Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
I don't drive my Dodge much during the winter. When I need to do some work on it it is either done outside at my place, if is is something simple and the weather permits, or I drive to my buddies acreage and use his shop. So I finally added the 6. 7 damper and pulley and was ready to drive it back home when I discovered the tail lights on my truck camper were not working, not a good thing since it was dark already. Since it was late I borrowed his Ramcharger and went home. The next night I went back and fixed the lights. When I fired it up this there was a squealing noise that wasn't there the night before. I drove it home any way and as I was down shifting I noticed the noise changed. With a little investigating I came to the conclusion that it was my release bearing. These bearing turn all the time on the G56, not something I am a fan of. This time I installed a genuine Dodge one.
I know what all is involved in changing one and I also know I can't afford to take it to a shop and pay for it. Since I am going to be driving all the way to Columbus with it I knew I was not going to be able to live with the noise. My buddy has all the tools I needed, including a transmission jack so I went back out there on the weekend to do it. Unfortunately his Dad passed away which meant he had to fly back to Ontario and that meant I would have to do it all by myself. It's a big job and I admit I felt a bit intimidated but I didn't see any choice. He had just done a clutch job on a KW and I know he had pulled the trans out in less than 3 hours ( he has done it many times ). My truck is a 4X4 and I am not a mechanic so I knew it would take a bit longer. I had it out in a day and a half.
Everything seemed to take longer than normal. Good thing I not leaving til June.
I knew I had an oil leak back there some where so I puled the clutch and changed the rear seal and also took off the bell housing ( trans adapter ) and changed the oring on the back of the block that seals the camshaft. The HPCR engines don't have a plug like the earlier engines do. I used 2 long 12mm bolts with the heads cut off as an alignment tool to hang the 70 # flywheel on and also some smaller bolts to support the clutch as well. I'm not strong enough to hold up the flywheel with one hand, even tho it is semi supported on the crank, and do up the bolts with the other hand. After my buddy came back home I did get him to give me a hand stuffing the transmission back in as it is a lot easier with 2 people.
So tomorrow I go back out there ( it's my day off ) and finnish up things. I took my buddy and his wife to the airport last night for a long awaited holiday to the Caribbean. I do enjoy working on my truck but it is more fun with a friend, especially when he is a HD mechanic with nearly 40 years of experience. I still have to change my turbo and of course I am not going to just leave the stock exhaust manifold on when I am there already. :-laf I have been waiting for a new one but it won't be ready in time so I will end up using a different one. I doubt if I will have time to mount the new driving lights, oh well. My stock turbo is starting to pump oil so I will have to pull the charge air cooler and have it cleaned also. I will install the other 2 CAC boots ( BD heavy duty blue ones ) that I didn't do last summer.
Three weeks to go - I hope nothing else goes wrong. I am looking forward to the drive, even tho it is a long one, about 30 hours just to get to Columbus. All part of the adventure I guess. Shad
I know what all is involved in changing one and I also know I can't afford to take it to a shop and pay for it. Since I am going to be driving all the way to Columbus with it I knew I was not going to be able to live with the noise. My buddy has all the tools I needed, including a transmission jack so I went back out there on the weekend to do it. Unfortunately his Dad passed away which meant he had to fly back to Ontario and that meant I would have to do it all by myself. It's a big job and I admit I felt a bit intimidated but I didn't see any choice. He had just done a clutch job on a KW and I know he had pulled the trans out in less than 3 hours ( he has done it many times ). My truck is a 4X4 and I am not a mechanic so I knew it would take a bit longer. I had it out in a day and a half.
Everything seemed to take longer than normal. Good thing I not leaving til June. I knew I had an oil leak back there some where so I puled the clutch and changed the rear seal and also took off the bell housing ( trans adapter ) and changed the oring on the back of the block that seals the camshaft. The HPCR engines don't have a plug like the earlier engines do. I used 2 long 12mm bolts with the heads cut off as an alignment tool to hang the 70 # flywheel on and also some smaller bolts to support the clutch as well. I'm not strong enough to hold up the flywheel with one hand, even tho it is semi supported on the crank, and do up the bolts with the other hand. After my buddy came back home I did get him to give me a hand stuffing the transmission back in as it is a lot easier with 2 people.
So tomorrow I go back out there ( it's my day off ) and finnish up things. I took my buddy and his wife to the airport last night for a long awaited holiday to the Caribbean. I do enjoy working on my truck but it is more fun with a friend, especially when he is a HD mechanic with nearly 40 years of experience. I still have to change my turbo and of course I am not going to just leave the stock exhaust manifold on when I am there already. :-laf I have been waiting for a new one but it won't be ready in time so I will end up using a different one. I doubt if I will have time to mount the new driving lights, oh well. My stock turbo is starting to pump oil so I will have to pull the charge air cooler and have it cleaned also. I will install the other 2 CAC boots ( BD heavy duty blue ones ) that I didn't do last summer.
Three weeks to go - I hope nothing else goes wrong. I am looking forward to the drive, even tho it is a long one, about 30 hours just to get to Columbus. All part of the adventure I guess. Shad
