New owner 1980 D50 Sport

[68valiant]

Just bought a yellow with full stripe package 1980 D50 Sport today. I got it from a young lady going to college, who blew the head gasket/cracked the head (3 valve head) on a road trip. She could not afford to fix it, so sold it to me. It was already disassembled by her mechanic so I got it with the head removed. It appears to have had AC at some point, but there is no condenser. Looking on here, I see where the AC systems were an add on by dealers/importers which is probably why it looked less than factory. I am guessing that the condenser must have been removed by a previous owner after hitting something, as the grill is barely hanging on.

She claims that the pickup only has 41k miles, but looking at it, I am guessing that it is probably 141k. Either way, I plan to pull the engine the rest of the way out.

Once I have passed my "nube" probation period, I will post some pictures.

Thanks, Jeremy

[geezer101]

Hi and welcome to mightyram. We are still getting members signing up with D-50 Sports - it amazes me that they keep popping up and in decent shape. You can get condensers online relatively cheap and it probably wouldn't have been a bad idea to upsize the existing condenser to improve efficiency anyway. The AC is a nice bonus. You don't see that many Gen 1's fitted with it. It would also be a good idea to get your hands on a non jet valve head for this engine as the jet valves were the weak link in the 2.6's.

[xboxrox]

Feels good having that truck & the forum support... We are happy too, welcome... The constitution says something about pics photos etc...:thumbup:

The doggy looks happy too :)

[68valiant]

Thanks for the welcome. I am trying to track down a new cylinder head. My local machine shop told me about a block off kit that is/was available to delete the jet valve, so hopefully if I am unable to find a 2 valve head, I ca still find that kit. I'm on the fence about the AC. It would be great to have, but maybe something that I work on down the road. 2440524406

[claych]

Welcome!!
Another Nice 1'st Gen...
As to the A/C, check posts from forum Member 'hutch' . (1980 Plymouth Arrow g54b).
A start to finish install with all the needed mechanical/electrical/control/ pieces/ parts.
:).
P.s, hutch's Arrow is the same color !!
Its an Omen I tell Ya !

[Uncle Spence]

Really nice truck for Northern Idaho. Shame the wheels are different and not all the sport ones.
I wish that they had kept the single headlight set up as time went on with the 1st gen trucks.
All the best in looking for parts, and welcome to the forum.

[geezer101]

It's interesting that there were 3 headlight combos for Gen 1's. The dual round headlights seem to be the rarest... You might get lucky and find the multi spoke sport wheels to make up the set. What's your interior like?

[68valiant]

Really nice truck for Northern Idaho. Shame the wheels are different and not all the sport ones.
I wish that they had kept the single headlight set up as time went on with the 1st gen trucks.
All the best in looking for parts, and welcome to the forum.

Thanks!

Luckily, the last owner has the stock rear wheels and I am getting those later. I plan to repaint/powder coat the stock wheels back to a better yellow. The rear wheels are Nissan/Datsun wheels that are 15" and the tires are way too big and really old. They are an accident waiting to happen. I won't be driving it on those tires.

1st Gen single headlights are my favorite as well. Couldn't pass this one up.

[68valiant]

It's interesting that there were 3 headlight combos for Gen 1's. The dual round headlights seem to be the rarest... You might get lucky and find the multi spoke sport wheels to make up the set. What's your interior like?

The wheels were part of the deal, just waiting to get them.

Don't know that I have ever seen a round headlight version, very interesting...

The interior is in pretty good shape. The usual cracks in the dash pad, headliner is falling out, and the everything needs a good cleaning. The driver's seat has boards put in under the pad (old man fixing) and it feels like a bleacher when you sit on it. My plan of for the time being is to swap the bottoms of the seats so that I can stand to drive it, and find/repair the springs in the bottom half of the seat and remove the boards. The stock radio and speakers still function, and since my plan is to use this as my daily to work and back when the weather is not motorcycle friendly, the AM/FM is all that I need. I guess if I really get into longer drives, I will get one of those FM modulator things for my phone. The carpet is in really good shape as well. This truck is really in pretty decent shape. Just needs some tinkering and an engine overhaul.

[68valiant]

Feels good having that truck & the forum support... We are happy too, welcome... The constitution says something about pics photos etc...:thumbup:

The doggy looks happy too :)

Yeah, out of my whole family, I think he is the most excited for the new pickup... :))

[68valiant]

So, ITM Engine Components has responded to my email about the cylinder head that they offer on eBay.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/132935449921?ssPageName=STRK:MESINDXX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1436.l2648

They said that they can't see where the 2.6l was offered in the 1980 D50. I assured them that I do in fact have a 2.6l engine. From what I can see in the only picture in the listing, the rear of my valve cover will not work with the head they offer... has anyone else ran into this issue with the flat valve cover and the half circle openings for the cam install?
24420 24421 24422 24423

There doesn't seem to be any newer style valve covers available on eBay or anywhere online that I have been able to find.

Jeremy

[geezer101]

There are different variants of the 2.6 - G54B, 4G54B, 4G54 (Astron I/II). I do know that you can't interchange rocker covers from early to later engines. Putting an early cover on a late head will cause the rockers to hit the inside of the cover (not good...)

[68valiant]

From what I have just been told, the head that I have is a 2.0l Chain Drive head. I think someone may have put the 2.0 head on my 2.6 engine like what I have seen in a thread on here. Now I have to see how readily available those are...

[geezer101]

Check the designation code on the engine block. The early trucks came with a 1.6 or 2.0. You can use a 2.0 head on the 2.6 as long as you use a 2.6 head gasket to avoid the gasket encroaching the combustion chamber. Someone has been playing musical parts with your truck or it is a 2.0.

[68valiant]

Check the designation code on the engine block. The early trucks came with a 1.6 or 2.0. You can use a 2.0 head on the 2.6 as long as you use a 2.6 head gasket to avoid the gasket encroaching the combustion chamber. Someone has been playing musical parts with your truck or it is a 2.0.

I think someone has been playing musical parts.. all of the under hood decals show 2.6l and G54B. I need to get a better look at the engine this weekend. This is how I received it:
24424

Yes, that is a header, which makes sense for a 2.0 head swap. The mechanic that was trouble shooting for the gal that I bought it from just removed the head and left everything else attached under the hood. I am planning on a full removal so I can evaluate what I have. I hope to find a head either 2.0 or 2.6 that I can use. At this point I can't be too picky. I just need a head and valve cover, of course so far that is proving very difficult.

[geezer101]

The headers and intake manifolds swap between the 4G52 and early 4G54. So the headers will work either way. If that is the correct image for the head you are looking for - it's a later head design. Your intake manifold isn't going to bolt up to it as the stud pattern is different. If I'm wrong someone will step in and part with their wisdom :pray:

[68valiant]

I may have found what I am looking for. I looked at a 79 D50 Sport that has been sitting apart for the past 13 or so years not far from me. It has the 2.6l engine and the owner has a head that is not cracked (visual inspection only). The truck is in a sorry state, being taken apart and out in the elements for a very long time. However, it has a good amount of usable parts - most importantly the head and valve cover. We are negotiating on price, so I may end up with an entire parts pickup.

This may solve my engine issues and could potentially get my D50 back on the road sooner.

[68valiant]

Check the designation code on the engine block. The early trucks came with a 1.6 or 2.0. You can use a 2.0 head on the 2.6 as long as you use a 2.6 head gasket to avoid the gasket encroaching the combustion chamber. Someone has been playing musical parts with your truck or it is a 2.0.

Where are the designation codes located on the engine block? I tried to look this past weekend while removing parts under the hood, but everything has a solid coating of grime on it...

Thanks, Jeremy

[pennyman1]

as you now know, the 2.6 motor in your truck is the early head with an intake with 2 bolts to the front of the intake - 81 up have 1 bolt in front and 1 bolt under the thermostat housing. The jet valve eliminators are a swap out of the jet valve assemblies, and run 35 to 50 a set. the block code is on the exhaust side of the block near the front on a raised part of the block. If you do decide to fix the A/c, you will need a condenser with flared fittings, unless you redo the fittings to the o-ring style.

[68valiant]

as you now know, the 2.6 motor in your truck is the early head with an intake with 2 bolts to the front of the intake - 81 up have 1 bolt in front and 1 bolt under the thermostat housing. The jet valve eliminators are a swap out of the jet valve assemblies, and run 35 to 50 a set. the block code is on the exhaust side of the block near the front on a raised part of the block. If you do decide to fix the A/c, you will need a condenser with flared fittings, unless you redo the fittings to the o-ring style.

I see what you mean about the hole locations. How hard are the first gen heads to locate? Is it easier to just find a second gen intake? I didn't see that difference until you pointed it out and I took another look at the pictures. I definitely have a first gen intake. Has anyone ever tried to modify their head or intake to marry gen 1 and gen 2 parts?

[B-Line]

Nice Sport and nice paint!

[geezer101]

I would change the intake manifold and the matching rocker cover and call it a day. Intakes for later heads are easy to get and are slightly better designed. But if the donor truck you're eyeballing has everything you can use and it's in serviceable condition, problem solved. I do actually like the look of the Astron I rocker covers with the ribs and channels through the middle of it though...

[Salteen]

if you want to know intake compatibility go online and look for the gaskets for each and compare the 2, or since you have a 2.6L head and intake you could answer that question for 100% sure!

[68valiant]

The owner of the parts D50 is going to check for a date code on the head, but I also sent him pictures to compare what I need versus what the newer 2.6l head ports look like. If it's not a match to my intake, then I will locate a newer intake and rocker cover and just buy a new/reman head on line.

As much as I want some of those other parts, if the engine parts won't work, then I can't justify the expense right now. I may eventually get it, but I need to get mine running first. I didn't buy mine to be a piece of driveway art.

I will keep you all updated as I get more information.

[68valiant]

I got some pictures that confirm that the 2.6l head that the parts truck has is the correct 79-81 head. All the holes are in the right locations.:grin:

Now I just need to negotiate with my wife to allow me to pull another D50 home...

[geezer101]

Ohhh, good luck with that. I hope the parts truck is viable. It would suck picking up an engine with the same problems. I bought a rolled wreck and scavenged a ton of good salvage off it, but I still haven't stripped it and sent off for scrap...

[68valiant]

As usual, I spoke too soon... I picked up the truck yesterday and spent most of the day stripping the parts off of it that I wanted. It had a near perfect grill, straighter front bumper, a bunch of interior parts, and a complete set of stock wheels with new lug nuts. When I was showing my son all of the parts, we took a small SS TIG brush and cleaned between the valves a little better on the "parts head" and found a crack on #3... so I am right back where I started, only now I have 2 pickups and 2 bad engines. Luckily, I only gave $300 for the parts pickup and I have got more than $300 worth out of it so far, but I am no closer to having a running truck.

I found on ebay an intake for an 84-85 Aries with a 2.6L does anyone know if this intake is the new style that I would need to upgrade my engine to the newer style 2.6L head?

Jeremy

[Salteen]

honestly, you could justify the expense by A: saving yourself alot of trouble and B: having the money made off the parts you have stolen and cleaned up off this new truck you bought. whenever I am looking for used stuff, if the second time around it doesn't work, the hell with it and buy a new one lol

[68valiant]

honestly, you could justify the expense by A: saving yourself alot of trouble and B: having the money made off the parts you have stolen and cleaned up off this new truck you bought. whenever I am looking for used stuff, if the second time around it doesn't work, the hell with it and buy a new one lol

I hear you. My new plan is to buy a new non-jet valve head from either a local rebuild shop, or off of the internet. It will require an intake manifold and valve cover change to the newer style. But at this point, all of the used stuff that I can find looks to be in the same or worse shape than the one that came with my pickup. I thought I had got lucky, but all I got was another busted head. Well that, and some other good parts..

[pennyman1]

the reliant intake should work - it needs to have 1 bolt at the front of the intake, and one below the thermostat housing - your current truck has 2 bolts to the front of the manifold. The valve cover I am not sure if it will work off the reliant - it might be different in the back of the head than the truck, but then again it could work.

[68valiant]

the reliant intake should work - it needs to have 1 bolt at the front of the intake, and one below the thermostat housing - your current truck has 2 bolts to the front of the manifold. The valve cover I am not sure if it will work off the reliant - it might be different in the back of the head than the truck, but then again it could work.

Thanks Pennyman1!
I wondered about the valve cover...
I may wait until I can get up to my nearest pull and save. They have 3 newer D50s there. May get lucky...

[68valiant]

I received the intake and valve cover last night off of ebay. The intake cake with the Weber adapter already installed! So that is a bonus. The valve cover also came with all of the spark plug wire holders and all of the little hardware for each of the threaded holes. So, all in all I feel really good about it. I found a shop in Florida on ebay that makes the newer gen heads for Starion/Conquests that are non-jet valve, normally they have you send your head back for a core, but since mine is the 1st Gen head and isn't usable for them, I don't have to worry about sending the core back.

I haven't ordered the head yet. I want to get the block out of the pickup and evaluate the bores/bearings/timing set before ordering any more parts. I imagine at the very least I will need rings/piston pins/ and bearings... but that is all unknown right now. My goal for the afternoon is to get the engine out. If I have time this weekend, I may try to tackle the shifter busing as well... it is very sloppy.

[68valiant]

I got the shifter removed, and it appears that it is completely missing the upper plastic ball with 2 holes. I have the shifter completely disassembled. I have found the bushing and ball parts on ebay for a Mitsubishi Mighty Max. Looks like they will work. I do still need the inner spring cover boot. Does anyone know if it is still available somewhere? Looking on here I found an old post with a diagram, looks like the part number is 23127. If I'm not able to get one, I'm going to try to make a cv boot for an atv work instead. 2 of the 3 bolts for the shifter where stripped out.. so will be doing some heli-coils there as well. I can't believe that the gal that had it was even able find any of the gears... she did a great job of burning up the clutch as well...
I may have gotten myself into a neverending build... it is s great looking pickup, but it is really worn out mechanically.

[geezer101]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Manual-Gearbox-Gear-Lever-Shifter-Shift-Bush-For-Mitsubishi-L200-Triton-Lancer/163946771001?epid=11019604639&hash=item262bfd3239:g:8FUAAOSwVK9bAB2R

Nailed it :thumbup:

This might be a win for the upper shifter assembly dust boot -

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Gear-Shifter-Lever-Dust-Boot-Cover-Rubber-Manual-Trans-For-Nissan-Hardbody-D21/163838366629?_trkparms=aid%3D1110002%26algo%3DSPLI CE.SOI%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20190711095549%26meid%3Dc6 7e34b9aeca4c73afd8d1b63a2b8de3%26pid%3D100047%26rk %3D2%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D163946771001%26itm%3D163838 366629%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3 DSellersOtherItemsV2&_trksid=p2047675.c100047.m2108

[68valiant]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Manual-Gearbox-Gear-Lever-Shifter-Shift-Bush-For-Mitsubishi-L200-Triton-Lancer/163946771001?epid=11019604639&hash=item262bfd3239:g:8FUAAOSwVK9bAB2R

Nailed it :thumbup:

This might be a win for the upper shifter assembly dust boot -

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Gear-Shifter-Lever-Dust-Boot-Cover-Rubber-Manual-Trans-For-Nissan-Hardbody-D21/163838366629?_trkparms=aid%3D1110002%26algo%3DSPLI CE.SOI%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20190711095549%26meid%3Dc6 7e34b9aeca4c73afd8d1b63a2b8de3%26pid%3D100047%26rk %3D2%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D163946771001%26itm%3D163838 366629%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3 DSellersOtherItemsV2&_trksid=p2047675.c100047.m2108

Geezer for the win! :thumbup:

Those are the parts that I found on ebay for the shifter. The boot is a great idea! I hadn't thought about looking for a boot for a different transmission... My mind went straight to CV boot.. I would have had to cut it up to the smaller bottom ID to make it work.
https://ebay.us/L1iNq7

I knew someone would have some great ideas on here.

Thank you again!
Jeremy

[geezer101]

Now I have no idea if the Nissan hardbody boot will fit, but it should have some stretch or a wire/zip tie should be able to pull it into shape if it's a little loose. We are lucky that small, but crucial parts like the shifter ball and bushes are still around... it would suck if there weren't options. The shifter rebuild kit should get it moving smoothly again :)

[tortron]

the wonders of 3d printing and home mills should see us going for a while. not much money in it, but if you have a truck of your own as a hobby turning a few extra out to cover the cost of materials often seems a good idea

[68valiant]

Now I have no idea if the Nissan hardbody boot will fit, but it should have some stretch or a wire/zip tie should be able to pull it into shape if it's a little loose. We are lucky that small, but crucial parts like the shifter ball and bushes are still around... it would suck if there weren't options. The shifter rebuild kit should get it moving smoothly again :)

I am going to measure up the old boot and the flange tonight. I did it in a hurry last night when I started searching, and I think the shaft is about 1/2" and the flange OD was 1-3/4" but that was using a tape and not my calipers...

This listing for a similar Nissan boot shows some dimensions: https://ebay.us/CVncAq

I will compare that with what I measure when I get home. I was thinking the same thing about the zip/wire tie shrinking it down if needed. Anything will be better than the "2 piece" one that I currently have... Lots of tranny fluid has made its way out of that over the years... And who knows how much crap has made its way in as well... the fluid looks pretty clear, but I think that everything was serviced by the stealership that sold it to the young gal that I bought it from. She only made it from July to December before the head cracked.

[pennyman1]

the original boot on the top was held in place with twisted wire, so a zip tie is an improvement. If you didn't already buy the shifter kit, Mike Warme on here has a complete OEM parts rebuild kit with ball, bushing, pin and the top boot.

[68valiant]

the original boot on the top was held in place with twisted wire, so a zip tie is an improvement. If you didn't already buy the shifter kit, Mike Warme on here has a complete OEM parts rebuild kit with ball, bushing, pin and the top boot.

I pulled the trigger on the ebay parts yesterday... I will let you all know if the Nissan boot works. My original had the wire tie on it, but had split in two right above the flange lip. I won't have the parts until next week sometime (depending on delays from the shutdowns)...

How do you search for members on this forum? When I type in Mike Warme in the search box, all I get is a long list of posts that mention his name...

[geezer101]

Look in the members list - forum page below the header, click on 'community' and at the bottom of the menu is the member list :thumbup:

[68valiant]

The new shifter boot showed up from eBay. The bottom opening is way too big... I can get it to fit over the whole 3 bolt flange. I am going to see if they will allow returns.

I will see if Mike Warme still has the boots available.

[68valiant]

It appears that Mike hasn't been on here for about 3 years... his inbox is o er full and will not accept any more messages.

Not sure what to do at this point. I really don't want to put it back together without that boot...

[tortron]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Shift-Gear-Lever-Boot-Cover-Rubber-for-Dodge-Ram50-Pickup/272368658963?epid=677352079&hash=item3f6a6fea13:g:TrEAAOSwOdpX0P~v

This boot? im not seeing any other rubber boots in my parts manual for the shifter. but im not real familiar with these ones

24602

Same part number for km130 km132 km144

[xboxrox]

The new shifter boot showed up from eBay. The bottom opening is way too big... I can get it to fit over the whole 3 bolt flange. I am going to see if they will allow returns.

I will see if Mike Warme still has the boots available.

Does a 1985 RAM50 manual transmission shift boot fit & is yours 4X4 or what..? Not sure what boot you need... Might have a boot in PicknPull Rocklin, Ca... I know of a parts puller guy there.

[pennyman1]

Call Mike Warme at 818-268-3012

[68valiant]

The part that I need is the "spring cover" it is the inner boot that seals the shifter to the transmission. It is safety wired to a metal flange that bolts on with the shifter. On your diagram it appears to be part #3.
Thanks for the suggestions!

[68valiant]

Does a 1985 RAM50 manual transmission shift boot fit & is yours 4X4 or what..? Not sure what boot you need... Might have a boot in PicknPull Rocklin, Ca... I know of a parts puller guy there.

My D50 is a 2wd manual transmission. It uses the 3 bolt flange as depicted in the diagram above.
Thanks for the reply!

[68valiant]

Call Mike Warme at 818-268-3012
Thank you Pennyman! 😁👍

[tortron]

#3 part number is MD701602, which is the shifter rubber boot in the ebay link. i guess theres an unlisted boot that goes under that?

[68valiant]

#3 part number is MD701602, which is the shifter rubber boot in the ebay link. i guess theres an unlisted boot that goes under that?
I just typed in the part #MD703619 on ebay, and it came up. Of course it is in United Arab Emirates... but it is still available...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/183291579720

At this point, it may be worth the gamble. I plan to give Mike Warme a call first.

[68valiant]

Call Mike Warme at 818-268-3012
Got in touch with Mike. His shifter rebuild kits are $18. He is sending one my way.

Thanks again for the phone number! 🙂👍

[68valiant]

I took the engine apart this weekend. The main and rod bearing surfaces all looked really good. The pistons pushed out of the top of the cylinders without any snags so I don't think that there is a ridge around the top of the cylinders. The bores all have a faint sign of hone marks, so I am optimistic that I may get away with a hone and re-ring. The bearing on the rear of the upper balance shaft had a slight amount of scoring, so I am glad that I took it apart. I plan on replacing all of the bearings and probably the piston pins as well.

24646 24647

I have heard that there are counter balance shaft eliminator kits, but am not sure if that is a good idea or not. I am getting a non-jet valve head for it, and I can see the advantage of that modification. Do the eliminator kits cause any issues long term?

Hope all are staying safe and healthy!
Jeremy

[geezer101]

There has been fierce debates over balance shafts - to delete or not to delete. From factory the rods and piston assemblies are within a few grams of each other so getting a die grinder out and shaving a little metal off the heaviest assemblies will bring everything to near perfect without machining and balancing the crank/flywheel assembly. There are plenty of engines that don't have balance shafts in them and were in production up to early 2000's - they don't try to knock themselves apart or massage your legs under throttle...

Pros - rotating mass reduction. Improves throttle response, adds horsepower. Eliminates balance shaft bearing failure and deletes the secondary timing chain (balance shaft bearing failure leads to catastrophic oil pressure loss and RIP to bottom end) Subsequent improvement to primary oil pressure.

Cons - some people have experienced secondary harmonic vibration in certain rev ranges, to the point where they felt it was unlivable.

[Fordubishi]

you can take the Crank,Harmonic balancer and Flywheel to a good machine shop and get them 0 Balanced for a for between $100-$200, then have the rods and pistons weight matched. Doing this the engine will perform better and you can eliminate the counter balance shaft with no problem. I have done this with the old Dodge 2.0Lengines and the newer 2.4L. What I don't understand about Mitsubishi is the Canadian engines didn't have a balance shaft in the 2.0 and the 2.6. that I have taken apart (79-84)

[geezer101]

Some early Astron engines didn't have balance shafts, 2.0 and 2.6 forklift engines didn't have them either. The shaft design itself was integrated into Mitsubishi engines when they produced the Astron 80 but where they were implemented is a bit of a mystery. Astron II engines appear to have all been designed with balance shafts.

[geezer101]

* get a cheap pair of digital kitchen scales, weigh each rod assembly 3 times individually to get the average weight then shave some metal off the heaviest ones. Unless you're building a high RPM range engine, I don't think the expense of fully balancing the bottom end will yield any worthwhile results. I'd also DIY cylinder head porting. This will make the engine idle smoother, improve throttle response and make it more efficient. Nothing too wild - just clean up the ports, match the intake side and radius off any sharp edges in the combustion chambers and the backs of the valve bowls. Only basic tools are required (don't go chopping away at it with a carbide tool and an air die grinder - that is a bad mistake) A rotary die grinder like a Dremel, a cheap tool accessory kit to go with it, a flexi drive on a regular power drill and drum sander attachments that will just fit inside the ports. And do the port work before sending the head off to avoid damaging fresh cut valve seats :)

[tortron]

you can set up a basic jig to hold the conrods at ach end while weighing to fully balance them, some good vids on youtube

[68valiant]

Thanks for all of the great suggestions! My plan is to have a local engine builder do the final measuring and any needed machining/balancing. He has a good reputation for building race engines and is the good friend my friend. I trust that he will treat me right.

I had read here that the two common mods to these engines was to delete the jet valves and balance shafts, but wanted to hear what you all had to say about it. I am not looking to build a high performance race engine, but I do want to make any needed improvements to make it reliable and simple to work on.

If I want power, I will drive one of my V8 powered vehicles or my VTX1800 motorcycle.

24660 24661

I plan to do as much mechanically as I am comfortable with. I will leave the more technical parts of the engine rebuild to the professionals.

Thanks again for all of the feedback! That is what makes these forums so valuable.

[geezer101]

I read into your posts that your truck has A/C - the original condenser was probably an early design and not very efficient so you have the option of upgrading to a bigger surface area unit and they can be had relatively cheap but it might take some adapting for line connections. One of the biggest enemies of these trucks is heat. Having an efficient cooling system is a safeguard between you and cracked heads. Another worthwhile mod is the clutch fan delete. Installing an electric thermofan has a ton of advantages and you can pair it with a bigger A/C exchanger fan.

[68valiant]

I read into your posts that your truck has A/C - the original condenser was probably an early design and not very efficient so you have the option of upgrading to a bigger surface area unit and they can be had relatively cheap but it might take some adapting for line connections. One of the biggest enemies of these trucks is heat. Having an efficient cooling system is a safeguard between you and cracked heads. Another worthwhile mod is the clutch fan delete. Installing an electric thermofan has a ton of advantages and you can pair it with a bigger A/C exchanger fan.

It has most of an A/C system. When I pulled the dash out to investigate the radio and antenna, I discovered some wires that ran to the A/C vent box that had been cut... and the original condenser had been cut out with a hack saw... there was a stub of one of the connections in one of the hoses. I have not eliminated the system, but for now I have rolled the hoses and wires up and tucked them into the passenger rear side of the engine compartment for safe keeping. I live an an area that gets hot in the late summer, so it may become a necessity at some point. For now, my plan is to get it running and then I will tinker on the rest of the little things.

A larger condenser was the one thing that has been mentioned on here about the A/C system for sure. I have also thought about adding an electric fan into the mix for better cooling.

Thanks Geezer!

[68valiant]

Spent a good part the first of my new 3 day weekends getting some things done on the D50.

First thing Friday I got the engine and internals delivered to the machine shop. Looks like it will be a full rebuild, as the ring lands were shot in my pistons. So, at the very least, it will need new pistons, rings, bearings... still waiting to see if it needs bored or if we can get away with honing it.

Since the engine is now away and in the works, I decided to do some sprucing up on the exterior.
I repainted the front bumper and found some yellow spray paint (not 100% matched, but closer than what the previous owner had used) and resprayed the valance panel. That lead me to start waxing the paint to achieve a better shine on the whole truck. I am down to the drivers box side and tailgate. It started to rain, so I called it a day yesterday.

24725

It is taking a lot of elbow grease, and a fair amount of wax... but the oxidation is starting to disappear. Granted, the sides have a lot of dings and scratches so it really is a 20ft/20mph finish at this point. But it still looks loads better than it did, and progress is progress.

Stay safe and healthy!

[geezer101]

Looks awesome! Amazing what a little love and a lotta elbow grease can achieve. The good thing about your A/C is you have the pulleys, tensioner and the evap unit. On Gen 2's this stuff is 'easier' to get, but good luck finding a complete evaporator that will work on a Gen 1 heater/blower. Hope your block bores are still serviceable :)

[StarquestMan]

It has most of an A/C system. When I pulled the dash out to investigate the radio and antenna, I discovered some wires that ran to the A/C vent box that had been cut... and the original condenser had been cut out with a hack saw... there was a stub of one of the connections in one of the hoses. I have not eliminated the system, but for now I have rolled the hoses and wires up and tucked them into the passenger rear side of the engine compartment for safe keeping. I live an an area that gets hot in the late summer, so it may become a necessity at some point. For now, my plan is to get it running and then I will tinker on the rest of the little things.

A larger condenser was the one thing that has been mentioned on here about the A/C system for sure. I have also thought about adding an electric fan into the mix for better cooling.

Thanks Geezer!

Ive got about half of an AC system I saved out of an 86' D50, Im not sure much about the interchange between the parts of an early first gen and a later first gen but if you are needing parts I may have some of what you need. I know I have the little harness and switch that plug in under the dash along with the evap box and idle up solenoid and some other miscellaneous parts. if you decide to start working on the AC system shoot me a PM and ill see if I have what you need:)

[xboxrox]

Nice looking truck valiant :thumbup:

[68valiant]

Looks awesome! Amazing what a little love and a lotta elbow grease can achieve. The good thing about your A/C is you have the pulleys, tensioner and the evap unit. On Gen 2's this stuff is 'easier' to get, but good luck finding a complete evaporator that will work on a Gen 1 heater/blower. Hope your block bores are still serviceable :)

Thanks! It is coming along quite well. Of course the picture shows the best angle, but it all is starting to look pretty good.

At this point, the A/C will be on the back burner. The machine shop said that I am looking at a full rebuild as the ring lands were worn out in my pistons, so at the very least I will be replacing those along with all of the bearings. It just adds a little more to the bill there, but it will postpone any other costly repairs for a little while. Luckily, time is on my side, as this is an extra vehicle for me and I can take my time getting it the way I want it.

[68valiant]

Ive got about half of an AC system I saved out of an 86' D50, Im not sure much about the interchange between the parts of an early first gen and a later first gen but if you are needing parts I may have some of what you need. I know I have the little harness and switch that plug in under the dash along with the evap box and idle up solenoid and some other miscellaneous parts. if you decide to start working on the AC system shoot me a PM and ill see if I have what you need:)

Thanks! I will keep this in mind when the time comes to get the A/C up and running. I am going to have to upgrade the hoses and things anyway got meet the new refrigerant, so will be doing some adapting already.

[68valiant]

Nice looking truck valiant :thumbup:

Thank you! These little trucks are definitely a labor of love!

[dash]

when u total up what $ u pump into refreshing that old motor..... u may have been better off finding a running starion donor
They can still be found. Not in abundance as they used to be
Folks chasing higher horsepower numbers, sell off their starion 2.6 bits when motor swapping
Minor 2.6 mods deliver V8 performance if u like. No more carb life. Higher learn curve to implement tho

My old 1980 corolla had a small AC condensor, with smaller frontal area. Same Nippondenso 6P compressor. R12
AC tech buddy suggested adding a fan to condensor/relay triggered by the compressor.
No window tint, hatchback, in miami sun, had ICE cold AC. Cabin volume more than twice a tiny mitsu pickup


truck shines up nice
Any more Valiant pix ? Luv those old school designs... so simple, so elegant

[68valiant]

when u total up what $ u pump into refreshing that old motor..... u may have been better off finding a running starion donor
They can still be found. Not in abundance as they used to be
Folks chasing higher horsepower numbers, sell off their starion 2.6 bits when motor swapping
Minor 2.6 mods deliver V8 performance if u like. No more carb life. Higher learn curve to implement tho

My old 1980 corolla had a small AC condensor, with smaller frontal area. Same Nippondenso 6P compressor. R12
AC tech buddy suggested adding a fan to condensor/relay triggered by the compressor.
No window tint, hatchback, in miami sun, had ICE cold AC. Cabin volume more than twice a tiny mitsu pickup


truck shines up nice
Any more Valiant pix ? Luv those old school designs... so simple, so elegant

To be honest, I didn't plan on a full rebuild originally. My plan was to throw a set of rings in it and put on the new head... but as all things go, the plans have changed drastically. As for the A/C, I plan to fix it someday. My plan for the truck is to use it when the weather is not motorcycle friendly to get to work, so the A/C most likely wouldn't be needed. But, time will tell that tale.

I have more pix of my Valiant than would fit on this forum. I have owned the car since 1992, and before that it was my mom's car. She got it for high school graduation in the spring of 1968. It was originally a slant-6, three on the tree, bench seat car. After my first year of college, I put the 318 V8 in and a heavier 3 speed (floor shifted) and an 8-3/4 rear end with the same small bolt pattern axles. It is still all manual drum brakes and manual steering. The summer after I graduated from college (and before we started having kids) I did the body work and we painted it in my buddies garage. Hard to believe that was 22 years ago... I also switched it over to a bucket seat interior out of a parts car. Currently, it resides in my garage under a cover and gets driven on nice days and to a few cruises/car shows each summer.

24761 24762 24763

MOPAR is in my blood... and my D50 fits right in with all of my other Mopars. (2004 Dodge Stratus - current daily, 2008 Ram 1500 4x4 Laramie)

[geezer101]

That is a cool old school car. Never seen the Plymouth Valiant before. I wonder how much the Australian Chrysler Valiant borrowed from it...

[68valiant]

That is a cool old school car. Never seen the Plymouth Valiant before. I wonder how much the Australian Chrysler Valiant borrowed from it...

I think that up until the early 70's they were pretty similar. I do know that the Dart was very similar and there are a few folks over here that adapted the square headlight grills from Australian Darts into their US models. The uni-body construction makes them pretty unique and also makes parts from the Dart/Valiant/Barracuda somewhat interchangeable. I can't imagine that they would have strayed from that design for the export market.

[68valiant]

Over the weekend I got my freshly machined flywheel back from the machine shop, and the engine block has been hot tanked and is awaiting machine and measuring. I ordered the new head and Weber carb kit off of eBay. They will be showing up in the next couple of weeks as well. I took some time and identified all of the wires under the hood that are associated with the engine, some of which had been removed by the mechanic who diagnosed the cracked head for the previous owner. I also cleaned up the starter and alternator, both which had 40 years of grime on them. Well, at least a lot of years if they aren't the factory parts. The alternator still had a Mitsubishi sticker on it, so there is a chance that it is stock. One of the previous owners had put SAE bolts in the starter, which didn't really work as he had nuts on the back side to hold them in. Luckily the threads weren't ruined completely and I was able to get the ones out of the parts pickup to thread into that starter. It is a proven starter so I plan to use it. The one on the parts pickup had been sitting out in the weather for 12 years, so I didn't plan to use it for much more than the bolts and a core if needed down the road.

I did some research on here about Weber carbs and stock fuel pumps. I do see where there is a lot of discussion about using an electric pump. I have added the 42S pump to both my eBay and Amazon lists, just in case. My plan for now is to try the stock pump first. Since my truck was running up until the head cracked back in December for the previous owner, I know that everything was working at that point.

I made a list of parts/projects for the D50 this weekend in my garage. The list turned out to be shorter than I had imagined, but there are some labor intensive items on it that have to happen post engine install. So, for now I will just chip away at the jobs that can be done while it is in limbo.

Hope all are staying safe and healthy!

[geezer101]

Nice. Sounds like you got some wrenching to do on a fresh block. Safest place to be is in the garage working on a Mitsubishi truck :P

[68valiant]

Just got the news that my block is machined and ready. The cylinders only needed honed and the bearing surfaces didn't need machined, so I can order a standard piston/ring set and standard bearings. The only issue that I have right now is that an "out of the box" master kit will not have the correct intake manifold or valve cover gaskets as they would be for the 1980 head and not the newer head that I have ordered. From what I have been able to find, the 83-newer G54B is the same engine with the exception of the head, is that correct? If so, wouldn't it make sense that I could just order the Master Kit for an 83-newer G54B?

Thanks for all of the help on this from all of you guys!

Stay safe and Healthy!

[68valiant]

Purchased the rebuild kit on last Friday and assembled all of the newly accumulated parts onto a small table in my garage... this is what $1400 USD looks like (minus the new clutch which arrived Saturday)...

24981

I delivered the rebuild kit and head to my engine builder on Friday evening. I hope to have the completed long block back in the next week or so. In the mean time I installed a relay/with inline fused power supply under the hood for the electric fuel pump. There is a switched power wire that was part of the A/C system that I am going to use for the relay exciter wire as well as the electric choke on the Weber. I mounted the relay on the stud where the stock fuel filter mounted under the hood. That put it where it were it is easy to attach to the battery and that switched power lead. All I have to do now is install the fuel pump down by the fuel tank on the frame.

I am hoping that in the next couple of weeks that I will be able to post that I am actually able to drive the truck that I purchased in February not running. Of course I am still waiting for the inner seal/boot for the shifter, so that may end up being the final part to get installed...

[geezer101]

Yep, that's about what $1400 looks like. Good luck with the rebuild :thumbup:

[Fordubishi]

$1400???? Damn you only got 1/2 the parts :P

[68valiant]

Yep, that's about what $1400 looks like. Good luck with the rebuild :thumbup:

Thanks! I hope to have it back soon, but my buddy is doing it as a favor for me so I am on his timeline, which I am completely fine with.


$1400???? Damn you only got 1/2 the parts :P

Yeah, I was not thrilled with the price. I will be close to $3000 total into the truck when I am all done. Guess I should have researched the engine rebuild parts a lot more before assuming it would be an easy fix...

To top it all off, my son put new wheels and tires on his 1985 MR2 yesterday depleting his savings account (against my advice to wait) and then blew the head gasket on his less than year old engine on the way to work... When it rains it pours... I am have about had it with fixing old rigs...
24983
It's been a very discouraging week here for sure, I hope it is all going well for the rest of you.

Stay safe and healthy!

[geezer101]

Oh damn. You are in for hell on Earth working on an MR2. The engine bay in them is so cramped you can barely get your hands anywhere in there. Gotta say though - first gen MR2's are a cool looking 80's car. We've ALL blown cash on something we've really wanted but couldn't justify. Being young has an expiry date :blue1:

[68valiant]

Oh damn. You are in for hell on Earth working on an MR2. The engine bay in them is so cramped you can barely get your hands anywhere in there. Gotta say though - first gen MR2's are a cool looking 80's car. We've ALL blown cash on something we've really wanted but couldn't justify. Being young has an expiry date :blue1:

Very true. I was lamenting my week to my good friend who laughed and reminded me about my early twenties when I put a new engine, transmission, and rear end all in my Valiant in the course of a year... strange how the Slant Six tranny and rear didn't hold up to the constant burnouts with the 318... guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Things could be a lot worse. My son has picked up an additional shift at work and is working 6 days a week to rebound from this. I guess I must have done something right in raising that one.

Stay safe and healthy!

[68valiant]

Just got back from the engine builder. I had to drop off some parts that I forgot to send with my buddy. The engine is fully assembled! He is just getting the oil pump primed and needed the fuel pump block off plate that I made to keep the oil in the head from coming out through that hole... It sounds like I could have it back as early as tonight...

Update on the MR2. It was a head gasket fail on the water galley between 3 and 4 cylinders and it failed into #4. He has a new gasket and head bolt set ordered. Our friend helping us with this also noticed that the adjuster had fallen out of the fuel pressure regulator on the fuel rail, so we are thinking that it may have been leaning out thus causing more heat... so my son ordered a new one of those as well.

Hope that you are all staying safe and healthy!

[68valiant]

I posted this over in the Parts Wanted section as well.

The shop handling my rebuild, has somehow misplaced my starter/clutch shield plate (#15) below:
25028

If anyone knows where I can find one, that would be awesome. I am stuck without one....

Thanks and stay well!

[68valiant]

https://ebay.us/CLS2yT

I found this part on Ebay... Not 100% sure it will fit as the part number is for an 89 D50 2.0L engine...

Pretty sure that if it is at all close to working that given my work abilities, I can modify it to work.

[geezer101]

It won't fit - G63B with M/T is a narrow block engine and it will probably throw the starter motor alignment out miles. Tell the shop to find the backing plate. This isn't a problem you started off with, it's one you've inherited from incompetence...

[Salteen]

i have one i can sell you in perfect conttion

[68valiant]

I've had a productive weekend. I got the engine back in the D50, got the fuel pump mounted and wired, and got the shifter assembled and installed. I hope to fire it up tomorrow. Got the intake and exhaust put on this evening. Just need to install the Weber, fill the coolant, and it's time to fire it up.

[68valiant]

25076

[geezer101]

The D50 sport striping on the rocker cover looks legit :thumbup: Good work with getting the engine back in!

[68valiant]

The D50 sport striping on the rocker cover looks legit :thumbup: Good work with getting the engine back in!

Thanks! I repainted the Sport badges as well, so they all match.

As of 7pm last night I have a running and driving D50! The Weber is working flawlessly as is the 42S fuel pump. It is a bit noisy but once it is the engine is started, it isn't noticeable.

I didn't take it out on the open road yet, as it isn't licensed or insured, but we drove it around the neighborhood last night and it did good up to 45 mph. I was surprised since as it sits right now it has 3 different sized tires on it (the rears are the same size). The previous owner apparently liked to buy used tires 1 at a time and didn't always make sure that they matched... I have a full set of matched tires waiting for the second set of factory rims to get blasted and painted. There are a few things to button up, but it is 100% drivable for now.

Hoping to hit the DMV today to get plates, and already have a message into my insurance agent asking to add it to my policy since they quoted it for me a couple of weeks ago.

Stay safe and healthy!

[Salteen]

sweet! plenty of power? i know a 2.6 in a light little 2wd truck ought to be pretty zippy.

[geezer101]

...As of 7pm last night I have a running and driving D50!

Awesome! :beavisbutthead:With a bit of messing with the distributor you'll be motoring nicely

[68valiant]

sweet! plenty of power? i know a 2.6 in a light little 2wd truck ought to be pretty zippy.

I got it all legal yesterday and drove it to work. It is pretty zippy! I let my son drive it and his comment was that it was faster than his MR2. My dad's Arrow had a 2.0 and 4 speed, this definitely has more zip that it had.


Awesome! :beavisbutthead:With a bit of messing with the distributor you'll be motoring nicely

I double checked the timing last night, and used it as a learning experience for my son as he hadn't ever adjusted the timing on anything. It was trying to diesel a little when turning off, but that has been remedied. Drove it to work today and it just fires right up and purrs.

[Uncle Spence]

25076

That orange short block and yellow head is pretty much the coolest thing I've seen under the hood of a D50.

Edit: upon further inspection, that's just tape covering the intake ports isn't it?

[68valiant]

That orange short block and yellow head is pretty much the coolest thing I've seen under the hood of a D50.

Edit: upon further inspection, that's just tape covering the intake ports isn't it?

Yeah, that is just yellow tape covering the ports. The yellow head would have been a good idea though. With the aluminum intake, new Weber, and silver VHT painted header it looks pretty clean under the hood. I need to get an updated picture taken and posted....

[68valiant]

Well, it has been a couple of weeks and about 300 miles. The D50 is running very well. I took it downtown this past weekend for a cruise that was going on. Normally would have taken the Valiant, but my wife and I decided to take the D50. Got a lot of positive feedback. People love the color and stripes (lil' Tonka truck) was a common remark. A few of my buddies really liked the engine compartment, and how clean and simple that it is without all of the emissions hoses and piping.

I spent a couple of hours and made some new exhaust hangers to replace the baling wire that someone previously had used to hang the muffler and tailpipe. Now it is hanging on some nice 1/4" round rod from the frame down to the rubber insulators which is a lot more rigid. I also dug into the trailer wiring plug. It has the smaller round 6 connection, and when I tried it with my little trailer, everything worked but the tail lights. Turns out a previous owner had the taillights and constant 12v leads routed incorrectly. I removed the constant 12v from the receptacle as had I already cut it off and repurposed it for the electric fuel pump. Once that was sorted out, everything worked great. Someone had already wired in the smart box that combines the brake and turn signals for the trailer which is the way all of my other vehicles are wired, so it is golden.

Still working on getting the second set of wheels blasted and repainted so I can finally have all 4 tires the same. It is still a bit dodgy driving down the road as the front tires are 2 different sizes and the rears are a 3rd size. :wtf:
Luckily both rears are the same size, just really old and weather checked. I haven't ventured above 45 mph for short distances in town as I really don't trust the rear tires. Aside from being 2 different sizes the front tires look to be in decent shape and the better of the the 2 will replace the current spare studded snow tire that is hanging under the rear. :shakehead:

I am narrowing in on getting all of the questionable things repaired on the D50 and am looking forward to some fun summer driving!

[85Ram50]

Hey 68 Valiant could you post some pictures of how the coil is wired and where the small R wire from the starter is connected to? If you don't know the R wire here's this http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...nd+S+Terminals (http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin/showwiki.php?title=Electrical+System:The+Starter+p lus+R+and+S+Terminals) It explains but it doesn't say what post to put it on. I have the 2.0 but as long as you have the coil with ballast resister it should be the same.

[68valiant]

Hey 68 Valiant could you post some pictures of how the coil is wired and where the small R wire from the starter is connected to? If you don't know the R wire here's this http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...nd+S+Terminals (http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin/showwiki.php?title=Electrical+System:The+Starter+p lus+R+and+S+Terminals) It explains but it doesn't say what post to put it on. I have the 2.0 but as long as you have the coil with ballast resister it should be the same.

My coil does not have a ballast resister on it. I put some engine shots in my album for this pickup.

http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin/album.php?albumid=595

My engine just has the 2 wire harness from the coil to the distributor. The only issue that I have is that I need to crimp the connections at the distributor a little as they can come unplugged pretty easily if you bump that wire.

I hope that you are able to get your D50 back up and running. I have read your posts; you have the right folks helping you on them.

[85Ram50]

Thanks. That is mighty clean engine bay! I want mine to be like that eventually.
Couple questions. Which side of the coil in the 3rd picture is positive? I see the Temp wire and the female spade connector come from that branch of the harness. What is the red wire? and is that other wire that comes from the left and hooks to a different red wire from the starter? I can't read the tag on it. If so what is that wire it hooks to?
Thanks man haven't been to Lewiston since 99 or 00. Almost bought a house on the Snake. Wish I did now. :) I had come up from Ca to be with my mom in Kennewick while she went through cancer surgery and the hall in Spokane gave me a job on a shutdown.

[68valiant]

Thanks. That is mighty clean engine bay! I want mine to be like that eventually.
Couple questions. Which side of the coil in the 3rd picture is positive? I see the Temp wire and the female spade connector come from that branch of the harness. What is the red wire? and is that other wire that comes from the left and hooks to a different red wire from the starter? I can't read the tag on it. If so what is that wire it hooks to?
Thanks man haven't been to Lewiston since 99 or 00. Almost bought a house on the Snake. Wish I did now. :) I had come up from Ca to be with my mom in Kennewick while she went through cancer surgery and the hall in Spokane gave me a job on a shutdown.

Thanks! I was going for a very clean minimalist engine bay. Luckily, most of the emissions stuff was already removed when I got it, and since it was a basket case, I just put back only want I wanted/needed to.

That red wire is the exciter wire that I ran for the fuel pump relay. It is plugged into a wire that ran up from the harness for the A/C system that was removed previously. It is a switched "+" wire so I used it for the relay exciter and also the electric choke on my Weber. It is a larger spade connector with a rubber boot so I was able to put a bullet connector on each of the wires and plug them both into it, and it stayed all sealed up.

There are a lot of folks that come to town for the shutdown. My brother worked for the rental equipment company in those years, they would set up shop on site and staff the rental office there 24/7. I have a lot of friends that work out there year round. I work for a small manufacturing company that does a good amount of work for them making parts for the machines. We really do have a great offering here in terms of recreation and outdoors. Pretty mild climate as well.

Stay well!

[68valiant]

My family got me new front shocks for Father's Day. Got them installed yesterday afternoon and took a short test drive. Definite improvement. The old shocks were completely shot and could be compressed and extended without any resistance.

All that is left are the new tires and repainted wheels (waiting on second set of wheels to be color matched to the pickup).

[xboxrox]

Family support is GREAT :thumbup:

[geezer101]

What brand of shock did they get you? Always good to know this stuff. All you need is the suspension bushes and rod ends and it'll drive like new (or better)

[68valiant]

What brand of shock did they get you? Always good to know this stuff. All you need is the suspension bushes and rod ends and it'll drive like new (or better)

These are what I got: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083WML17D/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_N1I8EbZXSEE0H

The shocks that I removed were also Monroe, but were yellow instead of blue. I don't think that these were as expensive as the ones that I took off, but they are new and for my intended use should work just fine.

Steering and suspension components are definitely on the list. I think that the previous owner (prior to the young gal that I got it from) was obsessed with greasing things. All of the joints have been over greased and have grease caked around every grease fitting and boot. They all seem to be in good shape, just really covered up in caked on grease/dirt mix. A few of the boots look to be in rough shape, so I know that the time will come to get those all replaced as well.

[68valiant]

I got the second set of stock wheels painted last week, and finally got the newer tires mounted and installed. WOW! What a difference having a matching set of tires makes! It handles so much better, and now I feel safe going above 50 mph.
25321
25322

[85Ram50]

looks sweet.

[geezer101]

...and it looks like you fitted new centre caps and wheel nuts too. It looks sharp :thumbup:

[Onehairysalad]

Very clean!!! Wow!


Would you mind snapping a shot of your motor & mainly ignition system, for reference? I have a 79 sport & I screwed up somehow when I changed the plugs & wires. Mainly the orientation of the dist cap, this would be vastly helpful sir!

I'm in love with your d50 btw, very nice work!

[Onehairysalad]

Sorry Valient! I've been reading through your posts & I caught your gallery photos. You've put quite a lot of love & energy into your d50, I'm really impressed. Forgive me, I am a rookie here, so I plan on using this thread as a reference guide & your work as inspiration to revive & resurrect my injured steed. I believe that I may have a cylinder head issue as well, as all of my problems began back when my radiator sprung a leak, so disassembly if the head is looming. Thanks for the documentation here, & glad to see your d50 is thriving!!

[68valiant]

looks sweet. Thank you!


...and it looks like you fitted new centre caps and wheel nuts too. It looks sharp :thumbup: Thanks! Luckily my pickup came with all of its original center caps. I just scrubbed them up. The lug nuts are newer and came from the parts pickup that I had.

[68valiant]

Very clean!!! Wow!


Would you mind snapping a shot of your motor & mainly ignition system, for reference? I have a 79 sport & I screwed up somehow when I changed the plugs & wires. Mainly the orientation of the dist cap, this would be vastly helpful sir!

I'm in love with your d50 btw, very nice work!

Thanks! I will snap a pic of the distributor this evening. Thanks for your kind words. I tend to get a bit obsessive with my projects, I like things to be fully functional and look good.

[geezer101]

Good paint, a wax and a clean always gets noticed but it's the small stuff that adds the jewels to the crown. And I've always liked the idea of having a yellow truck (I got one but it was a rolled wreck - and it was in better shape than my project which only rubs salt into the wound :shakehead:)

*What do you think of adding contour fitted mud flaps? It would help fend off some stone damage to the skirts and sills.

[68valiant]

Good paint, a wax and a clean always gets noticed but it's the small stuff that adds the jewels to the crown. And I've always liked the idea of having a yellow truck (I got one but it was a rolled wreck - and it was in better shape than my project which only rubs salt into the wound :shakehead:)

*What do you think of adding contour fitted mud flaps? It would help fend off some stone damage to the skirts and sills.

I am actually looking for a set... I have them on all of my other vehicles, just haven't found a set that I like yet. I am thinking that I would like to find some vintage flaps to keep it all somewhat period correct. Definitely getting them put on before winter.

[68valiant]

Very clean!!! Wow!


Would you mind snapping a shot of your motor & mainly ignition system, for reference? I have a 79 sport & I screwed up somehow when I changed the plugs & wires. Mainly the orientation of the dist cap, this would be vastly helpful sir!

I'm in love with your d50 btw, very nice work!

Here are a few pictures of the distributor:
25367 25368 25369

Hopefully one of those helps.

Fun fact: While taking these pictures last night I noticed a vacuum plug was missing on the intake... after replacing it, I took a drive and noticed that the truck seems to be idling better at stops... I put a zip tie around it this time. Guess I need to keep a couple spares in the glove box.

[Onehairysalad]

Valient, thanks! & extremely helpful! I was going down a vacant rabbit hole thinking that my dizzy orientation was screwed up. One little step at a time for me. Time to replace rotor and maybe dizzy cap.

Yup, I had this vacuum unit next to my coil that I plugged off and tied the wires together became see the barb broke. I noticed that you don't even have one, that I can see.

[68valiant]

Valient, thanks! & extremely helpful! I was going down a vacant rabbit hole thinking that my dizzy orientation was screwed up. One little step at a time for me. Time to replace rotor and maybe dizzy cap.

Yup, I had this vacuum unit next to my coil that I plugged off and tied the wires together became see the barb broke. I noticed that you don't even have one, that I can see.

My engine compartment is void of all unnecessary hoses and wires. The only vacuum lines that I currently have are the advance on the distributor, the vacuum line that opens the air valve on the charcoal canister for the fuel tank breather, and the large one for the PCV. Since I am running the Weber carb and exhaust header, I was able to eliminate a lot of the extra vacuum lines that went to the carb/emissions/air cleaner stuff that is no longer there.

[Uncle Spence]

I don't know why, but I think the orange bug shield looks super rad! You should paint the roll bar (if you can call it that) that same burnt orange color. I guess it's more of a cab ding protector since it doesn't provide the window any protection.

[geezer101]

It's more of a tradesman carry-all frame. I'd get a real roll bar after seeing what happens to Gen 1 cabs in even a minor roll over...

[68valiant]

I don't know why, but I think the orange bug shield looks super rad! You should paint the roll bar (if you can call it that) that same burnt orange color. I guess it's more of a cab ding protector since it doesn't provide the window any protection.

The bug shield is actually red, it doesn't show up well in the pictures. The bang board was a hold over from my parts pickup. I really just have it on there for the dog leash attachment points that I welded to it. I just rattle canned it black to cover the rust that it had going....


It's more of a tradesman carry-all frame. I'd get a real roll bar after seeing what happens to Gen 1 cabs in even a minor roll over...

The pickup already has holes in the bed and fender wells for a roll bar that a previous owner must have had installed... if I were to come across one and the price was right, I would consider putting one back in there.

[68valiant]

Update, been driving the D50 for a year as my work pickup (when the weather isn't good for motorcycling) and other than having to reseal the valve cover a couple of times to get it 100%, and the occasional bout of dieseling when shut off, it is still running strong. Just over 4000 miles so far on the rebirth of the D50. I am noticing that the front end needs some work as it is starting to wear the insides of the tires a bit, but for a bomb around town rig it works fine as is. My 16 year old daughter is in love with it, and once she feels more comfortable just driving a vehicle, we have plans to learn how to drive the manual D50. I think that she may inherit it as her daily eventually.

Hope all are doing well!

[xboxrox]

Valiant a mechanic noticed my FRONT A/T tires had cupping on the tread ~ he said it happens on the aggresive tread tires ~ he told me to remount the front tires on the rear & mount the rear tires onto the front ~ the rears stay on same side but the fronts go to the rear X'd over to opposite sides AND it's working to level out the tread again !!

Doing great here Valiant thanks :thumbup:

[Gremlin50D]

I love the look of that old school bug sheild any idea where it came from? Or is it homemade and if it is can I get some dimensions lol might have to try my hand making one.