AGR and Dodge quality leaves me stranded

[Briar Hopper]

I had to leave my truck at my shop tonight, after removing the power steering pump, I opened the box from AGR containing the new one. Surprise... it didn't have a "dog" on the shaft (the shaft coupler for connecting to rear of vacuum pump & engine power).

Nothing in the big orange service manual mentions this.

Strike one, Dodge!

Used a 50 ton hydraulic press to remove the dog from the shaft of the old pump. Surprise. It's not designed to be removed. Evident only after removing it, and rendering it useless. Nothing about it mentioned in the service manual.

Strike two, Dodge !

Nothing on the books at any parts place shows anything for a 2001. I ordered one for a '99, and am praying it will fit. It won't arrive until Tuesday. (anybody know if it WILL fit? )

Strike three, Dodge, making a truck that won't last long enough until aftermarket parts are available. What a clever little system the manufacturers have, it puts all the $$$ in the dealer's pocket. Sort of reminds me of traffic tickets and points on your license, and how it jacks up your insurance rates, and how much money politicians receive from insurance companies or individuals working for insurance companies... .

I have to assume I may be the first customer that AGR has had that owns a 2001, so, that may mean that the "dog" was removeable on previous year trucks and AGR didn't know it was changed at some point. Is this true? Any of y'all know? I haven't been impressed with their service, and am even less impressed now. At least the AGR steering gear box has held up for 2000 miles now. Wow.

It makes sense that DC would change the shaft, making sure you'd have to buy a new pump from them. Clever, clever.

The track bar and ball joints are still waiting on me to find time to do them.

I had a friend in high school that put a Corvette engine into a Pinto, just to win big $$$ at the street races. It offended many, many purists, even the Ford guys could not believe the sacrilege against such a fine motor.

A Cummins engine in this truck sort of reminds me of that.

Just venting, guys, I'll feel better tomorrow, and be back to tolerating my Cummins "wrapper".

By the way, a very special "thank you" to "ALE81", a fellow TDR member in Kentucky, who has been a big help to me lately with this and other truck matters.

 

[Tardog]

I know what you mean by parts not being parts? Not quite to your extent but lately I was doing some reaching in under the hood on the drivers side when I snagged the terminal that is attached to the break equalizer block just below the master cylinder. Well you guessed it snapped it right off just a small aluminum pim sticking out of a plastic switch that is threaded into this block. Went to the dealer, pulled up the diagram, Part (switch) not available, customer must purchase complete unit. It's threaded in for S**ts sake and it's plastic. $260 bucks, ya right as if. Went to the local wrecker and got one for $50. Are they really mechanics or "part changers" ?



dealer prices cdn$

Stock fog light installation kit (switch, relay, and some wire) $130

Switch only $69

Fog lights $140

New dash bezel $70

??????????????????????? I don't under stand:--)

 

[Sled Puller]

Briar,

Stick AGR, get ahold of Doug, there is agood rebuild shop in Columbus, mine is working great.



Gene

 

[Briar Hopper]

Thanks, Gene, I'll call him on Monday. I still wish I knew if a '99 and 2001 were interchangeable as far as steering parts are concerned. I bet nobody knows, and everyone else is just waiting for me to tell them what I find out...

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

The power steering pump is Saginaw (General Motors) and comes on the engine from Cummins. So, these are two more sources to check for parts fit. Give Cummins your engine serial number so they can check out the parts under "vacuum pump". I checked on my 97's serial number and got a list of parts including 3914707 hub, jaw coupling. Unfortunately, my catalog had no "image" (picture) to help me. A newer catalog at Cummins should have the image and parts list for your truck.

 

[Briar Hopper]

Thanks, Joe, I already knew it was Saginaw, same as the steering gear. Great, huh?

I'll call Cummins and see how far I get. The general problem is most places are not likely to stock these items, so having to order/buy from three or four different places at the same time, and wait for them to arrive, is gonna be a pain. But I'll have to do it that way to ensure at least one of them is correct, in order to get my truck running again as soon as possible. I don't want to miss the Big Rig Nationals in Maryland over something like this.

Update on edit:

Just called Cummins in Louisville. It's not a part stocked by Cummins, they say.

 

[mopars1]

Tom, I checked and the pump from DC is the same from 1997 through 2002 as far as the parts book goes. So I hope the pump you were getting today is the correct one. Hope you have some luck left. Let me know how it goes. And by the way, we have one in stock just in case you are of need.



David

 

[Briar Hopper]

Thanks a big bunch, David ! Enterprise Engine in Thornville, Ohio www.enterpriseengine.com located one for me at a very reasonable cost, and I'll be getting that one.

The one I ordered from AutoZone should be here tomorrow, I'll see then if it has a "dog" (the term used in the service manual, the Dodge parts guy called it a "cup" :-laf ) on the shaft... .

Interestingly, my local Dodge dealer says their computer shows it to be a separate part from the pump, and has to be ordered accordingly.

 

[mopars1]

Hey Tom, glad to here you are going to get a pump soon. As far as the dog that is shown seperately in the parts catalog I believe that part stays in the vacuum pump and it drives the steering pump. Anyway, I don't think you will have any more problems or at least I hope you don't. See you in Muncie.



David

 

[10-G]

AGR?



I called them a couple of times and finally got past the press # FOR BLAH BLAH and the young dont know nothing receptionist. I finally got somebody knowledgeable on the line who was very impatient and short when answering my questions.



90 day warranty on the power steering pumps? No Thanks.

 

[GKR]

I've been going around with the AGR pump myself. Pulled the stock one off and went to install the new AGR and low and behold, no "drive dog" (?). It was a challenge to get the dog off the old pump but used a bearing splitter to grab it and a puller to convince it to come off. Resorted to a preheated dog which slipped onto the new AGR shaft. After install, the AGR pump worked fine but was very noisey. I then ordered a new one from DC, very pricey but it came with the dog already on it. Tossed that one in and waited for AGR to send me another one..... and that took awhile! I've picked up the new AGR but have yet to get motivated enough to swap it in yet..... Probably do it soon as I did like the feel of the AGR, just not the noise.

 

[Briar Hopper]

I won't be fooling with AGR anymore than I have to, GKR. But many thanks for sharing your experiences with the TDR.