1978 Dodge Pre Cummins Diesel

[DieselPower1978]

First off, let me say, I'm sorry if this is not the place to post this question but I'm not finding what I need and was referred here. I am in possession of an early 1978 Dodge D200 with a 4.0L 6DR5 Mitsubishi Diesel Engine. I went to change the oil today and noticed the dipstick is not original and is homemade. I have attempted to find one at all of the usual parts stores online, eBay motors, car parts.com, and rockauto, with no success. I've even attempted to just look it up with Google and it left me empty handed as well. Any help would be appreciated, but I'm assuming with the problems I'm going to have finding parts for this thing I may just 12v Cummins swap it once I come up with the funds

 

[DieselPower1978]

For anyone interested in pictures of it

 

[Timd32]

Heard of them but have never seen one. Thanks for sharing.

Probably need one off a core engine possibly.

Unfortunately not much of an answer from me.

 

[NIsaacs]

It appears the Toyota 2H diesel engine is the same. This link has one if you scroll down to the 2H engine. Number 46 in the second diagram.

https://www.sor.com/cat034e.sor#Block_2_74_7_80b

 

[Tuesdak]

For anyone interested in pictures of it

Yes please! Would love to see pics of the entire pickup. It’s a survivor for sure!

 

[Mark31]

I drove a new one back then. The only thing I ever rode in possibly slower was a Renault Dauphine with a slipping clutch and 4 of us in it. Why worry about a (cosmetic) dipstick? As long as you can tell if the oil level is correct, does it matter if it is purdy or uggy? I had a 78 D150--the second worst vehicle I ever owned. A heavy Cummins might have broken mine in half!(Number 1 on doofus list was a 69 Ford F100.)

 

[Mark31]

My bad! I missed that yours is a D200. I had a 74 D200 that was my "trademark" for years. When the original 440 (that hated hot humid weather) fainted and I put a 318 in a it, it was a "4 season" truck.

 

[NIsaacs]

(Number 1 on doofus list was a 69 Ford F100.)

You wouldn't say that if you still had it today. You will be hard pressed to find a better looking truck in 1969, or 2023 for that matter. I bought my 1970 F-100 in late '69, still in the family. Picture of it at the drag strip in about 1985.

Picture of what it looks like today.

 

[DieselPower1978]

First off, thank you all for the responses and interest in my baby! Unfortunately, the bed is a late '80s and the hood is a late '80s as well. I already bought a '78 birdbath, just have to go get it. Then I'll be looking for a proper year bed to put on it. My plan is to restore the ole girl. I don't ever plan on getting rid of it. I've come to realize that the dipstick is definitely the least of my problems. I am in the process of finding a harmonic balancer for it now. I have not had luck finding one and I imagine it will be difficult.


For anyone interested I will include photos of the entire truck below!

 

[DieselPower1978]

Pictures of the body. I have cleaned the bed out recently and still have to put the grill on.

 

[DieselPower1978]

Pictures of the interior! I need to clean the back window of moss and fix up a few spots where water is getting in. Other than that it's in pretty good shape

 

[DieselPower1978]

I'm not a 100% but I think it may be original Miles. I've heard that a lot of old vehicles had a little plastic piece on the back of the odometer that broke off once it rolled over, causing the numbers to be offset.
Floorpans need a little work.

 

[Kent Kuykendall]

First off, let me say, I'm sorry if this is not the place to post this question but I'm not finding what I need and was referred here. I am in possession of an early 1978 Dodge D200 with a 4.0L 6DR5 Mitsubishi Diesel Engine. I went to change the oil today and noticed the dipstick is not original and is homemade. I have attempted to find one at all of the usual parts stores online, eBay motors, car parts.com, and rockauto, with no success. I've even attempted to just look it up with Google and it left me empty handed as well. Any help would be appreciated, but I'm assuming with the problems I'm going to have finding parts for this thing I may just 12v Cummins swap it once I come up with the funds

I had a 78 d200 with that motor and a 4 speed manual. It was my first new truck that I bought. I used to get about 20 mpg. Great driving truck. I ended up totaling it in 1981. Lucky I wasn’t killed. I loved that truck other than it was a dog. Needed a turbo to wake it up.

 

[Cummins12V98]

Late to the party here but if you still don’t have the proper dipstick change the oil letting it drain overnight, add all but one quart. Now start and shut down on level ground. Next day pull dipstick and file a quart low mark. Now add the last quart, run and shutdown. Next day file a full mark.

it’s called PIZZ with the pecker ya got!!!