New member, 2nd Mitsubishi based truck

Hello all, looking for tips and tricks. A little background, my first vehicle was an 84 Mighty Max long bed 2wd I owned from 1991 to 1993. I recently purchased a 1988 Dodge Power Ram 50 4x4 automatic long bed. The fellow I bought it from said it needs timing chains and included them in the sale. The motor appears stuck on first inspection but I plan to pull it, replace the head, overhaul with rings and bearings and make it a daily driver. I will separate the body from the chassis, blast and either paint or powder coat it. They salt in the winter so I am trying to preserve the truck and make it last. It has some rust, rockers etc but the rest looks in great shape and the frame has some scale but mainly surface rust. I don’t own “beaters” and cherish these older vehicles significantly. I bought this to have a cool run around and daily commuter. I am looking for parts sources, what I should do since I will have it pulled down briefly etc. Any advice, tips, tricks will be greatly appreciated.

Welcome to the forum, englewoodcowboy, and greetings from a fellow Virginian. I'm of no use to you as far as mechanical advice goes...I'm just here to welcome you to the forum!

We want pictures...lots of pictures. (Note that we have a photo gallery, too).

All the best on your project, and please be sure to document your progress here!

Hi and welcome to mightyram. Be prepared for the worst when pulling the engine apart. It might need a trip through a machine shop depending on what has caused the engine to lock up. There is a ton of info on site for tips and tricks so be prepared to do a lot of clicking and reading! The most trouble you will get out of the engine will be the Mikuni carb. Tricky to diagnose and work on - but there's always the option of swapping it for something better.
Post pics, ask questions! :thumbup:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by geezer101

Hi and welcome to mightyram. Be prepared for the worst when pulling the engine apart. It might need a trip through a machine shop depending on what has caused the engine to lock up. There is a ton of info on site for tips and tricks so be prepared to do a lot of clicking and reading! The most trouble you will get out of the engine will be the Mikuni carb. Tricky to diagnose and work on - but there's always the option of swapping it for something better.
Post pics, ask questions! :thumbup:

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Thats what I am thinking. I bought it knowing it wasn't running but not that it wouldn't turn over. He said he drove it and parked it, the next day went to start it and this is what it did. I did some research and if a chain broke or came off it could bind up. No external signs of damage etc. but I am planning at a minimum of new head, new rings, bearings and seals along with the timing chains. Its not too expensive until you have to get an outside party involved so hopefully no trips to the machine shop. My plans are to also convert to the Holley Sniper using the large bore 2GC setup. I figure I will by the weber adapter base and then make a new machined adapter that bolts to it in place of the weber adapter, reuse the stock air cleaner etc. keeping it looking mostly stock. I am after dependability and economy. It helps I own an established restoration shop though our focus is the 1966-77 Ford Broncos so this will be a nice change of pace for a quick project. I plan on documenting the process with the sniper. The biggest hurdle I am seeing is lack of parts availability so I am hoping as I compile a list between this site and the local salvage yards I can get everything I need. If there are any suppliers you may know of to point me too, brands to avoid etc. it will help for sure.

Second Gen trucks are getting old. You will struggle to find new panels and trim parts but some stuff like grilles and bumpers are still around. Same goes for turn and brake light assemblies as they have repros available. If the engine blew a timing chain, worst thing that could happen is the chain bundling up at the bottom of the timing cover and smashing everything. Highly unlikely though. The 4G single cam engines are non interference so you shouldn't have to worry about valvetrain damage. Bottom end of the 4G54 is absurdly strong - it'll handle 600 hp in factory trim. The heads are the weak link. Both in design (prone to cracking, mostly related to jet valve heads) and in power development in NA form. Some porting, intake manifold work and headers will improve it's overall performance.

As for who you should approach to buy what from is subjective. There are so many posts and threads on site that it would be very difficult to compile information and recommend a vendor and who exactly to steer away from. If in doubt - Google it for reviews. Companies close and get bought out all the time so info can become unreliable very quickly. We do have a list of suppliers for Weber carbs. Who to trust, who to avoid and what to look for when buying one. This is probably the one part that gets people burnt on a regular basis.

Welcome back to the club!

http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...id=26616&stc=1 Had to figure out how to post pics… so here is a pic of my new truck as I was bringing it home. Got to play with it a little today, got it to turn over, was just a very flat battery so things are moving. I also found a donor in a junk yard I am going to look at buying parts from. I should have this thing looking a lot better and on the road sometime in August I hope.