The Ram Truck

[RamD50]

Well I've finally gotten around to it, and I'm started to work on the 85' and its laundry list of issues and repairs. So far it needs: carb adjustments, fluid changes, axle seals (pinion and diff), seat belts, tires, locking hub repairs, seat belts, mirrors, new exhaust from the cats back, rewiring, brakes, and more that I can't remember. It runs as it sits, but not very well. Here's a video of it. Note the fuel pressure gauge is eternally stuck at 4 PSI, it's really running 7.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GlXThLKKVg&feature=youtu.be

[geezer101]

What condition are your PPH's in? They look like they could do with a big clean and a rebuild. And more than likely balancing. I am yet to see a Mikuni side draft in person. Your tappets need adjusting too by the sounds of it. If they're not providing enough valve lift it will not only hold the engine back, but damage the valves as well. This will be a good engine once it's running right. The PPH's will provide good throttle response and power. Any other plans for it?

[RamD50]

What condition are your PPH's in? They look like they could do with a big clean and a rebuild. And more than likely balancing. I am yet to see a Mikuni side draft in person. Your tappets need adjusting too by the sounds of it. If they're not providing enough valve lift it will not only hold the engine back, but damage the valves as well. This will be a good engine once it's running right. The PPH's will provide good throttle response and power. Any other plans for it?
Well once I get it running right I plan on using it as a daily while I'm at college. The open space in the shop I get once its out will allow me to rebuild a small block mopar I want to eventually drop in, but that's years down the road. Long term I'd like to maybe make it into a rally truck or at least slowly upgrade and replace parts.

[RamD50]

Well here's today's progress: taking off the float covers to look inside the carbs.
The tools of torture:
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The old spark plugs (changed yesterday)
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Simple enough plan: take out six screws that hold the float cover down, check the insides.
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Wrong! Ended up stripping out two screws and having to fight them out. (I'm going to kill whoever thought to use brass screws)
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End result is this open float chamber here, looks like it may be time for a rebuild and thorough cleaning.
15979

[RamD50]

Got the carbs removed today, found a major factor with my lack of fuel: stuck accelerator pumps. The gaskets were also pretty worn out and the carbs just seem to be leaky messes at this point.

[RamD50]

Well both carbs are off and I cleaned up the intake manifold. The engine looks pretty naked without the carbs.
16078
The Legendary Mikuni PHH carbs, now leaking gas all over my '64:
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In this picture you can see how the accelerator pump doesn't budge even at full throttle:
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There is no real room in our garage for me to work on the truck, so I often find myself standing on the bull bars to work on the passenger side of the engine bay:
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[BradMph]

I have a small garage also. When I get done with working on truck or car, the paint is all buffed from sliding back and forth along the sides of the thing. I want those carbs.....:shock:



Mikuni Carb Parts
http://www.wolfcreekracing.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=21&Itemid=30

[RamD50]

Been a while, so I figured it was time for an update (No Pics right now, I'll try to get them on the weekend):
The Carbs have been rebuilt and reinstalled, they were filled to the brim with rust and bad gas. They aren't tuned yet, and I'm suspecting my lack of exhaust may hinder my ability to tune them properly. I mounted a tach on the steering wheel, at half choke the engine runs about 1000-1200 RPM and is deafening with open headers. I replaced my bad pinion seal and filled my rear-end back up with new oil. I drilled new holes in my bumper brackets to properly hang it (my father never took the time to adjust them after the body lift, he just left the bumper off), and i cleaned most of the rust off the bumper and coated it with bedliner (it still needs replaced, but at least now its not half primered). And i found something else unique about my truck: dual front shocks (custom fabbed by my father and grandfather in the mid nineties- he wanted to stiffen up the front end so he wouldn't pancake it whilst jumping)

[RamD50]

Well, I figure I'll dust this thread off. Lots has changed since I first posted this. The Phh carbs are coming off for a number of reasons, ordered a weber to replace it. The brakes were redone and I have fresh rubber. Front shocks were replaced because they were shot, Installed seat belts, put in a new license plate light, but the truck still isn't drivable because of my damn intake, hence the Weber.

[ragragtimetime]

I have a small garage also. When I get done with working on truck or car, the paint is all buffed from sliding back and forth along the sides of the thing. I want those carbs.....:shock:



Mikuni Carb Parts
http://www.wolfcreekracing.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=21&Itemid=30


cool website brad! is there a "carburetor thread" listing websites like this?....thanks!

[RamD50]

Well, the Weber was installed a few months back and she purrs like a kitten. I still have a few bugs to work out (throttle cable not fully returning, occasionally dieseling on shut down, leaking heater core, sloppy steering) but it drives nicely and I no longer have to hide her away!

[geezer101]

You can try a combo of things to get the throttle working properly - spray lube the cable so there's less drag, add a stronger return spring or a secondary spring, bend the upper arm of the accelerator pedal slightly to add more load on it and adjust the cable through the firewall. The heater core is not a nice job but if you pull the whole unit out it may only need a few solder repairs to seal the holes up (if it's the control valve, you'll be able to replace it). It will give you the opportunity to recon the whole unit and give it a huge clean (you can make new flapper door seals from adhesive weather seals from the hardware store for next to nothing). In all it's good news that your truck is getting miles and daylight :thumbup:

[RamD50]

You can try a combo of things to get the throttle working properly - spray lube the cable so there's less drag, add a stronger return spring or a secondary spring, bend the upper arm of the accelerator pedal slightly to add more load on it and adjust the cable through the firewall. The heater core is not a nice job but if you pull the whole unit out it may only need a few solder repairs to seal the holes up (if it's the control valve, you'll be able to replace it). It will give you the opportunity to recon the whole unit and give it a huge clean (you can make new flapper door seals from adhesive weather seals from the hardware store for next to nothing). In all it's good news that your truck is getting miles and daylight :thumbup:

Thanks, I'll give those a try. In the mean time I have to cut a sheet of copper for an exhaust gasket and get a wideband so I can tune her properly.

[pennyman1]

use Permatex copper gasket maker - I used it on Geronimo 27 years ago and he still has no exhaust header leaks.

[RamD50]

Well, it's lemonade from lemons time. With a blown engine leaving my truck stuck in the garage (and waiting on pennyman for some pictures of a short block), I've decided that now is a good time to coat the frame with some chassis saver. More updates to come.

[pennyman1]

Should have pics tomorrow - just got my ladder back so I can get up in my garage attic to take pics of the block.

[RamD50]

Should have pics tomorrow - just got my ladder back so I can get up in my garage attic to take pics of the block.
No worrys, I still have to pick up a stand and hoist from a friend.

[RamD50]

Well, I suppose instead of slacking off I should upload some photos for you guys. I got my damaged engine apart to see how bad things really were, short answer, bad.
19326Here's the valve.
19327The lifter that caused all of this.
19328It looks like the valve struck twice before shattering.
19329Everything layed out on my work bench.
19330The piston damage.
19331My mangled spark-plug.
19332My engine bay looks so empty.
I'll have more pictures when I get the engine out. If anyone wants the damaged head let me know, if not, I'll scrap it.

[geezer101]

Yup, that head is toast. Didn't do the piston any favors either. It would need welding, a new valve seat and a new guide pressed in. Would be cheaper to get another head in the long run.

[RamD50]

Minor Update today. Got some tools off of a buddy and will pull the engine this weekend. Gonna order a few new parts, oil pump, gaskets, but I think i can salvage most of the motor. I'm holding off on pistons and rings until I get the block machined, may have to go .010 over if the damage can't be honed out. Over all so far so good. Side note, I've noticed on the replacement head I am looking at, that the rockers have solid lash adjusters, as opposed to the hydraulic lifters that the factory head came with, at least I don't have to worry about them failing if I don't have any to begin with.

[pennyman1]

The cam you have from the hydraulic lash head won't work with the mechanical adjustors, so I hope it is a complete head with cam

[RamD50]

Completely assembled with Cam for $360.

[geezer101]

Pretty reasonable price. Mechanical heads have advantages over hydraulic but they do need manual adjustment. You'll get to know how to feel your way into setting the clearances.

[RamD50]

I've got the engine almost out now, but it refuses to separate from the trans. Any advice?

[RamD50]

The engine is out fellas, took a day of work, a lot of hammering and wrenching, but its on the stand ready for a rebuild.
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Radiator Came out first.
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Engine on a stand, draining fluids.
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Empty Engine bay, needs washed good,
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Think I'll replace the clutch while its out.

[RamD50]

Just a dumb question I'm gonna add, any one got a diagram for installing a new radio? My old tape deck is dying and it wouldn't hurt to have a usb port to charge my phone.

[geezer101]

The factory radio socket will be grossly inadequate to run a new 4 channel head unit but it will give you a solid ground and useable powered fuse connection from the fuse block. A bit of hunting around for an instructional video and I found this -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WH_O-_JbiHE

Installing a new single DIN head unit in the dash of the ram50 will be a bit easier as you won't have to contend with cutting through any metal. New head units require the head unit chassis to be grounded to the body. Some stereos like Pioneer head units (just don't go there - really...) will eventually go glitchy and fail without one. Cut out the slot in the dash as accurately as possible and file finish it so the edges are clean and square. Pretty easy to do with the dash bezel out.

[RamD50]

Work is going smoothly, the engine is completely apart and going to be machined tomorrow. Bearings look ok to use but are being replaced because I'd rather know that I have a completely new bottom end. While I'm on my parts ordering spree, is a BSE (balance shaft elimination) worth it? I know a lot of starquest guys like this mod and I'm wondering if I'd benefit at all from it.

[pennyman1]

if you balance the whole rotating assembly, then yes it can help squeeze a few extra horses out. Otherwise, unless the balance shaft bearings are gone or the shafts are scored, it is better to leave the shafts in. You really only see a gain on all out motors.

[geezer101]

The benefit from deleting the balance shafts aren't entirely based on HP. The shafts are hefty chunks of metal that create parasitic loss of torque and engine response. Due to them also rotating at double the speeds of the crank they can cause catastrophic damage from wear (plenty of guys will tell you about the shafts destroying themselves, bearings and the subsequent loss of oil pressure as a result). You can make useable gains from deleting the balance shafts and the clutch driven cooling fan (throttle response and fuel economy) and both of these mods have an impact on engine wear by reducing loads.

[Chyrio]

I deleted mine simply cause one of the shafts was bad. But I'm not worried about it, I didn't have the assembly balanced but I am going with a fluidampr on my build hopefully it will negate any minor negative effects that would come from removing them.

[geezer101]

I deleted mine simply cause one of the shafts was bad. But I'm not worried about it, I didn't have the assembly balanced but I am going with a fluidampr on my build hopefully it will negate any minor negative effects that would come from removing them.

The rotating assemblies are actually pretty good. I weighed the stock rod and piston assemblies in the G63B and they were within a few grams of each other.

[RamD50]

Man I should really keep this thing up to date, but anyways, today was the big day! Got the rebuilt motor installed last weekend and fired it up for the first time today. Getting it to operating temp sucked. It was 40°f so I had to keep my foot on the gas to hold it at 1000 rpm. Once I was warm I figured out the real reason it didn't want to run, I was timed at 5° atdc. Got that smoothed out right away then shut her off to make my hot adjustments. It'll be nice to have may baby back soon. Just gotta break in the engine and adjust the new clutch and I should be rolling.