Poppin the hood and divin in! (1990 build)

I'm not sure if this is the place to post a build thread what the hell, Right? So, I bought my first Max about a month ago. She's a 1990, 2wd, 5spd manual trans with the 4G64. I call her Lowla, for obvious reasons. I bought her from an older guy who traded an ATV for her. He's apparently a wheeler and a dealer, he only had her for about a month before selling her to me. I was told that the oil was changed less than 100 miles before I showed up to take her home. On my drive back home I started to her a tick in the engine so I decided I'd add a little seafoam to the crankcase and I noticed the oil was pretty dark from what I could see. I drained the oil and got maybe 1.5 quarts of some pretty terrible looking oil to come out. So I closed the drain plug, added 3 quarts of fresh oil, idled her for about 2 minutes and drained her again. I then filled her up with fresh oil and ran the seafoam treatment. The ticking stopped and all was well.... for about 3 days. The ticking came back so I decided to checkout out the exhaust gasket. It had seen better days, no doubt, so out with the old and in with the new. The ticking stopped and the engine felt better, stronger. I decided that the exhaust gasket must have been the culprit after a cold start the next morning went well. She fired right up with no ticking, no warm up time needed. So I pull out onto the road and she drove like the engine was already up to operating temp, it had to have been the gasket. A few days later, the damn ticking is back again!

So here we are, present day. I checked my oil a few days ago and my oil level was just below the low mark on my dipstick and looks pretty dirty again already. I noticed some oil on the back side of the valve cover but I haven't seen any in my driveway so I don't think it's leaking badly but it's getting swapped out with a fresh one. I decided since the exhaust manifold and the valve cover are getting new gaskets then why not put fresh ones on the intake side as well? I found the gasket that goes between the intake manifold and the engine but I had to make the other gaskets on the manifold itself. I have the upper and lower intake manifolds all cleaned up, back together and ready to go back onto the engine. I cleaned the inside of them well with oven cleaner, brake cleaner, hot water and a plastic scrub brush.

At this point I plan on:
- picking up the gasket and reinstalling the intake manifold
- picking up and installing the valve cover gasket
- cleaning and maybe paint the valve cover itself. Tips or product recommendations to help me achieve this are definitely welcomed
- giving the block itself a good scrub down
- making and install the collector gasket (between the exhaust manifold and the exhaust pipe). I'm having trouble breaking the bolts loose to be able to do it.
- diesel engine flush (I'm planning on using a method recommended by Geezer)
- new spark plugs, plug wires, distributor cap and rotor
- replacing the welded differntial
- ordering and installing the timing belt cover, and the front valnce
- ordering and customizing a new front grille
- alignment and fresh tires

I'm on a pretty tight budget at the moment but she's slowly but surely coming together. The list above isn't necessarily in order but that's she what needs. If you have tips, tricks, insight, recommendation or just wanna throw in your 2 cents, I'm all ears. I'm new to the mighty max/ram 50 scene so I'm always open to learning something new. I only have a couple pictures that I'll post below but I'll be taking a lot more as I go since I decided to make this thread. Right now I'm just trying to get her tuned up , running strong and driving straight. Once I've achieved that and I've become a little more familiar with her, then maybe we'll start think about adding a few more ponies u fee the hood!

Sorry for the long novel and thanks for stoppin in!

Attachment 20139Attachment 20140

All opened up, removing the old gaskets and getting ready to prep the surface for the fresh ones
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There's 2 images above. The second one is upside down for some reason

That's ok, I'll turn my screen upside down or lie upside down on my couch lol. It's hydraulic so the tick can be cured with my engine flush technique. It's a bit 'bare bones' in the cab. Noise deadener on the floor is good (that isn't factory? :shrug:), a pair of bucket seats would lift the interior (you got a welder, a bench vise and a big ass hammer you can make your own seat rails and get nearly any seat you like the look of to fit in there). Door cards are relatively easy to make (those ones you have are a bit on the fugly side) and cheap as well depending on the look you want.

I'd like you to be the 'guinea pig' so to speak for my tune method. Once you have it glued back together and set the factory engine tune up, test drive the truck around a stretch of road you're familiar with, then head back and alter your tune using the method I've outlined in the Tech Section -

http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...th-ECM-control

Offer some feedback in your thread here. Retuning your engine won't take long but you will need some way to read engine rpm's.

I thought it was an aussie engine...lol

I haven't done anything to the cab yet. I'm focusing on under the hood for now, the way the cab is now is how it was when I got it. I'm thinking about maybe a second layer of sou f deadener and maybe carpet but to be honest, I like the fact that I can wipe the floorboards down with a towel when it gets dirty. I'm a workin man in a rainy neighborhood so it pretty convenient really. I was thinking of laying down something like a roll on bed liner to keep a solid, easily cleanable surface but the bed liner is really porous. And yes, the door panels are currently fugly as all hell. I'm going to keep the bench seat and either re upholster or more like just buy a cover. I want the door panels to match whatever I end up doing to the seat.

Tuning, timing, messing with the ecu and things of the sort always make me a little nervous, I don't consider myself to be an experienced mechanic although I am a little more savvy than your average Joe (or at least I think so). But that sounds easy enough. After I have her all buttoned up I'll give her a go. If like to install an rpm tach anyway so that'll give me a reason.

Call me crazy but I kinda like this but darker and horizontal stripes.
Attachment 20143

Also, I thought this was interesting. The guys at my local parts store recognized this truck and told me that there used to be a huge stereo system in it. This is a sealed box that's accessible behind the bench seat, it sits in the back of the bed. I think it looks pretty shotty so I kind of want to remove it but it's actually proved to be pretty handy so I might just see about having someone with some fab skills make it a little prettier

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SHIT!!! (Sheared bolt from the bottom of the exhaust manifold)

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So, your 'engine ticking sound' is different than the standard hydraulic lifter ticking?

I think that's what it is. I hear it's pretty common in these little trucks

a bad exhaust manifold gasket will make a ticking sound - once you fix the snapped off stud and replace the gasket, the ticking may go away.

i replaced the exhaust manifold gasket already, im doing the collector gasket now, thats where i snaped rthe bolt

I've been pretty busy lately so I haven't been able to spend much time with old Lowla. Last night I did manage to get out to the shop and do some cleaning and surface prepping.....

Before

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Before

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After

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Pile-o-parts

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All cleaned up and ready for install

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Shiny like new. She'll be happy to have a set of clean, healthy lungs again!

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Now I'm off to give the engine block a bath...

Got the block scrubbed down, looks good but not really picture worthy. The valve cover looks a lot better though

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You showed us yours...

Very nice. I gonna try out a few different paints but I'll likely just go with grey. Do I need to use a high temp spray for the valve cover?

Not necessarily, but an engine enamel will handle getting filthy without discolouring. I used that lacquer just to try it out (polishing is o.k. but I was a bit over the look + you have to keep repolishing it as it goes dull after a while). Ripple finish black looks good and hides all the irregularities in the cast alloy.

Not necessarily, but an engine enamel will handle getting filthy without discolouring. All comes down to the prep. I used that lacquer just to try it out (polishing is o.k. but I was a bit over the look + you have to keep repolishing it as it goes dull after a while). Ripple finish black looks good and hides all the irregularities in the cast alloy.

CAN A MOD OR ADMIN PLEASE DELETE THIS POST? i GOT NO IDEA HOW THIS HAPPENED LOLOLOL

I was thinking black would look pretty good too. I was wanting to stay away from black and lean more towards the grey colors because it's easy to see any leaks but at the same time it's hard to keep looking clean

I did a ripple finish valve cover but I left the lip all around the gasket seating edge polished. It did look trick and you could see if it sprung a leak somewhere as the polished metal would get dirty.

Something to aim for...

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That looks real nice, Mike, nice work! I don't know that I'll be digging that far into. I'd like to at some point but I just don't have the budget for everything I'd like to do. One of these days haha.

Should I have play here? It's very minimal but it's there, all the others are very stiff in comparison. If not, how do i make the adjustment? Could this be the source of the ticking noise?......

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They can't be adjusted as they rely on oil pressure to lift the valves. It might be gummed up or has simply gone bad. I didn't see if you had gone through with an engine flush so it might be worth a shot. Alternatively take the rocker assembly off and soak the HLA's in diesel, squeeze them in your fingers to get them decompressing all the way and then prime them in clean engine oil.
(well that sounds like a 5 minute job :lmao:)

Alright, I'm almost done putting this girl back together and I've hit a little obstacle here. And yes, I know, I should have taken pictures, marked hoses and fixtures, labeled everything etc etc. I thought this was only gonna take a day or 2 so I didn't bother too much but then I got busy with other stuff and 2 weeks later here we are and it's biting me in the ass. Shame on me, i know. Anyhow, I had to disconnect a hose when I was taking the intake manifold off and now I can't find where to reconnect it to save my life! So there's a coolant hose that runs from the back side of the engine up into the firewall. That hose has a smaller diameter hose that runs off of it, this is the hose in question. This is the hose I cannot find the fixture for. This is the hose that's causing my blood pressure to sky rocket. This is....well, you get the picture. Any help is appreciated....and will likely save me a heart attack. If a picture would help, let me know and I'll do my best but it's pretty tight quarters in there. Thanks in advance!

Ok, luckily I found a picture of what I'm talking about. If you look in between the two bolts that the intake manifold manifold mounts to, you can see the hose in question. It's the one running off of the hard line, it makes contact with the disconnected hose that you can see just above the starter in the picture and then goes upwarards and is tucked up behi d the wiring. I disconnected so that I could get better access to a bolt during disassembly and now I can't remember where it goes, it's driving me mad!

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It's a heater hose - it's more than likely hanging off a connection on the butt end of the intake manifold (thus the reason why you can't figure out where it lives)

So there's a hose that comes off of the bottom of the radiator and then to a hardline that wraps around the the back of the engine, from there is a rubber hose that goes into the firewall and through the heater core, then a hose runs back out of the firewall, connects to the intake manifold, coolant goes into the engine, back out, through the thermostat and back into the radiator. This hose runs off of the hard line, literally a couple of inches before the hose that goes into the firewall

...i hope you followed all of that lol.

I keep forgetting about the manual I downloaded. I'll see what I can find in there

Royster, heres the pic i was describing to you.Attachment 20208

That hose goes into the throttle body, for want of a better description. I have attempted to draw the location, let me know if this works for you.

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It goes in just under the intake. It's been a few years since I did this work, so I can't offer any more details. I'd have to take off the large air intake hose to show you (that should be a clue) and it may be why you're having difficulty finding the connecting point...it's under that intake hose.

BELOW: Here's the best close-up I was able to get.

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That's the one! Thanks, Roy. It's just shy of 9:30am here and and I'm just getting ready to roll out of bed (don't judge me, it's sunday) and button the ol girl back up. I'll let you guys know how it goes. Thanks all.

Well.... she won't start and I have NO idea why. I didn't remove the injectors before using oven cleaner to clean the intake manifold. Did I maybe screw the injectors up with the oven cleaner? Even if I did, wouldn't it still fore up and just run poorly? I'm stumped!

More than likely something isn't connected.Not necessarily that you haven't plugged something back in, more that you either have a bad connection or a wire or 2 has broken. This is common with DSM stuff - the wiring would end up with intermittent breaks from age and they'd cause all kinds of electrical glitches.

What's the no start?
Turning over normal speed?
Tried some engine start down the intake?

Check the simple stuff first!
. make sure the rotor is in the distributor - and that the inside of the cap isn't damp
. make sure the coil wire is secure, both ends
. Check to be sure you DID connect all the harnesses (I've had one fall off, before)
. Might not hurt to check fuses

Most of all, don't get frustrated - you'll get there :)

She cranks but just won't fire up. I pulled the wires off of the distributor just a little bit and you can see that she has spark. I cracked the fuel line just before the intake and she's pushing fuel the lines. I sprayed starter fluid into the throttle body and it made absolutely no difference at all. I double checked the electrical connections and I forgot to reconnect the wire that goes to the air cleaner but that's all I could find. The battery seemed slightly weak so I tried jump starting her with my buddy's Nissan hardbody and that didn't help either. You could tell there was more juice with the jumpers hooked up but she still won't start

My first hunch is that the timing is off, but that would at least make some combustion noises.

Have you checked the ECM on the right side kick panel - there are capacitors in there that go out that fire the injectors.

No, I haven't. So I what I did was pull the intake manifold, cleaned it with oven cleaner with the injectors and fuel rail still on the i take, made replacement gasket, I did the same with the throttle body and valve and then put everything back on the same way I pulled it off and now she won't fire. I pulled the distributor off during all of this too. My buddy told me to try turning the distributor 180 degrees and then reinstall but because that was his pretty was rebuilt his Chevy but I tried and couldn't even get it to bolt on that way so that's not it. I marked the distributor so I could put it back exactly where it was. With everything that I did, is it even possible to throw the timing off?

I meant I did the same with the *valve cover* not valves.

I also removed the TPS and reinstalled it. Maybe that could have something to do with it? This is only second time I've been this deep in an engine by the way.

Also, what am I looking for when I check the ECM?

And Royster, she did backfire a couple times when I first tried to fire her up

Quote:

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Originally Posted by LowLifer1990

And Royster, she did backfire a couple times when I first tried to fire her up

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Okay, then I'm going to recommend you assure the timing. Get #1 piston top dead center, making sure it is on the firing cycle. (You can take the oil cap off and watch the valves for #1 open and close).Then check your distributor position and make sure it is at #1 also. Most importantly, be sure to ground the timing harness (photo at http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...ll=1#post26994 ). Timing is around 10 degrees before top dead center. (Check the book on that).

Another thing is to check your vacuum lines.

Another thing I was taught on this forum, is that if the distributor has to be turned to one extreme or the other to get your timing right, you're a tooth off.

Got spark at the plugs? Should at least chuff on starter fluid even if timing is out

I got busy and threw in the towel for the day. Tortron, tmorrow morning I'll double check for spark at the plug, I'm not totally convinced she's firing and i didnt have anyone around to help actually check. That and I'm gonna look in to the timing as well, it's possible I'm a tooth off like Royster said. My neighbors a mechanic and said he'd stop by after work tomorrow and give me a hand if I haven't got it figured by then. I'll report back then and hopefully she'll be alive.

I believe my neighbor has a timing light as well so that should come in handy

Alright fellas, I got a little sidetracked recently but I'm back under the hood. I'm convinced that my timing is the issue. I got the number one piston to TRY on the comp stroke and made sure that my rotor was aligned with the correct spark plug and I let her rip. I almost has her started yesterday (I could actually he some combustion this go round) but she just wouldn't do it. I've been messing with her a little bit more today but I'm not having any luck and started to get frustrated to i had to walk away for a little while. Any suggestions? I've heard something about having to ground the SCI to put it into timing mode, does anyone have any info on that or at least know if that's true?

That is true but if its not firing at all that wont help. Dont take this the wrong way ive done it myself are you sure that your distributor is correct and the spark plug wires are correct? Anyway on the passenger side inner wheel well there is a little plug that you stick an aligator clip to and ground it out to set the timing.

The way I see it, anyone that's chiming in is trying to help so I don't take anything personal. But, I'm pretty damn sure, I looked up the firing order several times and double and triple checked the wires. It sounded like she was just in the brink of starting yesterday, I could hear combustion this time. I have not however, ground the electrical connection. (I was wondering what that thing was the other and thought to myself " what the hell did I disconnect from that thing?!".

I don't want to suggest throwing parts at the truck, but perhaps the fuel filter is old. Have a look at it - it's tucked inside the frame at the driver's door. If it looks old, replace it. The "wheeler dealer" you bought the truck from likely allowed it to sit, and recent activity may have dislodged funkus gunkus in the fuel tank.

But do stay on the timing. The ground wire isn't going to do any good until you get it running. Turn the crank back to #1 TDC, and look at the crank pulley mark. Put it at 10 degree BTDC, then look closely at the rotor, in the distributor cap - make sure it's in a position to get spark. I doubt the timing belt skipped a tooth, but that is possible. Take the top plastic piece off the timing belt cover, and check to see what condition the belt is in. Also look to see that the timing mark on the cam cog lines up with the mark on the head (NOT the top of the head). Those will give you some indication of how well the timing is set up.

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Click image to enlarge

In regards to the ECU going bad - it has been mentioned that the cab will start to smelly "fishy". The reason is that the capacitors are filled with whale oil (so I read) and if they start to leak, well, you'd smell it. For now, we'll assume the ECU is fine.

If the trucks been sitting make sure your getting enough fuel through the lines as well i have a b2200 i had to soak carb cleaner in and run hangers in the hardlines and ultimately pull the sending unit because it was so clogged with bad gas.

The truck has just under a half tank of premium that I put in it a couple weeks ago (just before a parked it and started working on it). So what should the timing mark on the cam cog be lined up with when number 1 is at TDC? If its out of whack, do i make the adjustment by manually cranking the engine like I've been doing to achieve TDC? I've been totally unfamiliar with timing up until about 2 days ago and today was the first I've heard about the cam cog timing mark and grounding the ECU plug after getting it to start. Is there anything else I might be missing? And thanks again, guys!

My concern is the truck sitting before you got it, particularly with ethynol's propensity to gel up after a short while.

Have you tried moving the distributor position ? That is how the timing is adjusted. As for the cam alignment, click on the image below, and you'll see where I highlighted the "bump" on the head casting, and the mark on the cam gear. Those should be aligned when you're at TDC.

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Loosen the distributor, just enough that it can pivot. Pivot it all the way to the left, then all the way to the right. From that "feel", set it in the center of those two extremes, and tighten the hold-down bolt. That should get you spark enough to start it. If you can get it started, loosen that hold-down bolt and pivot the distributor until the engine is running best. The engine should be warmed up before using the ground wire process to time it with the timing light.

If the engine is really reluctant to start, you may have the distributor off by one tooth, and might have to re-position it by taking it out and setting it back in one tooth forward or backward. I believe the rotor turns clockwise.

Take the time to read these posts regarding the timing adjustment wire
http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...ll=1#post26994

I set it back to TDC (about 10 degrees before) and the cam gear lined up perfectly on its mark, I had to retard the rotor just a bit to get it where I wanted it and I noticed there was a faded mark mark that a previous owner had made so that's what I went with and she's trying to start. I was SOLO close just a minute ago. The battery started to sound weak so I have the charger in it now. I think I should have it by the end of the day

SO close** not solo close haha. But she's close!

SHE LIIIVES!!! Man, I'm excited! Hahaha

Nice work! Always a sense of achievement when you finally master the beast. :clap:

What a pain that was haha. I was starting to think it might have been time to start trying new plugs, injectors, coils or that maybe I screwed something else up. But nope, i just learned how to set my timing!
Thanks again to everybody that pitched advice, much appreciated!

Congratulations ! Like so many things, you only have to go through that process once to understand it - then it becomes "knowledge". Kudos for keeping at it !

Another headache. Whoever installed the timing belt installed it a tooth off so I have to pull it and reinstall..... yay

Ah the work of a previous owner

What I would give for an untouched original that's been tucked away

Quote:

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Originally Posted by LowLifer1990

Another headache. Whoever installed the timing belt installed it a tooth off so I have to pull it and reinstall..... yay

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Annoying but easy enough to remedy. It'll run a whole heap better once you've reset the belt. Can you get your hands on a dwell/tach meter? You can dig up some hidden performance if you retune the ignition timing once the timing marks are correct.

I don't have access but I plan on I'm talking an RPM tach. My truck is a 5spd manual transmission but doesn't have a factory tach is that normal or did someone convert this truck from an auto trans? I don't think so but I guess anything's possible, Right? Anyway, I want to install the tach just to be able to keep a more detailed eye on how the truck is behaving but I also haven't forgot about you tuning method, Geezer. In fact I had my mind on it when I thought I was close to being finished yesterday. Once she's dialed on the timing I'm gonna give that a whirl. Also, I was able to slip the timing belt of of the crankshaft sprocket and maintain the tension as I lined up and the camshaft to the correct mark and reinstalled the belt. Was this a "slick move" or did I make a mistake trying to take a shortcut?

Some trucks had the tacho instrument cluster as an option but they're not overly common. I've slipped belts off and on engines without undoing the tensioner without ill effects (I had a belt blow at a friends place on a GM family II 1.8 and that engine is a b@stard to work on...) As long as your marks are in the right place it'll kick over and run (make sure you've got the diagnostic/tune wire grounded in the engine bay so it accepts the new tune).

Now if I could only find my keys....

Also, DO NOT FORGET you have two balance shaft cogs to also put on the mark.

Tortron, you mean the holy grail? Yes, what a find that would be!

there is a wire on the firewall that the tach can be connected to - there is a thread on here that shows where it is.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by royster

Also, DO NOT FORGET you have two balance shaft cogs to also put on the mark.

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http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...ll=1#post26707

Quote:

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Remember that the only reason for this B belt and tensioner is to turn that balance shaft: it serves no other purpose. But without it, your engine will shake like a dog shitting tacks. The balance shafts are to counter-balance the vibrations the engine naturally makes.

Your crank pulley should be at #1 TDC, as you left it. As well, the cam gear should be close to TDC, too. Remember your timing marks on the cylinder head, because this is one of the errors guys make: using the top of the cylinder head instead of the actual timing mark, slightly below the top.

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REAL important to make sure the B-belt timing mark, the oil pump timing mark, the crank and cam marks are all in proper places!!

Pennyman, can you send me link for that, it would be MAJORLY helpful! And thanks for the info. If I don't get a link to the thread, I'll definitely look into further myself, thanks for the input! Royster, which belt is considered the b belt. I know there a a third sprocket/gear to line up on its timing mark but I'm not 100% sure with one it is. Does that pertain to the "B belt" you're referring to? Thanks in advance........ You guys are f****** awesome!, I appreciate you guys more than you know!

Also, I k me my timing should advance while the engine is started and I'm dialing it in with the light but I can remember exactly how far, anyone know right off hand?

Sorry about the typo! Anyhow, I'm time at 0 degrees, TDC. When I start her up, I need to dial the timing in exact but I can't remember how far advanced it should be. I want to say it should advance 5 degrees? Does anyone know for sure? I know I'm close but I took her for a test drive around the block and I didn't like the way she felt. It just wasn't smooth at all.

Again, she's a 1990, 2.4L, 4 cylinder with a 5 speed manual trans.

http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...th-ECM-control

If it still runs rough you'll have to check all the ignition components and make sure they're in spec.

The B belt is a small belt on the left side of the crank, and it turns the balance shaft. The timing on it is important because it dampens engine vibration. The right-hand side (facing the engine) balance shaft is connected to the oil pump (lower right-hand cog as you face the engine). If you're getting a lot of vibration, chances are your balance shafts' timing is off. It takes some effort to get all this timing right, so don't be discouraged if you have to do it again. (Read my build thread and you'll see I had to do several things over and over).

You really should invest $20 in the Haynes service manual for this truck. Though they lack some key information, they will help you with photos and techniques. Many say an online manual is sufficient, which is great if you have a computer in your garage. The Haynes manual is right there, and requires no electricity.

Hey, LowLifer, what's the latest on this?

I've been busy with some.... personal drama. I'm trying to get back to it today. I wanna make sure that everything with a timing mark is lined up where it should be at TDC. Last time I was under the hood I was removing the time cover to make sure everything looked good underneath and I hit a speed bump. There's one bolt that I can't get ahold of, it's tucked behind the crank shaft pulley. The pulley is blocking me from getting a socket onto it and the cover itself has an indention for the bolt head but doesn't give enough clearance for a wrench either.

I think one of these might do the trick but I haven't had a chance to pick one up

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Here's the culprit. I bet Mitsubishi had a good laugh when they put that bastard in there

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To honest, I'm not even sure the angled wrench will do it

You're going to need to take the pulley off, anyway, so a socket WILL get that bolt off. If you don't take the pulley off, you can't remove the timing cover...something you absolutely need to do.

That's what I figured. I'm gonna head out the in a few and pull it off. It's just a few bolts on the front of the pulley, right?