Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) kdp and timing

[ksoren24]

I need to tab my pin, and set my timing. Is there any labor repeated if I do these one at a time or should I do them together?

 

[J.BURCHFIELD]

Ksoren24; I just had my kdp tabbed and have read a bit on timing in various TDR Magazines. Unless you work on these trucks everyday it is advisable to have the timing done by a Shop that knows what they are doing. The front cover over the gears has to come off for both jobs so best to have both done at the same time. It takes a special tool to loosen the big 2&1/8 inch nut if memory serves. The tool can be rented. It is a left hand thread. My pin was caught in time. It had moved forward a bit. An old 12v with 130,000 on the clock. I was under the impression that mine was a year I did not have to worry about but then I was reading an old issue of TDR and somebody found his kdp half way out on a 2002. I did not want pieces of my engine landing in the next county so I had it done ASAP. REGARDS Jim

 

[MLee]

In the FAQ there is the dial gage way of doing it. Or go Fritz's Dodge Ram Tech and search there,you just use the oil fill tube, removed, to remove the gear and the #1 injector tower with the gage to set the timing. But for me I let the guy that knows what his doing do it. On here there is other ways it has been done. just search.

 

[J.BURCHFIELD]

MLee; I agree with letting the guy who knows what he is doing do it. I could learn it but I would need someone who knows how right there showing me how. I have done a lot of jobs on various vehicles I have owned down through the years from 2 wheelers to 18 wheelers and I know you can occasionally bite off more than you can chew. I think trying to set the timing would be one of those times for me. You learn something on every job. Shop manuals are a great help. I bought one every time I could find the right one. When you know an honest shop, that is the easy way. They can finish the job long before I could and I would have my truck operational in a day or 2 instead of maybe a week if I did it. I have enough years behind me that with my arthritis it is a real chore to get out from under my truck. No complaints, all I have to do is look around me to see people in worse shape. REGARDS Jim

 

[hsmith]

I remember an old thread that $200 is a common shop charge for the timing alone. That was not removing the front cover, but working through the oil fill hole.

 

[MLee]

I remember an old thread that $200 is a common shop charge for the timing alone. That was not removing the front cover, but working through the oil fill hole.

Mine cost $50. 00 and a short trip north, done in one of the cleanest shops that I have ever seen. You could eat off the floor. So it is out there, inexpensive. Here on the forums there is probable 1/2 dozen ways members have come up with to set there timing, just seemed a little confusing to me the way they figured how to do it there way. The tools were available from Snap On and Mac, for about $200. 00 as I recall.

 

[ewcmr2]

Back to the original question. Yes, it will be much easier to do the timing while the front cover is off. Much more room to clean the pump shaft and timing gear. No worries of dropping parts down inside the timing case.

 

[ksoren24]

Thanks for all of your input, now I have to figure out where I want my timing. My transmission has an aftermarket converter in it and my gearing is kinda strange so I have to figure out what I'm going to do with that before I get the timing done. I bought the truck with a freshly rebuilt transmission in it and have had nothing but troubles with it. The gearing is off and it doesn't like to downshift when you stop, it gets hot, etc, what a POS!