Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) Where to begin??

[EDunford]

I was wondering where to begin??? I spent the last two days searching and reading what seems like over 1000 posts.

I just purchased a 97 3500 dually 4x4 with auto trans and 239,613 miles. I am not to familiar with these P pump motors and i have oil leaks that seem to be coming from the front and rear D side of motor, transmission line leaks, power steering leaks.

Should i start with checking for the KDP and work my way back? what parts should i replace for preventative maintenance? Oil press sensor? Lift pump?

I have no clue of the maintenance history of the truck... It was definitely a work truck... But for the price i couldn't pass it up... Only 5 bills...





Thanks

 

[DSpringstead]

I would start with a KDP kit first. That will allow you to open up the front & check there, replace gaskets,etc. Check all rubber hoses, fuel lines, heater/strainer. While your there check the P/S pump & the vacuum pump. The P/S pump likes to leak where the two join.

Check the oil line to the vacuum pump. If you say it was a work truck then check the steering box & lines. Be wary of the check valve in your transmission line. I had a $3700 fresh transmission rebuild only to have that let go 2 months later at an additional cost of $400.

The lift pump is a pretty stout one. Check to see if your oil leak is coming from the back cover, the one just before the cam. That's the costly one & yes I had to do that one too. It'll be a few trials & tribulations to go thru but when your done you'll know EXACTLY what you have into it.

 

[Texis]

$500 bucks?? That's a steal without an engine! 239K is no big deal, if the oil was changed. I'm at 370K... many on the board are at 400K, 500K and well beyond. 97 was a VERY good year for Cummins powered Dodge trucks!



I'm one of those "If it ain't broke... ... " guys. But when I fix something I try to make it better than it came, if I can.



The pumps are solid, forget about it until it breaks (if it ever does). Mine leaked oil from the valve cover gaskets. Here's my list for you, assuming the trucks already runs and drives "OK";



1) Get some manuals

2) Look at the water pump weep hole for signs of leakage. (cheap and easy fix)

3) Check the front & rear drive line u-joints, etc. Front u-joint failure can wipe out your transfer case!

4) Inspect the metal tube trans cooling lines for "rub spots" and replace both entire lines with hyd hose if they are wore.

5) Replace the ball joints, front axle u-joints, and brakes if needed. The trucks can be hard on lower ball joints. . the uppers seem to last forever on mine.

6) Get some good tires on it. You won't know what else is shot if the tires are crap... . this goes for the shocks as well. If they are OEM get them off, they are gonners at 239K.

7) Chase down your oil leaks and fix (if they are large, or if they bug you. . lol)

8) Change the rear axle fluid. Don't forget the additive if you have an LS unit.



FYI Heres how long my stuff last, based on my use;



1) Transmission 260K

2) Trans cooling lines 200K and non-stop leaks thereafter!. . until I rebuilt with hyd hoses.

3) AC "clutch"... needs one every 60K

4) Ball joints 150K. I like the Duralast units from Auto Zone. Resonable, lifetime warrantee and they live well. Pulled them with 200K on them and they were fine, why pay more?

5) Radiator 370K (this weekend's work)

6) Front brake pads... I change them every 25-30K, after eatin a couple of rotors (you can't hear-um till they are smokin).

7) Fuel filter... I change when the truck starts loosing power, you'll know. These filters are a fuel quality issue, not a mileage issue. Some last me 20K, others 30K... some only 15K. IMHO changing the fuel filter before it starts slowing the truck down is a waste of money. Put a new one in NOW, to get a base line. This goes for you oil as well.

8) Wheel bearing hubs (front). . OEMs made 150K, aftermarkets would go about 60K (BTW I replaced the mess that Dodge made of the fine Dana 60 with "lock-free" hubs and solid axles at 320K. . best decision I have made to date on this truck)

9) My rear drum brakes seem to last forever. I have changed them twice "just because". In both cases the brakes shops told me they were fine.



Good luck, enjoy the truck. Hope she serves you well.

 

[SMorneau]

On standard cab 4x4 trucks you need a transfer case saver. It replaced a snap ring that breaks.

As said above, if you pull the front case and redo the gaskets while taking care of the KDP you will probably take care of some leaks. It is also possible your fuel return line is leaking. I have replaced the metal portion that connects to the pump twice. It was very wet with diesel fuel.

All of the front end components should be scrutinized and if enough of them are in need of replacement you should consider revising the steering to the "T" configuration.

Headlights on the 97 trucks sucks. If you plan on driving it at night you will not regret doing the sport light light conversions.

There are tons of fixes for the problems some of these trucks had. Clean it up, fix the leaks, kill the KDP, do the transfer case saver, check the front end and drive line parts and start fixing whatever else you find. The best thing about these trucks is there are few new problems and lots of fixes for the old ones.

Good luck,
Scott

 

[EDunford]

Thanks for the replies. .



I inspected it better today, it has the classic mysterious water leak coming in the interior.

I think i found where some of the oil is coming from. just above the starter it has a 90 coming from the side of the block (i'm assuming this is the blow by tube?) it doesn't have a hose on it, it's just the nipple, everything under it is coated on oil.

The trans cooling lines seem to be ok... I'm going to replace those just in case, but where it transitions from metal to rubber at the front where it turns up to go to the cooler is very loose and looks like it is leaking there (at the fitting).

The transmission pan is coated in fresh fluid. The previous owner said it was rebuilt around 60k ago.

When i put it in drive it has a dull clunk coming from the t case area.



I drove it 50 miles to get it home and it ran great, no smoke and drove straight with no wandering or pulling.



I think i got a pretty good deal!! it has heavy duty front and rear bumpers with winches, the front bumper has the guards that wraps around the headlights and grill and polished Alcoa rims... needs a paint job some kind of bad though, no rust just peeling real bad.



Thanks

 

[hsmith]

Another common oil leak on these engines can be the vacuum pump seal. It can leak between the vacuum and p/s pump. Not a difficult fix.

 

[Texis]

classic mysterious water leak coming in the interior

I had 2 leak sources in mine. Both in the passenger floor board area. The sources were the body plug-plate located directly in the middle of the floor and the AC drain going through the firewall on the passenger side.



>For the first (which only leaked when driving in a heavy rain) I used 3M 5200 caulk around the body plug, from the bottom and this sealed it.



>The second source was the AC drain going through the passenger side firewall. The condensate is coming out of the end of the tube... and dripping back into the interior, under the carpet. For that leak I cut a piece of 1/4" neoprene in the shape of a washer, with a very small inner hole, approx 1/8" dia. The piece was cut to approx 2" OD. I cleaned and caulked the exterior firewall around the drain tube... and pushed the neoprene washer over the tube, and it sealed in the caulk I put on the firewall. The neoprene was a piece of an old wet suit and was tight going over the drain tube.



This solved both my leak sources, and the interior has been dry for the past 5 years. I have heard of others leaking around the rear cab windows, but fortunately mine has not leaked in that area.



I hope I was able to define with my text "where and how" mine leaked, and how I fixed it!



Good luck,

 

[Missouri Mule]

The Third brake light can leak and the water will drain to front passenger side floor.



My leak was the AC drain hole. A long rubber heater hose with screw clamp took care of the problem.

 

[Extreme1]

Get the crank case vent tube in place (buy the right part, heater hose doesn't last) and clean the engine. Then you will see any other leak sources you have.

 

[JoeBioDiesel]

Before I took anything apart on the engine I would degrease it, run it, and identify all the leaks. Once you know what you have to take apart, you know what you can repair/replace along the way.

Joe

 

[Flying_gage]

Good stuff above. Replace all your fuel lines from tank to lift pump. That is a biggie for power and fuel mileage.