0 V6 ran and drove like new. Arguing with State Farm who I'm certain is going to screw me

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I went through this exact same situation with a 5 speed 1999 firebird with 78000 miles, now these scumbags want to dispute this situation trying to stall as long as possible, going on 3 weeks and i cant get a phonecall from anyone. I hope you get it resolved in a timely fashion.

Jake
 
rumblefish360 said:
Whew! When it rains it pours in Idaho!

Removing a engine from a 4 X 4 is no freaking joke! Chit is HARD!
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The shop manual is SO terrible it might as well be 2 pages:

1...Remove engine
2...Re-install engine

There's a permanent crossmember back rear of the trans / transfer which anchors the T bars. You cannot drop the tail of the trans/ transfer down to gain access to the bell housing bolts "up over the top" because the transfer hits it. I made an "executive decision" to cut the crossmember and will then rebuild a "bridge" bolt in later

I gave up today, trying to pull the engine. I'm going to pull the transfer off the back, then pull the engine and trans as a unit. It is so tight around the firewall/ bell area I can't get to anything.

Pulling one T bar was frustrating. There's a roll pin driven in from the top of the A arm to keep the T bar from walking forward. I "manufactured" a tool using a bolt and long connector nut to form a "screw jack" to jack the roll pin up. The T bar was stubborn. I screwed with them for most of a day and finally got one of them clear.

Fortunately, someone put a "pipe" in place of the cat. This formed a "great place" to whack the pipe in two, to remove the head/ Y pipe. I'll put a sleeve connector on there when done.
 
This is some of the snow we had. We did not set records, but it came early, stayed and "builded" and was WAY below average temps most of winter. Had WEEKS where high was 10-15F, no more than 20 for days and days.

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Below is in part why I got little done. Besides the cold, fighting snow sliding off. What you cannot see is the ice in the back yard. "Ice patio." I could not even walk around back there
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That huge pile to the right of the garage was done by the "little Farmall"
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Feb 2017

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Below, the near end of the eves is just at 6'. Give you an idea how much snow About 2' or more deep on the roof
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Cuda68Scott said:
Heater core r&r sure is a pain with having to remove the whole dash. Hope your insurance company comes through for you.
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Not mine, hers. She got a ticket. I only have liability, on my own. They wanted to haul to their "evaluation yard" 50 miles away in Spokane. I told them to get screwed. The don't have adjusters anymore then have "the team." Google "State Farm" and "team" You'll find it is "not good."

Finally talked them into getting a guy to look at it locally. He's an affiliated shop. finally got a local agent JUST TODAY to fax my documents in, and document the damage to my eyeglasses. "We'll see"
 
Takes me back to pulling my tranny at a friend's garage when moving from il to co with a overly fully sanoma. Couldn't get to one bolt. Sat there for hours with a few extension and a throw away socket beating at the bottom where the firewall meets the cab to make space to get a swivel socket in place for removal.
Really sucks cause when I got this other sanoma and put my motor from my 92 into the 91 I forgot to do it to this truck. Next time if there is a next time I'll just pull the whole motor and trans together grab a hammer k ock the spot in and work on what I need to and put it back in. Makes changing clucth or throw out bearing easier.
 
67Dart273 said:
Meanwhile, some woman wrecked my cherry 98 Ranger for me. Only had 84K, loaded. Real nice, big cab, electric locks/ windows/ mirrors, AC, 4.0 V6 ran and drove like new. Arguing with State Farm who I'm certain is going to screw me

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I've had to deal with State Farm and similar companies. Best tactic to use is simply demand they replace your truck exactly - same year, model, color, drivetrain, mileage, everything. It's your legal right. Hold firm to this demand, and be very picky...don't let them slide by with something worse than what you had. Chances are they won't be able to find an exact replacement that isn't halfway across the country, and will be far more willing to compensate you fairly if they know the exact replacement for your truck might end up costing them extra money.

Too many people don't realize this, and they just let the insurance companies dictate what they're entitled to and then of course they get shafted and are stuck with not enough money to replace their vehicle.
 
451Cuda said:
I've had to deal with State Farm and similar companies. Best tactic to use is simply demand they replace your truck exactly - same year, model, color, drivetrain, mileage, everything. It's your legal right. Hold firm to this demand, and be very picky...don't let them slide by with something worse than what you had. Chances are they won't be able to find an exact replacement that isn't halfway across the country, and will be far more willing to compensate you fairly if they know the exact replacement for your truck might end up costing them extra money.

Too many people don't realize this, and they just let the insurance companies dictate what they're entitled to and then of course they get shafted and are stuck with not enough money to replace their vehicle.
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What advice do you have on bluebook? Kelly came up with about 4500 I think, NADA was 5500. This was a NICE little truck
 
Yes, refuse their offer if it's too low (probably will be because truck was nice). Allstate did this when someone rear ended my son in his 78 Firebird. Allstate started showing me "comps" in my area, ads anyway. I drove to those ads and took pictures, holly crap what a bunch of junk. I sent the pics in, got the price raised but only by just over a grand. As 451Cuda said, stand your ground, good luck!
 
67Dart273 said:
What advice do you have on bluebook? Kelly came up with about 4500 I think, NADA was 5500. This was a NICE little truck
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KBB is a suggested market value, it's not a rigid number they can force you to accept. Hold tight to them replacing your truck exactly as it was, they will eventually realize you're well informed and offer fair compensation.
 
Rangers have a bit of a cult following and nice ones bring more than book.
KBB and NADA are guides at best.
When I get to work today I will pull a Manhiem report. That is what they are trading for in Real Time wholesale...
I can also get retail market comps...

If you think the truck is salvageable make a deal to buy it back.... they will total it.
 
^^My neighbor wanted to fix it for me, and he committed to buy if back and fix it for himself^^ Can't do much the next few days but wait for a return from them

As if things aren't gloomy enough...........it's back to raining this morning.
 
Not a big enough sampling in Manhiem due too age.... It looks like the average comparable rig on Cars.com and Auto trader are going for around 7500.00. If you have documentation on maintenance show that to them....If not, Make some up !...lol
 
Well after a long battle I finally got the rod knockin' 5.2 and transmission on the ground. I gave up pulling the engine only. Pulled the transfer off the trans in the truck cold windy, rainy, dreary Saturday, and dumped ATF all over my pants

Could not figure how to bolt up the hoist so I made some hooks out of flat strap. Put the leveler sideways and hooked them under the manifolds between the rear two cylinders.

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Nice creativity on the load levelers, that one might have given me a pucker factor : )
 
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