87 Ram 50 4x4 "junkyard" rescue,

[Giovanni89]

I forgot you had the 38/38. Sorry about that.
Mr Paco, If i'm going to be sitting for and extended amount of time (traffic) I just nudge it into neutral. Not only is your transmission happier, but you will get more air and coolant flow with the water pump spinning faster. 1100 at idle is faster than I would run, and will make you more prone to dieseling. Idle speed was high when i first got the truck, and it slammed into gear and pulled hard when you first put it in drive. Much nicer to drive with a lower idle.

[WarStryker13]

Ok so I'm kinda dumb...

I spent the past week or so away from my house and the truck and I was going off of memory for the brake questions... Apparently while I was taking them apart in the middle of the night I didn't get that good of a look at how they work.

I finally got another look and realized that the slider pins that I'm having issues with are in the caliper body, and the pin that bolts to the bracket is totally fine.

I guess the new question is do I try and get the slider out of the caliper, or is it a lost cause?

[WarStryker13]

I got the caliper slide pins out (with a pair of vise grips and a hammer) and ordered new ones, along with new rubber boots.

I'm going to wait until I've got everything I need before starting the reassembly, and hopefully I can find a source for those spacers to get the hub axial endplay set properly...

I got the throttle linkage set up so that I now have wide open throttle, and it should also be slightly less touchy.

I'm also going to wait until after everything is back together before adjusting the idle, because I'm going to be doing the Seafoam at the same time and I'd rather not fill the garage with smoke. Lol

[geezer101]

Ok so I'm kinda dumb...

I spent the past week or so away from my house and the truck and I was going off of memory for the brake questions... Apparently while I was taking them apart in the middle of the night I didn't get that good of a look at how they work.

I finally got another look and realized that the slider pins that I'm having issues with are in the caliper body, and the pin that bolts to the bracket is totally fine.

I guess the new question is do I try and get the slider out of the caliper, or is it a lost cause?

If you were 'kinda dumb' you wouldn't have figured this one out under your own reconnaissance, so you get another gold star for the fridge lol. I'd give it a clean, a blasting with WD40 and see how you go before sending it off for scrap. You may end up needing a replacement if the slider pins are all scuffed up from wear but you might get lucky and all it needs is some TLC to get it operational.

[WarStryker13]

IMG_20190704_144127681.jpg

I'm gonna need new pins... Lol

The caliper itself seems to be fine, just the sliders were stuck. The rotors and pads seem to be totally fine as well, barely any wear on the rotors...

Now it's just a matter of cleaning everything and waiting on parts.

[geezer101]

...err, yeah. I can see how that may slightly impact on braking performance. That slider is FUBAR

[WarStryker13]

Well if it hadn't been stuck in the first place, I wouldn't have had to fubar it out....

[pennyman1]

after all the years of neglect before you got the truck, its a wonder you were able to get it out at all...

[WarStryker13]

Chunks of the rubber boot are still stuck to the slider pin... lol

Thankfully the passenger side was less stuck and didn't require vise grips to remove. The pistons do move inside the calipers, so they will work once I get everything back together.

The only things left are to clean and re-pack the wheel bearings, put everything back together and get back to driving it.

[WarStryker13]

I got the new pins, but the boots that I ordered weren't the boots shown in the picture... So after a trip over to the local parts store, I've got another set of boots on the way and a new 75 group battery with dual terminals.

I did grab one of the cheap battery hold-downs, but I'm not a big fan of it. I thought it was made of some type of hard composite plastic, but it is in fact made of rubber and I think I might be switching it out for a sturdier battery hold-down. It holds the battery in place just fine, but I'm not really that comfortable with it as a long term solution.

I am picking up the (hopefully correct) caliper slide pin boots tomorrow, the 2 1/2" hub lock nut socket, (the Ford/GM one and grinding off the 4 extra pins), and while I'm there I'll grab some universal power distribution blocks and more electrical wiring connectors and ends to (hopefully) get the wiring mess figured out and semi-sanitized. Probably some other stuff that I won't remember I need to buy until I see it on the shelf.

I'm wanting to isolate the ignition wiring from the rest of the electrical wiring, and I'm wondering if there is another keyed +12v source I can use that is easily accessible and will potentially handle the possibility of up to 10 amps...

I'm going to do one power distribution block for battery +12v and the other for keyed ignition +12v. The battery +12v will power the fuel pump relay, the off-road lights relay, the 12v triple socket box I've got mounted under the dash and the tiny 100w sub behind the seat. The keyed +12v distribution block will run the electric choke on the carb, the signal wires for the two relays and possibly some additional accessories and/or relay signals.

The power distribution blocks I'm getting have a fuse for each output, and I will be running a 30a fuse maximum on the battery +12v block, and the keyed +12v will only have signal wires connected, nothing that will actually put any real amperage draw on the keyed +12v source.

I've got a buddy that has a seal installation kit, big ass torque wrenches, and a couple other tools that I'm likely to borrow. This upcoming weekend I've got 3 days off and I'm going to do my damnedest to have the truck back on the road by Monday.

[Giovanni89]

What I did on my truck, was get a marine grade tinned copper junction block. There are 4 lugs on it. One to battery, one to alternator, one to the factory harness, and one that feeds into a 12v 100amp (or maybe 200) continuous duty solenoid. That solenoid is triggered by my original coil wire. The solenoid feeds a marine grade fuse panel. The fuse panel feeds my electric fuel pump, fog lights, ignition system, carb choke, auxiliary gauges, and power feed for my trailer lights.
It's a little bit hokey, but it keeps the load of all the new accessories off of the factory wiring. All of the wires between the junction block, battery, alternator, solenoid, and fuse block are 2 gauge. Almost no voltage drop. It's been going for about 60k miles/2 years with no trouble. I'll try and snap a picture today.

I got the new pins, but the boots that I ordered weren't the boots shown in the picture... So after a trip over to the local parts store, I've got another set of boots on the way and a new 75 group battery with dual terminals.

I did grab one of the cheap battery hold-downs, but I'm not a big fan of it. I thought it was made of some type of hard composite plastic, but it is in fact made of rubber and I think I might be switching it out for a sturdier battery hold-down. It holds the battery in place just fine, but I'm not really that comfortable with it as a long term solution.

I am picking up the (hopefully correct) caliper slide pin boots tomorrow, the 2 1/2" hub lock nut socket, (the Ford/GM one and grinding off the 4 extra pins), and while I'm there I'll grab some universal power distribution blocks and more electrical wiring connectors and ends to (hopefully) get the wiring mess figured out and semi-sanitized. Probably some other stuff that I won't remember I need to buy until I see it on the shelf.

I'm wanting to isolate the ignition wiring from the rest of the electrical wiring, and I'm wondering if there is another keyed +12v source I can use that is easily accessible and will potentially handle the possibility of up to 10 amps...

I'm going to do one power distribution block for battery +12v and the other for keyed ignition +12v. The battery +12v will power the fuel pump relay, the off-road lights relay, the 12v triple socket box I've got mounted under the dash and the tiny 100w sub behind the seat. The keyed +12v distribution block will run the electric choke on the carb, the signal wires for the two relays and possibly some additional accessories and/or relay signals.

The power distribution blocks I'm getting have a fuse for each output, and I will be running a 30a fuse maximum on the battery +12v block, and the keyed +12v will only have signal wires connected, nothing that will actually put any real amperage draw on the keyed +12v source.

I've got a buddy that has a seal installation kit, big ass torque wrenches, and a couple other tools that I'm likely to borrow. This upcoming weekend I've got 3 days off and I'm going to do my damnedest to have the truck back on the road by Monday.

[Giovanni89]

That random green wire is hooked up to the starter solenoid. My neutral safety ate shit this week, just been popping the hood and hitting something hot with it to start it. Once i fix the car I'll remedy the truck. Broken shifter cableelectric LABELED.jpg

[WarStryker13]

I like your setup, and I'm digging the old style electric fuel pump.

I actually haven't touched the truck at all, things happened and long story short, I had to purchase a new vehicle for my wife on short notice.

Whenever I do actually get back to working on the truck, the first thing to deal with is cleaning all of the old grease out of the wheel bearings and hubs. I'm trying to decide whether to buy regular degreaser, mineral spirits, or some other specific type of solvent to dissolve old, gummed up, dirty grease out of the bearings and hubs. As it is right now, I can't confidently say that all of the bearings are not worn out or binding because they're still packed full of dirty, nasty gummed up old grease.

I really need to get the parking brake cables replaced as soon as possible, because I have been officially warned by my direct supervisor that I'm not allowed to drive the truck until they are fixed/replaced and the parking brake is fully functional.

I found the part number of the shim kit, MB241229, and it's even harder to find than the parking brake cables. I'm going to try the local dealerships and the one-man Mitsu parts warehouse that I know, I really hope I don't have to order the shim kits online, but I did find it on mitsubishipartswarehouse... Last resort would be Ebay but I'm not a fan of ordering from Australia or UAE and waiting a month.

Once I figure those two things out, the rest should go back together relatively quickly/easily. Hopefully.

[Giovanni89]

Its the venerable carter P4070. being mounted above the tank, it requires constant flow to keep the pump primed. The fuel pressure gage is teed into the return line to the tank. I have a plug in the return line with a 1/16" hole through the center of the plug. This keeps the pump flowing about 5 gallons or so per hour
For really grungy de-greasing like that. I buy a paint can at the hardware store and fill it with kerosene. I'll soak the parts and then brush them under the surface of the liquid with a nylon or brass brush. Under the surface of the liquid keeps the globs of kerosene soaked grease from flinging all over the place. Diesel also works but smells a bit more. Of course mineral spirits and WD40 work well too, but the cheap bastard in me likes the 3 bucks a gallon for kerosene/diesel at the pump.

[WarStryker13]

I got a $20 gift card for AutoZone, so I just picked up a 1 gallon jug of Purple Power, a tub of grease (I didn't have as much as I had previously thought) and a few other small things...

I've been busy with work and home stuff, so I haven't done much with the truck... I did start on the wiring, separating and organizing the relay circuits. I temporarily mounted the power distribution block, I still need fuses and connectors, and to figure out something for the keyed +12v.

I'm seriously considering doing what I had mentioned before, but modifying it a little... I would run a relay off of the coil wire, and use that to power another power distribution block to run the electric choke, the signal wire for the fuel pump relay, the hot side of the switch for the off-road lights (which is the signal wire for that relay), and to have an extra keyed +12v source for anything else I might add later.

Eventually, I would like to put together a system similar to yours Giovanni89, but make it waterproof. I'd be waterproofing the rest of the wiring in the engine bay at the same time (or at least making it water-resistant) and pulling out all of the extra wiring that used to run the stock carburetor and emissions crap. That's gonna be a little while, so for right now this should work just fine.

I'm going to go ahead and start putting the front end back together, even though I don't have the shim kit yet for the driver's side... I still need to replace the parking brake cables and a bunch of other little stuff before driving it again. I still have to figure out the A/C and mount the new tires before driving it long distance, but then again I need a little more practice with stop and go traffic. I moved the throttle linkage to a different position, so now I should have both wide open throttle and a less sensitive pedal at part-throttle.

I'm mildly concerned that the A/C is going to take quite a bit of troubleshooting and testing to get working again, but I'm determined to make it work. I did pull the ECU out of the truck, I don't know if it controlled the A/C somehow but I am willing to re-wire the entire system if necessary to get it to work. I'm hoping that it's just an unplugged connector that I didn't notice, but I'm well aware that one of the common problems is the module on the evaporator housing going bad. I'm just speculating right now until I can start testing for voltage with the multimeter, but if someone has an idea of where or what to start with, I'm all ears.

After I've got the truck running properly and reliably, I'm gonna need to figure out what to do about the lack of rocker panels. I don't know when I'm going to have the rectangular tubing and a welder to make the rock sliders I originally wanted, so I'm going to need a solution of some form to keep the jagged, rusty sheet metal from stabbing me in the legs and catching on my pants before I try driving it on a regular basis. Running boards would help a little, but not enough. I could try using the rocker panels I have, but I would need more tools than I currently have access to, including free use of a welder. I could order the correct rocker panels, but those are kinda expensive and I'm on a very limited budget. I could go to a junkyard and cut the rockers out of a truck there, but I'm going to want to grab quite a bit of stuff from there and those parts will add up very quickly.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading through my early morning brain dump.

[WarStryker13]

Got everything cleaned, found a few problems. The cage on one of the wheel bearings is bent, soI need at least one new wheel bearing. One of the hubs is bent out of round and therefore is impossible to put a new seal in it.

I tried.

So now I'm gonna need another two seals, at least one but probably all four new wheel bearings, and both front hubs, because I kinda got angry and yeeted both hubs out of the garage into the driveway... They're junk now, so I need new ones.

[geezer101]

Damn, the rabbit hole gets deeper. I hate bodywork, it is something that can break your plans after investing a ton of time and what little cash you have in your pockets. I have a donor truck that I can cut up to get decent rockers but I think I'll have to pay someone to do the actual repairs. That will mean paint as well I am waiting so see what similar woes await me with my own A/C refit. None of the original A/C lines will connect to the new condenser, dryer and NipponDenso compressor I've used to replace 30 + year old set up in my Gen 1 and the wiring was CRAP. You might get lucky and find post 1990 front hubs for your truck (anything remotely newer is a bonus) and luckily you aren't restricted to only Rams for parts. You're made good ground so far. Keep posting your progress

[WarStryker13]

A rattle-can paint job will be good enough for this turd of a truck...

I'm gonna be junkyard diving for the hubs, and I'm planning on picking up a bunch of other parts while I'm there. Might as well bring a sawz-all and liberate some sheet metal...

Are the post-1990 hubs different?

[geezer101]

There shouldn't be any change in the mechanicals throughout the Gen 2's. The later the build date, the better. Good hunting!

[geezer101]

I've seen some not-garbage driveway paint jobs using rustoleum through a cheap gun and rattle can 2K clear over it. Just coz it's ghetto, doesn't mean it has too look like it

[WarStryker13]

Good preparation can make a driveway rattle can paint job look just as good as one from a paint shop. Well, at least as good as a MAACO paint job, or what most other cheap, high volume paint shops will do...

But I have been throwing around the idea of covering the entire truck in red bedliner.

[85Ram50]

My two cents the Dupli color brand is great for color matching and because the nozzle sprays in a fan pattern and can be rotated. If you are going to stop for a while turn it upside down and press the nozzle until it clears itself.
I recently painted mine and it looks good. I also did not prep the skirts very well as now that I have one off and have hit it with a hose and wet sand to do the edges the new paint has come off in one area that I apparently did not get sanded well enough for the new paint to grip it tightly.

[WarStryker13]

Surface prep is about 85% of a good paint job, and if this truck was in better shape I would probably work towards getting it re-painted. As it is, there's too much rust and body filler to be worth the effort.

On a different note, I took another look at the dented hub... I could take a file to where the metal has been pushed inward and file those dents back down, and since the rest of the hub is still in usable shape all I really need is new seals and bearings.

I'm debating on whether I should just replace all of the wheel bearings, I don't really want to have to pull this all back apart again later.

I made some progress on the electrical system, I've got all the connectors and fuses that I needed and I can finish that tonight. I also got the steel battery hold down to replace the weird rubber one.

I still need to get the new tires mounted, debating on whether I want to drive the truck over to the shop to do that or just take the wheels and tires to the shop.

And I still need new parking brake cables.

[Giovanni89]

I'd go the file route, but I'm a cheap bastard. Did someone stake in the last oil seal? I can't imagine a chunk of metal as solid as a hub has more than a small dent that can be ground off. I'd do all the wheel bearings too. Cheap peace of mind.

[WarStryker13]

The dents are small, but just enough to prevent the seal from going in. I did end up getting all new bearings and seals, and they should be here this week.

The parking brake cables wont be here for another week, and I have to decide whether to go ahead and pull the old ones out, or wait until the new ones arrive.

I'm also going to be getting a used tool box from a co-worker as payment for helping him get his vehicle hauled onto post. He bought a little 99 Ford Ranger, and the title/registration is taking longer than originally planned so we're just going to put it on a trailer and haul it from the storage lot it's currently parked in to the barracks parking lot. He's feeling a little uneasy about leaving it parked in that part of town, and he's also got a bit of work to do to it, some cleaning and fixing little stuff.

I don't know yet if it will even fit the bed of my truck, but I'm still gonna take it, even if it's just to have it. His ranger is a step side, and the box is pretty narrow... If it's not wide enough to sit on the sides of the bed, I'm just going to fabricate brackets and mount the box so the top of the lid is flush with the sides of the bed. I can also figure out where I will need to cut holes in the bed to mount a roll bar while I'm doing that.

Once I'm done with the front end and the parking brake cables, I'm going to start driving it every day. Once the truck has been running problem free for a few weeks, my next priority is going to be getting a roll bar in the truck and fixing the rusted out rockers.

Hopefully I'll actually be able to get some work done on the truck and have an actual update within the next week.