hardwaretoad

There's a couple of things I wouldn't mind having, but he kept saying "You Pull It" throughout his page. I'm not driving 4,000 miles to pull a sunshade...

Do Cheetos under the back seat count?? -bounce- Only thing I've done is to mount my CD under the dash in a pod...

You'll find it on the right (passenger) side of your tranny. Might as well pick one up before you take your old one out, you won't be able to drive with it removed. Clean the area surrounding it really good first. Just unhook the wire leads to it, unscew it & put the new one in, torque to about 15-20 ft. lbs. Really easy...

Yeah MrP, I think they're like $185-$200...

Ditto on mws' fine reply. I've used Castrol for a couple of decades in all types of imports & all types of engines ~ inline 4's, flat 4's, inline 6's, V6's, flat 6's, rotary's ~ all with excellent results. Sounds like Castrol did your's a little good, personally I'd stay with it. Just stay away from the bargain bin crap no matter what brand you go with & you'll be fine...

While Chevys use the same 6 on 5.5 bolt pattern as us, there's a problem with the center hub diameter on the front with many manufacturer's wheels. Most will have to be enlarged to fit over your center hubs. Easier to buy some for a Nissan ~ it'd be tough to get them reamed right to where they would balance correctly, etc. Toyota and Isuzu also use the 6 on 5.5... :secret: Sorry I can't answer your towing question, never towed anything with mine at all ~ no hitch. Somebody had a post here awhile back regarding moving & towing a U-Haul with theirs, if I remember right it performed well with quite a load behind it, and a lot further than "up to the lake". You might try a search re: towing. Most manufacturers suggestions suck IMHO, especially MSRP's... :contract: BTW, I love to read... -study- Welcome to the forums... and kudos for getting me to 600... -bounce-

How's the rest of the truck? Still solid? Engine have good compression, etc.? If it does, I'd think about hanging on to it. Doesn't sound like there's any reason to spend money on the tranny, though. Drop the tranny out, put in a new rear motor seal & clutch kit, and bolt it back together. You're the only one that can make the decision as to whether or not it's worth it. But you'll take a big hit with those kinds of problems if you do try to sell it... :contract: Meanwhile keep a close watch on your dipstick until you make a decision...

More than likely have to be done due to contamination of the plates anyway... -thnkboutit-

I agree with B ~ you should have no problem getting many more trouble-free miles... I mean kilometers, out of your Pathy.

Yeppers, swapped out the factory ones myself. Difference in ride with the adjustables is negligible, and certainly not worth the stealer's pricing... :contract:

250X308 pxl... after that it's a little "fuzzy"

Interesting question. I'm not familiar with the Catapillar oil analysis, but I can guess what it entails. By "low" on the viscosity, do you mean lower than 5w? Like 0w? 5-30 gets pretty darn thin viscosity-wise to begin with, the whole idea with running it in the winter. Are you testing new, unused oil, or are you testing it after 3-4k miles when you drain it? It might be a matter of the "low cost" oil ~ probably breaks down faster than the quality stuff resulting in the lower vis rating. Might just be a little too low cost, if you get my drift. You say there's no contamination by other engine fluids ~ is that a visual check or do you have access to a lab analysis? Most contaminants would be easy to see, I'll admit. "Oil & water"... What was your oil pressure before? And now? I mean, has it dropped from 60psi to 10? It might just be a failing oil pump... -thnkboutit-

Maybe it's part of the "upgrades" that MrJim did when the BBS went down here awhile ago...

Rube Goldberg walks in his sleep, strolls through a cactus field in his bare feet, and screams out an idea for self-operating napkin: As you raise spoon of soup (A) to your mouth it pulls string (B.), thereby jerking ladle © which throws cracker (D) past parrot (E). Parrot jumps after cracker and perch (F) tilts, upsetting seeds (G) into pail (H). Extra weight in pail pulls cord (I), which opens and lights automatic cigar lighter (J), setting off sky-rocket (K) which causes sickle (L) to cut string (M) and allow pendulum with attached napkin to swing back and forth thereby wiping off your chin. After the meal, substitute a harmonica for the napkin and you'll be able to entertain the guests with a little music.

What elevation is Memphis, trial? I used 85 octane in my '87SE, but that was at over 5,000ft. in Nevada. You can get away with it because of less oxygen. Matter of fact 85 is the "regular" up there. Here in Az. (165 ft.) I'm back to 87 octane...

And in the Pathy. As you can see the punch-out is there, no sense in tooling & molding for essentially the same rig with slight differences. Of course you'd have to swap out the tube it runs in, and all the appropriate brackets & doohickeys, too... Hmmm, looks like it's time for some new pedal pads, too... :secret:

Here's a pic of the HB's handbrake:

Figured it was the same deal, but mine's an MT...

I think it delays the shift points on your auto tranny so you can pass easier, etc. I've got the same thing on my '91 Supra. Allows you to run higher revs between gears...

Did you notice that there's a little grease-gun logo at the joints? Evidently they're supposed to be lubed at some interval or another. Might prevent future failures... -thnkboutit- I'm sure they're a piece-of-cake to get to and stick lithium grease or something in, too. Dang ol' engineers ~ makes as much sense as the "yellow doohickey" holding our door handles together...

Good idea, mzxtreme! Kind of like the game "Mousetrap", right? I love Rube Goldberg-type fixes, truly man's greatest triumph is the satisfaction of jury-rigging some contraption that actually does what you intended it to do. Maybe not the right way, but it's my way, dammit! Now, where'd that cat go?

By all rights, you'd think you could bolt your existing power equipment in. I wouldn't think that they'd go to the added expense of different tooling, etc. for power versus manual. There might be differences in brackets spot welded in there for the motor, etc., I really don't know. The window tracks and regulators might be different as well. Do a side-by-side comparison & let us know what you find...

Sounds like an interesting concept. Some "Paint" quickies would give us a better idea as to what you've got going there. I can kind of see it in my head, but some sketches would be nice. No reason to me why it wouldn't work. But if it doesn't, it might head you in the right direction to something that does. remind me to call Patent Office... :secret:

In the interest of fairness I offer the following from a "Leading Consumer Testing Institution": Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra 1500 "Our tested Z71 Silverado had a stiff, choppy ride ~ other trimlines ride slightly better. Braking is adequate, and fit & finish is unimpressive. The powertrain isn't as smooth as competing models from Toyota or Nissan. The Silverado's significant assets are a selectable, full-time, four-wheel-drive system and a generous load capacity. The Quadrasteer four-wheel-steering system is a costly option that eases maneuverability in tight places." Dodge Ram 1500 "The overly hyped 5.7 liter Hemi V8 makes the Ram fairly quick but also very thirsty, averaging a paltry 11mpg. The 4.7 liter V8 and automatic transmission make a reasonably smooth combination. The pronounced exaust note sounds good to some. The Ram falls short of competing trucks, with a jittery ride, cumbersome handling, and a tight rear seat in the crew-cab. Braking performance was only adequate, with long stops. The view over the towering hood impeded visibility for short drivers. The cargo bed in the crew-cab version is longer than in competing models." Ford F-150 "The F-150 rides more comfortably, handles more nimbly, and has a quieter, better-trimmed interior than the previous version. New features include moveable overhead storage bins, a spring-assisted tailgate, and a power-opening rear-window center panel. The four-wheel-drive system is part-time only. The powertrain is not as smooth as that in the Toyota Tundra, but it delivered reasonable acceleration and fuel economy (14mpg). Braking performannce was just adequate, with long stops in our tests. First year reliability of the 4WD version is below average. The 2WD version is average." Honda Ridgeline "The Ridgeline, Honda's first pickup truck, is a crew-cab body-style based on the Honda Pilot. It's unibody contruction includes a five-foot-long cargo bed that's made from a composite material and has no wheel arch intrusion. The rear seats flip up to create storage space. Below the cargo bed is a trunk that is weather-tight and lockable. The tailgate can open two ways: down & sideways. Towing is rated at 5,000 lbs. The all-wheel-drive system is permanent and lacks a low range. Stability control is standard." Nissan Titan "The Titan is Nissan's first entry into the full-sized truck category and it more than holds it's own against the competition. It has an impressively large cabin, is reletively agile, and has a fairly comfortable ride and a very smooth transmission. Safety features include optional electronic stability control (ESC) and head-protection airbags. The crew-cab's cargo bed is fairly small compared to the competition, and payload is a meager 1,105 lbs. The Titan's muscular V8 provides strong acceleration, but the constant engine & exaust noise can become tiresome." Toyota Tundra "Currently our top-rated full-sized pickup, the Tundra's Lexus derived V8 is smooth and quiet. 2005 brings a larger and more powerful V8 and a new 4.0 liter V6. The ride is civilized, the cabin is quiet and roomy in the crew-cab, and fit & finish is top-notch. The power-retractable rear window is a nice touch. The crew-cab has one of the longer beds in it's class. Four-wheel-drive versions perform well off-road. The extended-cab model has a cramped rear seat. Good offset-crash results are a considerable plus. Electronic stability control is available." These are verbatim quotes, with no changes or personal views thrown in by me. In case you don't like 'em ~ too bad... :X

E98, that thing's way too clean! Hurtin' my eyes... 31's lookin' good, did you go with the BFG AT's then, or something else?