1984 Dodge Ram 50. New owner, one old diesel.

Hello folks! I just looked at and purchased a Dodge Ram 50 from 1984. I need to hook up the car hauler to go and grab it.
Thus far i know i'll need to replace all the fluids and the belt, and probably dive into the timing belt just in case. It has sat outside for atleast 10 years. But looks fairly good considering. the engine looks well taken care of, the coolant was still green, the oil was still fluid, and the air filter looked brand new still. So i'm hoping some simple replacements and maintenance can get her running again.
Unfortunately its only 2wd. I really wanted a long bed extended cab diesel, but i'll settle with this for now. I know almost nothing about this family of trucks so by all means tell me what i actually have. I was honestly looking for an old Toyota not-a-hilux but those don't seem to come in diesel, something i very much wanted above all else.

I couldn't get the motor to turn over by hand just using the fan, the other things attached to the same belt turned fine, i just didn't want to break off a fan blade forcing a dry piston. Battery is long dead and all the tires are rotted out. Thankfully 185-14 tires look pretty cheap, though finding new steel wheels seems a bit harder, it cirrently has all four aluminum wheels, but they look kinda beat and i doubt they'll seal well.

I wouldn't mind adding a few inches to the height, it seems like the leaf springs are rather tired and it sits low. The frame looked solid. Just slight surface rust, nothing rotted through.

Would like to turn this into an Australian styled Ute, finding the proper bed might be difficult unless i fab it myself, but even a simple stake bed would look gorgeous i think. Will be using it to drive to and from classes until the degree is done, but I ultimatly want it to explore the various national parks and sights around, and without taking hundreds of dollars in fuel to do so.

I'll need new seats as this one has been attacked by some rats, its still in one piece but heavily deteriorated, will need some of the minor knobs and trim as well, the shifter is missing its knob, the choke is missing the knob, and a few other minor cosmetics.

Overall I think its a great starting point and hopefully a start to a good relationship with you all.

Hello Atamis, nice find..! On your national parks trips, maybe you could visit PicknPull yards for truck parts...(?) Have fun with your new toy & enjoy the extra fuel mileage not having to haul around 4X4 rotating parts... Again, nice truck..!

Yup, thats part of the plan :). I've looked at the local joints and have found a 1994 Mighty Max I plan to go look at to see if any interchangeable parts are there. The other places don't list their inventory is a convenient way so i'll walk in and ask when i'm there.

I took better pictures. I hauled it home so i could start getting it road worth again.

It looks like once i flush all the fluids, get four tires, and replace the consumable components it should fire right up. It seemed taken care of despite sitting for so long. the air filter looks brand new, the coolant, while extremely low, was still a neon green coming out of the petcock, the oil is black as midnight but plentiful. I'll just have to deal with any spoiled diesel still in the system, and probably have to clean out the tank as its definitively empty.

I really need new belts though, they are extremely loose. I was fiddling with parts seeing what was still good and the water pump (i think, on the left) moved, and the fan moved, but the belts just slipped along on the pulleys with no effort since it couldn't turn the engine over.
I am very hesitant to just throw a new battery in and hope the timing belt isn't as old.

Cleaned up the cab a bit and found the missing choke knob and the knob from the radio. Shifter knob is still MIA. Seems like the jack and other recovery items are also gone.
Also managed to get the battery out. The bolts were seized and the sheet metal retainer was just bent up allowing them to spin in place. Popped the head off one and drilled the other out. Will need to find a new way to secure this body panel now.

Well work started off great today. Starting cleaning everything. Got the bed powerwashed and started cleaning the interior. And then everything went south. I noticed some heavy water damage on the cardboard looking trim pieces by the door, and then spots of the floor felt kinda squishy. I was hesitant to remove the carpet, but i'm glad i did. As you can see i have some rust afterall. Guess i'll have to go talk to a repair shop after i get it fired up. I don't think its going to fall off or anything, but that much rust on the mounting spots is a bit more than i'm willing to gamble on.

Also started to trace wires the previous owner laid down. I know theres a CB mount and an antennae going through the roof but there were a few speaker cables going places that turned out to be dead ends. the door speakers are also unwired, so nuts to listening to the radio for a bit. Theres also this mysterious button that i don't think it stock. It goes to an equally mysterious light and routes to two things in the engine bay. Still trying to ID them. I think one line goes to what looks like a temperature gauge. the other goes into some sort of solenoid? Theres a green spade connector unused next to it that i assume is the factory one, maybe it was faulty and replaced, or maybe it was "improved" some how. Still digging into the wiring diagram to find out what is what.

Don't think I'll re carpet it. Just keep it bare painted metal like an old power wagon. Maybe I'll Rino line the bottom after the rust gets repaired. I kinda like the simplistic utilitarian look. Don't really want the bench seat wither. Would love a pair of buckets and a center console.

Atamis, good progress, thanks for posting the photos... Cool battery location except when servicing..? If I bought another floor covering it would be a thin "like original" (easy to move & adjust) rubber type, not carpet... My aftermarket rubber floor covering is rather thick and hard to work with, it's too stiff but water and sand are easy to remove... A previous owner/s might have some answers & guys here know a bunch... I never owned one of these trucks before and have very limited knowledge...

Yea battery seems like mixed bag being shoved in the back. Makes the engine bay nice and open but it seems open to debris back there. Figured out what the electrics were going on about though.

The "temp gauge" is just a positive lead to the battery for jump starting. As for the button and switch, it seems to be a manual glowplug warmer. You push the button to supply power to the plugs so they'll warm up in cold weather before you try and crank it. I assume the light is wired to go out after 6-8 seconds when the plugs should be nice and warm. Just need to tidy up that wiring as that is a very good improvement to have in winter.

Cleaning crud off the motor today, and yesterday, and probably tomorrow.

I secretly want to transplant one of these into a Gen 2 truck, pretty bad.

Ha. I kinda want to also. I would love to have the extended cab.

Took most of the day to really detail clean the engine bay and make sure everything looked serviceable. The timing belt looks fine afterall so i won't replace it right away, but i'll still look for a replacement. The timing looked fine on the main belt, i couldn't figure out how to get the lower cover off to check the "B" belt.
But most of the engine is now clean. I couldn't get some of the crud on the side behind the fuel injector, its really caked and baked on. The entire underside of the engine and suspension looks as caked. I don't think i'll be able to truly clean it without pulling the engine and taking off the cab and bed. Maybe some other time. For now i got it clean enough to run, just need to get some new fan belts, flush allt he fluids, and hope it fires up.

Tires have been a bit harder than i anticipated. I didn't realize R14 were so scarce now. Plenty of 16s around, but i don't see those fitting without modifying the suspension.

Looks so clean..! Did you use Easy Off Oven Cleaner..? Our member, geezer discovered it's goodness for us; they make a lye free type...

I was just using dawn dish soap and plenty of scrubber pads and a few brushes. Oven cleaner might work pretty good i think. I should try it for the underside.

+1 on the oven cleaner. If you use Eazy-Off get the blue can, the yellow one has lye. This is what my engine looks after one treatment, and no brushing:
http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...ll=1#post67166

For tires, check tire rack. don't know what size you want, but they seem to have a few to choose from in the 195/70/14 category. Prices are good and shipping is free.
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/TireS...earDiameter=17

Oven cleaner worked surprisingly well. I let it sit for atleast an hour and just blasted it with water, most of it slopped right off. It was on there pretty thick (Atleast an inch on the frame member) and I just used two entire cans of the stuff but it did pretty good. I'll have to get a few more cans.

Took apart the door as the locks/handle/window were all kinda sticky. Seems the vapor barrier failed at some point, looks like it shrank from heat, i'll have to get a kit and redo it. The panel itself looks fine, its just really dirty. Blasted the internals with penetrating oil and greased the window gears. Works great now. Just need to unclog the drains at the bottom and it should be good. The speaker looks hosed, so i'll need to replace them at some point if i want some tunes. I'm just going to replace the panel after i get the vapor barrier installed. Not really a fan of the particle board stuff.

I'll need to take off the interior dash at some point also, I couldn't figure out how to pop it off. Took all the visible screws out but it doesn't want to budge. Its extremely sun damaged and cracked so if i force it I think it will break into many pieces. Might just need replaced entirely, but i'm not sure how I would fabricate a new one.

walmart for tires free delivery to the store.

Use a brush to break it up once you have nailed it with the oven cleaner. It will destroy the gunk so much more efficiently (wear safety glasses so you don't have wayward oven cleaner and grime saying hello to your eye sockets) Pulling the dash requires taking the diffuser panel out along the inside of the windscreen (it's held down with a couple of small flare nuts) Once you've pried it up and lifted it out of the way, there are phillips head screws hiding along the edge that was hidden by the diffuser. They are fiddly to take out but you will rip the dash pad in pieces if you don't get to them. If you haven't got a good replacement dash pad, try filling the damaged sections with expanda-foam and cutting it back into shape. You can either try you hand at using vinyl fabric and a heat gun to re-wrap it or try something novel like tray and wheel arch liner to coat it.

Still working on the dash. I'll try and rebuild it for now I think.
Took the front panel off and the bumper. the panel itself was crushed like someone dropped it on something. but nothing important was damaged.

Got both belts off and i'm just looking for replacements now. Do these two look like decent replacements? they're from china but they're actually available unless theres a better quality one i'm not seeing.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/111964237685?ul_noapp=true
https://www.amazon.com/PowerDrive-MD.../dp/B01AGQ3JAK

I have removed the dash at long long. I twas extremely tedious and i was not ready for the amount of digging i would have to do.
For anyone else who comes after, you must remove the glove compartment, and the dash cluster to get the four nuts.

I went ahead and removed the cassette deck. It might still work, but I don't think i'll ever get the burning desire to play a cassette again. I'll see if i can't find a small standalone mp3 type deck. I don't even want a CD player honestly.
The mess of wires that was the wiring harness for the tape deck thankfully solved itself taking it out. it was a haggard mess with many plices. I am left with these four wires I need to determine whats what. I presume red black is the hot end as it was spliced four different ways with a terrible solder job. Green i presume is ground. Blue/White is unknown. The thick black cable is obviously the antenna.
Lots of dust and nests to clean up

I am unimpressed with the build quality of this dash panel. Even sun rotted and brittle its just foam and plastic tape pretty much. I may look into fabbing panels to attach all the vents and display things onto.
The previous owner definitively dug into the dash at some point aswell. quiet a few screws are missing and the instrument panel wasn't fully plugged in. Whatever the plug in the top left is was unplugged. The dash speaker was also unplugged. I pulled the speaker out anyway, it was full of dirt and ripped. so I have zero speakers, no radio, and only a handful of wires to build off of.

Oh i had pictures to share. I got the belts and tires replaced. one step closer to running. I went to the local parts store and they just found a belt that matched the shape. Gates Hi-Power II. A29 and B40 if anyone was curious.

Got everything i need to fire it up. just changing fluids now.
Fuel has been bled except whats in the injectors and tubes past the pump/filter. I have a bottle of diesel klean I'm going to throw into the tank with about 10g of fuel to hopefully purge the system of any gunk left. Filter changed. I think it still had the original fuel filter as it left the factory.
Oil has been completely replaced and filter changed.
Coolant is ready to be flushed but requires the engine to be on to flush the heater core. going to fill up the radiator with water and this bottle of cleaner to flush anything. once i get it running good I'll drain the system and refill with real coolant.
differential oil is on hand. ran out of sunlight to swap it.
Brake fluid also on hand. i was having problems finding the drain plugs and the brakes don't feel well on the pedal. kinda worried they're clogged.
I have three quarts of Redline MT-90 standing by. I am unsure how to properly flush the system. i was going to open the drain and let it bleed out and then pour in the first bottle until clean fluid comes out the drain. replug and fill 8t through the shifter until it wants to overflow

Also, does anyone know what was intended to mount behind the glovebox? there is a bracket that looks unused and i am always curious what a complete package looks like. I have noticed similar spaces elsewhere on the truck. Makes me wonder if I'm missing something or i could add an upgrade.

There might be a mount for A/C behind the glove box. It would be the place for the evap top bracket to bolt up to.

that is indeed where the evap box for the a/c bolts up...

I think i fried to starter. Put fuel in the tank, and some in the filter just to speed things up, started pumping and it never really got "difficult" to pump. it sounded like the injector was doing something as i pumped, or somethign was rattling in there. I think i need a seal for the pumper arm also, it just kept leaking out the plunger. got very good suction though, was bleeding the line and it just squirted all over the hood on one pump.

As for the starter, turned the key, heard some clacking sounds that i assume were the glowplugs warming, turn it the rest of the way and it sounded like fluid was leaking. I look into the bay and see a puff of smoke from the starter motor. Didn't even try and turn over. Let it cool and tried again. I get an audible 'clack' sound, but no attempt to turn over. I tried to manually turn the engine over to make sure it wasn't seized, but my biggest small socket doesn't fit over the nut, and the bigger sockets are too large and the fan won't let them in. Might try giving it a push while in gear to force some lubrication into the cylinders. Or just pull the glowplugs and dribble some penetrating oil inside to sit while i find a starter.

All the lights seem to work, but the blinket switch does nothing. the blinker lights turn on with the hazards, so it must be the switch or wire. The horn doesn't seem to work either. I think the unit itself is the circular thing on the passanger side near the headlights. it seems to be plugged in and the connectors are compeltely free from corrosion, but the button inside does nothing. Pulling apart the column now. There was of course a stripped screw on the steering wheel moulding so now i'm stuck trying to get the darn thing to turn before i can get to the horn button itself.

Pulled the glowplugs. Is this a bad sign?

plug 1 & 2 seem to be orignal mitsubishi, 3 & 4 and NGK. Plug 4 looks to have heavy deposites and it looks like it was burning oil. Its directly under the primer pump and might just be leaky fuel giving it some extra to burn. Would like expert opinion. All four plusg measure in at .5 ohms, so i think they're still good, i cleaned all four off and put them back in until i clean the rest of what i need.

Digging around to free the starter solenoid so i can replace it. I was going to test the starter itself by applying power to the cable and see if it spins, i'll disassemble the solenoid also to see if maybe its just seized with dirt preventing it from connecting the motor.

Found a lone ground wire (i think) coming out of the wiring harness in the front, under the wiper reservoir. Any idea where its supposed to be bolted to? I don't see any posts in the intimidate vicinity. What would it be grounding anyway?

Also got the horn to work, seems like everything with hooked up and wired correctly, it was just the tab running under the steering wheel being very tired and not making contact. Haven't fixed the blinkers yet. Turns out the steering wheel is cracked in three spots. Concerning. Might have to find a welder.

Kind of what you expect with glow plugs, all sooty and dirty. I would check out cylinder #4 though. You can check that exhaust port and see if the soot in it is oily, or see if it whitestacks on when you run it. As for the ground, just find somewhere on the body or frame that it reaches easy and bolt it up. Everything grounds back to the same thing eventually, so as long as it is a ground wire it will be fine just put somewhere. As for the starter, it could just be the solenoid. Try tapping it to see if it engages then. The little truck needs some love, but its looking good!

Giving the gizzards of the starter motor a huge clean and freshen up should be enough to get it operational. If you have a drill press, put the armature in the chuck and reface the contacts with some fine wet and dry sandpaper and something flat to press it against the copper so it doesn't create an uneven wear pattern. Take a look at the brushes - they can jam in their retainers which will cause erratic starting issues (flush them with electrical contact cleaner - if they are super worn, they'll need replacing) Be warned that you may get a 'no turn' situation after taking it apart and cleaning it. Use jumper leads and bench test it continuously until it kicks (I've resurrected a few starter motors and they all seem to do it...) Once you get it to kick it will operate reliably.

Didn't want to pull the starter motor, but i am now. Pesky bolt just in front of the firewall i can't seem to get to. trying to wobble socket my way in, might need to chain a few of them, or punch a hole in the rust spot and get it form inside the cab.

Couldn't get just the solenoid off anyhow, I tried with some screw bits in the ratchet and i just couldn't get a positive grip and may of chewedd a screw up already, so i opted to just pull the whole thing. I pulled the start motor itself off already (maybe by accident) and it looks fine, needs a clean as the contacts are a little glazed over. The brushes have a ton of life left in them. Not a spot of grease ont he gears though. I'll fix that before i put it back in.

Will keep an eye on cylinder 4 just in case. And I did find a single empty hole next whatever the diaphragm looking thing with the fuel lines is. Looks like a good enough spot to bolt a ground to.

That bolt on the starter is a royal PIA. I use a box/open end wrench and try to meditate. It takes an interminable series of very small turns to get it.

Got the starter motor off, Used a 3foot long extension and a wobble socket for an impact wrench. lifted the front up and just carefully ratcheted away.
For anyone who follows this: Leave the bottom bolt in when you go after the top (hard) one. The whole unit and bolt will flop around hopelessly without the bottom to anchor it, and the bottom comes out much much easier.

Cleaned all the internals, cleaned the connectors and regreased the gears. Also managed to reassemble it in the proper order, though i couldn't get that ring to pop into the collar. Its kinda half out half in right now, won't pop out unless i pry it, but it seemed impossible to get it in the collar and in the grove on the pinion at the same time. I had the bright idea to pop it into the collar first and it was pretty much stuck there until i bashed it out with a socket. I assume this needs a special tool.

Anyway hook the motor up to a battery and after a few attempts it started to spin and jump around. On a whim i put the solenoid back on and it decided to play ball this time. Not sure if the contacts are just bad and it was the old hammer trick to get it to work or what. I'll see what happens in the coming days, might get one on order just in case anyway. Time to put it back together and see if it fires up now.

Wires seem off. I don't remember this thick white sheathed wire in here. I don't recall what post it was supposed to go to. Attachment 22575

Alright false celebration. Bolted the starter back on and the key does nothing. I can jump the terminals and hear the starter turning, but without that solenoid to engage the pinion into the flywheel it just spins in its housing. It has to be getting power because when i turn the key it gets hot and i can hear a click. I could try jumping the positive and key terminal together to rule out the wire being the problem, but I think the solenoid is hosed.

If my cursory research was correct that white sheathed wire may be the alternator. I hooked it up to the positive lead instead of the start motor lead. Seemed logical.
In other news the blinker started working again. I'm guessing that mysterious ground cable was the ground for the blinkers. I just need to find a new front right housing, as this one was rusted shut. Still trying to get it to move, as of right now i can't get a bulb in there.

Fyi,these trucks have a starter relay on the drivers side fender well.

I found out the hard way that there are two different starters for these. if you or the previous owner installed a rebuilt it may be one with the kickout of the starter gear is too short for flywheel contact.

Hmm. I have two relays that i can't identify as the part numbers have worn off and there is no mention of these in the manual i've been using. Any idea what one it is? How do you properly test a relay?

I'm also hoping that glowplug controller works because they seem to be pricey.

I think i have identified the two relays as the starter relay on the right, and the Tail Light relay in the center. Part number 056700-5440 and 056700-3060.
I took apart the relay. (Good old times when things were made to be fixed!) and cleaned the contacts. I test the coil with a meter and i was able to physically test the unit by applying power to the leads and testing the circuit. It all seemed to work fine. Reinstalled and no change to the motor, The starter still won't turn on.

Ha I think i found one of the electrical problems i have been facing. I finally tracked down that leaky water sound.

Would a less than stellar ground prevent the truck from turning over but allow the lights and horn to work?
I was already attempting to improve this ground point, but it felt like the bolt was riveted in place as i couldn't get it to turn even with heat, I now have an excuse to drill it out and replace it. I will be getting some zero gauge wire to replace this one and i already have military style battery posts ready. Just need to get the ends crimped first.

Would this also indicate something else is wrong with the truck? I would expect the positive lead to burn out, not the negative.

Short answer - yes. It'll handle voltage and low current draw but the minute you want to put a serious current load through it, it'll choke. Degrease all of the ground bolts and clean the contact surfaces to the block and frame and give the copper eyelets on the ground cables a scuff up with some steel wool to brighten them up. Should make a big difference. Check the main positive lead for corrosion and ensure the battery terminal connections are solid :thumbup:

I have replaced the grounds and tried to fire it up again. still nothing.
I then jumpered the starter and got the starter to engage but the the starter itself can't seem to turn over the motor.
I got the vehicle into a roll and attempted to put it into gear. It would just instantly stop the truck. I think i have a much more serious problem on my hands.

Well, there are a couple of different things it could be. Do you know for sure if the motor turns over? Put the transmission in neutral, pull the glow plugs out, and see if you can turn it over by hand. If it doesn't then that is likely your problem.

Yup i did that. Pulled the fan off so i could get a socket down there and even with a breaker bar it wouldn't budge. Filled the pistons with penetrating oil. I'm hoping very much this will free them. I don't have the tools or experience to really pull an engine out, and a very limited budget.
Worse case i'll dump some vinegar down the bores and see if it will dissolve any rust. I'll be patient though. I'll try and budge it every day for a week or two before trying something drastic.
I'm tempted to put it into gear and drag it around the block, but i don't want to cause undue damage when a more graceful solution might work first.

Lifting your first engine can be harrowing. You really need a buddy to give you a hand to keep everything steady while you start jacking up the engine crane. When you get down to the nuts and bolts of it, it's not that hard. Tips - crack that front crank pulley bolt long before you start taking the engine out (it will save you a big headache later..), you pull a bolt out - put it back where it came from as you separate stuff (massively limits the chance of either losing something or trying to fit a bolt back somewhere it doesn't belong) Use paper tape and a sharpie to label annoying stuff like vac hoses and fuel lines and use your phone to take pics - LOTS of pics. You can hire an engine hoist if you haven't got a friend who is armed with specialised equipment. Google is freaking amazing if you need a get out of jail free card. If your engine is locked up, be prepared to wrench on it. You can get away with not needing a whole workshop full of tools but you will have to buy a torque wrench and a few driver sockets like 8 and 10mm hex keys for head bolts depending on the engine, no getting out of it but worth it when you weigh up what a shop will charge you.

Alright pulled the rocker cover off. I'll dig in deeper once i figure out what bolts are bolting what down. But heres the photos.

Nothing looks absirdly off. There is water under this cover though. almost looks like condensation. I'll leave the cover off for a bit so it can hopefully evaporate. Most of the oil in this is from when I change it and added the full amount as per the manual. Will probably have to strain this oil after i get this fixed, but hopefully it won't be in vain if it all helps it get loose again.

The front two bolts holding the (camshaft?) shaft in are severly rusted, everything else looks fine.
I have also noticed some pretty heavy wear on some of the lobes. Is this normal wear or signs of abuse and in need of replacement?

Any cam that has worn like that is dead. Looks like you are in need of valvetrain replacements.

Aye. Pulled it out. the rockers look fine, but they'll get replaced also i suppose. Trying to pull the head off now. Its like a puzzle trying to find what comes off first. Right now I'm trying to pull the turbo off so I can pull the exhaust manifold off. so i can get the head off.

I have been labeling everything and putting bolts back in their holes when possible. Definitively the way to go. Thus far all of the bolts came off without much complaint. I hope this is a good sign for things to come. Slight burnt smell as i'm tearing into this has me worried about whats under the head, I'm wondering if i should pull the pan off first as I now expect there to be a mountain of sludge gumming up the works.

A slightly burnt smell is kind of to be expected, especially on old diesels. If you need the head bolt tightening pattern I have a factory service manual around here somewhere, or there is probably one in the manuals section of the forum. You'll want to loosen the head bolts in the reverse order to minimize the risk of damaging the head when you take it off.

Been hard at work. Finally got the turbo and manifold off and boy was that thing rusty. probably a good thing i didn't get it started, theres so much rust debris in the fans something would of clogged.

ALMOST got the head off. the last bolt, #1 according to the manual was right seized. I got all the bolts slowly loosened bit by bit and when i went to fully free it the inside hex just rounded over. My fault for sure for forcing it when it clearly didn't want to turn anymore, but now i have a stuck head bolt, Going to look for a torx to shove into it to try and break it free, and then a socket remover if that doesn't work. Hoping i don't have to resort to drilling it out.

I went ahead of pulled the alternator for cleaning since i was right there anyway. It seems i have a melted wire. Whatever the solid yellow one is was just blowing in the breeze. the rest looked fine. Took the oil pump (I think thats what bolted to the back anyway) and it looks fine but extremely dirty. The alternator itself might be near end of life. The brush barely has anything left and it looks like it doesn't make full contact anymore, the rotary bit itself is fairly rusty. Havn't figure out how to pull the coils out yet, I unscrewed everything but its either stuck in the back or I'm missing a fastener somewhere. Whole casing is coated in gunk, if this still works I will be extremely surprised, it should of died of heat.

Guess i'll get a few more cans of oven cleaner and blast the side of the engine since its now wide open.

That little thing on the back of the alternator is your vacuum pump. And just wow, that is a nasty engine. Cleaning it will make your life a whole lot nicer when it comes time for working on it.

Vaccum pump? How does it work? One side was coming out of the engine block below the oil filter, the other line went to the turbo. I thought for certain it was the oiler for the shaft. The manual i've been using it for the non-turbo version of course and doesn't list it. Isn't the vacuum pump the giant tank on the right in front of the driver side firewall?

I gotta say, that has to be the filthiest engine I've seen. All that crap in the back of the alternator would roast it due to lack of air flow. I'm not a diesel guru (in fact I'm an ignoramus...) but the pump on the back of the alternator is what generates braking vacuum for the master cylinder, so it will need a reserve tank so there's a vacuum source available during high demand or an engine shut down (my semi-educated guess)

Well. I found the problem. Its safe to say this whole project was a waste of time.
The head is cracked. the gasket was apparently blown because piston 4 is full of coolant, and piston 3 is full of chili.

I read that the block should have sleeved cylinders, which might make this salvageable. but honestly i feel like i should just start parting it out. I'll have to look at pick and pulls farther away if I have any hope of getting workign parts for this. I don't have the cash right now for a korean 4d56 right now.

yup shes pooched

There's a guy in Miami that imports 4D56 and 4DBH (the Korean version).He usually sells them to the guys down in South America when they get tired of the common rail versions of these motors. I'm running one from him now and it as been a really good motor. We paid a little over $2000 to get it here, if that's doable for you then I'll see if I can find his contact info again.

Yea thats doable with some savings. Its a complete engine? Would love some more information

Yeah, he sells them as complete engines. When mine came in I replaced some gaskets while it was out and swapped some parts over to make the swap easier, but it was pretty much everything needed to drop it in and go. Mine even came with the AC compressor, even though I don't have it set up on mine.

Got the engine pulled. Disassembling it fully now. Think i'm going to upgrade to the 4d56, so i'm really just parting this one out.
Turns out the belt for the balance shafts was shredded completely. Everything else seems fine. Knocking the pistons out slowly as they were very well seized in there. I think I was supposed to pull the transmission out with it as nothing is really holding it in there right now. I put it on a stand so it wouldn't bend something that shouldn't be bent. I'll try and dig it out in a bit, might aswell give it a once over while i have everything gutted.

You may want to wait and see what needs to be swapped over to make the 4D56 fit in case things like the oil pan and accessory mounts are different. On my 4D56 it came with a completely different oil pan than anything used in a Mighty Max

good call. I can certainly wait. Everything needs a deep clean anyway. 1/2" thick crud mess on many parts.

The cylinders do come out of the top right? Most of these are seized right good, but the one that kinda sorta moves seems to get stuck when it reaches the top. Not entirely sure how to get the flywheel off or the crankshaft out so i can go through the bottom instead.

I was wondering - did the US get the 2.8 TD engine (4M40)? I haven't seen any talk about these diesel engines or using them in our trucks...

We never got them over here. I think they did come in some of the overseas versions of the 2nd gen trucks, but they require a different transmission, so a swap would require a few more parts that are less easily available.

Flywheel should just be the six bolts holding it on to the crank, you'll have to take the clutch/pressure plate off first to get to it. May be a little rusted on so it might need a little convincing with a pry bar to get it off. Pistons do come out the top, just pull the oil pan and unbolt the connecting rods from the crank. DO NOT TRY TO FORCE THEM OUT THE BOTTOM! There are oil squirters that spray the underside of each piston, if you try and push the pistons out the bottom without removing them they will bend and get broken

Got it. Flywheel came off pretty easily. Nice groove worn into the fingers, plate itself didn't seem too bad, but well worn for sure. Taking off the rear engine plate for the crankshaft I noticed a very large amount of blue snot. I don't think i was the first one in here. It looked like RTV sealant. Nevertheless i got it off and the crankshaft out and i spent a few hours wailing on the pistons to get them out. The first one came out without much issue after I could get a direct blow on it. The rest took some time. Piston 3 in particular took an even bigger hammer and zero regard about damaging it. Time to start degreasing and cleaning everything to see what can be salvaged. Are the cylinder walls something that can be replaced at a home shop relatively easily or would it be best to find a place locally that can replace them?

Need to pull out the transmission next to see how bad it is. Might know someone that knows someone really good at rebuilding them, might try and work something out with them to give it a clean bill of health.

Oh yea. For future reference the pistons actually can't go out the bottom. I removed the oil sprayer and started pounding it down, but the walls that support the crankshaft are actually larger than the piston hole and physically prevent downward movement past them. So back up it went.

These are a dry sleeve motor, so the cylinder liners can be pressed out, but it takes some work and a tool to catch the bottom of the sleeves without catching the block. The new liners just press right in, can be done with a regular hydraulic bench press if you're careful.

Being able to press the sleeves in saves a bunch of machining and you can retain the stock piston diameters. Too bad yours were so badly messed up. Next will be checking the the crank over. It'll be like a new engine :thumbup: