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14:31:09 - 04/24/2024
General Dakota Board
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rja84
Dodge Dakota
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8/02/2004
18:19:09
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 Subject: This IS a great website...
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Just wanted to say "Thanks..." to you all and all the great info posted here. Because of it, I finally got up the cajones to change the plugs in my 2000 4.7L QC, all by my own flippin self. Big deal you say? Yea, it was a big deal, and a whole lotta fun. The last time I even thought about working on my own wheels was 20 years ago in school. Back then it was a '70 Datsun 2000 roadster. You pop the hodd and there's a distributor, plug wires, spark plugs, dual sidedraft carbs. No questions about what it is you're looking at. Nowadays, pppffffttt... What the fark is all this stuff? Better let the professionals have at it... Ha! This site removes all those mysteries. Piece-o-cake swapping plugs. Remove airhat, remove small nut holding down coil, twist and lift coil, use long extension to reach plugs (and don't forget to blowout any crud first), set plugs to .040, a little anti-sieze on the plug threads, and little silicone lube on the coil's o-ring, and button it all back up. Now go take care of the 7 other plugs. Oh yea, while you've got that airhat off, clean the throttle body, and especially that IAC (a whole lotta gunk on that thing). And since you've got that airhat off, why not try a new intake (2 piece 3" tube type off of ebay for 32 bucks, plus another 30 bucks for a 9" K&N filter).
Have I babbled enough? Well, we're not quite done yet... Got it all buttoned up, and ready to go. First time I start it up, it sputters and dies. Figure it's the throttle body cleaner, and just needs to be cleared out. Start it up again, and it's holds, but the idle is like crap, and the check engine light comes on? I think, crap, should have gone with the oem champion plugs instead of the 5224 autolite plugs the board keeps talking about. Maybe it'll clear out as it warms up. No flippin way. The engine light stays on and the idle is still bad. Becomes pretty obvious one of the cylinders is not firing, but fudge if I want to start checking things one at a time especially since there are 8 of them. Check the code I think. Great, on-off-on-off-on, and lo and behold, a "P 0357". Run upstairs, come to this website and 2 minutes later find out it's something with the coil on the 7th cylinder. Reseat the connector on the 7th cylinder's coil, fire up again, and there's the silky smooth idle I was missing. Sweeeeet...
Anyhow, like I said, there's some great information available here and alot of us really appreciate it. Thanks...
Now onto the brakes....
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mcarthey
Dodge Dakota
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8/02/2004
21:36:46
| RE: This IS a great website...
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Congrats on your first task in a long while! I know how that feels. :) The brakes shouldn't be too much work... just hope for no problems with the lug nuts and it'll go smoothly. The only "special" tool you might need is a C-clamp that has at least a 6" throat (to compress the piston - watch the fluid level in your reservoir!) and an allen wrench for the caliper pins. If you're replacing the rotor, you might have some work ahead of you if it's rusted to the hub. You should be alright, though, since your truck isn't that old yet. Also, don't forget your piece of wire (I used an old hanger) to support the caliper and avoid stress on the brake line.
Good luck, and let us know how it goes!
Mark
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jasonsdakota
Dodge Dakota
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8/02/2004
22:12:36
| RE: This IS a great website...
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rja84, brakes are no big deal. i'm not mechanically inclined but had a friend help me with my wifes grand am gt and i really ended up doing one side myself. we didn't have a c-clamp so i can recomend to buy one. it was no big deal but i may have just got lucky. i used a regular clamp (pushes the opposite way) pushed the piston in one way and had it clamped on the other side of the caliper. if you plan on doing more than one brake job, get it. congrats on the first job, those brakes were one of a very few i take on.
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fiendish
Dodge Dakota
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8/03/2004
18:44:24
| RE: This IS a great website...
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I see an oopsie.
make sure you use a torx for the pins not an allen key.
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GB2000
GenIII
8/03/2004
18:52:24
| RE: This IS a great website...
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Some are Torx and some are Allen (at least with the remanufactured calipers I bought)... When I replaced them, one side was Allen and one was Torx. Needless to say, I used my old bolts so they were both Torx.
Anyway, the Torx ones are T-45.
Josh
http://www.cardomain.com/id/sentenced
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mcarthey
Dodge Dakota
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8/03/2004
22:24:02
| RE: This IS a great website...
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Yep, mine were both allen... #7 I think. Although, don't quote me on that one as I'm currently too lazy to go check ;)
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