Well, I'm back...

[sdeeter19555]

After many years, I've gotten another CTD.

I sold my 04.5 back in 2012 and never looked back (I was steved here and elsewhere for many years). Unfortunately, that truck soured me on ever owning another newer diesel or newer Dodge platform.

I recently sold my 1953 M37 that I was never going to get around to restoring and used those funds to buy a 1990 W250 to have as a toy. It's not perfect, it's not pretty; but it is a Texas truck with almost zero rust which is hard to find in the mid-Atlantic. Again it's a toy, I wanted something to cruise around in, haul firewood, commute sometimes, etc...its not a daily driver.

I've spent weeks undoing all the prior owners' modifications, cleaning up wiring mainly. It runs and drives fairly well. Figure I will have it on the road in September...

I may have some questions down the road, one is about the vacuum system, I think mine has low vacuum at the moment which leads to less than stellar brake assist. I may also have some on the wiring harness...previous owners' decided loom wasn't needed, and neither were connectors in places.

 

[mfurrh55]

Good looking truck... How's interior?

 

[sdeeter19555]

Some photos...

 

[NIsaacs]

Your brake issue might be rear brakes need adjusted, common on the 1st gen. Vacuum might be fine.

 

[sdeeter19555]

Interior is rough, it was worked hard. I found one small rust hole in the driver's floor from the vent leaking...nothing bad.

I'm planning to gut the interior anyway...go old school - no flooring, no trim, no headliner, etc...I like that feel from the 70s era power wagons.

 

[sdeeter19555]

Your brake issue might be rear brakes need adjusted, common on the 1st gen. Vacuum might be fine.

Has new brakes all around, I think its vacuum related because the pedal is stiff (as in little vacuum assist). Either that or all the hoses are swelled shut...plan to replace all those too.

 

[sdeeter19555]

As you can tell from the photos, I rebuilt the turbo...it was in bad shape.

From what I know, the chassis has about 400k miles on it while the engine has around 180k on it...I almost wonder if it was a KDP failure. I think they swapped long blocks, and that's why the turbo looked like it had 400k.

 

[Wayne M.]

Hey welcome back, Steve!
Any decent 1 gen still rolling deserves a full resto!

 

[sdeeter19555]

I just picked up a used a518 trans for $100...for a future upgrade and/or replacement if the 727 grenades.

 

[sdeeter19555]

I also signed up for TDR (subscription) and it hasn't seemed to link to this account yet...my old username was defunct.

 

[sdeeter19555]

Ok, figured this is as good a place as any to ask...

Without getting into an oil thread, for something intended to be a toy, with unknown mileage and previous care; does it make sense to do anything but a conventional oil (Rotella, Traveller, etc.) and normal OCIs? I had envisioned adding one of the many bypass filters I have, running synthetic oil, and stretching out OCIs; but for what ends? I doubt I will do more than 10k a year...

I'm thinking keep it simple and just run any oil out to 5k miles and not over think this...talk some sense into me.

 

[Dick Langendorff]

Nice to see you are back.
Have always wondered how you were doing. You know how to keep that oil clean.
I just turned 275,000 on my 04. Blackstone says keep going, no need to change what your doing.
There has been nothing done to the engine. I continually get great mileage when towing and going shopping.
I like the new sheet metal, but, not the 55,000.

 

[Wayne M.]

Steve, just buy the sale Dino 15/40. For now. 5 years down the road, we might need something else.

 

[sdeeter19555]

Nice to see you are back.
Have always wondered how you were doing. You know how to keep that oil clean.
I just turned 275,000 on my 04. Blackstone says keep going, no need to change what your doing.
There has been nothing done to the engine. I continually get great mileage when towing and going shopping.
I like the new sheet metal, but, not the 55,000.

Hi Dick, nice to see you're still here. I still have those Frantz filters floating around I got from you way back when. I went a different route for new sheet metal, got a 12 Silverado 2500hd with a 6.0l gasser. For my use now (no travel), the gasser just makes more sense.

Steve, just buy the sale Dino 15/40. For now. 5 years down the road, we might need something else.

Thanks Wayne, that's what I was thinking for something that isn't really going to see a lot of use...from my recollection, people have claimed the Cummins will run on peanut oil, so a generic 15w40 should do the trick well for my intended OCI.

 

[Wayne M.]

Hi Dick, nice to see you're still here. I still have those Frantz filters floating around I got from you way back when. I went a different route for new sheet metal, got a 12 Silverado 2500hd with a 6.0l gasser. For my use now (no travel), the gasser just makes more sense.



Thanks Wayne, that's what I was thinking for something that isn't really going to see a lot of use...from my recollection, people have claimed the Cummins will run on peanut oil, so a generic 15w40 should do the trick well for my intended OCI.

Yea, as a fuel. Not a lube oil.
I say for now because I believe the new Cummins CGI block engine uses hydraulic tappers, and is *Gulp* rollerized. Who knows what kind of oil the feds are jamming down their throats presently.

 

[sdeeter19555]

Yea, as a fuel. Not a lube oil.
I say for now because I believe the new Cummins CGI block engine uses hydraulic tappers, and is *Gulp* rollerized. Who knows what kind of oil the feds are jamming down their throats presently.

At that rate, you will be running the same oil in your turbo diesel as a gasser car since the internals won't be all that different.

I got to get home an figure out the brakes on this thing (this will be the main thing before it's road worthy)...I'm thinking leak between the pumps and booster or bad pumps. Didn't think about it until just now, but I do have a vacuum gauge I can use to diagnose it.

 

[sdeeter19555]

Well, diagnosed the brake issue partially...one of the two vacuum pumps is shot.

With just one hooked up (the other removed from the system), the braking is vastly improved, but now I think that vacuum diaphragm that triggers the brake warning light is on the fritz...since I disconnected that line from the booster to diagnose the vacuum, the brake warning light has been on. That light and the ABS were both on when I first got the truck, the ABS went away when I worked the connector on the ABS module and the brake light went away after I got some vacuum at the booster. Is that a normally open or normally closed diaphragm switch? Since they aren't available, can it simply be removed and jumpered?

For reference, I had a shakey 5 to 10 inches with both pumps after I seal some of the leaks...now I have a solid 25 inches with only one good pump.

I still have less than stellar braking, which may be my use of hydroboost and stock tires for the past twenty years. I'm still think I have to pull the master cylinder and adjust the push rod to be longer because the brake lights stay on sometimes and you can feel the play in the pedal. I probably need to adjust the rear brakes as suggested (they are new, so probably need bedded), and I'm probably going to replace all the rubber hoses since they are probably swelling shut...

How hard are these little diaphragm pump deals to replace? Are they really just four small nuts and a hose? Nothing to fall out or align when installing the new pump?

 

[Wayne M.]

My 92 only had the engine mounted vac pump inline with the power steering pump. And yes, the light comes on when. Vacuum drops.

 

[Dick Langendorff]

Steve
Have you looked at the New Balance Road Grip cleats on some of there shoes?

 

[sdeeter19555]

So I took some more photos...

This is the front lift block the prior owners installed. Supposedly OK for inspection, I'm going to check the ubolt torque just to make sure they are tight.