Caravan Overhaul

Rob Keeble

Member
Messages
12,633
Location
GTA Ontario Canada
Well I mentioned before that I have taken to fixing my own vehicles but this time I think I took it too far...:rofl:

I am done now but its been quite a dragged out ride doing bits and pieces along the way when work, time and weather has permitted.

Here is the list of items I completed as part of the 178 000 KM overhaul for Linda's Dodge Caravan. Thanks You Tube for helping hand here and there and my buddy Dave the car guy.

Completed the following........
new water pump
remanufactured power steering pump,
new idler pulley,
new torsion pulley,
new metal pipe on cooling system,
new thermostat,
new coolant,
new power steering reservoir ,
new power steering fluid,
engine oil flush, pan drop and sludge clean,
new pan gasket
new oil and filter,
new transmission filter,
transmission fluid flush not just pan drop,
remanufactured front driver disc brake caliper,
new brake fluid,
new rotors, (raybestos Advanced technology type)
new pads, (ditto to match)
new brake caliper hoses both sides,
new bulb in stoplight mounted on rear lifting door,
new door opening solenoid for one sliding door,
new air filter

now I am DONE. :doh:
You would not believe how nice and quiet it sounds and smooth it runs. Like a new vehicle. Thanks Larry for being the part courier :) used them all up and thanks Rock Auto for making it cheaper to do all this than a single visit to the dealer for one of these items. I know they all done properly. Some took me quiet a bit of time to fiddle and change, but I got er done before snow fly's in the north.

BTW what brought this on was our tranny. I never realized it but in 11 years of having this vehicle we had never had the transmission fluid changed. OH boy I think we caught it just in time. Time will tell but you should have seen what came out of that tranny in the pan and the color of the fluid.

A word of warning to folks that take their vehicle to the dealer to get these things done. Be very clear and specific on what they going to do when you get a transmission oil change done. Most will drop the pan simply because there is no drain plug and then load up with new fluid. However more than half the fluid is in the tranny and needs to be flushed out to do the job properly. The issue here is what creates the problem is price perception. If one has a tranny like mine you looking at 9 quarts of fluid total. If you drop the pan, only around 4 quarts. Fluid like ATF+4 costs $35 per 4 liters here. So its way cheaper to just drop pan fill up but that's not doing the job properly. All you doing is blending old sludge and new oil so go figure.

What I did was to drop the pan, clean pan up and magnet in the pan, then replace the filter (there is a kit incl. filter & gasket) then take off the return hose from the tranny pump and let it run into a pan while you have the engine running. This way new fluid is pumped through tranny and old is pumped out into the pan. You have to be nimble doing it because you have to add fluid as you loose fluid and keep the balance going. But hey its worth it at least I think so. I now know this tranny has had a fluid change especially if you consider how long its been without one. :D

Now I can get back to WOODWORKING ...
but know that when we need it "Betsy" our van will be there to haul whatever.

 
Dang, I got tired just reading the list Rob. :) I traded in a vehicle once just because it needed an oil change. :D
 
Now thatbis a hit list. Throw away those clothes if you got any tranny fluild on them. The stench never comes out. ;)

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Darren Lol the only part of all this work that i did and ended up clean was the tranny change. Linda is mad with me over how many clothes went under the hammer on this job..;) my way to get new ones ;) lol.

This is this car last turn. Next major job means .......scrap yard and then I will get to have my truck and Linda can drive Jeep. :) She only drives 1.5km to work. lol.

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