So two new issues with 'da Jimmer:

The first is that when coming out of 4hi into 2hi, a huge clunk noise is heard a little while after the button is pushed and it feels like I just hit a small animal. Any idea what that's about?

The second is that I'm losing coolant, but the engine is not overheating and the heat is not working. The blower blows cold air. If I fill the radiator up, the heat will work for a time, before beginning to blow cold air again. I checked the hoses and the water pump for any obvious signs of leaks, but couldn't notice anything. I was thinking maybe there's a leak in an upper hose, leaving enough coolant to keep the engine at N.O.M. but not enough to allow the heater core to function. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't tell me that it's the heater core, because i will cry.

I finally ordered a Sony actioncam so as soon as I get a headband for it, I'm going to start recording POV repair videos

 

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I think I have been looking at the wrong hole to inspect the water pump. I thought the weep hole was the hole visible from the top, but after doing some online research, apparently that is incorrect. Can someone attach a picture or some direction as to where I should be looking?
Also after doing some research, I'm thinking about going to electric fans if I have to pull the stock fan/fan clutch to do the water pump. What do you think? I could easily get the electric fans from a concorde or something. The only part I'm worried about is the wiring of a relay or switch. I have no experience wiring relays.

 

Go rent/borrow a coolant pressure tester. Hook it up to the radiator and put a little pressure in there, then go look and listen for leaks. Don't discount the overflow tank being cracked on the bottom, seen that. As far as electric fans? I'd use electric fans while rockcrawling, but don't see a need otherwise. Suggest flexfan, easy to install and will keep your engine cooler. Flex fan keeps my 327 cool while rockcrawling.

 

Thanks for the advise. I don't know why I didn't think to do that. I rented a kit from Advanced Auto Parts, but the kit did not have a coupler that would fit my radiator. However, they did have one that fit my cap, so I tested the cap. The cap failed. I replaced it for $4.80, and the heat came back

The two problems that I want to fix next are the 4x4 and the airbag. Like I say, there's a loud clunk sound out of 4x4 into 2hi, and when in 4hi, it seems like something is hindering me from high speeds.

As far as the airbag light goes, sometimes when I turn the car on, the airbag light is on, and sometimes it isn't. From the research I've done, when that light is on, that means that your airbag will not deploy. I've also heard that common causes on these cars are from some harness under the driver seat or from a metal ground contact point on the frame.

 

I guess I spoke too soon, because the car overheated today. I had to pull off of the freeway at I-75 and 7-mile (Detroit) to fill it up with water because the temp got to the "check gauges" point. It seemed like steam was coming out near the upper shroud. I talked to my uncle about it and told him the history. I told him that I have a gatorback serpentine belt which never squeaks, but as of today I have heard a chirping consistent with the RPMs of the belt. That made him think (as it did with me) that it was the water pump. Then I told him about the steam, which really made him think it was actually a cracked radiator. Hopefully I can get my hands on a different radiator pressure tester tomorrow.