Fell for the looks

[Todd_H]

Hey everyone, sitting here bored in my engineering class now and found this forum for ram50's and mightymax's. Three days ago i bought a 95 and I'm absolutely in love with it. I've been staying up til all hours of the night with my roommates just standing outside looking and talking about the truck, coming up with excuses to run an errand just to drive it a little, and just thinking about it all day. While it looks and sounds great, the truck does have a few issues that I'm going to try to go through on my broke college kid wallet.

THE GOOD
The truck has good bones, solid rust-free frame and body, drives and shifts great, and after getting a new dryer for the A/C it blows ice cold. The alloy rims its on look great lowered down. It has a nice exhaust on it, not straight piped so it doesn't sound like someone stole my cats while i was in Walmart or something. The body is okay, few dings and dents but I think it adds character, plus these trucks were used and abused all over the country, I imagine it would be pretty hard finding one that's in perfect shape. I've already had people yelling "what year is that?" and someone in an M3 trying to set up a roll race, but we both shared a laugh after i yelled out "I wouldn't stand a chance!" The truck is the perfect example of Loud doesn't mean fast.

THE BAD
It has a valve tick noise coming from it. I wasn't able to identify the noise when I was looking at it, as it's not very loud so I was hopeful it was just a belt or ps pump or something. But as I've been driving it, its been bothering me more and more, and I'm really nervous about the issue, I want to get it fixed ASAP. After looking up some cheapy solutions like Rizlone or some other engine treatment, hoping the noise came from some sludgy oil and could be cleaned out with the rizlone, I'm wondering if its even worth it as it looks like it was a victim of overheating. The Head gasket was recently done, the head was machined, and it got a brand new radiator, which makes me think that the noise could be a result of a bad exhaust valve somewhere. I'm not scared of pulling the head off and doing a valve job myself, I would like to think of myself as being pretty mechanically inclined and able to do the job. Not to mention I couldn't afford the hundreds (maybe thousands) it would take to get it done someone here in Miami, but I would want to do a lot of research before doing so. The other problems it has are pretty simple, just some cosmetic issues like a door rattle going over bumps, a slight floppiness in the shifter, and the tailgate doesn't open. I've already looked through some of the threads here about doing a valve job on the truck from some other users, and have watched a couple videos. While it seems pretty daunting, I'm willing to take it on if it's something that makes me park the truck until that's fixed, and I need to do right now.

VERDICT
Even after talking down the seller and picking up the truck for 5k, i still think I overpaid for the truck. It's just so hard to find something that's not completely clapped out or extremely overpriced with the market here in south florida for light duty pickup trucks right now (i saw another 95 for 9grand the other day!). However, I'm still extremely in love with it, I'm going to take the best care i can provide for it. I followed the advice of the welcome thread and I'm looking up parts to order for this weekend to do some preventative maintenance. If you made it to the end of this post thanks so much for reading and checking out my truck. Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated, god bless

[pennyman1]

The ticking is the hydraulic lash adjusters making the noise due to sludge or just worn out. You can knock Rislone all you want, but it has been around since the 50's, and it will work if the adjusters are just sludged up. If you really want to fix it, replace the lash adjusters - 50-80 dollars should buy you a set - just soak them in auto transmission fluid or motor oil over night to be sure they have oil in them when you put them in.

[geezer101]

Hi and welcome to mightyram. I'd first try an oil flush. It will go a long way into silencing noisy hydraulics and will decontaminate the inside of the engine and prolong oil life. It will also help break up gunk on piston rings and grooves and may improve compression depending on how fouled up it is. Got a write up on how I perform a flush and other members have used it with varying degrees of success - link here (http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin/showthread.php/2954-Why-didn-t-I-Think-Of-That?p=49688&viewfull=1#post49688)

[charger_john]

Great write-up. Welcome to the forum. Would love to see pics!

[Todd_H]

Thank you guys for the suggestions and responses, i ran to advance and picked up the rislone and used about half the bottle as i was nervous about overfilling. It seemed to help a little bit, but the noise is still very noticeable. Im going to check the oil now and see if it can get some more added, if so ill fill the rest up. If theres no improvement there, ill take the next step and resort to the oil flush. Also, i saw a few kits for the lash adjusters which is great because i read something about them being hard to find. As for the images, as soon as i can figure out how to do it ill upload them lol!

[ikeepzitclean]

welcome to the forum. sounds like a good truck. once you get some pictures ot it, post up man.

[xboxrox]

God Bless you too Todd_H

Following Product Directions Closely:

1) Do a hot engine crankcase oil & filter change (use one quart of Rislone / get out on the fwy and run it up & down 30 minutes of hauling jazz)
2) Do another hot engine crankcase oil & filter change ( O'Reilly's has WIX filters) X'd fingers that after a few days the noise goes away
3) Checkout Cataclean product at O'Reilly's (it cleans valves rings pistons even carbon out of the catalytic converter / use with 1/4 tank of gas)
http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=27122&stc=1 photo photo please :thumbup:

[Todd_H]

Thank you everyone so much for helping out with more suggestions, I've been tinkering with and driving the truck around (new spark plugs, cleaned up some wiring, did some interior work) the lash adjuster noise actually went away at idle which is great. But either way I still have new ones coming in, and I'm going to do the job with a friend of mine who used to be a mechanic and loves these 4g64 engines. I was actually able to source a lot of information from the forum here and i was able to get the haynes manual which breaks down the process step by step. I find it really great that this community has so much information to provide for these trucks and it makes me feel a lot more comfortable working on the car. I'm also trying to source an original bench seat for the truck as right now it has two bucket seats with a big subwoofer in the middle. There's a lot of good quality audio equipment in the truck but its poorly wired in some places (I even found a live wire in the engine bay) and I immediately got to work making sure that there wasn't anything that would zap the wiring harness. While it sounds good in the truck, I don't think I'm going to keep the subwoofer because there just isn't any space for it, its jammed in between the two bucket seats right now, making for a pretty uncomfortable ride. I'm hoping to find a bench seat, and try to switch to a floor-mounted subwoofer to fit better in the car. Also have 50sqft of Kilmat coming in to help with sound deadening and making it overall more comfortable to ride in. My girlfriend says that it "rattles her brain" at idle LOL. And I finally figured out how to post the first picture! Ill be keeping updates with what's going on, as well as the before and after of the interior which is hopefully going to be done by the end of the week!
http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=27124&stc=1

[SubGothius]

In case you can't find a stock bench seat, I've read that '85-93 Mazda B-series pickup seats are a direct nut'n'bolt swap.

[Todd_H]

Time for another Update:

I took the truck into the mechanic on Thursday to get the brakes worked on, as there was a leak in the system somewhere. After taking two days to find out where the leak is coming from, and then telling me "i just cant get that part right now" it was very clear that the guy did not want to work on the truck, and i need to figure this out myself. His shop is clearly just an in-and-out style place that wants quick business, and he doesn't want to spend the time sourcing the part and taking the time to fix it.

So here's where I'm at now, the leak is coming from the load sensing pressure valve under the bed of the truck and needs to be replaced. (Oh it took me 3 minutes to find the part and have it coming in tomorrow by the way) After reading through an older post:

http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin/showthread.php/7838-Brake-Proportioning-Valve-Rebuild

I figured out where its at and what to do. HOWEVER, there is talk in that post about when your vehicle is lowered, that the same LSPV will not work properly because of the adjusted ride height. The solution is to adjust the valves position to compensate for the lowered ride, and to get the right amount of fluid delivered to the rear brakes.

I'm looking for any advice as to how to go about doing this, is there a way to adjust that spring that actuates the valve? should i move the valves position entirely with some type of fabricated bracket? or should i even bother and just throw the new LPSV and call it a day.

Thank you guys for any advice you can give.

[xboxrox]

No brackets ~ adjustment is needed to have proper braking bias with a loaded truck ~ my truck is stock so I just made sure the Made in China replacement valve was same as original setting...
http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin/showthread.php/42-What-did-you-do-to-your-truck-today/page79

[geezer101]

Looks like the part # is MB618321 and covers trucks from 87 to 2001. I've looked on AliExpress and the ball park price is about $40USD. Some vendors are going high ball for price sans shipping, some are going lowball and marking up on the shipping. The vendors are all using the same images which indicates they are all the same part. They all have the nylon spring retainer/bush on the load actuator arm.

[xboxrox]

Looks like the part # is MB618321 and covers trucks from 87 to 2001. I've looked on AliExpress and the ball park price is about $40USD. Some vendors are going high ball for price sans shipping, some are going lowball and marking up on the shipping. The vendors are all using the same images which indicates they are all the same part. They all have the nylon spring retainer/bush on the load actuator arm.

darn I should be named Old geezer ~ I don't remember exactly BUT I think ebay is where I bought the load s'enior ~ it came properly adjusted (same setting as my old one) but on a lowered truck some other adjustment might be needed TEST the brakes in a deserted area at 100MPH and stomp on the brake pedal as hard as possible IF IF IF the truck stops straight then it's properly adjusted ;]

That little crescent moon shaped clip is plastic on the Chinese replacement & metal on the original Mitsubishi ~ can't remember but I think mine got lost in the changeout and we ended up using the plastic part ~ we were able to fish it through the spring & attachment point without having to disassemble the entire gizzmo
Good Luck Fixing it :thumbup:

[geezer101]

I'm about to put my noob hat on and ask - how does this thing work? The more the axle travels towards the frame, the more it adds bias to the rear brakes? Can you simply change the loading spring on the valve arm to reduce the rear bias? Or even bend/adjust the spring end hook/loop to compensate for the reduced suspension travel?

[xboxrox]

I'm about to put my noob hat on and ask - how does this thing work? The more the axle travels towards the frame, the more it adds bias to the rear brakes? Can you simply change the loading spring on the valve arm to reduce the rear bias? Or even bend/adjust the spring end hook/loop to compensate for the reduced suspension travel?
Yes to all the above BUT I dunno which way on the adjusting screw increases or decreases rear braking & BUT rear braking needs to be increased with a loaded truck ~
http://load sensing valve to bias brakes for loaded truck

From a Toyota LSPV forum discussion:
The idea of that thing is to increase pressure to the rear brakes as the load in the bed increases, and decrease proportionally as load(weight) is removed to avoid rear lockup. The adjustment is only there for factory setting, and Toyota does not reccomend we adjust. In case of collision you might have to, or to compensate for a lift without an extension bracket possibly...

my suggestion is to check online forums for lowered & raised trucks ~ I guess some modified truck owners do fiddle with brackets to compensate the LSPV operation !?!

[crvtec90]

I just bought that Ebay Load sensing proportion valve (LSPV) and installed on my truck yesterday . So far so good but only time will tell.

My original was leaking and I just wanted to stop the leak asap. New OEM / stock / factory valves are still available ( at 10 times the cost ) if you search Mitsubishi dealers on the internet. With my luck if I bought one of them it would probably be the one that was stored for 30 years in a 100 degree warehouse and blows the seals out the first time I hit the brake pedal hard. Probably just as likely to happen with my cheapo Chinese Ebay valve but I guess we will see.

The spring from the valve lever is hooked to a bracket that bolts to the diff on my truck . That bracket has a bolt /slider adjuster . My truck has 3 inch lowering blocks so I loosened the adjuster bolt and slid it all the way to the driver side which will hopefully put it back to the proper adjustment.

Lots of MM / D50 owners say its not that necessary and you dont even need it . My spring wasnt even hooked up and I drove it all over the place never having any issues. Unfortunately my rear cylinders were rusted shut so Im pretty sure I was stopping with mostly front brakes anyway . Shame on me for not taking the time to inspect my brakes more often.

If your valve is leaking you should check the rear wheel cylinders as well . Lift up the rubber boots and make sure no fluid is present.

Look at the brake booster below the master cylinder for staining, rusting, dampness . It should be clean and dry . You can also unbolt the master cylinder from the booster. Leave the hydraulic lines hooked up. Try to slide it forward just enough to look behind it for any fluid or corrosion

Only replaced the lspv because it was leaking. I bought the el cheapo Ebay part just for ease of installation because Im not in the mood to re engineer my brake system.

[geezer101]

^good advice from crvtec. If the load valve is leaking, there's a small chance replacing it will increase the pressure @ the wheel cylinders enough to make them leak. And kudos to him for revealing the trick to adjusting the proportioning valve travel (at least for the Gen 2 trucks - don't know if it's applicable to Gen 1...)

[Todd_H]

Thank you everyone for the responses as always, especially crvtec90 that was exactly the information i needed with my application. I bought the same part on amazon and it came in today. I'm going to be doing the install later today when its not so hot, and do a thorough inspection of the rear brakes as well. The sound deadening, and my new subwoofer came in too. But we aren't gonna talk about me dropping money on something I don't need, right? ;)

[Todd_H]

Update: the brakes work amazing now! The LPSV was adjusted to the drivers side all the way to compensate for the lowered ride height.

[geezer101]

You need brakes - they are good. Nice work on getting the new load valve to run the rears properly. And a sub is essential. If you've ever had car audio and heard the difference between subwoofer vs no subwoofer, it's like getting new ears. It fills in a void in the audio quality.

Post pics of your install :thumbup:

[Todd_H]

First off i wanted to show my appreciation for this forum, this community has been hands-down the best resource for keeping these trucks on the road. You guys truly are an awesome group, seeing your dedication to these cars and informing people of what you guys have learned.


I HATE SELF TAPPING SCREWS
For some reason or another, the previous owner decided to use these hex head self-tapping sheet metal screws to mount everything he worked on. These screws are great if you're putting up roof flashing or working on a gutter on the side of your house, but in my opinion, they are the worst choice for any automotive application. The reason being that there is nothing backing the screw besides the thin piece of sheet metal that it just created a hole through, causing them to back out and wiggle free. My first issue was dealing with the audio equipment in the truck, the amplifier, subwoofer and all the speakers were mounted with these screws. Eventually as the car drove around and shook over every bump, these screws would back out and cause some awful rattles in the cab. I bought a threaded rivet gun to properly mount things like my new subwoofer, the rattling amp, and even fixing bad grounds that were used with these self-tapping screws.


CHASING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS
Along with chasing after these rattling items in the cabin, I've also been having some problems with my truck sometimes starting and not starting. I first bought a new battery and that let me get to work. After I experienced the same problem a couple days later, i started doing a more through inspection of the wiring, and here's where I was left with my head scratching. Why in the world would someone use one of these crappy screws to mount the three main fusible links on the positive side of the terminal? The same screws used on all the other audio equipment was here forced into the left side of the battery terminal (shown below) and causing the yellow 60A fuse to send sparks flying out of it because of the loosened connection. After installing two new battery terminals on each side and replacing the fusible link (info found here on that http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin/showthread.php/8439-Fusible-links?highlight=Fusible+links), I thought I had found the problem, but I'm still experiencing the same symptoms of a bad alternator, with a rough idle sometimes, poor acceleration, and watching my headlights flicker to the beat of my subwoofer at red lights. I took a multimeter to the battery and found that when the truck is running with no accessories on, the alternator struggles to charge the battery over 12v. Once i turn on my ac, my radio, and my headlights, my voltage drops as low as 10 across the battery terminals. I've checked the voltage drop across both the alternator case and the positive post, and they both read out good readings, so i think I've narrowed down my problem to the alternator not charging the battery properly.


NEW ALTERNATOR
My question on this is, i can get a new OEM 45A alternator tomorrow for my truck, throw it in and call it a day. But for my application, with my radio, AC and my LED lights, should i invest the money and get a bigger Alternator? And if i should, what are my best options? I found this one on eBay that is supposed to be a bolt-on performance part, but its 165a compared to the 45a stock rated one.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/252789723733 Is this overkill? Also, the company who makes these recommends to get a smaller belt and an "extra power cable" to work with my 95 2.4L mighty max.


As always, any help is greatly appreciated. Here are some pictures of the stuff I've been talking about. Cheers and Happy belated Easter!

https://imgur.com/wwTqJWE http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=27232&stc=1 http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=27233&stc=1 http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=27234&stc=1

One more thing, if anyone can help me learn more about how to upload photos cause i stink!
https://imgur.com/wwTqJWE

[SubGothius]

Re: upgrading the alternator for higher current capacity, the old adage applies, "Too much is always better than not enough!"

Current is a "pull" or "draw" from the demand side, so amperage ratings on the supply side just indicate how much demand they can safely meet and handle -- i.e., don't worry about an alternator "putting out too much amperage".

Voltage is a "push" from the supply side, so as long as an alternator has a suitable voltage rating for a typical 12-volt passenger-vehicle application and can meet or (preferably) exceed the expected current demand, you should be fine. At worst, you might spend more than necessary for a higher current capacity than you really need or would ever use.

Also check/refurb your major grounds. Not sure how similar yours would be to my '87, but I've got 3-piece ground cables going from my battery negative to the body (inner fender area below the battery tray), from there to the frame (inner side of the main rail along the lower wheel arch), and from there to the block, plus another ground from the head to the firewall.

[geezer101]

Bad connections, especially grounds in these trucks as Chargerx3 has pointed out, are the primary culprit for electrical gremlins. Honestly, disconnect all of the grounds on the block, frame and anywhere else you can get to them, give the grounding loops a good clean with steel wool and even take a wire wheel to the bolts to de-crud them before reinstalling. Check the ground cables are still in solid condition with no swelling or split insulation. Using LED's are a great idea - they take a load off the electrical system and are way more efficient :thumbup:If you're going to experience electrical problems, it will be at night when it's raining and cold. Lights are on, wipers are going like your life depends on it and the heater is trying to stop your windscreen from turning into a sheet of frosted glass. IMO you shouldn't need to go any bigger than a 90amp alternator. Add to it a battery with a good CCA rating like 660 or better - the biggest 12v battery you can stuff in there like a 13 plate. Guaranteed you will never suffer from sluggish starts or accessory issues. Add terminal grease to the battery poles - and please use a proper battery clamp and not an elastic strap. If the positive terminal hits the hood you will know straight away + the LEO's may not like seeing that on a roadside check...

[crvtec90]

I run electric cooling fan and stereo system with two amplifiers on a stock alternator and never had a problem. I would like to upgrade the alternator though one day just to say I did. I dont know about that particular one you speak of but Im pretty sure the vans had a higher amperage as well as starion. I just dont like to order certain parts online because if it doesnt work out then I have to worry about returns and refunds. Ive bought brand new alternators from the parts store that were no good and just had to go exchange at the store.

[SubGothius]

Add to it a battery with a good CCA rating like 660 or better - the biggest 12v battery you can stuff in there like a 13 plate. Guaranteed you will never suffer from sluggish starts or accessory issues.

I like AGM-type batteries; a Group 34 size fits the stock tray nicely. All the ones I've had lasted at least 5 years (no mean feat here in Tucson w/ summer highs above 110°F) and would have lasted even longer if I hadn't inadvertently deep-discharged them past the point of recovery.

[xboxrox]

I like AGM-type batteries; a Group 34 size fits the stock tray nicely. All the ones I've had lasted at least 5 years (no mean feat here in Tucson w/ summer highs above 110°F) and would have lasted even longer if I hadn't inadvertently deep-discharged them past the point of recovery.
I've never researched a battery life comparison between cold climate & hot climate ~ it seems electrical electronic items are susceptible to damage from vibration and heat ~ somewhere I read putting batteries in the refrigerator could possibly extend their life ~ My personal experience of battery life in cold climates (Washington State & Hawaii State) and warm climates IS THAT my car batteries lasted longer in the cold than in the heat ~ your thoughts..? Oh, I now know that battery companies make batteries specific for cold or hot climates, learned that here in Hawaii at a Firestone Dealer selling green color Interstate batteries...

[SubGothius]

I only know the prevailing anecdotal reports from other Tucsonans that conventional batteries typically seem to need replacement every couple years or so here. Heat-related degradation probably relates to heat accelerating chemical reactions in general, so whatever happens to kill a battery with age probably just happens faster here.

[xboxrox]

I only know the prevailing anecdotal reports from other Tucsonans that conventional batteries typically seem to need replacement every couple years or so here. Heat-related degradation probably relates to heat accelerating chemical reactions in general, so whatever happens to kill a battery with age probably just happens faster here.

I agree Sub

[parkedufo]

I kind of ran into the same issue. I think I overpaid for my 94 that i recently bought from someone, but I grew an immediate love for this truck so it doesn't sit right for me to just get rid of it. The ticking just started happening to me and I'm having a nervous feeling about it. It's with a mechanic right now getting prepped for it to pass smog (been trying to get it to pass for the past month), so if he doesn't see anything wrong I guess I can wait it out until I make another sum of money to get it fixed.

[SubGothius]

Ticking is most likely a sticky hydraulic lifter. The tried-and-true oil flush method outlined here might just resolve that:

http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin/showthread.php/2954-Why-didn-t-I-Think-Of-That?p=49688&viewfull=1#post49688