Dodge trucks / an overheating question

["Mary Anne Maynard" <paulm1@jps.net>]

We have a 1994 3/4 ton medium sized 5.9 liter v 8  dodge gas engine truck. Last year we purchased a 3 horse slant goose neck Sundowner trailer. This truck pulls it pretty well in most conditions except when we are on a hill with one or more horses then it begins to over heat.  A first level diagnosis by a repair shop and an infrared gun said that there were "cold" spots on the radiator and the solution was to rod or get a new radiator. We got the new radiator (stock replacement) and a new fan clutch.  The overheating problem was not solved, and it seems like it has gotten worse (the weather has been warming up ...)  One thing the repair shop people pointed out after the new radiator was in that the engine could be gunned and the radiator fluid in the top of the radiator barely moved.  Their guess: we might need a new water pump.  So we are going in for a "flow test" tomorrow.  I have talked to the radiator repair shop and they passed on a hearsay tidbit: they knew a mechanic who had had a similar overheating problem with this model Dodge truck and he did everything: new radiator, water pump, fan clutch, thermostat, and pressure cap and the truck still went to 240 on hills with a load, but would drop instantly to 200 on the level.

 

Question:  can this truck be saved (for hauling our loaded trailer)? We have 18 payments before it is paid off and we had planned on getting the 3/4 ton Dodge diesel once we had maxed out our equity in the truck.  It would be a big hurt if we had to trade now ...

 

.Mary Anne Maynard