New to Forum, but not new to the truck...

[WarStryker13]

Hello everyone!

I don't actually own a Ram 50 yet, but I grew up with my dad's 88 Power Ram 50 and I've always wanted one of my own. That little truck cost my dad $900 back in 2006, with almost 200k on the odometer already. It had an extended cab, short bed, was the two-tone black and gold and even had skid plates to go with it. During my childhood I saw the 2.6L 4cyl manage to haul multiple other vehicles on trailers, well over 30,000lbs of construction materials on a trailer, and an old 52ft modular home. But that little truck still managed to net almost 26MPG with my dad driving it. He eventually had to get rid of it because the previous owner used GL5 gear oil in it instead of GL4, and by the time my dad got it the damage to the synchros had already been done. It lasted him over 150k miles, up until after I left for BCT. I didn't get the chance to tell him I wanted that truck until after he sold it, and I'm kicking myself for it now. Ever since I learned how to drive a standard in it, I've wanted one but never really had the chance to get one. Now that I no longer have my previous DD (04 Pontiac Grand Prix, interesting story) I'm trying to find a decent 2nd Gen Power Ram 50.

I'm looking for an extended cab short bed 4x4... I'm perfectly content with either manual or auto, but it has to have at least the 2.6L. I'm not scared by rust, but there is a point where it can't be fixed. I'm near the DC area, so if anyone has leads I'd love to hear them. I've found a few potentially good ones already, but I'm keeping options open.

I'm excited to have a truck again, and I'm even more excited to start making my own memories with a truck that I grew up with. I know I'll be coming back here again and again, because I can never leave anything original and stock, but I'm genuinely glad to have found a place where these trucks and the info for them still survives. Looking forward to a lot of long nights scratching my head and cursing rusted fasteners... And I wouldn't have it any other way.

[geezer101]

Hi and welcome to mightyram. The forum isn't about owning one - just being interested or having the passion for these trucks is enough. Hell, the number of members who own one and it doesn't even run is kinda funny (I'm on that list, but I'm working on it :rolleyes:) Something will turn up or you'll run into something else that is too good to pass up (someone may even have your dads' truck layed up in storage...) The gear oil debacle your dad ran up against is an issue we hear about. One uneducated decision can wreck your ride before you realise it's happening.

[WarStryker13]

Well I'm actually in need of another vehicle, and it needs to be 4WD... But I've got a 40+ mile commute to work everyday, so fuel economy is a big factor. Add in my past experience working on a Ram 50, the truck fits my needs and looks good doing it. The only reason I'm not driving one yet is because of the weather. The only 4WD Ram 50s are a couple hours away and the past couple of weekends have been a bit too nasty to take a road trip. I'm hoping that I can pick up the one I've been eyeballing by Monday...

[steve1814]

I'm not too far up the road from you in Hagerstown. I have a couple 4x4 50's/MM plus a parts truck that I am constantly working on so if you want to stop by or need assistance with anything, let me know.

[WarStryker13]

I'm going to go look at an 87 regular cab today, hopefully it's not too beat up.

[WarStryker13]

Well I went for it. The truck's a little rough, but it doesn't need much to be good. Once I finally get it home it should only take a couple weeks to get it back on the road. I'll be posting pictures and updates in a separate thread.

[travhous]

Congratulations on your new truck.

[xboxrox]

We been seeing the snow on TV News; welcome here... Please post a photo...

[WarStryker13]

21634

I've got more pics to take and then upload, but this thread http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin/showthread.php/7470-87-Ram-50-4x4-quot-junkyard-quot-rescue has more info on the truck itself.

[xboxrox]

WarStryker, thanks for the photos; you got a ride that should run forever; 2WD easier on gas but hopefully you can get 18MPG or better on your 40 mile commute... Use the lightest weight recommended oil for your climate for best MPG... Perhaps adding a cup of gas treatment for upper cylinder lubricant/fuel system cleaner or cup of diesel fuel (same thing) when gassing up could help MPG a little... Type of tires & tire air pressure affects mileage a great deal, but you know that... Everyone has an opinion and here is mine on tires for these trucks (best tire for MPG/quiet ride/smooth ride/excellent on & off road traction/price/never seem to wear out):
https://www.herculestire.com/tire-details/Hercules/Terra-Trac-AT-II

CYA

P.S. To further help MPG, remove spare tire & everything behind the seat on the floors and anything & everything except helium filled balloons... :)

[geezer101]

4x4's are never great on MPG's but the carb is the biggest cause of that. As I mentioned in another post, the Weber carb does everything better than the factory Mikuni carb. Yes it can be fiddly to get the engine tune right but once it's there, it's more than worth the effort. Getting rid of the water pump driven clutch fan and installing an electric fan will help as well. It'll cool the engine when it needs it most, takes a load off the water pump and de-governs the engine enough to improve throttle response (added bonus of freeing up some engine bay room as well)

[WarStryker13]

I know there's little tricks to save as much gas as possible, but in my personal opinion driving style has the biggest effect on fuel mileage. I'm still not entirely sure how my dad managed it, but I was with him at the gas station enough times to see the math and he was legitimately getting well over 20 mpg on a regular basis, and at one point it made 29.8 mpg...

I'm a firm believer in using a fuel treatment every couple of fill ups, this truck might get one with every fill up for a couple months. I'll be doing another oil change after about a month, then one every other month for maybe the first 5-7 months, then go back to my usual habit of every 3 months or 3k miles. Some people think it's a waste, but I'm of the mindset that it's cheaper to buy oil and a filter than it is to rebuild an engine.

And yes, a 4wd truck is never going to get better gas mileage than the same truck with 2wd, but compared to most other 4wd pickups of the same era these trucks get phenomenal gas mileage.

I'm definitely going to go with a Weber carb, I'm just trying to find one super cheap. I'm hoping that a used one pops up on here in the next couple of weeks/months and I can do the swap then. I'm hoping that the stock carb is fine, maybe just a little gummed up inside but still functioning so I can drive it for a while with the stock carb. That way, when I do switch to the Weber I will be able to fully appreciate the upgrade.

[BradMph]

Be sure in your search for a cheap weber you don't buy a knock off one. Be sure it says weber on that casting and not just on a sticker. Probably will be tough to find one real cheap since they all are pretty much the same price across the board. Keep us notified, great truck.

[pennyman1]

use Sta-Bil marine ethanol treatment - it negates the problems of ethanol fuel. Been running it in Geronimo and my 92 Prelude for years. 1 oz to 10 gallons - made my prelude quiet down from being like a 50 cal machine gun to can't hear it run, and the gas mileage went up 4mpg - your mileage may vary

[xboxrox]

This YouTube video at the 3 minute point talks about STA-BIL ethanol treatment
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYkN91xy8J8

Perhaps a Marina or boat shop has the marine version..?

[WarStryker13]

Be sure in your search for a cheap weber you don't buy a knock off one. Be sure it says weber on that casting and not just on a sticker. Probably will be tough to find one real cheap since they all are pretty much the same price across the board. Keep us notified, great truck.

So the EMPI brand carburetors are to be avoided? They claim it's the Weber carb without having the Weber name...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BW5FU9W/ref=sxbs_sxwds-stvp_2?pf_rd_p=03dd84f0-0dd9-4d32-b6cb-02a32e0ba336&pd_rd_wg=gUlLn&pf_rd_r=2ZA797KX2KTKD6MSCYVG&pd_rd_i=B01BW5FU9W&pd_rd_w=UcfQo&pd_rd_r=d2abb917-ef7d-4cc3-9b4d-787769610a45&ie=UTF8&qid=1548542311&sr=2

That's the link, and it states "This is the same exact carburetor that was manufactured and supplied to Weber North America for the past 5 years." Is it bullcrap? lol

I'm considering just going to redline direct and ordering there, avoid further issues and just get this thing on the road.

[geezer101]

No it's not BS as it 'is' the carb they've been distributing through Weber North America - but it is the bad Weber knock off from China. Go to Redline and you won't get screwed over :thumbup:

[pennyman1]

+2 on that - redline only sells to distributors, but they will direct you to one so you get a true weber.

[WarStryker13]

I'm waiting on an email back from them, but I did do some more work while I'm sitting here waiting on parts... I ordered some cheap knock-off Pacesetter's until I can afford the fancy hand built ones on here, and some cheapo shocks just because the old ones are completely wasted.

I also bought an MSD Blaster 2 coil, after trying to get it running day before yesterday I remembered to check the ballast resistor and burned myself on it. Now I just have to figure out which wires go where and go get a mounting bracket... Lol

Found a few ant nests, carb cleaner is really good at killing larger amounts of insects quickly... Lol but I do need a new instrument cluster bezel/cover thing and radio mount/HVAC controls bezel... And the passenger door still plastic molding, the dome light cover, the entire rear cargo light assembly... I've got a lot of work to do.