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Bought Me a First Gen

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As the title says, I bought me a first gen Dodge Cummins.

 

It's a 1991.5 D250, regular cab, with a getrag 5 speed. The odometer stopped at 154,000, but the PO said it has about 160,000 on it.

 

Dad and I drove nearly 500 miles up to Arkansas to pick it up.

 

The rust is just surface, it's not bad yet.

 

 

 

Video link:

http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t488/WillM1/My%20Truck/th_HDV_1212_zps5b9e2ac9.mp4

 

 

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It has some electrical problems. The most important one was to get the turn signals, head lights, tail lights, and brake lights to work. I feared the worst, and thought it might be a bad grimlin. After an hour or so of checking the obvious things out, I reattached a ground wire, and the headlights worked.

With dad's help, and a test light, the signals were getting power, and so were the park lights, but one would signal, but the park light wouldn't work, and the other light was just the opposite. Turns out 1 bulb's signal filament was out, while the park light filament was good, and the other was just the opposite.

One rear tail light worked great, and the other did nothing. After chasing some wires, we found that the wiring harness going to that light was pinched between the frame and the recently installed rear bumper, nearly cutting it in two. Re-wired that and it's good to go. Now I can pass the state inspection.

 

The other issue is the gauge lights don't work... Haven't looked at that yet.

Also the key ring light stays on, and eventually drains the battery. I just pull the #10 fuse and it fixes that. (for now)

 

It needs a little front end work, and new tires, and I need to fix the E brake, and install new door hinge bushings.

 

The interior is clean. The dash is not cracked, along with the windshield. The seat is not ripped, the headliner scores a 9.9 out of 10. It's missing the carpet, but I'm fine with that - I'll put down some good floor mats and call it a day.

 

For $2,400, I'm happy.

Edited by Texas CTD

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    Nice  find  Will.     Up 'here'  in the   snow belt,    finding  a  first gen  that  still has  a  cab  w/o   holes  large enough  to fall out of,   is     impossible! 

    ......... main reason I sent my son  to New Braunfels  (N. San Antonio)  last month  for  my  Jeep...      (the day  before  they got flooded)

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    I'll give you $2400 for it sight unseen!!! :2cents:  :cool:

     

    Thanks, but no thanks. :lol:

     

     

     

    Got new fuses and bulbs yesterday, so now all the lights work, except the gauge cluster lights... (PO said they didn't work) At least I thought they didn't work, then I reminded myself I'm an idiot. I finally got smart enough to twist the headlight switch. :whistle:  :lmao:

     

    The knob was a little hard to turn, and then bam, gauge lights. After turning it and playing with it a little, I determined that the switch is just kinda finicky. It doesn't go from bright, and smoothly down to dim. It has it's sweet spots, and then sometimes no lights at all, but all I have to do is run it in the correct position, and it's good.

     

    Tomorrow I'm going to tackle fixing the E brake, which requires pulling the axle. :clap: Hopefully I can get it fixed.

    • Author

    Got a new E brake cable, so now that works.

     

    Last night I changed the oil in the differential.

     

    Today I got it inspected, and it passed, and then I installed the Diamond Eye 4" straight pipe.

    Found a couple of nice 1st gen'a in a junkyard here in Virginia...couldn't believe they were in the junk yard... The dash and what was left of the body on one of them was Amazing! The green carpet in the o ther was in perfect shape

    • 11 months later...
    • Author

    Wow, no updates in forever. Almost a year!!  :cookoo:

     

    Last winter, I had a major facepalm, and somehow when I bought the truck, I overlooked the fact that the ..... Frame was bent, pretty bad. 

     

    It was bent near the exhaust downpipe where there is a "natural" bend in the frame rail.

     

    During spring, I was either going to do a frame swap, or see if I could have it straightened for cheap, or scrap it and buy another.

     

    A shop was recommended to me, and I heard good things. Trailered it 2 hours to the shop. Truck sat there for 3 weeks, with nearly 20 phone calls asking for updates --- they couldn't fix it, and they told me to scrap it. (didn't charge me anything) 

     

    I was lower than a snake's belly in a wagon rut.

     

    Co-worker told me about a shop about 45 minutes away. Went and talked, and let him look at the truck. The old gentlemen who had been in the frame business for 45 years told me if someone tells you it can't be fixed, they're not a real frame shop. That was during the summer, and $750 later, the frame was straight. Had to go back and have the trans cross member straighten, and new trans mount put in. $150.

     

    During all that time, I was still daily driving the truck to work, and it held the road better than a brand new truck, even with the bent frame. Very odd, but I was thankful.

     

    Throughout spring and summer, I started tweaking the VE. 

     

    It now has: Pump tuned, The Hungry Diesel Fuel Pin, 3,200 RPM gov spring, Timing bump, HX35 turbo, BHAF, fuel pressure, boost and pyro on the pillar.

     

    I also killed the KDP.

     

    It now has a stock front bumper

     

    Recently took a 500 mile trip, and averaged 22.5 MPG.

     

    Just a quick update - I'll add pics and more details later.

    Edited by Texas CTD

    • Like 1

    When did Cummins go from the individual valve covers to the one piece cover?  Really confused!  :(

    When did Cummins go from the individual valve covers to the one piece cover?  Really confused!  :(

     

    24V is single. 12V is six. 

    I totally forgot that the 24Valve started out with a mechanical pump.  :duh:

    Edited by flagmanruss

    • Author

    I totally forgot that the 24Valve started out with a mechanical pump.  :duh:

     

     All 12 valves had the individual covers, including the '98 12 valves which still had the P7100. '98.5 is when they started using the 24V with the VP44, which had a single cover.

    • 3 months later...
    • Author

    Truck now has head studs and +60lb valve springs... I'm doing this build backwards... Power first, then all the other stuff later. :doh:

    The power bug bit me... I am going to try to build power the right way, and getting the necessary supporting mods done first. 

    Currently putting 40+ miles a day on the truck, driving to work.

    • Author

     :thumbup2:

    I've already got all my pump work taken care of. A few posts up I mentioned my pump mods. I've already turned my power screw, and got a Hungry Diesel fuel pin. Denny T's are smokey pigs, and notice that deep cut... It allows the slide pin past the o-ring, and causes a fuel leak in the AFC. That deep cut also gives a lot of fuel down low, making it hot and smokey. 

     

    Eric over at The Hungry Diesel designed his own pin, with a much smoother ramp, and is great for daily driving.

    For a while, the BD pin was "the best" for moderate power and good daily driving. Here's Eric's pin next the BD pin. 

    http://www.cumminsforum.com/forum/89-93-performance-parts-discussion/1768089-thd-vs-bd-fuel-pin-side-side.html

    • Author

    While I was changing valve springs, I also changed the valve seals while I was in there.

    I took some pictures along the way.

     

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    • Like 2
    • 2 months later...
    • Author

    Little update.

    Truck dumped all it's coolant while on the way to work last week, and had to tow it home. Water inlet seal in the block was toast.

     

    While waiting on a seal to show up, I'm doing some "stuff."

     

    Changing the crank seal, and working on getting a powerstroke intercooler put in, with all new 3" plumbing from the turbo, to a 24V intake horn.

     

     

     

     

    SAM_1213_zpsllk0wctj.jpg

     

     

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