The title says it all; how was your day, Dads?
I got to spend Saturday changing a radiator on Mrs StangDreamin's Ram Quad-Cab in 108*+ temps (cracked a plastic tank Friday evening). The swap in and of itself was actually a piece of cake; just the 17,298 parts runs drove me Nuckin' Futz!
All the parts houses swore up-and-down that they had the correct radiator; they all had database errors! Kept trying to sell me the radiator for a 2001 1500 (and 2002 2500-3500); waaaaayyyy too wide for the layout of the 2002 1500 (and 2003-up bigger Rams). I was pretty doggone tired from the work-week and didn't look at the first one (wrong one) I picked up Friday night - sucker was almost as wide (31-5/8") as the rad in my '02 F-150 (31-7/8"). After that, I started checking around.... everybody could get me the correct radiator in 4-6 working days; but I needed to get Rocky back on the road before today. Finally found one at the Dodge dealer; and -get this- it was less expensive than any of the parts houses!!!
But, Dodge didn't have any hoses???? NAPA had an upper hose, but nobody had a lower hose!
It's summertime in the middle of the Sonora Desert; how can nobody stock a radiator hose for what was the single most popular-selling pickup in this area in 2002-2003?????
I ended up just re-installing the two-year-old hoses instead of "While I'm At It" putting new hoses on the new radiator. Oh, well.
Sunday we had breakfast cooked by Jessie and Matt (Mrs StDr was a little late 'cause she got called in to Recover a patient); and generally lazed around the house watching movies. Today I got to do the same, as I had the day off "as a corporate money-saving matter" because I'm working this-coming Saturday.
All-in-all, it wasn't that bad. And doing the actual work on the truck was kinda fun!
I got to spend Saturday changing a radiator on Mrs StangDreamin's Ram Quad-Cab in 108*+ temps (cracked a plastic tank Friday evening). The swap in and of itself was actually a piece of cake; just the 17,298 parts runs drove me Nuckin' Futz!
All the parts houses swore up-and-down that they had the correct radiator; they all had database errors! Kept trying to sell me the radiator for a 2001 1500 (and 2002 2500-3500); waaaaayyyy too wide for the layout of the 2002 1500 (and 2003-up bigger Rams). I was pretty doggone tired from the work-week and didn't look at the first one (wrong one) I picked up Friday night - sucker was almost as wide (31-5/8") as the rad in my '02 F-150 (31-7/8"). After that, I started checking around.... everybody could get me the correct radiator in 4-6 working days; but I needed to get Rocky back on the road before today. Finally found one at the Dodge dealer; and -get this- it was less expensive than any of the parts houses!!!
But, Dodge didn't have any hoses???? NAPA had an upper hose, but nobody had a lower hose!
It's summertime in the middle of the Sonora Desert; how can nobody stock a radiator hose for what was the single most popular-selling pickup in this area in 2002-2003?????
I ended up just re-installing the two-year-old hoses instead of "While I'm At It" putting new hoses on the new radiator. Oh, well.
Sunday we had breakfast cooked by Jessie and Matt (Mrs StDr was a little late 'cause she got called in to Recover a patient); and generally lazed around the house watching movies. Today I got to do the same, as I had the day off "as a corporate money-saving matter" because I'm working this-coming Saturday.
All-in-all, it wasn't that bad. And doing the actual work on the truck was kinda fun!
just to get Trish's goat. Maybe one of each...... 
