Hey all,

I have been reading and reading and searching and I am trying to find the correct answer to some question I have about a Truck I am considering to buy.

I am very mechanical and can fix anything just need to answer these questions before I jump into my 1st Diesel Truck

Truck:
'92 Dodge 250, 4x4, 5 speed,

Questions/Problems:

- Owner has no idea how many miles are on truck.. but I did drive it and engine sounds and feels very strong.

- He mentioned that in the past while shifting the shift linkage would get stuck in a gear... and take a while to get it out.. he said he had the top plate on tranny changed a few years back and that fixed it but he said it has happened a few times since, but not as regular as before.. is this common and something I should be worried about??

- Bed is trashed... I have searched and I can not seem to find a bed for this truck locally.. are these really that hard to find???

- Front of engine leaks Oil near timing cover.. I have read this is common and I am not to worried about this.. but should I be???

- needs new master brake cylinder.. I can not find anywhere that says this is common... Is this??

- power steering does not work.. and he said he has ripped power steering box of frame 3 times.. it is attached now but when I opened power steering pump it was bone dry.. so I know I can just replace the pump but I have also heard there is a brace you can put on box.. anyone have that link?? or know if there is something else I should look out for in this area??

- He also mentioned that he started to have a problem where truck would hiccup and buck so he pulled fuel filter and it was very clogged .. he changed it and all fine... but he also mentioned that it sat for 2 years during the 10 years he has had truck.. so should i be worried about that I think it is called "black bacteria" crap being in the tank??

- so all in all does the truck sound like it would be worth it.. I am not scared to take on a project,, and I actually like the idea of my 1st diesel not being a $30,000 truck or more.. so i can mess with it and if I really get ambishes I may even try to convert this to grease.. is this a good canidate for this??

Thanks for all advice in advance.

Ken C

PS: the price is very very low so that is not a problem

 

sounds like a lot of normal 1st gens most of these guy drive around here but some of those problems sound very easy to fix. A bed will probably have to be found from somewere else. Most junk yards don't keep those in stock. I think there is a sight in the links that carrys NOS parts of 1st gens.
If I am not wrong a 150 of the same year should fit our you could just buy a flat bed.
Steering pumps are a problem for most trucks. Best thing to do I say if he ran it for a while dry try pulling one out of a junk yard and put a new one on. put a backing place on the other side of the frame for support and you should be fine.
The trans in a bit out of my relm but if it only happens every 1000 or so miles I say big deal.
good luck buying and have fun. Once you get the need to turn up the juice a bit we have a few tricks for ya.

 

As my sig suggests, I have a '92 w530. I have owned it since July. Master cylinders are available through most part stores and they do go bad. Mine had 170,000 on it if it was the original. Nothing special there.
Beds are getting harder to find and some of the guys have built and installed some nice flat beds.
Oil seals do go bad also. The other known leaker is what we call the Killer Dowel Pin. Though less common a problem in the older trucks it still shows up on occasion. There are a lot of threads on the subject. Basically an alignment dowel over time works loose and falls onto the timing gears and is summarily ejected out thru the timing cover. Look down at the lower passenger side of the timing cover and see if there are any holes or cracks. The leak should be quite large. If the oil is leaking slowly from around the crankshaft it is probably just the seal.
The steering gearbox on my truck is mounted on a reinforcement plate that is bolted to the truck rails. Some times these need replacing and I have read they are still available from the dealer. If the chassis rail is cracked it will need to be repaired. One of the bolts is a body bound bolt and requires extra care in its removal. Turn the nut, not the bolt. The power steering pump mounts on the back of the vacuum pump and should be available through most part stores.
I am not the one to talk about standard trannys, mine is an auto.
Clean fuel is the life's blood of a diesel. Anarobic bacterea will grow in the system if it sits for a long time. In my opinion you would be wise to drain the tank and clean it out and inspect it. Them run new fuel with an algeaside additive. Keep in mind you will need to keep some extra fuel filters on hand. You may even want to change out the lift pump as well.
Good luck and I hope you enjoy your new prodject if you deside to go with it.

 

If the price is very very low, then you should go for it.

The thing that probably worries me most is the leak on the front of the engine -- it is unlikely, but possible, the dowel pin came out and cracked the timing case. The shifting problem could be a PITA, but if you are a good driver I don't think it will be too much of a problem, and you can get new forks, shift covers, etc. if need be.

If there is bacteria in the tank, it will show up in the filter right away. BIO-CON is not cheap, but it will take care of the bacteria without too much other trouble, so I wouldn't worry about that.

All of the other stuff is pretty trivial for a 14 year old truck, IMO. Just fix it.

And, if you are anywhere near me and want a decent bed, PM me. Otherwise, they are harder to find because the yards just don't keep them, but as was pointed out, they are all the same.

Good luck,

Alec

 

Ok I will keep ya in mind....If i Get the Truck.. My family is in CT so not a far drive to get a good bed... Plus I come up there a few times a year.

 

Thanks for all the info so far....

Anyone else have .02

 

Alec and Boatnik covered it pretty well.

I did the master on my truck about a month ago, it was $25 with a $20 core charge from Advance Auto, and they had it in stock. I'm not sure why you are having trouble finding it. I suggest changing the booster while you have the master off. That made a huge difference in how my truck stopped.

Change the fuel filter and cut the old one open. Use a hacksaw or whatever since you're not looking for metal contamination. You will see black splotches and maybe litttle flakes of black if everything is normal. Those are asphaltines (heavy hydrocarbons normally found in fuel oils). If the filter is full of black slimy stuff, you have algae. If you have algae, run a biocide for a tank and then drop the tank and clean it out, or you'll be plugging filters with dead algae for a while.

Try to clean up the area near the leak and look for a crack in the case. If there's no crack, then the case or cover is loose and needs to be tightened.

 

am I missing something (price?)

haven't seen any suggestions as to what 'really cheap is?'

the boxes are plentiful as many model years + 150-350 (SRW-single rear wheel) arel availability. Just find a 'none rust belt' location and hit up the yards.

I would take it to a car wash and pressure wash areas around timing cover and steering box to find leaks and / or cracks

I would assume price should definately be less than $5k, probably less than $3k if body trashed.

If it is a sound runner, just the drive train is likely worth $3000

I paid too much at $5k for my 1T 4x4 flatbed, one owner 135k miles, w/ new tires. I bought it sight unseen after talking to original owner, and having him do a step by set, via cell phone, and he said it had a couple small dents... (next time I will ask " is dent bigger than a Football?" it was 6 hrs away, and it did make it home, for which I was thankful...(cuz I hitch-hiked to get it)

I changed both fenders + hood + one door, and cab has a roof dent...
All of that cost me less than $200, but significant time

 

Ok when I said Cheap how does $1500 sound

Well the Plan is to go pick it up Tomorrow ans take my chances...

I wil let ya know how it turns out..

 

As for the mounting plate, you can still get them from the dealer for about 23 buck's. sounds like you are going to be pulling the steering box anyhow, so you can change that out at the same time.for the price, I would buy the truck in a heartbeat.

 

For 1500 I don't think there is a person here that wouldn't buy it. I know I would.

 

Well I Got it

it is my backyard.. so if I ever get home before it gets cardk I wil ltake a few pics...

 

Ok I raced home to see if I could beat the darkness and get some pics..

So here is the best I could get.





oh and the good stuff

 

Looks like you bought a beater Dodge and they threw in a Cummins for free! I'd have paid $1500 for that in a heartbeat.

 

hahahah Yup that is about right...

But just wait till I get done with it