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Thread: 87 Ram 50 4x4 "junkyard" rescue,

  1. #151

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    Quote Originally Posted by WarStryker13 View Post

    I kinda wish someone had a pic of the 2.6 at TDC for #1 with the cap off so I would at least know which post is supposed to be #1...
    I don't know what this means, but here's a picture of my 2.6 with the cap off (if I'm guessing correctly which cap you're referring to), in case it helps...

    00Q0Q_iADkqhfTZef_1200x900.jpg

  2. #152

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    ^Warstryker meant #1 in the distributor cap.
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  3. #153

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    Quote Originally Posted by geezer101 View Post
    ^Warstryker meant #1 in the distributor cap.
    Haha, ok. Wasn't sure what he was talking about. But hey, I learned something else today.

  4. #154

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    That's a clean engine though, looks much better than the sludgebox I've got. lol

  5. #155

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    So this happened...

    cables.jpg

    Third time pulling the parking brake lever, I heard two pops and parts fell out. Both rear parking brake cables snapped at the lever, I tried pulling them out when I first got the truck but I couldn't get the nuts to budge and left it until I had new cables... guess I'm getting new cables sooner than I expected. I will be using a chock block until I fix it, I know what happens if you don't have a parking brake. lol

    I also realized how dumb I am, I thought the firing order was 1,2,3,4 because of the Haynes manual, but I apparently can't read. Or look it up on here, or anywhere else on the internet...

    I feel really effin stupid.

    I'm going to (hopefully) pull the truck out tomorrow and try getting it started with the correct firing order. I'm going to try the original ICM first, then I'm going to try the new $15 ICM. If both work I've got a spare, if either is bad I'll be ordering another new ICM, and if both are bad I'm going to order a new OEM one.

    On another note, I got the wiper motor back together. It's still only one speed, but it's much stronger in low than it was before. I'm gonna be making another junkyard run here in the next few weeks, try and find everything I'm needing...

    I moved the off road lights to the "stock" position, they kept getting in my way while I was trying to work on the damn truck... I also cleaned up the wiring a little, I want to mount a distribution block for all of the relays but right now I have it pretty close to organized. Ish.

    I also found one of the wires for the A/C was pinched under the ground bolt on the bottom of the battery tray, and I'm kinda tempted to just eliminate the coolant temp switch for the A/C. I fixed it for now, but I might change it later.

    Does anyone have pics of their ignition coil wiring? I'm just wanting to make sure I know which wires are supposed to be connected to where, and if I've got extras I want to know where they "should" be connected.

    Pictures are easy to understand. lol

  6. #156

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    Well you have been on a journey of self enlightenment! Before you go hating on yourself you haven't had to sacrifice your dignity and pay someone to fix your order of phuc' dup bad-lee. You'll get it sorted (nothing pays like perseverance). Hell, I didn't even know there was a sender switch to shut off the A/C condenser fan if the engine temp dropped below operating temps
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  7. #157

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    I've found a few pics that help, and I might have accidentally lost (thrown away) some pieces that I probably should have kept...

    I'm going to see if I can figure out a way to isolate the ignition circuit without completely rewiring the entire front half of the truck. I don't know what problems it might already have, but if I can start off with a known good setup, I might not have to chase down as many gremlins.

    I'm realizing now that I am the cause of the majority of the headache I am experiencing, especially since I decided to modify almost everything before even getting the truck running. lol

  8. #158

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    I've been playing around with modifying the stock air cleaner for the Weber carb, and right now my progress is ugly and kinda hacked together... Lol

    IMG_20190612_224339175.jpg

    IMG_20190612_224252903.jpg

    I figured it would be easier to use the existing Weber bottom plate as a template, and it's spaced away from the carb like that because I'm using the mounting points on the valve cover, the four studs on the Weber itself, and I'm thinking of making a bracket to hold a center stud for the lid.

    Yes, that filter is extremely dirty and well worn, but it works as a placeholder.

    And yes, I know that it's not the most efficient airflow design, but it'll work for getting somewhat cooler air to the carb. Maybe. If I actually follow through with it.

  9. #159

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    If you plug the mounting hole in the top of the air cleaner box you might not even need the centre bolt. It's primary purpose is to clamp the whole air cleaner assembly down to the carb but if the base of it is secured rock solid, you won't need to factor it in. Hmm, the Weber sits higher than the stock carb with the adapter under it - I didn't know that...

    This will work better than the open element filter and maybe with some heat shielding in it (or even around the main intake duct as it's hanging over the exhaust manifold), it might aid intake temperatures further
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  10. #160

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    IT LIVES!!!!!!!!

    I took it on its first true maiden voyage, and it did much better than expected. The brakes are terrible, the throttle is extremely sensitive, and it's loud as hell...

    But it runs like hell and even chirped the tires in second gear. I'm happy with it.

  11. #161

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    Most excellent ...you really need to get the brakes thing sorted out before you end up beer canning all of your hard work.
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  12. #162

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    Well, they do work, and the truck does stop... But I have to lay into the pedal to get it to stop quickly, and the pedal is almost to the floor by that point, but the brakes will still stop the truck.

    Eventually I'll get the entire brake system replaced and it'll work great, but honestly just getting it back on the road and driving is huge for me.

    It has been almost 10 years since this truck drove on public roads, and it's now back to being (mostly) roadworthy.

  13. #163

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    Update:

    The front calipers are semi-functional, but the driver's side works much better than the passenger side. I haven't touched the front brakes yet, and I'm hoping they just need a decent cleaning and lubricated... The rotors aren't very pretty but there's still plenty of thickness in both sides.

    That, and adjusting the throttle linkage so that it's less hair-trigger would be nice.

    I can't tell yet if the timing is a little off, because it does diesel after shutting it off, but I haven't de-carbonized yet and it sounds like it's only one cylinder that's still firing after shutting it off. But considering I set the timing by guess-timation it is most likely off by a few degrees.

    Outside of that, everything else on the truck works great. The trans literally just slides into each gear like butter, and I haven't had any issues with it making any kind of bad noise. I do want to add more exhaust to make it just a little more quiet, but it's honestly pretty tame as is. I still need to get the new tires on it, but I'm planning on holding off until I get the rest of the little stuff ironed out, and put the new rubber on when I'm actually ready to drive it any distance.

    As always, I'd love to hear opinions or advice.

    And obligatory pic:

    front.jpg

  14. #164

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    After letting the truck sit for a week, I tried to start it and absolutely nothing happened. Battery was at 4.65v

    I took the battery to AutoZone, after an hour and a half of charging it failed the ammo test. The machine doesn't have a readout, so I don't know how badly it failed but I don't really have the extra cash to get another battery.

    Part of me hopes the battery is complete junk, and that there isn't a parasitic draw that's draining the battery... But the other part is hoping that the battery is just barely under the threshold for being "bad" so I can hold off on buying a new one at least for a little bit longer.

    The truck is back in the garage now, I'm going to go through the front brakes and try to get the A/C working. I'm pretty sure it's just a wiring issue, the A/C was serviced a little over 10 years ago and there's no evidence of the UV dye that was put in. (There's a sticker with the info on the radiator support.)

    Wish me luck, I guess. Lol

  15. #165

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    Electrical gremlins are a nightmare. Corrosion, wear and tear plus the dreaded DIY ghetto fixes of yesteryear can leave you tearing your eyes out in frustration. Fingers crossed you can get it sorted.
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  16. #166

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    Thanks!

    I went ahead and started pulling the front end apart, found one of those past "fixes"...

    Once I got the calipers off, I noticed a little bit of play in the hubs. The driver's side auto locking hub was missing the spacer that goes behind the snap ring, and the lock nut wasn't even remotely close to putting any preload on the bearings. And the hub seal was bent, missing pieces and of course leaking like a sieve.

    The passenger side still had the spacer, but the lock nut was just as loose. The seal did look much better, but it leaked too so it's getting replaced as well. The grease in both hubs was mostly black, with a hint of red and green here and there so I have a feeling they haven't ever been cleaned out.

    This is the point in time where I start thinking the truck has a mind of it's own and broke itself repeatedly to keep me from driving it too much and getting up to speed... Because I'm reasonably convinced that if I drove that truck on the highway for any real amount of time the front wheels would have fallen off.

    I'm really glad I pulled the hubs apart, even though it means more work and more parts. But honestly, all it really needs is new seals, grease, and that one spacer that's MIA. I could just switch to manual locking hubs, but I don't have those funds right now and there's slightly more important stuff that needs fixing first.

    As for the wiring, I'm wanting to put in a couple of power distribution blocks, a battery +12v and a keyed ignition +12v. What I'm probably going to do is just put a multimeter between the positive battery cable and the post to see if anything is drawing on the battery with the key off. Then it's just a matter of pulling fuses until that draw goes away.

    For the A/C, I think I'm just going to super-simplify it and run a single wire from the A/C switch to the compressor clutch. I know the ECU had some control over the A/C circuit, and without the ECU I think there isn't a connection between the switch and the compressor. I think.

    Oh, and the caliper pins were bone dry and a bit stuck... That explains the lack of front brakes, and there's more than plenty of pads left on both sides. The rotors are still in good shape as well, the only thing I would consider doing is resurfacing. They're not warped at all, not even slightly. I don't know if I'm going to go through the effort of cleaning off all the rust and painting, but it depends on when I get the money for parts. It might be a while...

    Now, aside from ordering the special socket for the lock nut for the hubs, what tools have others built/modified in order to get the lock nut tightened properly? I can't remember if there was a torque spec, but the hub shouldn't be able to slide back and forth on the spindle.

    Thanks for reading.

  17. #167

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    Quote Originally Posted by WarStryker13 View Post
    Now, aside from ordering the special socket for the lock nut for the hubs, what tools have others built/modified in order to get the lock nut tightened properly? I can't remember if there was a torque spec, but the hub shouldn't be able to slide back and forth on the spindle.
    The Miller/Mits P/N for the special socket is MB990954. A similar tool for Ford hubs will work if you cut off all but two opposing tabs to get it to fit the lock nut. A spring scale is very helpful to measure the hub's turning resistance which should be 1-4 lbs. The lock nut should be torqued first to 95-145 ft.lbs, loosened to zero, next torqued to 18 ft.lbs, then loosened 30-40 degrees to get the correct rolling resistance and to get the lock washer and nut holes to align. Also useful is a dial gauge. It can confirm that the hub's back and forth movement on the spindle is correct (.002" or less). More importantly, it will help you determine the thickness of the MIA spacer you need behind the snap ring and confirm that you have the correct drive shaft end play (.008-.020") on both sides.

  18. #168

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    Thanks!

  19. #169

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    I've been checking out various forums where a Weber swap is common. Some suggest when it comes to setting ignition timing, between 10-15 degrees BTDC @ 850 rpm with the engine warmed up and vacuum connected. Others say 7-9 degrees @ 900 rpm with the vac advance disconnected. I would try the latter method, then reconnect the vacuum advance and see what the difference in ignition timing is. Honestly, +/- 50 rpm at idle is negligible. Next ball park figure is 25 degrees BTDC on throttle (at a guess somewhere around 2000 rpm). You'll need to adjust the fuel mix if it feels like it's running rough on idle. The Weber is sensitive to engine tune and although a timing light will give you a ball park to play in, each engine will behave slightly different. Best way to get it pulling hard and smooth is by trial and error.
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  20. #170

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    Well the second method sounds like the one shown on the under hood sticker, but just setting it at 7°-9° instead of 8°-10° BTDC.

    As a matter of opinion, what idle speed do most have their truck set at? Right now this truck is idling at ~1250 rpm and I feel like that's way too high.

    I still have yet to actually set the idle mixture to lean best idle. The instructions state that the idle mixture screws should be between 3/4 and 1 1/2 turns out and I just put them at approximately 1 1/4 turns out. I figure halfway is a decent starting point. The instructions did say that if the screws are less than 3/4 turn or more than 1 1/2 turns that a jet change is required, but I'm hoping that if I can get the idle mixture set properly I can get rid of the dieseling problem.

    I need to do the Seafoam treatment as well, and then de-carbonize the engine just to eliminate any carbon deposits or hot spots that could be interfering with the tune up.

    Once I've got the carb situated and the timing set properly, I'll be able to focus on all the oil leaks.

    There is one thing that I'm mildly concerned about... The caliper slides on both sides seem to be seized inside the caliper brackets, and I don't know if I need to be super careful extracting them or if I can just hammer them out. If those slides are a lost cause, I might be looking for a used set of calipers with brackets. I don't want to buy new, because I can't bring myself to put new calipers on old pads and rotors, with an old master cylinder and original brake hoses.

  21. #171

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    1250 rpm is too high for my liking. On a cold start it should be no more than 1100 rpm (IMO). This may actually be the root of your engine running problems. Without a base line idle rpm it will throw your ignition timing out and dieselling is one of the symptoms. I would start from scratch - reset your cold start idle rpm and then adjust your ignition timing and fuel mix accordingly. Good luck!
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  22. #172

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    Ok, so I'm pretty confident on the order of operations...

    Set the idle to somewhere around 750-850 rpm at operating temperature, let it cool down completely and check that the cold start idle is somewhere around 1k rpms.
    Set the idle mixture screws to lean best at operating temperature, and then double check that the idle speed is still good.
    Set the ignition timing by ear for smooth running, then Seafoam and decarbonize.
    Check the ignition timing with a timing light, adjust it until maximum smoothness is achieved throughout the rpm range.
    Drive the truck and see if it's any better.

    Throughout this process, I'm hopping that I fix the dieseling with one of the above steps.

    Thanks to everyone who has provided advice or information, and shootout to Mr. Paco for hooking me up with new mud guards.

  23. #173

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    My experience with dieseling with a 32/36 on a 2.6, is that it cant get enough air to idle through the idle circuit. This forces you to crank in the idle speed screw allowing more air past the throttle blade and exposing the first transition circuit hole. I saw great improvements by drilling a small hole in the throttle blade and being able to back off of the speed screw. It still does it occasionally. I have an automatic, and if I shut it off in gear it never diesels. I set my idle speed to about 900 in park, but I only get about 600 in gear

  24. #174

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    Well I've got a 38/38, so I think that once I get the idle set properly it should have a little more airflow through the idle circuit than the 32/36 and that might be all I need to do to fix the dieseling.

    I'm still hoping that someone has input or experience with the caliper slides that are stuck in the caliper bracket... I have a feeling I'm going to need new rubber boots, because I don't think they survive the extraction. Especially if they have melted inside the bracket and that's what is keeping the slide from moving freely.

  25. #175

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    Quote Originally Posted by Giovanni89 View Post
    I set my idle speed to about 900 in park, but I only get about 600 in gear
    Mine (also an automatic) runs at 1,100 in park, and 800 in gear. Is that too high? Should it be set lower?

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