[JoeRudi15]

Fast approaching my 30 year anniversary with this truck, 01/23/93. Am starting this thread to motivate me and get a little advice along the way. I doubt I'll ever be the guy doing engine or tranny repairs but I'm willing and able to take on the easier tasks, albeit slowly. There are plenty of cleaner and better Dodge trucks than this one but I'm sentimental towards it. In one word, reliable. Certainly not a heavy hauler, speed demon or comfort queen. 318 Magnum with NV 4500. Pretty much all stock. Just turned 100k on a trip up the valley to pick up some scaffold. Ol' Grady was my work truck for 5 years and daily driver for 10. Then rarely driven, barely maintained for 15 years. Couldn't stand to see the paint fail, so a friend who owns a body shop did a decent paint job in 2012. Around 2018 I started giving it some sporadic attention; brakes, steering, fuel system & suspension. I crawled underneath and scraped/sanded rust then "slapped" some POR on. I never had the desire or made time to work on my vehicles previously.

Maybe the 31 x 15's with a 2" lift isn't the best profile but I'm rolling with it. 3.55 gearing. The orig. wheels I like a lot. Green 'n gray...hell yeah.

Nothing to see here. Gotta clean the engine bay. What happens when a body shop doesn't align a hood correctly. Oblivious me.

Partial list of upcoming repairs, improvements:

• door gaskets, window sweeps etc. re-align driver door
• diagnose clutch, slight hopping when letting out in 1st and R
• remove rear diff cover, inspect drive, paint and re-seal; fluids
• change fluids, NV 4500, NP 241, D44
• quit procrastinating and convert to LED brake and signal lights
• correct the Dodge lean
• replace body mount bushings, trans mount; remove rust, paint
• restore, paint ac & coolant hard lines (rusty and pitted)
• check codes

Lot's of knowledge, fantastic restoration and mechanical work here on RCC. MoparBob, Panda with the fine details. Super, DB, CCB and Toxic with solid advice, vast expert know how. Kurt, Max, Neil, Mtaff & Dodgeman87 with the some badass trucks (just to name a few).

 

[mttaff]

That is a beautiful truck! Very cool story that goes with it. If I could find a set of those wheels, I'd be rolling with them on my rig.

I'll be keeping an eye on this thread.
Eric

 

[JoeRudi15]

Finally getting around to changing drive fluids.

Question, about the diff cover. Should I use a Fel-Pro gasket or RTV? Both? I bought Permatex Ultra Black.

Bought Valvoline 75W-90 Synthetic w Limited Slip additive. I have the Mopar LS additive but see no need to add this too. Correct?
Picture shows moisture was creeping in and the cover was sealed with RTV, no gasket. I paid to have the oil changed ~20 years, 50k miles ago. Oil has just started to seep out.
Also, I'm not having any problems with the rear diff (no noises, no metal filings in the used oil) and the gearing looks ok to me. Anything of importance to look for here?
I removed the rust from the housing.

 

[scatpack_69]

Awesome truck, she’s a beaut!

I’d just use RTV for the cover. I’ve never used a gasket and never had any issues myself.

 

[JoeRudi15]

Thanks man. Never did much mechanic work, now I have time to learn a little, do a little.

 

[TheBohunk]

I've always loved that color. They put it, or something very similar, on many 94 and up trucks. But I don't think I've seen many 93 or older ones with it.

 

[scatpack_69]

Super common on first gen Dakotas. Fairly common on full size as well.

 

[Canadian country boy]

Fast approaching my 30 year anniversary with this truck, 01/23/93. Am starting this thread to motivate me and get a little advice along the way. I doubt I'll ever be the guy doing engine or tranny repairs but I'm willing and able to take on the easier tasks, albeit slowly. There are plenty of cleaner and better Dodge trucks than this one but I'm sentimental towards it. In one word, reliable. Certainly not a heavy hauler, speed demon or comfort queen. 318 Magnum with NV 4500. Pretty much all stock. Just turned 100k on a trip up the valley to pick up some scaffold. Ol' Grady was my work truck for 5 years and daily driver for 10. Then rarely driven, barely maintained for 15 years. Couldn't stand to see the paint fail, so a friend who owns a body shop did a decent paint job in 2012. Around 2018 I started giving it some sporadic attention; brakes, steering, fuel system & suspension. I crawled underneath and scraped/sanded rust then "slapped" some POR on. I never had the desire or made time to work on my vehicles previously.

View attachment 630681 View attachment 630682

Maybe the 31 x 15's with a 2" lift isn't the best profile but I'm rolling with it. 3.55 gearing. The orig. wheels I like a lot. Green 'n gray...hell yeah.

View attachment 630683 View attachment 630684

Nothing to see here. Gotta clean the engine bay. What happens when a body shop doesn't align a hood correctly. Oblivious me.

Partial list of upcoming repairs, improvements:

• door gaskets, window sweeps etc. re-align driver door
• diagnose clutch, slight hopping when letting out in 1st and R
• remove rear diff cover, inspect drive, paint and re-seal; fluids
• change fluids, NV 4500, NP 241, D44
• quit procrastinating and convert to LED brake and signal lights
• correct the Dodge lean
• replace body mount bushings, trans mount; remove rust, paint
• restore, paint ac & coolant hard lines (rusty and pitted)
• check codes

Lot's of knowledge, fantastic restoration and mechanical work here on RCC. MoparBob, Panda with the fine details. Super, DB, CCB and Toxic with solid advice, vast expert know how. Kurt, Max, Neil, Mtaff & Dodgeman87 with the some badass trucks (just to name a few).

That's a damn nice truck and it's so cool that you are the original owner! You should love it simply because it's an investment and a good machine. 👍

 

[Canadian country boy]

I would use a bit of RTV along with a gasket. You don't need much but put some on both sides of the gasket. Those teeth on your ring gear and spider gears look a little too shiny for my liking. Just saying. Put some Lucas Oil oil stabilizer in there for some added insurance.

 

[JoeRudi15]

I've always loved that color. They put it, or something very similar, on many 94 and up trucks. But I don't think I've seen many 93 or older ones with it.

That's what I recall too. Maybe some early 90's Dakotas. I think it's Emerald Pearl Green and the gray is Silver Star?

 

[JoeRudi15]

That's a damn nice truck and it's so cool that you are the original owner! You should love it simply because it's an investment and a good machine. 👍

Thanks CCB. Around the construction sites back then almost everyone had Ford or Chevy and they were all pushing for me to buy one or the other. I shopped for awhile. 93 Dodge models didn't have 4x4 graphics stickers and the option 7yr/70k drivetrain warranty which kinda sold me on the Dodge. Though years later, I regretted not buying the W250, 5.9 w snowplow the dealer had on the lot. Plain white no mouldings. Drat!
But for $15,200, I got my moneys worth.

Finished the fluid changes in the trans, diff and transfer case. Did it's first bondo patch on pass fender. Scraped out some of the sealant above the windshield and repaired, though it's kinda fugly. 3M sells an aerosol wax with a wand. One of these days I'm gonna spray that area from the inside visor mount holes.

Have the Kilmat and a new vinyl mat to put in. I bogered up the last mat install in 2016. Had too many beverages.
Need to clean up the headlight switch and I shelled out some clams on a new basic radio/speakers.

Postponing any clutch work for now because it still shifts pretty good. I'll grease up the shifter and linkage, maybe that will help a little.
I appreciate all the help and comments.

 

[RCCADMAN]

There is a 93 W350 down the road from me for sale right now. Body seems to be in good shape and the paint could be brought back. It's dirty. Extended cab long bed and dual wheels. Doesn't run. $500. Christmas and the vet wiped me out. I hope it doesn't sell for a month. Then maybe... juuuust maybe... Doesn't say what engine it has in it.

 

[Canadian country boy]

Wow, 5 hundy is cheap. I'd borrow the money! Lol

 

[Mopar572]

For $500 you can bet its not a Cummins, if it has an engine at all!

 

[JoeRudi15]

The truck is finally back on the road. Rear diff oil, transmission and transfer case changed. Little accomplishments for me. Noticed some improvement on the shifting. The clutch is tired but it still does work. Once again, appreciate the comments and help.

I decided to re-do the floor mats and stereo. The vinyl I put in 12 years ago was sloppy. By mistake I ordered the rubber mat from LMC which covered the front half of the cab, but I kinda liked the material better so I ordered additional rubber from McMaster Carr and just lapped it over, guess I could butyl tape it. Installed the Kilmat kinda reluctantly, had a hard time justifying sticking that to sheet metal. Big improvement with road noise though. Added padding too. And stuck a big slab of foam to the outer skin of the doors. Factory had 2 small pieces on the door skin, I guess for reverb. A cheap JVC radio w Bluetooth and 6x9 Kenwood speakers and now it's time to do some 1/2 ton truck things. I used to travel a good bit for work and I always missed my truck and my refrigerator.....wife and kids too. I could not drive the RC for a month and not miss it (weird).