New to me 87!

[kodybarbera]

Hey everyone, just bought an 87 Ram 50! its 4wd with the 2.6. The truck needs a headgasket which i will be getting to shortly. It has a rebuilt 5 speed and new clutch. It has been sitting for a few years so im going to go over it all! Any suggestions to things i should check? Thanks!1298612987

[BradMph]

Hows the head gasket doing?

[pennyman1]

damn, thats not too far from me - I could use a 4wd...

[kodybarbera]

there was some issues with the title work that were still trying to figure out so I haven't gotten to the headgasket yet.. hopefully within the next few weeks I will have her

[ragragtimetime]

http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin/showthread.php/4087-1st-gen-titles-amp-vin-plates

[Andy 2]

Welcome to the forum. The body looks to be in decent shape, what's the mileage on the truck?

[Andy 2]

there's a plate on the firewall on the passenger side of the engine. It has the VIN # and engine code on it.

[kodybarbera]

ragragtimetime: I'm not switching vins. mostly because that's illegal.

Andy, the mileage is around 90k I believe. could be a little lower. still haven't gotten the truck yet.. I probably will not be able to get it until mid summer

[camoit]

Title problems just take time and persistence to get it fixed. Just keep at it.

[ragragtimetime]

illegal is a sick bird:)...maybe unlawful.

[Andy 2]

Assuming that the bad head gasket has not left coolant sitting in the cylinders, the things I would do are as follows. (I'm sure there's a lot I'm going to miss here) I would inspect the tires for cracks, broken belts, and tread wear. Inspect the wheel bearings and seals if its been sitting for a few years. If they looked good, I'd clean them up and pack with new grease. Clean up the brake calipers with a wire brush and check the seals around the pistons. Inspect the clips, sliders and pads. Inspect the flexible brake lines that join the rigid lines to the calipers for cracks. Pull the rear drums and clean all the crap out of the rear brakes. Make sure the adjusters are working properly. Inspect the wheel cylinders (I'd probably just replace them as its easy and they don't cost much). Inspect the drums and shoes to make sure there is plenty of meat left. Inspect the parking brake cables and adjust as necessary. All the brake lines and fuel lines that hug the frame need to be looked at for any really rusty spots. The last thing I'd want is to blow a brake line on the freeway. Change the brake fluid. All the steering components should be checked over and greased. Pretty much anything that could cause an accident if it were to fail would be my first priority. Second priority would be things that could leave me stranded like bad coolant hoses and worn out belts etc. I'd replace them all when doing the head gasket. Replace the thermostat. Drain the fuel and pressure test the gas tank. If the gas in it smells really old I'd keep it for starting campfires and start with fresh gas. Change the fuel filter. I'd pull the caps off the battery and check the electrolyte level, topping up if required then charge it and take it for a load test. If the truck has been sitting for a few years with the battery in it, the battery could have frozen and may be bad. Change the power steering fluid. Change the differential oil. Inspect the hanger bearing and grease the universal joints. Lastly I would install a new set of wipers because wipers just don't last as long as its been sitting. That would keep me busy for a few weeks.

[BradMph]

Wow Andy, if you owned a garage I would definitely bring my vehicles to you for servicing. Well, that also would depend on your price listing for that service. Though, safety is worth paying for! :thumbup:

[Andy 2]

Yes it is, along with peace of mind.

[kodybarbera]

ragragtimetime: yes that makes it sound better! haha got the title issues kind of worked out so I will hopefully be getting it done shortly

Andy: thank you for all that info! this is my summer project so I plan on spacing it out till around the end of August or September because it's going to be my winter vehicle. once the title work is done and I get it to my garage I will snap some more pictures and keep everyone updated on it with plenty of pictures

[Andy 2]

That's lots of time. It should be a lot of fun. Happy wrenching.

[kodybarbera]

yes I'm in no rush with it, I'm going over it all and making sure it's right. I got a really good deal on it so I have extra cash to spend on it and make it right

[kodybarbera]

also forgot to mention that the truck cranked over but wouldn't start without ether and wouldn't stay running. I don't think it was getting gas, either a rotted fuel line or no gas in the tank

[BradMph]

Could be filter also. They get hard and crystalized and clogged too.

[kodybarbera]

hmm yes I will definitely check that out too.. hoping to hear back from the guy today or tomorrow about the title!

[BradMph]

Just remember if you get the truck and you use it for a summer project...you won't be going to the beach checking out the little hotties as much before. Though the truck can maybe get the hotties after it's done, :P

[kodybarbera]

hahaha! I love this forum already! after only ever using subaru forums, it's like night and day. so many people on those that don't want to help and just want to be sarcastic jerks, you guys are already being helpful and I don't even have the truck yet!

[pennyman1]

Unlike most forums, we want to see these trucks running and working. This fourm is a fraternity of crazy people with a sick obsession with these hunks of iron - and I ought to know, I have owned Geronimo since new, closing in on 35 years!

[BradMph]

No one else deserves our trucks more then the owners. If I go out in this world I hope it's in the truck instead of eating pizza and watching southpark on TV, lol

[Andy 2]

Can you use a truck as a casket? lol

[kodybarbera]

you guys are definitely awesome! I appreciate all the advice I've been given already

pennyman, nice to see there's another one in PA that's close to me! only know of mine and one in a junkyard

[Ramshorn]

I bought my lil Ram50 for a winter driver as well, and turns out I'm having lots of fun getting it running right and looking descent. Good luck with your project, lots of knowledgeable resources on the forum!

[kodybarbera]

I'm afraid I'm gonna like driving the little ram more than my 2014 sentra.. this is also my first manual vehicle so I'm excited for that. and I love having something to break and fix. I have a feeling next summer she'll see some woods time and maybe have a coat of brown on her

[Andy 2]

We are an endangered species. I would go to that junk yard and get any parts you might want before they crush it. I found one in a junkyard here a few years ago and got absolutely every piece out of the interior for $50. I upgraded my '88, which was a base model interior to the more deluxe interior which came with the Sport and Royale models.

[kodybarbera]

I'm at work so I can't really look around the site but is there a for sale/wanted page?

[Andy 2]

Click on the forum tab at the top. When the page opens, scroll down and you'll see a classifieds link

[kodybarbera]

nice, definitely will try to be a donater shortly.. I make a lot of trips to the junkyard (my home away from home) so I will snap some pics of the truck that's up there and post it here for anyone that needs parts!

[pennyman1]

where is that jy with a 2nd gen truck? is it gombach's? I need some parts for my 89 Ram 50 for my Dad.

[kodybarbera]

pennyman, no it's at marshes auto salvage in Dawson. I cannot remember if it's a first or second gen though. I'm heading out there tomorrow and will take some pictures

[kodybarbera]

went to the junkyard and its a first gen with a g63b and auto transmission. regular cab long bed. snapped some pics and will get them uploaded shortly.

[pennyman1]

Already been there - I took the ps setup, column, hoses, pump, front bumper and rear drums for my 86 - its an 86 with a 2.6, but it was a 2.0 originally - found the gas tank on the other side of the yard in the back of a nissan pickup.

[kodybarbera]

the carb on that one looked to be pretty nice, do you think it would be worth me grabbing for my 2.6?

[pennyman1]

Stock carbs are tricky on those years - if you get the carb, grab the control box inside too so they match. I just don't know if they are close enough to interchange easily. To me, it is better to swap the stock carb out with a weber that works, than trying to use questionable parts out of junk vehicles.

[BradMph]

If your getting a carb from the junk yard, it probably will be a POS. Especially if the vehicle that it is coming from doesn't have extensive damage on it which put it in that yard. Non crashed cars in wrecking yards are definitely engine related and you can guarantee motor is probably garbage. Carbs sitting in a yard can be a huge mistake, not knowing if it has been rebuilt, sugar dumped in it, sitting for years, broke, so many things could of happen to it. For the price of no more headaches and more horsepower, Pennyman's suggestion can't be beat, Weber carbs make our trucks a much better running vehicle and parts are available for the rest of our lives and your trucks.

[kodybarbera]

the carb looks to me to be a different carb than what is on mine. I'm going back up sometime this week to get wheels for a friends car so I will check it out better then.

[pennyman1]

Trust me, that carb is junk - its been sitting there for months uncovered after I pulled the hood to get the PS off of it. Unless you want to try to rebuild it, let it sit. In fact, that motor is an older 2.6, which is non computer controlled carb, but it still is junk. You are looking at a 30+ year old carb that didn't work well before ethanol gas, now being eaten by that sludge, it's not worth it.

[kodybarbera]

true. best place to get a weber carb?

[Andy 2]

Have a look here. http://www.webercarbsdirect.com/ I think the shipping is free for orders over $100

[kodybarbera]

what is the biggest advantage of upgrading to the weber carb? is it something I should upgrade first?

[noahwins]

Have a look here. http://www.webercarbsdirect.com/ I think the shipping is free for orders over $100

No no no, NOT Weber Carbs Direct, those are the shitty knock offs!

Pierce Manifolds or Redline Weber, only with the raised Weber logo and that says Made in Spain.

[pennyman1]

only buy kits that are redline weber - they are true webers. If the carbs a mess already, then yes change it. Read the threads about an electric fuel pump too - its the best way to run a weber.

[kodybarbera]

that will be a future mod for sure but I wasn't sure if it was one of those "do this mod before anything else" type of thing. if it runs good with the stock carb I'll leave it alone for awhile and spend my money on a LED light bar :D