MrQ's Red Flyer

[MrQ]

Thanks Mirge! Still have yet to see the pics of your truck. I have always wanted a manual 1st gen sport 4x4. I think that would just be the epitome of explorers. Love the design and like the economy.

 

[BrianDye]

Man that is a terribly nice 1st gen....I thought they were all sposed to be rusty and stuff?


Haha jkjk, yours looks like it just drove off the showroom floor a year ago. appearently performs like it too haha, I spend the last 30 minutes reading this all...

I wish I could have run into another nice 1st gen on craigslist, I tried and tried for months, but couldnt, and settled with my new 95 now, and love it, but boy would I trade her anyday for another 1st gen.

I miss mine so much now lol

 

[Hitchhikingmike]

But that's still assuming oil is still under $250 a barrel in another 4 years.

 

[MrQ]

Man that is a terribly nice 1st gen....I thought they were all sposed to be rusty and stuff?


Haha jkjk, yours looks like it just drove off the showroom floor a year ago. appearently performs like it too haha, I spend the last 30 minutes reading this all...

I wish I could have run into another nice 1st gen on craigslist, I tried and tried for months, but couldnt, and settled with my new 95 now, and love it, but boy would I trade her anyday for another 1st gen.

I miss mine so much now lol

Thanks. I have done a lot of work to her to get her where she is now, but there is more to do. I still need to fix a bad idle, replace the blown speakers, fix the headliner, tidy up my awful wiring, replace my fog lamps, re-attach an aftermarket dual 12v outlet for my GPS, get new treads on the front, grease the caliper slide pins and tighten the left radius arm... and so on. The original to-do list was three times this. Oh yeah, I have to replace the spark plugs.

 

[MrQ]

I have a CEL. A freakin' CEL!! I have never ever ever had a CEL on this truck since the day I bought it. Now I have to get the code read and figure out WTH is going on. Since the exhaust has been smelling a little rich lately I am leaning toward O2 sensors. Also I'll check and replace the spark plugs as soon as my check gets in Thursday. Maybe that'll fix the issue or at least help me diagnose the problem. :scratch: Going with Motorcraft or Autolites this time.

 

[BrianDye]

Dude no way! So did I the other day!

I started it up while on break at work (20 mins or so idling) and after 10 minutes or so, it came on! I could have cried!

Then later that night it came on on the way home, but hasnt came on since

 

[Hitchhikingmike]

If you think you know what the problem is, you can fix it and then unplug the battery for a few minutes to reset the computer. Otherwise the 1st gen's computers are not OBDII, so autozone can't read the codes. But I don't think you need a computer to read the code, I believe through some process you can get it to flash the code number at you. But I'm sure you know all this.

 

[Hitchhikingmike]

I set off my first ECL when I took off my intake manifold off. I forgot to plug back in some emission component connector.

 

[MrQ]

Got my new sparks in. Turned out my rough idle was due to a spark plug not fully connecting with the wire. So all good. But stupid me, I did it while the truck was hot.

Helped a guy from work out with his Ram. It seems he ran the Master cylinder dry and nearly coasted through an intersection. So he brought it over and we bled the brakes, rotated the tires and partially changed out the spark plugs. (we got 6 plugs instead of 8, because he thought for sure it was a 6) It's nice to be able to put what I have leaned here to good use.

 

[black91EB]

next time you think about a dodge, look it the word in the dictionairy. It says, "to avoid"

So is this the second set of plugs for your X? I seem to recall you doing it before. Did your plugs and wires fix the CEL? I don't know about an OBD-I system, but the OBD-II in my '96 Mustang will throw a code for faulty ignition if the plugs are bad. Also, faulty ignition would explain your rich exhaust smell, due to insufficient combustion.

 

[MrQ]

ROFL. His dodge wasn't that bad. Needs a new set of ball joints however.

I haven't thrown a CEL since I installed the plugs. And yes this is my second set.

 

[black91EB]

But, then, something I didn't think about, the O2 sensor would be throwing a code if you were getting insufficient ignition.

Thought this was your second set, as I seem to recall a nice "How to" I read not long ago. :biggthump

(Haven't said anything about my change in status of my thread, kinda suprised since you were the one buggin me about it

 

[MrQ]

I have been out sick this last week, coughing, sniffling and sneezing. Very little work this week means a sub $100 paycheck. :sigh: Hopefully next week will be better. I also found my driver's side radius arm bushing decided to take a dump. I now have a nice clunk under the floorboards during turns.

 

[MrQ]

To get that bushing replaced I need an impact wrench. I didn't even get a 1/32 turn out of it with a BFH and a 10" crescent. This really sucks. I guess I should put some PB on it and try again. This is really affecting my alignment and my steering. Still have to hold the steering wheel to left about 10 degrees to track straight.

I still have the rough idle. Gonna check the PCV (gotta remember to do the LITTLE things first ) and see if its still good. When I pulled the last set of plugs, they all had a bit of white ash on the ends. That tells me the engine was running hot, though that could be from the water pump fiasco in November when the truck nearly died of heat stroke.

 

[black91EB]

The result of my attempt to use a crescent wrench on a radius arm nut. (12" Craftsman too!)

I would suggest a large socket and a breaker bar. You can get both fairly cheap at autozone and or harbor freight. You will need a serious impact to get it off, and those aren't at all cheap. Oh, and LOTS of PB blaster. I would apply it once or twice a day for several days before trying again.

As for your rough idle, have you tried this?

 

[Hitchhikingmike]

Weren't the bushing brackets for the control arms originally riveted to the frame? I thought it was only the replacement bushing brackets that bolted on...:scratch:

 

[MrQ]

The radius arm bracket is riveted and bolted to the frame. The bushings on the radius arm member are on the stud that passes through the radius arm bracket and secured with a large nut.

 

[Hitchhikingmike]

So then are you removing the bushing bracket from the frame or are you going to try and punch out and in a new bushing?

If your doing this, you would almost be removing the radius arm, presenting an opportunity to swap in the other 4x4 suspension parts, but that would warrant much more time, I'm sure you just wanting to fix it as quickly as possible though.

 

[MrQ]

Yeah, I could and have been tossing it around in my mind:

Problems:
-Need to refill the gear lube ($5)
-Need conversion set to manual hubs ($20-$50)
-Need to replace the tie rod ends ($50)
-Need to replace the RA bushings ($24)
-Need to replace the Pivot arm bushings ($5)
-Possibly turn the rotors ($20)
-Need an alignment ($80)

$230 more or less.

And it all has to be done at one time. That's about 90-100% of one paycheck.

 

[Hitchhikingmike]

Yeah not practical at the moment, well this is definitely quite a project you have set out for yourself... but nothing that can't be done, I would set aside at least 3 full days. I've replaced all EIGHT bushings before on a heep's front axle, and it took me the better part of 5 full days to complete.

You've amounted enough skill to do this though. This is really all you need to be able to do: ; ; ;

I think the best aptitude for a project like this is good sense of wanting to inflict vengeance.