Oh for simpler days...


[Follow Ups] [Post Followup] [Dodge Power Wagon Forum]


Posted by Tim Holloway [69.54.28.229] on Wednesday, February 24, 2010 at 12:29:28 :

Well the frozen nortern wastelands have finally received some snow. Started up the Power Wagon this morning and proceeded to get plowed out. We have 8 or 10 inches of wet heavy snow, kind of like plowing cement. Got about 2/3 done and saw a stream of red ATF in the snow as I backed up. That is never a good thing. Crawled under the truck and the power steering box input seal was spewing oil. I hightailed it back to the shop, dropped the plow and pulled her inside.
Am I looking forward to this? Absolutely not. With the 318 in there pulling the steering box is a nightmare. I know as this is the 3rd steering box I have installed. The others failed for other reasons, but the replacement is the same. I am hoping that I might be able to replace the seal with the box in place, by removing the drivers floor pan. Keeping my fingers crossed. Dam, I hate hydraulic work.
So, looking back, I have replaced my rebuilt 230 with a 318 poly, added power steering, hydroboost brakes, front discs, front and rear lockers, onboard air, dual fuel tanks, converted the winch to hydraulic, Dennan overdrive, 11.00x16 XZLs and countless other small modifications.
So, what have I accomplished?
I have taken a fairly ponderous truck that was simple, yet slow, and am now able to get from point A to point B quicker. More reliably? Probably not, due to the complexity of it compared to before. Would I have driven it to Maine last summer in stock config? Probably not but maybe. I had driven it stock to several Rallys before the engine swap. Getting somewhere fast is not a big priority, but being able to safely stay with traffic and not to be an obstruction was important. What else have I gained? It steers easier when plowing. Nice, but I plowed with Armstrong steering for a lot of years before going power. Are all of the hydraulic issues and expenses worth the easier steering? I would have to look back and say no.
If I had a magic wand, and could turn my truck back to the stock setup it had hen I started "improving" it I would do it in an instant.
In all of the work I have done on the truck, I have always done it with an eye towards the possibility of putting it back to original. I just never thought it would be me doing it. My M37 will be bone stock, maybe I should sell my Power Wagon and put an electric plow on the M37 or one of the mobile junker trucks.
I guess to sum it up, I am glad I have done all of this work, as I have seen what a highly modified Power Wagon will do, but is it worth the loss of simplicity? I am not too sure.
Oh for simpler days!
Tim



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