The overland beater: Dodge 1500
- Thread starter kraven
- Start date
kraven
Hegelian Scum
Thanks, man. My general philosophy is you can either have things or do things. Every penny I don't spend on a new rig is more money I can put in the experience bank, or the retirement fund. And I'm famously hard on paint and body panels when it comes to offroad stuff. So, there's no point in something nice and new.
I got the intake off, after a broken bolt and a bunch of goo had it pinned into the head. You can see from the areas around the injectors that the seals were leaking big time, flooding raw fuel onto the intake and valve covers for goodness knows how long. It takes like 30 minutes, 10 bucks worth of seals, and a 3 dollar tool for the injection coupling to fix these. People never do. Lots of vehicles burn from this.
Anyway, the plenum bottom is steel and leaky, so I have to fix that since it hasn't been fixed and I'm not able to find a Mopar or other intake to use for the FI system. Not dropping money on hot rod parts. But this intake is a notoriously bad design that sucks oil from the crankcase into the intake. The excuse is that the intake is alu and the bottom plate is steel, and dissimilar metals expand/contract at differing rates. Solid science, but further investigation shows that the bolts are too long to be torqued properly and simply using shorter bolts saves the 150 dollar "fixit" aluminum plate kit available aftermarket.
Every model of vehicle has its own little idiosyncrasies. You gotta know what you're getting into before you buy something.
If I had more time, I'd slap a carb on this thing and toss the injection intake. But I dont know how the trans, abs, and airbags would work with taking the EFI system out of the loop. And I have enough time in surfing the web reading threads about sb mopar stuff already.
I got the intake off, after a broken bolt and a bunch of goo had it pinned into the head. You can see from the areas around the injectors that the seals were leaking big time, flooding raw fuel onto the intake and valve covers for goodness knows how long. It takes like 30 minutes, 10 bucks worth of seals, and a 3 dollar tool for the injection coupling to fix these. People never do. Lots of vehicles burn from this.
Anyway, the plenum bottom is steel and leaky, so I have to fix that since it hasn't been fixed and I'm not able to find a Mopar or other intake to use for the FI system. Not dropping money on hot rod parts. But this intake is a notoriously bad design that sucks oil from the crankcase into the intake. The excuse is that the intake is alu and the bottom plate is steel, and dissimilar metals expand/contract at differing rates. Solid science, but further investigation shows that the bolts are too long to be torqued properly and simply using shorter bolts saves the 150 dollar "fixit" aluminum plate kit available aftermarket.
Every model of vehicle has its own little idiosyncrasies. You gotta know what you're getting into before you buy something.
If I had more time, I'd slap a carb on this thing and toss the injection intake. But I dont know how the trans, abs, and airbags would work with taking the EFI system out of the loop. And I have enough time in surfing the web reading threads about sb mopar stuff already.
kraven
Hegelian Scum
I had a sneaky suspicion about the passenger side head, since I did a compression test and got 120, 95, 95, 95 cold and dry.
It's very odd for three cylinders to be that low and that close in psi while one is not.
Since I knew it had been overheated, I figured there was some funny business.
All three cylinders that read 95 were warped and blown in the middle of the head between each other, #5 and #6 seem to have been blown for some time. Either a crack or an overheat, or both, pushed it over the edge.
Heads go on next weekend and we crank her back up, if all goes smoothly.
Bits and pieces needed now like exhaust manifold bolts, y pipe bolts, a fan shroud isolator, and I pulled the water pump because I saw where it was weeping from a seam. Probably get a new once since it's questionable in its origin and quality.
It's very odd for three cylinders to be that low and that close in psi while one is not.
Since I knew it had been overheated, I figured there was some funny business.
All three cylinders that read 95 were warped and blown in the middle of the head between each other, #5 and #6 seem to have been blown for some time. Either a crack or an overheat, or both, pushed it over the edge.
Heads go on next weekend and we crank her back up, if all goes smoothly.
Bits and pieces needed now like exhaust manifold bolts, y pipe bolts, a fan shroud isolator, and I pulled the water pump because I saw where it was weeping from a seam. Probably get a new once since it's questionable in its origin and quality.
WILLD420
Observer
While you are in there, measure the deck clearance on both banks of the short block. Mine was .050 higher on one side than the other. If I remember, thats about a point higher compression on one side than the other.'
Don't forget the freeze plugs, neglect that bad can't have been good for the oem ones that are pretty thin anyway. If you can find a set of 92-93 Exhaust manifolds they have 2.25 outlets, instead of 2.00. Also, the cam on these motors tends to go bad, even though they are rollers, Ma Dodge must have gone cheap on the heat treat since they pit and flake off the nose pretty often. The 92-93 318 cam is bigger than all the others. That's worth about 10hp more than the new style and they are the same price.
A little work on the "Keg" manifold runners will pick up quite a bit of power above 3500 rpm. Doesn't take long if you've got an aluminum bit for a die grinder. The later 4 hole injectors seem to help a little if yours are shot.
If you choose to buy a locker for that 9.25 axle, don't get the luchbox drop in, if you had the factory Dana Trac-Lok; you'll know. One style has the Auburn style cones, the other looks like an old school Dana Trac-Loc. The one I bought grenaded after 200 miles of street driving and one mild off road jaunt. Just step up and do the Detroit.
The thing that dies in the transmissions is the governor pressure solenoid and the overdrive lockup/shift solenoids. They have some new updated ones that are better. You can clean the old ones but mileage may vary. If there are no snap rings or huge piles of clutch in the pan, it will last a long time if you put a shift kit in it and treat it right. Just don't drill out the holes for the "Race" version. The springs in the main clutch aren't strong enough and you will get a nasty hang from 2nd to 3rd.
You can use Dexron II if you buy a bottle of the red/black fluid modifier at O'reilley's. Dexron is thicker and helps keep the pressure up when the clearances get bigger.
Do the fuel pump. It's cheap insurance. The blend door post will probably be broken. It's a common thing, some guy on Ebay makes a steel version that is bulletproof compared to the stock Dodge blend door motor that dies every few years when it shears the crappy plastic shaft.
The CV joint in the front driveshaft doesn't have a grease zerk. The ball wears out and you will get a vibration in 4wd at speed. Costs about $120 where I'm at to get a new one.
The rear wheel cylinders can be upgraded to give you some pretty good brakes. The stockers are too small for what you are wanting to do. I used the giant Chevy 1-3/16 ones but it was a PITA and I had to butcher the backing plates to get them in my 1st gen. If you can find some 1" ones that would probably be good, since the oem ones were 7/8" ish.
IF you have abs holes in the front unit bearings, you can shoot a bunch of grease down the hole and get more life out of them. Only buy the Timken ones from Rockauto or somewhere else that is cheap. The O'reilley's ones are crap and won't last a full oil change without getting slop in them.
If you don't like the dimmer switch getting hot and stinking, drill a hole in the air vent to direct some air onto it from the outermost vent. It helps a little.
Don't forget the freeze plugs, neglect that bad can't have been good for the oem ones that are pretty thin anyway. If you can find a set of 92-93 Exhaust manifolds they have 2.25 outlets, instead of 2.00. Also, the cam on these motors tends to go bad, even though they are rollers, Ma Dodge must have gone cheap on the heat treat since they pit and flake off the nose pretty often. The 92-93 318 cam is bigger than all the others. That's worth about 10hp more than the new style and they are the same price.
A little work on the "Keg" manifold runners will pick up quite a bit of power above 3500 rpm. Doesn't take long if you've got an aluminum bit for a die grinder. The later 4 hole injectors seem to help a little if yours are shot.
If you choose to buy a locker for that 9.25 axle, don't get the luchbox drop in, if you had the factory Dana Trac-Lok; you'll know. One style has the Auburn style cones, the other looks like an old school Dana Trac-Loc. The one I bought grenaded after 200 miles of street driving and one mild off road jaunt. Just step up and do the Detroit.
The thing that dies in the transmissions is the governor pressure solenoid and the overdrive lockup/shift solenoids. They have some new updated ones that are better. You can clean the old ones but mileage may vary. If there are no snap rings or huge piles of clutch in the pan, it will last a long time if you put a shift kit in it and treat it right. Just don't drill out the holes for the "Race" version. The springs in the main clutch aren't strong enough and you will get a nasty hang from 2nd to 3rd.
You can use Dexron II if you buy a bottle of the red/black fluid modifier at O'reilley's. Dexron is thicker and helps keep the pressure up when the clearances get bigger.
Do the fuel pump. It's cheap insurance. The blend door post will probably be broken. It's a common thing, some guy on Ebay makes a steel version that is bulletproof compared to the stock Dodge blend door motor that dies every few years when it shears the crappy plastic shaft.
The CV joint in the front driveshaft doesn't have a grease zerk. The ball wears out and you will get a vibration in 4wd at speed. Costs about $120 where I'm at to get a new one.
The rear wheel cylinders can be upgraded to give you some pretty good brakes. The stockers are too small for what you are wanting to do. I used the giant Chevy 1-3/16 ones but it was a PITA and I had to butcher the backing plates to get them in my 1st gen. If you can find some 1" ones that would probably be good, since the oem ones were 7/8" ish.
IF you have abs holes in the front unit bearings, you can shoot a bunch of grease down the hole and get more life out of them. Only buy the Timken ones from Rockauto or somewhere else that is cheap. The O'reilley's ones are crap and won't last a full oil change without getting slop in them.
If you don't like the dimmer switch getting hot and stinking, drill a hole in the air vent to direct some air onto it from the outermost vent. It helps a little.
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chilliwak
Expedition Leader
I am really happy to see you give this old Dodge the love and attention that it needs Kraven. Like other posters have mentioned before, most people would just scrap:Wow1: the truck. Although its great to rebuild things, sometimes its better just to get an old motor in good shape and start with that as opposed to trying to fix a cracked block or head. Keep the updates coming. We all love watching your progress. Cheers, Chilli..
kraven
Hegelian Scum
Wild420, thanks for all the tips! Now my punch list is a little longer.
chilliwak, I agree with you. I've been looking around for a used engine all through this project and everything seems to be over 150k miles as far as salvage units. That's a really big gamble, imo. Even with LKQ's guarantees on used assemblies, I'm still leery of paying for and using something with such high miles. Though engine swapping really isn't that hard in these trucks. I also have an intellectual curiosity about how far the stock bottom end will go.
I broke down the costs on a spread sheet (this is the only way for me to prevent scope creep on projects), adding in the extras for a salvage engine (like replacing the oil pump, pickup, gaskets, etc), the raw cost of a short block, and a long block assembly. The biggest expense is really the replacement heads. But it makes gambling on a takeout just that. The cost is really close unless I stumble on one for $200 or something.
chilliwak, I agree with you. I've been looking around for a used engine all through this project and everything seems to be over 150k miles as far as salvage units. That's a really big gamble, imo. Even with LKQ's guarantees on used assemblies, I'm still leery of paying for and using something with such high miles. Though engine swapping really isn't that hard in these trucks. I also have an intellectual curiosity about how far the stock bottom end will go.
I broke down the costs on a spread sheet (this is the only way for me to prevent scope creep on projects), adding in the extras for a salvage engine (like replacing the oil pump, pickup, gaskets, etc), the raw cost of a short block, and a long block assembly. The biggest expense is really the replacement heads. But it makes gambling on a takeout just that. The cost is really close unless I stumble on one for $200 or something.
drewactual
Adventurer
there is a check valve in the trans cooler right behind where it comes out of the radiator core... it's a plastic ball in top of a spring... get rid of it.. it's blamed as the cause for most 46rfe failures... it will only take a few minutes to pull the line (quick disconnects) and drill it out, blow air through it until it's whistle clean... in order to keep the fluid from draining back, though, it's a great place to install a filter with anti-drain back/siphon valve. we're talking $25 and a half an hour...
the keg mod is worth it... the runners in at least one I witnessed were all jacked up from the factory and different lengths... crazy, no? grind them back and your engine will appreciate it.
you can run up to 1.7:1 rocker rollers w/o any interference, and it will be good for a few ponies and response... these engines are killed by accessories.. if you run an electric fan it's worth a lot of low end response... rocker rollers less parasitic draw (and the bump in valve lift is good too), and a double roller chain (not a morse chain) respond well on these things.
i'll breeze through this next bit, but it's valuable- I could write a friggin' book on it but I'll spare you...
four hole ford motor sport injectors- go for the 23#@44psi variety... you won't require a reflash to trim fuel, but you'll want to do this to get the advantages.. =
mother mopar figured to atomize fuel by spraying off the back of a hot valve, and it works, especially with the pencil sprayers (22# @ 49psi, or 19# @ 44psi)... this is great to atomize the fuel and to keep the valve clean... but is wholly unneeded with the four hole FMS sprayers... so long as you retard the timing of the injection (fuel sync) by 4*... this is done with a scan tool that can monitor the sync, and by turning the dizzy like you used to set ignition timing (ignition timing is wholly done by the PCM unless you do mechanical stuff like advance at the chain or do the CKPS mod)... you can play with that to find the sweet spot... mine was 4*, and gave a touch better throttle response but added whole MPG's when doing it... like, to the tune of 1.5MPG... the o2 sensors are capable of sniffing and trimming the rest of the way on a stock PCM, allowing you to cross zero on the STFT and the LTFT...
the keg mod is worth it... the runners in at least one I witnessed were all jacked up from the factory and different lengths... crazy, no? grind them back and your engine will appreciate it.
you can run up to 1.7:1 rocker rollers w/o any interference, and it will be good for a few ponies and response... these engines are killed by accessories.. if you run an electric fan it's worth a lot of low end response... rocker rollers less parasitic draw (and the bump in valve lift is good too), and a double roller chain (not a morse chain) respond well on these things.
i'll breeze through this next bit, but it's valuable- I could write a friggin' book on it but I'll spare you...
four hole ford motor sport injectors- go for the 23#@44psi variety... you won't require a reflash to trim fuel, but you'll want to do this to get the advantages.. =
mother mopar figured to atomize fuel by spraying off the back of a hot valve, and it works, especially with the pencil sprayers (22# @ 49psi, or 19# @ 44psi)... this is great to atomize the fuel and to keep the valve clean... but is wholly unneeded with the four hole FMS sprayers... so long as you retard the timing of the injection (fuel sync) by 4*... this is done with a scan tool that can monitor the sync, and by turning the dizzy like you used to set ignition timing (ignition timing is wholly done by the PCM unless you do mechanical stuff like advance at the chain or do the CKPS mod)... you can play with that to find the sweet spot... mine was 4*, and gave a touch better throttle response but added whole MPG's when doing it... like, to the tune of 1.5MPG... the o2 sensors are capable of sniffing and trimming the rest of the way on a stock PCM, allowing you to cross zero on the STFT and the LTFT...
kraven
Hegelian Scum
Yeah, that's always a major problem with projects, but with this small budget I don't have much choice. I am discovering that craig's and amazon are my two best friends for this deal. And some fora where model specific stuff is sold and traded.
Got into the rear diff during lunch and got it draining into a pan. I'll put it back together and refill it. The stock diff is an LSD factory unit, so I guess I gotta get some friction modifier for it along with gear oil. A quick surf on the web shows that the guys over at Bob's don't mind the Valvoline stuff and Autozone has it for 6/qt. Downloaded the factory service manual over a the dodge forum and double checked capacity.
Hard to tell if the front diff is leaking or just had front seal motor oil leaking on it. Looks like it has a recent gasket, so I'll check the level and make sure it's up to snuff. No axle seal leaks so far.
Transfer case has an allen wrench stuck in the fill plug. That can't be good. Guess I'm rebuilding that, or at least putting seals in it. I know the 4wd works, but i read something about a snap ring on the output shaft causing them to get mongled if it breaks. I need to read up on the t-case, I guess.
Gotta remember to get a socket for the balancer bolt too so I can swap the timing set.
Got into the rear diff during lunch and got it draining into a pan. I'll put it back together and refill it. The stock diff is an LSD factory unit, so I guess I gotta get some friction modifier for it along with gear oil. A quick surf on the web shows that the guys over at Bob's don't mind the Valvoline stuff and Autozone has it for 6/qt. Downloaded the factory service manual over a the dodge forum and double checked capacity.
Hard to tell if the front diff is leaking or just had front seal motor oil leaking on it. Looks like it has a recent gasket, so I'll check the level and make sure it's up to snuff. No axle seal leaks so far.
Transfer case has an allen wrench stuck in the fill plug. That can't be good. Guess I'm rebuilding that, or at least putting seals in it. I know the 4wd works, but i read something about a snap ring on the output shaft causing them to get mongled if it breaks. I need to read up on the t-case, I guess.
Gotta remember to get a socket for the balancer bolt too so I can swap the timing set.
drewactual
Adventurer
google up "transfer case saver" for that marriage...
WILLD420
Observer
When you have the cover off, look to see if you can see some clutch disc's in there. If you can and you want a L/S that works, throw some clutches in there. You have to drop the diff but it's not hard if you have some long bolts and a vice. The clutches tend to break the wave washer under them and then run metal parts throughout the diff. If you can't see some holes that have little wires across them on the outer ends of the diff then you probably have the auburn cone style.
Either way, you don't have to run the l/s lube if you don't mind a little chatter. It will help you get farther down the trail if the l/s works better rather than like an old worn out p.o.s.
You will want to pull that fill plug on the t-case and check the fluid. People often put gear oil in them when the seals start to leak. Not long after, the bearings quit because the lube pump doesn't like 140W oil when it was designed for ATF. You should be able to get a pipe wrench or vice grips on the outer circumference of that plug. Any plug from any year of New Process t-case will fit in the hole. The early ones used a 3/8 ratchet to take them out, the later ones used a hex wrench, or vice versa.
Either way, you don't have to run the l/s lube if you don't mind a little chatter. It will help you get farther down the trail if the l/s works better rather than like an old worn out p.o.s.
You will want to pull that fill plug on the t-case and check the fluid. People often put gear oil in them when the seals start to leak. Not long after, the bearings quit because the lube pump doesn't like 140W oil when it was designed for ATF. You should be able to get a pipe wrench or vice grips on the outer circumference of that plug. Any plug from any year of New Process t-case will fit in the hole. The early ones used a 3/8 ratchet to take them out, the later ones used a hex wrench, or vice versa.
kraven
Hegelian Scum
I thought I was okay when I pulled the cover because there weren't any big chunks. But I hit the bottom of the pumpkin with some carb cleaner and started kind of peeling the layer of gunk out of the bottom. Found these pieces. Hit the chunk with some carb cleaner and shined the flashlight into the clutches to see the broken one. Only one. But enough to need to be repaired, I guess.
It's only about 55 buck for the clutches, but the stupid tool for the weirdo fasteners is about 50 more.
fourwheeler has a good tech article on it. http://www.fourwheeler.com/how-to/1011or-rebuilding-a-limited-slip-differential-dana-trac-lok/
Thanks for all the input, y'all. Very very helpful stuff.
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kraven
Hegelian Scum
Looks like I may have a chafed pinion from the bearing(s) going bad. Rather than invest in all the tooling and parts to put it back together, I may try to find a Spicer 70 or something from a 3/4 ton Dodge to bolt in its place. By the internets chatter, the 9.25 is a so-so rear with kind of a meh level of strength. (found this video showing how to make the adjuster nut tool from 3/4 plumbing parts for about 10 bucks-ish)
Time to take it apart and diagnose it. If it's too spendy to fix, I'll just find a 60 or 70 to put in its place.
Got a big pile of parts in the shop waiting to go on the engine. Good weather is headed this way for Saturday and Sunday. Looking forward to some wrench time and putting the engine back together.
Time to take it apart and diagnose it. If it's too spendy to fix, I'll just find a 60 or 70 to put in its place.
Got a big pile of parts in the shop waiting to go on the engine. Good weather is headed this way for Saturday and Sunday. Looking forward to some wrench time and putting the engine back together.
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kraven
Hegelian Scum
Didn't get much done this weekend due to catching the wife's cold and not getting stuff to and fro the machine shop.
One of the mistakes a lot of people make when they buy new heads is take them out of the box and run them as received. It's always a good idea to have a machine shop make sure the valve guides don't have burrs, are pressed in properly (height), and don't need to be trimmed more. Surfaces also need to be checked for straightness, valves angles should be checked, etc. It takes maybe 50 bucks to get a machinist to look a pair over. An ounce of prevention.
So, instead of engine work, I did some light weight stuff.
Pulled the carpet
Pulled the rear seat
Cleaned both
Left them out in the sun to dry.
Vacuumed all the corners of the cab floor really well when I found a couple of mouse nests (hanta virus! yay!)
Gave the windows and steering wheel a good cleaning.
The leather wrap on the wheel is coming apart. I have a small leather crafting business I do on the side, so I'll just rewrap the wheel after I strip the factory one and get it nice and clean. It won't blow the budget and makes the driving experience a little nicer. Probably cost me 20 bucks in leather and maybe a couple of hours stitching time.
"How to Rebuild the Small Block Mopar" is pretty good and geared toward a more basic and less experienced crowd, but it's full of good specific information for this engine. Good book if you want to learn to do engine rebuilds or do a small Mopar specifically.
Got a start on sorting some camping gear for the Ram. I haven't done a lot of car camping in the last few years, but I do some yard sales with the wife because she like retro furniture and stuff. I pick up camping gear when I find some in good shape. I forgot I had some of this stuff.
I found a one time used liquid fuel, 2 burner, coleman pumper I'd forgotten. Picked it up for a dollar, I think. Got a rebuild kit for the pump. So, it's ready to rock. I just need to decide if I want propane or liquid fuel.
Also found an inflatable mattress that fits in the bed, kinda. It has a battery and socket powered pump with it, along with a frame for setting it up independently outdoors.
And a bunch of other stuff like cookware, plates, quick pitch shelters, a spare ENO hammock with straps, and whatnot.
Looks like I'm pretty set on gear, like I figured. But it's weird to own stuff and forget you have it.
Anyway, that's less I have to buy, so more budget for driveline and interior fixes.
Stuff I discovered I need to fix in the interior:
Steering wheel wrap,
Cup holder (probably not)
Broken panel fasteners (rattles...)
Overhead console (probably will remove it and mount a radio/cb setup in its place.
The inevitable old truck door hinges are creaky and sag a little on the primary (front) doors. The rears seem fine. I'll probably just rebuild the originals since the repops aren't near the quality of the originals.
On the slate for this week is to get the heads back and engine back together and running. If I have time, I'll pull the axle apart and get that diagnosed for sure so I can order the right parts and know which direction I'm going (swap or fix). But mostly I'll be focused on the engine.
Other than the heads, I need to clean the intake's injector ports (old rubber) and surfaces, the gasket at the base still needs to be swapped and torqued down, and the injectors need to be inspected for wear and tear. So it's not just bolting stuff back on. I'm not gonna get crazy cleaning the intake and making it shine. Just getting the grunge off.
So, onward and upward. We're about a week or so from having the Ram back on the road. Maybe a few shakedown runs and fixes from taking the first camping trip. It'd be nice to be able to drive it to a turkey hunt in April. We'll see how it goes.
One of the mistakes a lot of people make when they buy new heads is take them out of the box and run them as received. It's always a good idea to have a machine shop make sure the valve guides don't have burrs, are pressed in properly (height), and don't need to be trimmed more. Surfaces also need to be checked for straightness, valves angles should be checked, etc. It takes maybe 50 bucks to get a machinist to look a pair over. An ounce of prevention.
So, instead of engine work, I did some light weight stuff.
Pulled the carpet
Pulled the rear seat
Cleaned both
Left them out in the sun to dry.
Vacuumed all the corners of the cab floor really well when I found a couple of mouse nests (hanta virus! yay!)
Gave the windows and steering wheel a good cleaning.
The leather wrap on the wheel is coming apart. I have a small leather crafting business I do on the side, so I'll just rewrap the wheel after I strip the factory one and get it nice and clean. It won't blow the budget and makes the driving experience a little nicer. Probably cost me 20 bucks in leather and maybe a couple of hours stitching time.
"How to Rebuild the Small Block Mopar" is pretty good and geared toward a more basic and less experienced crowd, but it's full of good specific information for this engine. Good book if you want to learn to do engine rebuilds or do a small Mopar specifically.
Got a start on sorting some camping gear for the Ram. I haven't done a lot of car camping in the last few years, but I do some yard sales with the wife because she like retro furniture and stuff. I pick up camping gear when I find some in good shape. I forgot I had some of this stuff.
I found a one time used liquid fuel, 2 burner, coleman pumper I'd forgotten. Picked it up for a dollar, I think. Got a rebuild kit for the pump. So, it's ready to rock. I just need to decide if I want propane or liquid fuel.
Also found an inflatable mattress that fits in the bed, kinda. It has a battery and socket powered pump with it, along with a frame for setting it up independently outdoors.
And a bunch of other stuff like cookware, plates, quick pitch shelters, a spare ENO hammock with straps, and whatnot.
Looks like I'm pretty set on gear, like I figured. But it's weird to own stuff and forget you have it.
Anyway, that's less I have to buy, so more budget for driveline and interior fixes.
Stuff I discovered I need to fix in the interior:
Steering wheel wrap,
Cup holder (probably not)
Broken panel fasteners (rattles...)
Overhead console (probably will remove it and mount a radio/cb setup in its place.
The inevitable old truck door hinges are creaky and sag a little on the primary (front) doors. The rears seem fine. I'll probably just rebuild the originals since the repops aren't near the quality of the originals.
On the slate for this week is to get the heads back and engine back together and running. If I have time, I'll pull the axle apart and get that diagnosed for sure so I can order the right parts and know which direction I'm going (swap or fix). But mostly I'll be focused on the engine.
Other than the heads, I need to clean the intake's injector ports (old rubber) and surfaces, the gasket at the base still needs to be swapped and torqued down, and the injectors need to be inspected for wear and tear. So it's not just bolting stuff back on. I'm not gonna get crazy cleaning the intake and making it shine. Just getting the grunge off.
So, onward and upward. We're about a week or so from having the Ram back on the road. Maybe a few shakedown runs and fixes from taking the first camping trip. It'd be nice to be able to drive it to a turkey hunt in April. We'll see how it goes.
kraven
Hegelian Scum
EQ heads are taking a bit to get togther, mostly due to the machine shop being backed up and equally weird about sb mopar stuff. Might have to get a new machine shop if they aren't done early this week.
Decided while the engine was bogged down with machine work I would tackle some other stuff.
Pulled the front wheel shaft out to change the u-joint on the left side. Got a Moog "super strength" joint for it. That turned out to have caps made of ripened hard cheese, so a few whacks (small and delicate, the slightest of ball peen butterfly kisses) produced a crack down the final cap.
I did some research and ordered the oe quality Spicer joint replacement. It's ungreasable, but all the Jeep guys here and there seem to agree these are the joints to have.
Interior is defunked, mostly. Carpet is still waiting to be power washed, but I got most of the cank out of it using a brush and oxy clean. I love that stuff.
Bled the brakes. Fixed a headlight that was out. Cleaned the intake and just have to get the injectors back on with new o-rings so the intake assembly goes back on in one piece with just a fuel line and cables and hoses to reconnect.
Might have a trip to the space coast coming up. It'd be nice to drive it down there on a shakedown.
I'm not in a big hurry to disassemble anything else, like the rear end or t-case, til I get it running again. Having too many things apart is a recipe for disaster, or standing around with a beer and just staring at it instead of working.
This weekend I finish the u-joint install, put the wheel hub assembly back together, and clean the valvetrain up so I can make sure it doesn't need to be chucked. Somehow that bit got by me, but now I'm on it.
Still waffling about the carpet. I may just not put carpet back in it. Floors are solid, but I don't want it to be loud as hell inside either. It's okay if it's a beater on the outside. I'd like to be able to hear myself think when I'm driving it.
Decided while the engine was bogged down with machine work I would tackle some other stuff.
Pulled the front wheel shaft out to change the u-joint on the left side. Got a Moog "super strength" joint for it. That turned out to have caps made of ripened hard cheese, so a few whacks (small and delicate, the slightest of ball peen butterfly kisses) produced a crack down the final cap.
I did some research and ordered the oe quality Spicer joint replacement. It's ungreasable, but all the Jeep guys here and there seem to agree these are the joints to have.
Interior is defunked, mostly. Carpet is still waiting to be power washed, but I got most of the cank out of it using a brush and oxy clean. I love that stuff.
Bled the brakes. Fixed a headlight that was out. Cleaned the intake and just have to get the injectors back on with new o-rings so the intake assembly goes back on in one piece with just a fuel line and cables and hoses to reconnect.
Might have a trip to the space coast coming up. It'd be nice to drive it down there on a shakedown.
I'm not in a big hurry to disassemble anything else, like the rear end or t-case, til I get it running again. Having too many things apart is a recipe for disaster, or standing around with a beer and just staring at it instead of working.
This weekend I finish the u-joint install, put the wheel hub assembly back together, and clean the valvetrain up so I can make sure it doesn't need to be chucked. Somehow that bit got by me, but now I'm on it.
Still waffling about the carpet. I may just not put carpet back in it. Floors are solid, but I don't want it to be loud as hell inside either. It's okay if it's a beater on the outside. I'd like to be able to hear myself think when I'm driving it.