New owner of a 92 D-50 4x4 (Oregon)

[RichardPryor]

Man, I haven’t been this excited about a “new” car since I turned 17 and my folks gave me a beat-up Chrysler New Yorker.

My good friend was taking care of a ranch for this old rancher who recently died. They had a 92 D50 that they used in the ranch as a wheelbarrow. It has seen better days for sure. But it only has 128k miles and brand new wheels and tires. They even included the toolbox. My friend told them I was a good guy and that I needed a pickup and told them $2k was a good fair price, so they accepted. So did I after a quick visit to a mechanic for an inspection.

my friend said the truck got overheated from time to time, but mechanic couldn’t find anything wrong with it or a hint of why it would overheat.

mechanic said timing belt had already been replaced and was in good condition. Wheel bearings and seals change eventually, not now. U joints (?) in good condition. Differential oil good.

He said I needed to change the following: valve cover gasket, rotor and distributor cap, idler arm and bushings, center link, brakes.

I have a million questions, but I’ll start with some pics. Hope you like it as much as I do!

[RichardPryor]

211672116821169

[geezer101]

Hi and welcome to mightyram. Looks like you got a fair deal. The wheels and the toolbox are worth a a chunk of the money you paid for your truck and the rest of it won't need much to get it 100%. The heads on the 4G64 are temperamental when they get overheated. Seen a few snap cams when they get warped so it wouldn't hurt to have a look at the valvetrain when you change the rocker cover gasket. Check the usual suspects for the overheating glitch - thermostat, radiator condition, coolant leaks etc. The 4x4 is a competent beast and will make a mockery of other 4x4's. Ask questions and keep us posted.

[steve1814]

Damn fine shape for a farm truck. My "one owner" beastie looks like it was used as a training vehicle for a demolition derby. And I paid more! (of course it is practically rust free, and on the east coast that is worth $$)

[RichardPryor]

Thx guys. Do the items the mechanic listed sound alright? I thought labor was high ($200 labor for the valve cover gasket + $75 for parts).

Also, should I get that Valvoline expensive oil advertised here on the forums?

[geezer101]

Dude, start WRENCHING. A rocker cover gasket on these is a no brainer job. The gaskets are less than $15 on ebay and are only held down by 2 bolts. Add some RTV silicone to make it leak free. You will need to take the intake cross over off the manifold to get to it but once again, an easy job for a noob to tackle. And there's $250ish in your pocket. You need to get everything squeaky clean so my tip - non caustic oven cleaner. Makes short work of engine grime, cheap to buy, only need a can to do an engine, safe enough to get on everything without damaging paint/ plastic/rubber seals/your hands etc (if I had known this tip waaay back, I could've saved myself a lot of time, mess and some money too)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Victor-VS40003CP-Valve-Cover-Gasket-Set-for-83-96-Mitsu-Dodge-Plym-1-8-2-0-2-4/142406695275?fits=Model%3AMighty+Max&epid=76984511&hash=item212819b96b:g:smAAAMXQ5fVQ9H31&vxp=mtr

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Easy-Off-24-oz-Spray-Oven-Cleaner/1000327439 (this or a similar product for for your engine bay)

[RichardPryor]

I got quoted $125 from another person. I wish I knew mechanics!! A video would be awesome. I’m a visual person.

[RichardPryor]

I drove all day in it today and it didn’t get hot at all! Changed oil to the mid one, the blend.

[RichardPryor]

Should I do the tuneup for $200? They will change cables, spark plugs and a few other things. Seems like a waste.

[RichardPryor]

Why is my truck so high off the ground? Is it because it’s a 4x4? The majority of the trucks here have the vato look and are sitting low.

[pennyman1]

this is an easy fix as well - plugs are right there in the open, do one at a time, and change the wires at the same time. Cap and rotor are easy too - PCV valve would be good to change as it is probably original.

[geezer101]

Why is my truck so high off the ground? Is it because it’s a 4x4? The majority of the trucks here have the vato look and are sitting low.

Probably the huge wheel combo on it. 4x4's always have more ground clearance than 2WD's. This is a prime truck to learn some new skills with. The injected engines with a distributor are a piece of cake to tune and service. And you will appreciate the fact it's a 4 cylinder engine with belt driven timing. Having to pull apart 1/3 of an engine to get to a timing chain isn't fun and the V6 engines can be daunting to work on. Seriously, the stuff you need to do is all within your scope of ability - it's getting past the self doubt/fear factor.

[RichardPryor]

Mechanic that did the gasket change said engine was in great shape and to not waste my money on a tune-up.

[Chargerx3]

Last year for 4x4 I4 was 1990 iirc. All were V6 after that. Welcome to the club though.

[RichardPryor]

Hmm. Are you saying mine is a V6?

[tortron]

clearly it is not a v6:shock:

[Chargerx3]

Mechanic that did the gasket change said engine was in great shape and to not waste my money on a tune-up.
I’m saying yours isn’t a 92. It’s a 1990 or older because of your I4.

[RichardPryor]

Mine is definitely a 92.

[Rcornsilk]

What size tires are you running?

[RichardPryor]

@Rcornsilk sorry just saw your post. Tires are Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac 31x10.5R15LT (https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Goodyear&tireModel=Wrangler+DuraTrac&partnum=105QR5WDTOWL). They're badass.