Mookie

If you want to save some money, people have used different materials from rubber floor mats to landscaping liner. If you have a bit of the old one, you can use it as a template if you don't want to eyeball it.

You could try some local metal suppliers in your area. I guess it depends on the type of grill material you want. Sometimes they have scraps that you can get for quite a bit cheaper.

Not a bad price at all. I'm not sure what it cost here, but hopefully around that price.

You know, it's probably my imagination, but I thought maybe I had read that you had posted what type of filter kit it was. It was probably something completely different and not even you! I'm just tired and lazy to look right now, lol.

Hey Luker, what does it cost to fill up your 20lb tank in your neck of the woods?

Nice! Did you post details on the kit in another thread?

Those starters will try your patience! Especially for a first time removal on a lunch hour on a very cold January day. I was pretty much ready to get it towed to a garage. Easiest and fastest way I have found is to remove the oil filter first of course. Then, slide the starter forward as far as it will go, then slide it back and up towards you while twisting it back and forth so you can fit it up and out on the passenger side fender well. That method literally takes just a few minutes as DSM_guy said.

Hello, Do you mean hard shifts as in high rpm shifts, or more of a 'jerk' when it shifts. Since the day I've owned mine, my will hard shift from 1-2 when it's cold out.

In addition to what XPLORx4 said, a CB is just about a must if you off road with a group of trucks. You need to be in communication with *all* drivers. For safety and for spotting purposes. Even with small groups of 4-6 trucks, alot of time is wasted if even one person doesn't have communication. Trucks get spread out over the trail so line of sight cant' be always counted on. The rule is to always wait for the one behind you, but that doesn't always happen. It's nice to be able to check in with others to make sure things are ok. Front of the pack needs to be in touch with those in the rear and vice versa. Comes in handy when needing extra snatch straps, another winch truck, first aid, etc.

I use a Piss Can to flush out my Alternator after going through muddy water. Just a few pumps and spraying it with clean water shuts off my alt/battery lights. Sometimes I can go all day without having to clean it, other times the first mud hole I go through, I have to rinse it out.

If it's not the c.a.s., do the 02 sensor test again, but this time unplug it when it's cold like the start in the morning and then drive it until the engine is up to temp. When cold, the 02 sensor runs in open loop like '88 said and will then go to closed loop after the engine gets to temp. A bad 02 sensor will cause engine miss firing, hesitation, bucking and also backfiring if driven on the highway for a period of time.

'93 and newer don't have the gauge voltage regulators like the older ones. I think they are built right into the gauges. Check on that and maybe see if you can get the gauges separately? I'm not familiar with the newer dash setups, so someone else will probably post up.

That was fast! The first time I did mine, it took nearly an hour just to scrape off the old water pump gasket.

Defintely worth it. Makes the job much more easier and alot quicker to finish.

Aren't you two convoying to the Jam in August?

Since you say it happens when the engine warms up, I'm thinking 02 sensor. Sometimes you will get a code, sometimes you won't. I replaced everything fuel and electrical before figuring out it was the 02 sensor as mine didn't spit out a code.

Not sure about the '95's but my '90 is a spline (without airbag) shaft. You can take the steering wheel off and re-align. I would do what the others say. There is something causing the steering wheel to be off centre. I had a very slight outter tie rod that was bent and cause the steering wheel to be off centre. It tracked and drove straight though. You couldn't tell it was bent when it was on the truck, only after it was removed could you see a slight bend in it when compared to a good one. Have them or someone else check the outter tie rods.

As suggested, I'd replace that centre link too. If you happen to use 4wd you could find your steering quite wonky and almost unpredicatable on snow if the centre link is badly worn. The O2 sensor change is good to. Mine went out on me 3hrs after leaving Alberta for Ontario. Couldn't figure out why I was backfiring, sputtering, dies out on hills and headwinds...made for a long and frusterating trip! For the starting issue, have you tried the basics like checking your battery volts, cable connections? I'd run the codes to see if that shows anything like a crank angle sensor for example. Going through the sSates and cutting up or through Ontario on the way out?

Yes, and no. Normally, once the engine gets to temp, we have plenty of heat, but I found that on very cold highway trips, if my rad isn't blocked, I barely get heat until I slow down. You replaced your t-stat this summer didnt' you? Another thing to try is to bleed the air out. Just undo that little bolt on top near the firewall on the driverside.

Hey Eli, I get ice ice or hard packed snow in the vents too. Slip a piece of cardboard between your ac condensor and Rad. Cut a hole(s) in it for some air. (The poor mans winter front). That will give you your heat back for those highway drives.

Just a shot in the dark, but try and wiggle the ignition switch when the key is in. Mine did the same thing and it turned out to be a bad switch.

Good luck on everything. Keep us posted.

Another hillarious read. Glad the Pathy is back home.

For the oil leak on the front of the engine, you may want to pull the timing cover off to take a peek. I've seen a pretty nasty leak from the Crank seal but it's not that common. As already mentioned, the puff of blue sounds like your rings are going. A headgasket leak would show more signs of white smoke out the tail pipe and you would see it on the oil dipstick.

Have the rear brakes been looked at?