Yup: it's the girls, alright.
In other news: this is an important note to remind me (and others) about servicing the head (on your truck):
Thanks, Brad. Good to have friends around the garage kerosene heater...furry AND flesh.Originally Posted by BradMph
These seat covers were a quick fix when I first got the truck...I crammed a lot of tasks into a week, and never really finished the covers, just wanted things to look good, and clean.
The parts truck gives me an opportunity to do a really good upholstery job, with material I really like, and padding in some areas (the stock seats are not comfortable after 20 minutes). Bucket seats are still an option, but for now, re-upholstering the parts-truck bench seat is something I can play with, after the major surgery to get the '90 back on the road.
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I knew nothing about D-50's, and I hadn't gotten into enough trouble yet to set me on the path to find this forumI crammed a lot of tasks into a week
Knowing what I do now, I wish I had taken pictures...there are some, but not of the whole process. The gas tank repair probably would have been useful to some future Rammer, because one thing that's consistant in these trucks: Rust Never Sleeps.
It was a wonderful time detailing the truck, just basics to bring it up to "cared for" condition. But now that I am on this forum, I see the work others have done on their trucks and it's amazing the time and detail spent. I can't try to be "like the Big Boys", and I am fine being just a curb mechanic with a stock truck: the forum has made me feel welcome, that way. I probably represent lots of visitors to this forum, who are not extreme-modifying their trucks, but just keeping the basics intact. "The thing we have most in common...are our differences".
A list of what I did in that first week:
. Took the bumper off and gave it a good paint job after some straightening. Dupli-Color "Universal Black" with some clear coat. Same paint for the rims which I sanded and painted before getting new tires. I tried to locate chrome wheel-center caps but for now settle for painted.
. Painted the grille. Took a Ram emblem off the side, beveled it with a belt sander to fit inside the grille, and mounted it.
. Removed the instrument cluster and completely cleaned it inside and out, all new bulbs. While it was out, installed the tach and and running-lights switch.
. Door panels came off and got mild modification and paint, after-market window cranks replaced cheesy plastic ones.
. Used the Bissel upholstery attachment and "steam cleaned" headliner and carpet while bench seat was out. (Only 6 simple bolts to remove the seat in two pieces make it very easy to work with. Just like my first wife, it was an easy in and out.
. Installed a good music system. It will vibrate nearby buildings sufficiently, but I don't do that (anymore :D ) unless it's Led Zepplin or ZZ Top. It's a simple Dual CD player with a pre-amp. I quit listening to radio long ago. (In 1995 I walked out of the local radio station I worked at, after leaving a note on the wall: "Radio is dead". ClearChannel was buying up all the stations in the country, and what we have today is a pipeline of crap. There is no "career in radio" unless you think reading from a script and playing music from a computer-generated list is artistic).
. Putting the truck up on jacks:
. dropped the drive shaft and transmission. "Preventitive maintenance" of replacing u-joints might have been a mistake: I get some 55MPH vibration.
. Replaced the throw out bearing only to find the one in it was fairly new. This DID allow me to inspect the clutch, and also "get my feet wet" in doing deeper mechanical work...something I had not done for many years (I had no place to do it). Drained and replaced trans and differential oil.
. Dropped the fuel tank and addressed the leaking fuel line issue. It was in trying to locate a fuel pump that I began the realization of how hard it is to get parts for these little guys. I'm thinking this is a common D-50 'losing virginity' moment: you either dedicate yourself to these trucks or get rid of them. I'm keeping mine. After all: it has cup holders.
The truck spent additional time in a repair shop where the front end rubber was all replaced and the wheels aligned. Seems to me they replaced the pitman arm, too. At any rate, that front end is right. New shocks all around.
That sort of brings me up to speed as to this forum: my story is around here in different places, but the short of it is that I have mechanical problems to correct, and in finding the answers, discovered a whole community of Mighty Rammers (oddly, this reminds me of that first wife) and the culture of these unique vehicles. I'm not alone, out in that garage, and I have a place to share this, whereas otherwise, no one gives a rat's patooki.
And today, I hope to get the parts truck out of the garage, and begin my real journey.
All of this has just been a primer for what's to come.
[below: removing the fuel tank]
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I wish to make it clear that I know about replacing u-joints and the proper proceedure to do so. I need to check the alignment on the transmission mount, and also probably need the drive shaft re-balanced. Regardless that the u-joints are new, there is some visible play in the joins. Ghhhuhkk.replacing u-joints might have been a mistake: I get some 55MPH vibration.
Last edited by royster; 12-27-2013 at 08:52 AM.
It took a couple of hours, but I got the dashboard off the '89, and now can send the heater ducting to the freack. He assures me he's quite ready to spend a day tearing out the dash to put this stuff in there.
God save any of us if we EVER have to replace that heater core. (They look pretty "permanent", though).
I had the idea for shipping reimbursement for those who asked for parts: instead of cash, check or money order, you can just send a Lowe's gift card with the amount rounded as close as possible. I'm happy with that.
Will be shipping Monday, tomorrow the '90 for sure gets into the garage. I'm ready for that journey.
'Got the '90 over to the garage today, no small feat. I did it alone. I had to roll it down the driveway (on its own gravitational power) then across the creek, where I had to pull it up an incline with the F-150 make a sharp right-hand pivot, (back and forth, back and forth...in the mud) then towed it 400 feet (20 feet at a time, to adjust the steering) to the garage with my F-150. The last 20 feet I actually towed it with my riding mower
In carpentry, a helper can often be replaced by a well-placed nail. I adapt this thinking to automotive endeavors, too.
Got the valve cover off and did a close inspection. It didn't take long to notice that the forward-most cAm shaft bolts...the two short ones..are missing completely. So far, no sign of them. I also (sigh, whimper) noticed cracks on the cam bearing casing where the bolts are missing. That's as far as I got for today, because I'm a Tired White Boy and tomorrow is another day.
BTW, these head bolts are the 10MM allen-wrench type, also. And an interesting thing I noticed was the cam lobe is there for a fuel pump, though of course nothing is hooked up to it.
Any chance I can get away with moving the whole f.i. intake manifold off to the side in one piece, or do I have to really get into breaking this down? (The maniforld is a two-piece component).
No, you lazy bastard! You wanted a project vehicle, and now you GOT one! "Half-measures availed us nothing", remember!? 'Book tells ya how... ain't nuthin' TO it but to DO it.
In other news, today:
. Seafoamed the F-150. The Shenandaoh Valley did not blow up.
. Got parts mailed to the freack and Ram5--Newb.
. Cleaned up flood damage, put foot bridge back across the creek.
Now the D-50 update:
Uh-oh: metal shavings in the drained oil. Not a lot of 'em, but still: no one likes finding hair in their food.
I got the rocker arm assembly off, and the center bearing has some serious scoring. Looking at the rocker arms, themselves, #1 ans 2 intake have some serious pitting. #3 exhaust likewise. Everything else looks good. I remembered (at the last minute) to block the oil drain holes before lifting up the assembly.
Patiently working on getting lines/hoses labled, and the fuel injector body off, then the manifolds. I don't expect to have the cylinder head off tonight, but tomorrow for sure. Then I'll know 75% of the story.
The answer is: how willing are you to do the job right, and discover problems you can't see if you don't take things apart?
Case In Point: there is a labrynth passage for the EGR valve. This is a little hole you'll see in the intake manifold, and it is likely filled with carbon. By seperating the plenium from the manifold, you see this passage is pretty well blocked up there, too. But when you take the EGR valve off, you can see this is a total of 4 square inches of carbon yuck that disables the EGR to do its job properly. It takes some doing to get that carbon out of the whole passage way AND the EGR valve. The "EG" in that stands for "Exhaust Gas" and it has...wonder-of-wonders...carbon. After 217,037 miles, it has more than just carbon crammed in there. It likely has a good amount of
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and where they stashed the rest of that guy is anyone's guess, but we HAVE discovered a good quantity of him in our various engine components.
The EGR affects (among other things) idle and acceleration, and the valve can't detect the vacuum/pressure with all that Jimmy Hoffa particulate in there. The EGR valve channels vaccum to other components when the valve opens. If it can't open...and it has no vacuum to channel...the other components can't operate properly.
So by having the courage and resolve to clean everything up...not for show, but for good operating function...yes: you have to get into the manifold and clean things up. This is the lesson I learned, and I assure you it is charactor building. Being a Minimalist yeilds minimal (or even negative) results. Going the full distance likely translates your TRUCK will give YOU "the full distance" when the temperature guage says "normal", the CD player is thumping sweet and you're passing Yugos with a happy heart.
I started out hoping for a "quick-and-dirty" repair. I found, in true honesty, the repair has to be done with attention and care in order for the whole of the project to be satisfying. Yes: it will take more time, but it will also eliminate many problems that would crop up later. I don't WANT my D-50 parked on jack stands all the time. Once you get your little truck thoroughly serviced, then you are free to play with it. But to just slap a band-aid on the valve cover is not what these trucks want, and they won't let you get away with that.
The other point is: having gone this deep, I can't turn my head and pretend I don't see these problems or needs. They are, after all, in many respects, opportunities to correct future glitches, and also enhance the operation of the whole system. I had a fear of getting into something I knew nothing about. I realised I have the benefit of the Chilton book, and the resources of this forum. There are your "support group", and it's okay to get deep. We'll all pitch in to help you through, and once you're done, you KNOW that much more about your little truck. Wasn't that the whole idea? It was (and is) for me.
If your human head is congested, hockin' loogers isn't enough: you gotta blow your nose, too. The truck's resporation system is much the same: one glogged nostril is annoying. You can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, and you can pick the attitude of doing the job thoroughly.
Or have a bugered-up engine.
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When you take your EGR off, you'll see a passageway that goes down to meet the intake manifold. It has a tunnel there, too, and another tunnel across the cylinder head, where it terminates in #4 exhaust chamber. There is no valve or moving part: this tunnel is open all the way to the EGR on the engine. The tunnel is subjected to the exhaust and pressure of all 4 cylinders. And there's no way for normal operation to clean it, so far as I know. The carbon is worse for trucks like mine, that were burning lots of oil. The passageways get clogged, and the EGR no longer works as it should...if at all.Case In Point: there is a labrynth passage for the EGR valve.
I'm not sure what to offer you as a remedy for this problem, unless you keep an interveinious feed of Seafoam into the passageway and hope it works like Draino, eventually. Perhaps one of the experts can offer advice, but for me, tearing down the head was a blessing is disguise.
Last edited by royster; 01-14-2014 at 05:04 PM. Reason: To correct EGR information
The greatest gift you have to give to the world is that of your own self~transformation.
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