i need some input here please

[fulanito562]

let me start by saying this is a great forum i never post before but i do log in very often and read a lot .. thanks for all the info

so to the point.
i have a 1988 ram50 2.6 5 spd the other day i was driving and overheated a little bit
let it cool down, drove home checked and had no thermostat so went bought it and did a coolant flush, (i need a new rad).
to my surprise it overheated again, so my question.
is the water pump gone bad how can i tell?
if it is which WP do you guys recommend something good but not to expensive was thinking on buying the Duralast from
Autozone, don't have a lot of money right now
i plan to do the work my self so besides timing chain what else should i do once am on it
any tricks or tips are very appreciated truck has power Steering, A/C extended cab

thanks a lot and sorry for my English
como dice CELIA Cruz my English is not very good looking

[LSR Mike]

grab the Haynes manual out of here http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin/showthread.php/811-Over-216-Manuals

read up, water pumps are water pumps get what you can afford. usually the bearing on the shaft is what lets go, any water leaking out the front?

[camoit]

Rockauto.com has a good price on the parts you are looking for. The water pump impellers get worn and can become loose. There pretty cheep, same with the radiator. They have aluminum ones you can put in there. Also the fan clutch can go bad and just free spin. They will have some drag when turning them.

[fulanito562]

thanks
LSR mike, camoit.
♦there is no water leaking from the water pump ( can still be faulty ?)
♦there is no water on the oil neither.
♦when i turn the fan with the engine cold i feel a little drag but the haynes manual says it should turn freely when cold
and some drag when hot.
what should i do first ??

[camoit]

Well you said you need a new radiator. So that and the pump will fix all problems. I would put in the radiator first as it can be the main cause of overheating. If it can't get rid of the heat fast enough then there is a problem. Also if the pump can't pump the water through the system fast enough then that is a problem. So it's up to you and the money you have. I would do the two of them together and it will fix the hole problem.

[BradMph]

These trucks over heat and crack heads and blow head gaskets very easy. Replaced my head 3 times for simple over heating. Wasn't servere either, just a typical, "oh it's getting hot", pulled over to cool, got it home and it was done. water in oil, oil in water surely are obvious messes and no fun to clean up, but sometimes the fluid leaks into the combustion chamber and you won't notice for a while.
If your checking overheating items, don't forget the clutch fan if you have one. There is a fluid inside the clutches that is a silcon substance that creates a friction to spin the fan. This fluid can leak out sometimes, but it also can be replaced if there is a bolt fill hole. My toyota fan clutch had a refill hole, but not sure if our trucks do. I run an electric oversized fan and a thin oversized chevy radiator now. Haven't had a problem for years now. I also like a 180 degree thermostat instead of a 190 degree. Runs a bit cooler and gives you a little more time if it starts to climb up in temps.

I got fan and radiator at wrecking yard for almost nothing. Bought a fan temp relay that has a temp sensor that installs in radiator fins or inside radiator. It also has a dial on it to adjust when the fan kicks on and off. Great on hot days, I set it to run after shutting off truck for a few minutes to cool it down since restarts usually spike up high temps for a bit until thermostat can decide to open again.

[fulanito562]

thats what im going to do rad and water pump from rockauto today
♦ bradMPH
i dont see no crack on the head but tomorrow im going to clean it well and do some dismantling to check on the back of the engine by the firewall because i cant see nothing in that area.
hopefully there's no head damage

[originalowner]

My 2.5 cents...

I also suspect you have a bad radiator. I have been through a few myself. The first episode it was re-cored by a radiator shop years ago. The second time I replaced with factory because I could take advantage of an employee discount at the time (I worked at a medium sized dealer group.). The third time I replaced it with an aftermarket Modine. It runs a tad warmer with the Modine, the aftermarket one has proven to be not as efficient as the factory radiator. I'm not a big fan of aftermarket parts in general for various reasons, mainly for durability...I feel "you get what you pay for". That said, you can save a few bucks here and there, but in my view factory parts are generally superior, but you pays your money and you takes your choice.

The water pumps...if they are not leaking, don't worry about them. I had to replace the original at 70K and the second one is still on the truck.

The fan clutches do wear out over time. If it is doing an excessive amount of free wheeling after you spin the fan (with the motor shut off of course LOL)...replace it. They are not expensive.

I have the same truck, just a Mitsu MM 88 2.6 5 spd.

[camoit]

OH and a fan shroud is necessary if the fan is more then 1.5 inches away from the radiator.

[robertson5347]

Check to see if water is circulating by looking into the radiator. If it is, it's probably not the water pump. Overheating was an issue when I bought my truck. No one could figure out why. I discovered it wasn't circulating. Pulled off the water pump and found there were no impellers, they had rusted off. Replaced with an Advance or Autozone with lifetime warranty. No problems since (10 yrs. ago)

[fulanito562]

thanks everybody for the answers
it was actually a clogged radiator took it to a radiator shop and fix it. the guy said that was working at less then 20 percent.
so far so good but i have not drive for more than 20 minutes yet
we will see

[recian]

I'm with brad. I've seen alot of 2.6's overheat from cracked heads. It was a common problem in them in the caravan's and trucks. My dad put 3 engines in the old van we had when i was younger that was a 2.6L. 2 from cracked heads and another threw a rod. Hopefully the radiator takes care of you. My 94 had a radiator from something. Idk what engine it was from. It didn't bolt in right and the hoses were on the wrong sides, it sat in crooked.. it was a mess. The s**ty part is a first gen radiator is smaller UNLESS you get a diesel radiator. It's the same size as the 2nd gen. They cut the supports out larger and put a beefy radiator in these trucks which was adapted for all the 2nd gens. I have 2 first gens, one with a 2.6 5 speed 2wd and other with a 2.3 5 speed 4x4 then my 94 2.4 auto 2wd So I've done alot of research on comparing diesel to gas to 1st vs 2nd gen.