Wiring???

[85Ram50]

Hi OK so I got the carb working decently enough. I am in the middle of the oil change clean out Geezer101 described in another thread. I drove it 10 miles to run an errand and have it warmed up so the oil carried the solids that were flowing out. Oil was low to start and very black.
I had to replace the drain plug as Jiffy Lube has apparently been stripping it. I had to use vice grips. Got it drained drained the oil filter and put it back on and put the new plug in. Then I poured in half a quart of diesel and 2 quarts of new oil.
I started it up and let it idle, I was a bit worried. It seemed ok and as I waited to hear a disaster I fiddled with the wiring harness in the same places I did just before the temp gauge quit on me. Then I got in ready to go for a drive and it died! Then it would not start. At best it would come to life to burn what was in the carb then die. I jiggled the wiring harness near the battery again, nothing then I tapped on the steering column and finally jiggled some wires under the dash just behind the hood lever. It started!*****
I took a drive through town in slow traffic about 5 miles then Hwy back home with a big hill in it. I figure that 10+ miles is pretty good. I might take it out again later. It wound out to 40mph like it used to in second gear! I guess something was plugged up. The idle has gone off, loping like it wants to die, so I may have to re-time and reset it after the gunk is out and I put in the new oil/filter tomorrow.

So it seems I need to go through the wiring on this thing. I have no idea how to even begin, I'm intimidated by the dash since it seems I broke it and caused myself these electrical issues when I removed/replaced it putting in a radio. Is there a forum for that?

[geezer101]

I can just see it now - you poured the diesel in, started it up and next minute...dead. "That eeediot geezer killed my truck!!?!" followed by a massive increase in heart rate, sweaty hands and the uncontrollable desire to choke me through your monitor screen :lmao:

Funny now but not while you're in the middle of a full blown anxiety attack. You'll be safe driving it around all day with the diesel flush through it as my recommendation to drive normally for an afternoon should be enough to purge most of the garbage out of the engine. If you have a camera handy, post up a pic of what the flush oil looks like when you drain it so members can see how much contamination will come out of an engine that's never been flushed. Great to hear you've recovered your engine response after all the grief you have been through, hopefully you'll find the gremlins in the electrical system and have everything 100% reliable.

[85Ram50]

Nah it ran normally for 5 minutes, I figured I exposed a fault that was being held together by gunk. My first suspicion was total loss of compression because the diesel cleaned the cylinders and rings :) and yes my heart sank. Heck the stuff that came out was black as coal. I should a changed it more times since the head gasket blew even though I have probably only done a couple K. I'll drive it again after I finish my beans & squash and then again in the morning before dumping the flush.

[geezer101]

You have inadvertently offered another avenue to explore with performing an engine flush - will it alter compression? I would make a small wager that it should improve compression by breaking up deposits in the piston grooves. The gunk would prevent both combustion and crank case pressure from expanding the rings, preventing them from sealing against the cylinder walls (to some extent anyway). I don't know if an afternoon of driving would be enough to make a difference but who knows...

[85Ram50]

I did about 20 miles yesterday and today I will drive some more to warm it up. That should be enough for now. I'll change it again in a few months and see what happens. I'll get some pics of the oil I removed (it is already in empty gallon jugs for the recycle place) and the oil from the flush later.

[85Ram50]

I put another 15 on it then drained it. I cleaned up the pan/plate that protects from the bottom put the filter and plug in and poured in the oil. It was happy when it started. More electrical issues came up. I had the battery light come on. The battery is new. The alt however is old and had a fire when I first bought it. The motor was real dirty and uncared for. Heat and a short conspired to light up oily gunk. Good thing I had the hood open.
I think I need to do research as I have done zero auto wiring. I do not count the two stereos I have put in. This thing is very minimal previous owners have removed almost everything from it. I'd like to know what is critical to it running and having working gauges.then I want to rip out the mess that is in there, clean it, primer it and run new wire. It seems like there should only be a few, fuel, temp, Battery, blower motor, lights, radio, I can't think of anything else but I am sure I am missing something.

Anyway it ran pretty good but now the idle isn't as happy as it was. I think Geezers dist idea may be necessary but I'm too tired. I took off the valve cover and re-torqued the head. start in middle doing each side then alternate each side of middle until I was done. One was loose!! closest to firewall driver side. I drove it and filled up it was near empty and took 17 gallons! WTF I thought it was a 15 gallon tank? with 191 on the travel odo that means I got 11+mpgs! 1/2 that tank was after the rebuild of the carb and adding in the regulator. WTF! Lets hope it improves.
That "old motor" sound I feared was a loose rod bearing is coming from the new head ! :) Apparently the thing is noisy.

Battery was dead no pics. Sorry.

[geezer101]

Did the oil flush sort out most of the lifter noise? The flush would be good in general for the engine but the main point of the exercise was the reduction in hydraulic noise. Your MGP isn't good so there's something definitely up. This poor engine has been through hell - literally. I would find a whole loom from another truck and swap it in seeming the wiring in yours has been badly cannibalised. Good thing the wiring in the early trucks are relatively simple.

[85Ram50]

IDK if it is lifter noise or just normal mechanical noise. The head doesn't have but a few hundred miles on it. I have no idea what to do with a new harness. The electrical problems started with me removing the AM radio messing up the dash and the two small wires connected to the Pos bat connector, then the Alt had that fire (the bat light goes out if I fiddle with the wire harness) and then when I replaced the clutch the reverse light wires never worked right after I reconnected them so I had to unplug them on the fire wall so my turn signals will work and stop the reverse light from being on full time. I even got another reverse sensor at the junk yard but it doesn't fix the problem.
I guess I'll have to decide if I want to wire each item singly or get another harness?????

[finalfighter]

if its causing that much trouble just remove the harness and inspect it. could have gotten chewed on by some rodents.

[85Ram50]

if its causing that much trouble just remove the harness and inspect it. could have gotten chewed on by some rodents. I haven't got the foggiest on how I might do that. I sent a message to that guy ron francis to see what he has to say. I'll probably get some ideas and better questions after I am rested.

[85Ram50]

Pictures of the oil both before and after flush. The after flush stuff actually seemed a bit more translucent than the before oil did. I could see light through it as it drained I couldn't see light through the stuff that was in it. 17220 17221

I decided what to do. I ordered a service manual and a KLM 84-87 electrical manual and a operators manual just to have it. All less than $50 shipped!

[geezer101]

It will be a bit clearer than the old oil but what you're looking at there is what is left behind inside the engine after a regular oil change. Next time you check your level you'll notice the oil will still look fresh. I don't know if there's any advantage to performing a flush every change but I think going through the procedure every 2nd or 3rd oil change wouldn't hurt at all.

[85Ram50]

I decided what to do. I ordered a service manual and a KLM 84-87 electrical manual and a operators manual just to have it. All less than $50 shipped!

I received an envelope from the seller today. It is two pages torn out of a manual!!!!! $14.99 + $5.99 shipping!!!!!!! There is no way I would pay either price for two pages. *(*(*%#)frickafracka rasa frasin :thumbdown:

I sent an email asking for the a full undamaged manual or refund with prepaid label to return these pages to him. Also opened a dispute with paypal.

The pages have mostly useless to the layman diagrams very much like the out of focus pictures and poorly drawn diagrams in a Chiltons. I can't make head or tail of them except that they are supposed to illustrate the Ram50 electrical and emissions systems. I expected a manual with clear lines and explicit written descriptions and instructions. Isn't that what you would expect from a manual with this title "Electric Service Guide Light Trucks & Vans, Harness Routing, Emission Routing, Component Location, Connector Identification, EGR Switch & reset procedure 1984-87"

Had some high blood pressure there for a minute or two. :shock:

[geezer101]

You got scammed badly by this seller and they need to be shut down. And $5.99 shipping? For an envelope? :cussingblack:

...really sorry to hear how much of an ordeal this has turned into for you.

[85Ram50]

He' says he'll refund me but I don;t see any return label in my email yet.
I got the factory service manual today. I just unboxed it I haven't dug in but I think it is going to have all I need. This was $15 delivered! There are more of these 85Ram manuals on eBay cheaper and more expensive.

Update 7-28-16
Paypal has given me the win but it looks like they are going to eat the cost and not make the seller refund the $20.98. They had wanted me to pay to send the envelope back to him with tracking but I refused. Every other eBay seller I needed to make a return to just sent me a label no questions. This guy ignored my direct emails and only replied once to PayPal when I asked for resolution. He never replied after that to any of my messages. I finally asked PayPal to make the call after he did not respond to 3 messages. Be very careful with "Vintage Auto Literature" on eBay.