I've owned a 1986 Dodge Power Ram 50 since 1992, for many years it has just been my huntin' and haulin' rig, my wife had the family grocery-getter. Back around 2003, I re-built the engine from the ground up, twice, actually. First time around I managed to get an oil ring UNDER a compression ring while seating a piston. Do not ask me how, it still bugs me to this day. Needless to say, this did bad things to my #3 cylinder wall. Short-block rebuild take #2 involved a local engine shop. Here's where it kinda gets interesting. Unbeknownst to me, the old fella that owned the shop ONLY did SCCA race car engines...I dunno why in the hell he did mine, but he did. I can only assume he felt sorry for me. I found out about 2 years after he retired about the race bit. It explains a few things...
When I got my short back, I asked what all he had to do. He bored her .060-over (had to due to the cylinder scoring), dropped in flat-top 3-ring pistons, line bored it (including the stock balance shafts), balanced the crank, and pressure tested the core (new bearings should be a gimme, here). All for? $500. No joke, no lie. Part of the reason I just can't get myself to part with the old beast.
Well, about 5 years ago I had her up hunting Elk. We got some crazy weather. Days 1 and 2 were 70+ degrees, then it started snowing, by day 4 it was -2 and snowing HARD. We had to bug out a day early with a forecast of 4' in 24 hours. Dunno what happened, but the carb never was the same (water choke...hmmm...). Anyway, a couple weeks ago the old Mikuni started acting up again. Didn't feel like dealing with it myself (mid-80's Japanese carb/emissions...need a PHD in engineering to work on em), so I took it to a local. He said the choke-breaker was toast (no big surprise). I was fed up with rebuilding that carb (this would have been the 5th time) so I bought me a new toy:
Weber 38 DGES (synchro)
Added a Carter P4070 fuel pump on a kill switch to keep it happy (no pictures, I just didn't think about it)
I don't have a "before" pic of the engine compartment, but I can tell you, it's one HELL of a lot emptier, now!!
You can see my DIY blanking plate for the old mechanical pump here:
She's currently in the shop for a final tuning and to fix a couple of "oops" of mine. I can set timing by ear 99% of the time, can't adjust a carb to save my life...
Well, fate pushed me into starting this earlier than I had wanted (had intended on starting early 2011 after I got 2 computer builds and case mods done), I am going to be getting to hunt Pronghorn next August after a 13 year wait. I've intended to make this truck into a custom hunting/fishing rig for over a decade now. Well, that time has come.
Well, what does this beast look like now?
Ugly...but with a damned good engine (and rebuilt tranny/transfer)!
The Plan:
1. Flip the rear axle and crank the torsion bars up
2. New distributor and MSD ignition system (better fuel mileage and more pulling power) Ignition Control - Coil - Wires + Bosch Platinums
3. New dash and updated instrument cluster (to include Tach and phone mount for nav and MP3) (mod)
4. Sound system (of course)
5. Custom modular headache rack for my canoe and other toys (mod)
6. 3" body lift
7. Full Poly bushing kit
8. Bed seats for 2 (removable)Seats - Mounts - Harness x2 + mounting frame (custom weld job)
9. Receiver hitch (for boat/utility trailer)
10. New bumpers
11. LED marker/brake/turn (mod)
12. deep cycle on isolator circuit (for off road lights and an inverter)
13. Ford Ranger HID headlights (mod)
14. Custom Grill (mod)
15. New windows and a sunroof (sunroof mod)
16. Bodywork (to fix some cancer and a large dent where a little girl backed into me)
17. Second fuel tank (provision already exists in frame. Just need a switch, tank, sending unit, and filler) (mod)
18. 30" or 31" Wildcat EXT (same tires it has now, only larger) and 2x spares
19. The tough part...paint job. I want this pattern: Digital Desert Camo (all exposed metal parts except wheels, grill, bumpers, and kick panels. I think there's a law somewhere that says old 4x4 are REQUIRED to be painted camo)
20. 2 Jockey Boxes to replace the 1/4 panels on the bed:
Passenger side box will house the deep cycle and inverter, the split rear window I grabbed off a MM in the junk yard years ago. Still need a lock for it...
21. Vanity plates to read: DUKTRUK (I'm a duck hunting fanatic)
22. Off-road and cargo area/backup light setup
23. Mirrors of some variety
24. Warn manual locking hubs
25. POSSIBLY a winch, but I doubt it.
26. General mechanical work (brakes, full lube order, and a rear diff. input seal)
27. Possibly a 2-plate clutch (if I can find one)
28. Replace the existing 12 valve head with an 8 valve ported and polished (current head includes "jet" valves for emissions...an afterthought, if ever there was one)
29. Considering losing the mechanical fan and clutch for electric
Project Completion: July 2011 (I hope...)
This will be a SLOWW work in progress, but the end product will be well worth it: A small, powerful pickup to get me where I need to go in the extreme back country, and still haul my boat to the marsh/river/bay for some feeshin/gunnin/crabbin. Pulling stumps and bouncing off trees will still be doable. This is no race truck, it's a utility vehicle (in the truest sense), but I want/need power to haul toys and gear around the state. My Dad and his buddy both have shiny 1 and 3/4 ton trucks they won't take on anything worse than all-weather gravel roads, mine is the "abuse it" rig to get to remote areas and to haul dead critters back out.
Very much up for any suggestions, of any variety.
