1st Gen Newby

[TedDRondeau]

OK, here goes...

I just inherited my father-in-law's mint condition 1991 250 LE CTD 2WD (w/ dually conversion) sporting 85000 hwy mi. When I say "mint" I mean you could eat off the engine compartment... the cab still smells "new truck"... and the original paint has never seen a winter (Pop lived in N. Indiana). He'd done a few mods that I can tell: set up for 5th wheel hauling; tach/pyro/oil temp gauge on the dash; 118 gal sup fuel tank; some kind of sup braking sys; some kind of air shocks; and the dually I mentioned earlier. probably more that I'm unaware.

So here's the deal... I don't even know what I don't know... don't know what I need to ask, look for, check out, or learn...

Oh, I forgot to mention, the truck's sat for 2yrs in the garage w/o being started or driven till today... my newby voyage in my first diesel (probably my first mistake, but I couldn't resist any longer).

All that to ask for some pointers: what should I read, study, do or have done to get started out on the right foot and get many years & miles of enjoyment out of this truck that was once his pride & joy?

 

[csnider]

Pay attention to your fuel filter(change scheduel)keep clean oil in it. make sure your air filter is not letting any unfiltered air in... .

enjoy your truck. . i think you'll be hooked on cummins real easy. . i sure am. .

welcome aboard

 

[PToombs]

Welcome to the forum! You came to the right place for info. Read thru the stickies at the top of the page, lots of good info there. You don't say if it's a stick or auto. If you have a stick, it's recommended to overfill the trans by about 1 qt to help lube the higher bearings. It sounds like you have guages already, that's good, it helps you establish a baseline on how it runs. This helps if you have problems down the road.

Just drive it and keep track of things. If you have any questions, just ask!

 

[Jgolden]

Sounds like a great truck.

Lots of great info here. I've been asking for and getting help here for quite a while. If your in Indiana that seems to be a good place for help. Try here https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/1st-generation-ram-forum-1989-1993/185303-sop-4-a.html

 

[Tippin Spotted Cow]

Mice and other rodents like to build nests in air fliters when the vehicle sits for a while. I'd definitely check that out, cuz these trucks have a nice big filter for them to room in.

 

[cerberusiam]

Welcome to the TDR. Dive right and dig around. If you don't see it right off just ask and somebody will help out.



At the top of this forum page is a link to the FAQ forum. There is 10 years accumulated knowledge of some really bright people saved there for perusal.



Start reading and don't be afraid to ask questions no matter how simple. We all had to start some where.

 

[JGrefenstette]

Welcome abord Ted!

sounds like you got a real workhorse on your hands. thats some pretty impresive miles too if i read it right!



like stated before, check out your air box, id drain and replace all fluids, front to rear, crank case, transmission and rear diff, you got it easy with the 2wd no TC or front diff to worry about. if its the getrag manual trans, be sure to overfill it a quart. the old design didnt allow them to fully lubricate themselves which causes heavy wear and premature failur.

change all filters too. (Fuel, Oil, Air, and trans if its the auto)

id also lube your entire front end, including the u-joints along the rear drive shaft.



if you dont mind dropping an easy $200, id get an ASA Modifieds air intake set up. i have one and love it! it is an AFE air filter with a custom made intake tube. you can find them @ PDR Diesel Performance , the turbo whistle is amazing once you get more than 5psi boost... helps fuel economy, improves bottom end power, power curve comes 100rpms sooner, its overall a great addition that id recoment to anyone. just clamps right on.



and one thing that i cant stress enough, if to buy fuel additive emidiatly! i wouldnt run more than 1 tank of fuel with out putting additive in it. i know plent of guys that dont, but i would never go with out it. this knew ULSD (ultra-low-sulfer-diesel) is harmfull to these old injector pumps... the lack of sulfer robs the fuel of the majority of its lubricity, which is what the pump lives on. these pumps are lubricated solely by the fuel they pump so it is crutial. i use Stanadyne Perfomance Formula. it the best in MY opinion, but there are tons out there. the stuff i use it all-season and is just fabulous. it increases Cetane by 5, improves cold starts dramatically, increases fuel lubricity, fights algee and other build up in fuel system, lowers diesel pour point by 40degrees, its a good formula. relatively inexpensive too. you can find it any where, i just order mine in cases on the internet.



hope this gives you some ideas to kick around and some stuff to start gettin dirty with



hope i didnt ramble too much and confuse you, Good Luck! and congrats on the new(used) truck!

 

[dpuckett]

I bought a truck with 250k that had been sitting for a year. Started it up, and drove it from Houston TX to SE MO.



I'd add a fuel pressure gauge. That way, you can tell if your filter is clogging up, or you have somewhere else to look when you get that low MPG reading.



Daniel