Re: Dodge trucks / an overheating question

["Sarah McIntosh" <smcintos@rapidnet.net>]

Hi:

I have the exact same truck 99 model and the GCVW (combined carrying capacity -I hope i have the right letters) is 12,400 lbs I believe.  I don't know what your Sundowner weighs, but so far with the hauling I have done, my temp guage doesn't even move.  Last weekend I hauled 2 horses and a lot of gear and two people through the mountains here (big mountains) and no problems.  I am getting a tranny cooler put in before I get a camper, just to be safe.

 

I'm no expert, but as long as you;re under the weight rating, the truck should'nt have any problems.  I would find a good mechanic who can figure out the problem.

 

Sarah

Abbotsford, BC

----- Original Message -----

From: Mary Anne Maynard

To: ridecamp@endurance.net

Sent: Monday, May 01, 2000 7:16 PM

Subject: RC: Dodge trucks / an overheating question

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