cummins2k

I don't know about the later ones but I have a 1994 Dodge Dakota Sport 4x4 5spd. Its a regular cab short bed truck with the 3.9l V6. It routinely pulls 12-13mpg in town and 14-15mpg highway with no additional weight. Its been looked over by dealers, independent shops, and myself to diagnosis why the mileage is so poor and no one has been able to fix it yet. It has always had a tiny "pop" in the exhaust that comes and goes but it only occurs when shifting. However I like the truck. It doesn't have pulling power, or speed but its easy to maneuver in cramped parking lots and does great in the snow. Not to mention it rides 10 times smoother than the Ram.On the other hand my Ram 3500 has the pulling power, speed, and mileage. My Ram has been pulling 17-18mpg which is mostly city with a few goes down the highway at 55mph. If I were to get another truck right now I think I would probably go with the 24-valve 2500 4x4 with the club cab and a short bed.

I am going to have to give this a go since my fuel pressure has really dropped since I first installed the AirDog. I have seen it as low as 11 psi at idle, but it seems when I take off it goes up to around 13-15psi. When I first installed it I had a pretty steady 17-18psi.

I would have to say stick with the 426. There is just something about 426 that has a ring to it. Not to mention the sound of the things. :thumbsup Personally i have never rode with either Hemi, the closest i have came was a Poly lol ` For anyone that doesn't know what that is, the particular Poly that i rode in was a 318A with Poly-spherical combustion chambers in a 1963 Plymouth Fury. Hardly a great performer but i though the car was neat. :smart

I don't buy the 50mpg in a F-150 claim. The aerodynamics, mechanical drag, etc are all way to much for this. I read the site and it talks about cars in Europe getting such better gas mileage but the truth is most cars in Europe are diesels. VW marketed one of there diesels here that was similar to the unit used in Europe and it was known to get 45-52mpg, not far fetched for a 1.9l turbo diesel in a 3000# aerodynamic car. However to achieve the same mileage in a 4000+# F-150 with a gasoline engine is just absurd.

$1.95 for diesel here, regular gasoline is still about 10 cents cheaper. However figuring the fuel economy between my gas truck and my diesel its still cheaper per mile to drive the diesel.

I would be happy with just one of those pallets, heck i would take the pile the guy was standing next too with a smile :thumbsup

Yeah i took the drivers side pto cover off and cleaned up in there and resealed it with silicone. I will see if it smooths out any today since it is warmer. This thing has always been tough to shift in the cold. There really wasn't much in the transmission besides nasty tar like fluid and a few metal flakes. My Dakota had more metal in it than this thing and it shifts perfectly.

Well i put 6 quarts of Redline MTL in her tonight. The old stuff looked like hot cocoa and smelled like burnt ATF. I took it on a drive and it felt a little less notchy but and but third is still picky. I guess i will see if things smooth out over the next few days, since after all i changed the fluid in 35* weather so everything was cold when i was driving the short trip that i did.I have never noticed it before because i usually rest my arm on the center console (back of seat) but when shifting i had my hand resting on the shifter for a moment in 2nd and it felt like it was wobbling?I am wondering if this thing is just absolutely shot.

Yeah it really looks like something that belongs on a semi lol, but hey it works so why fix it. I have a reciprocating saw that probably would make short work out of it, i also have a few grinders but no angle grinder `

Well the ring is actually a handle. This hitch isn't raised like the B&W's, you pull the ring and one side lifts up, then reach in to pull the ball up. So it certainly has to stay. I really just want to cut the bed loose from it and trim it back so its removable again. I just don't want it to look shoddy or have any sharp edges. The metal welded to the frame is the base of the hitch. It is the hitches attachment point to the frame, rather than using bolts. I don't doubt the hitch, the previous owner used it for 200k+ miles and there is not one crack to be found so its obviously sturdy and his welding abilities were there, i just don't think it needs to be nor should be attached to the bed sheet metal. I would have had a much easier time with my AirDog install if it wasn't for this little bit of "over achievement".

Ok here is the problem i have. The last owner of my truck installed or built, which i am not sure, a gooseneck hitch. IMO this thing is somewhat overbuilt but hey it works. When doing so he welded it to the frame, and to the bed sheet metal. So in other words the bed is not removable. I have flirted with the idea of removing the hitch all together but that is somewhat difficult at the moment with no access to air tools. Besides the hitch seems to have been used a lot and doesn't look like it ready to quit so why replace it with a something else that would require repairing or replacing the bed. Any way as i said earlier i have no access to air tools. I do have a fairly large assortment of hand tools, and quite a few power tools. I was thinking if i started a cut and finished it up with a reciprocating saw i could do it pretty quick. If i removed a little extra sheet metal i could just cap the sharp edge with a rubber grommet of sorts, if i could find one. Any ideas where i could get a rubber grommet or similar material to cover the sharp edge of the sheet metal after its cut? Also any reason to believe my methods of cutting this wouldn't work, or affect the function of the hitch at all? Here is what i am dealing with: In the last picture you can see the tig weld running around the outside perimeter of the hitch, this is pretty much where i want to make the cut. I think i will take off an additional amount, but not much to install the rubber grommet to keep the gap to a minimum and cover the sharp edge.

Are there any bubbles in the radiator? Sounds like either a cracked head or a head gasket, but when its light out i will look and see if i can find any plugs on the back of my cylinder head.

Even Redline is expensive and i really am not so sure that I can justify the price just to say i have fancy oil. I am thinking about doing a Frantz Bypass though, I can actually visualize how that may help out unlike the oil. With that said there are off the shelf brands of synthetic also. My local Wal-mart has Mobil 1 Turbo Diesel synthetic oil. If i remember right it was going for $23 a gallon, which is cheaper than Amsoil at $58 a fill.I will say that i have found one super oil out there. It is actually hydrostatic tractor fluid, I used stuff branded by Costal if I remember right but all brands should work equally. I used it in an TH700R4 (Chevy) automatic and i know quite a few people that used it in Ford AOD transmissions with awesome luck. Basically it withstands shearing and temperature a lot better than plain old ATF because its also used as a hydraulic fluid in the tractors and not just a gear lubricant. However your mileage may vary. :thumbsup

Everyone claims the stuff is great, except for a few pages i found on the internet. They also really have a lot of websites for this stuff. Seems like Mary Kay or Avon for men. Does anyone actually have any proof this stuff works? I would still be worried about running any oil 25k without oil analysis, which adds even more to the cost of the oil. Do you guys think it would be worth it? I am currently running Valvoline Premium Blue @ $12.99 a gallon, so approximately $33 a fill. Amsoil Heavy Duty Diesel is $75.15 for 2.5 gallons.I read an article where a guy ran a 12-valve for 1 million miles and it was still going good but a little worn out on nothing more than off the shelf Shell Rotella, so i imagine these things can run forever on just about anything.

I have 218k which is baby steps for the engine but the rest of the driveline and the truck itself is starting to show the wear and tear. However it gives me little projects to keep myself busy :thumbsup

From the looks of it i am assuming the piston seal is what is leaking. It seems to leak when you press the pedal down.

My hydroboost has been leaking for sometime and since its such a fine spray of high pressure fluid it has made a mess out of the drivers side fender area. The brakes work fine, the power steering does wine from time to time when the fluid starts getting low though. It seems a shame to replace the whole unit when the leak is just between the master and the hydroboost. Anyone ever reseal one of these? I found some kits here http://www.piratejack.net/Hydro-Boost-Rebuild-Kits.html Kit 50 is what the Cummins Ram's need.

Good links :thumbsup

Well it looks like the secret formula people have found is overfilling by 1 quart with Pennzoil Synchromesh or GM Synchromesh and adding a pint of limited slip. It sounds somewhat ok on paper, but i am wondering if the better route would be to buy the GM Synchromesh with friction modifier part no. 12377916. I think i am going to give it a shot if its not too expensive at the GM dealership down the street, otherwise if it is i may just go with the limited slip as the Dodge mechanics have recommended this in the past.

Depends on the mileage Mopar1973man has the service intervals on his site. 12-valve trucks do require much more frequent valve adjustments than the 24-valve trucks do.However if you want more power from a 12-valve/P7100 you can grind your own fuel plate.

Well it appears that the cost of rebuilding despite the parts needed may actually be worth it over replacing the unit. More so when you figure the hassle of returning a core charge mail order.However this is what i have found so far. The newer models supposedly require a spacer for the starter, however i can find no mention of this in the swap kits they sell for converting from the NV4500 to the NV5600 even though they are using the revised transmission. The only way to tell that i can find is to look at the top of the transmission for DEE which means its revised, or DEA which means its an early model.If the transmission is a pre-revision model then i will have to purchase:Bearing Overhaul Kit with Synchros26-tooth Input Shaft 1 3/4"40-tooth Late-Style 1st Gear39-tooth Late-Style 2nd Gear28-tooth Late-Style 3rd Gear25-tooth Late-Style on Cluster 5th Gear57-Tooth Late-Style on Cluster 6th GearLate-Style Reverse GearJust to complete the transmission to the new style it would be around $2000, however i am looking for some lower prices as i got these from Drivetrain.com.I would also need a new pressure plate and clutch. After market this would add at least another $1000-$2000 depending on the setup. So its getting expensive quick. Really i don't race or pull excessively with my truck i have even been thinking about converting it to a SRW for better ride and mileage so a Hays replacement clutch around $500 may just cut it for me.

http://dodgeforum.com/forum/dodge-cummins-diesel/112548-diy-transmission-work-nv5600.html Found this if anyone is interested on how to get into to one of these beasts of a transmission. Doesn't look that bad if you have the right equip. :thumbsup

I am getting ready to change the fluid, if for no more a reason to forestall the rebuild a little longer till i have the money, space, and time. If the transmission is an older unit, which i believe it is i might end up replacing it altogether. I heard that 2000.5 got the improved NV5600. However since mine has made it this far maybe it is the better of the two lol.

The clutch "feels" fine while driving. Still grips and doesn't slip even with the Edge turned up. First doesn't cause a jolt at all, however it is hard to get it into gear sometimes. This goes for all the gears, however putting it in neutral and letting the clutch out then putting the clutch back in will let you get it into the gear. This is only while stopped though. It will go into the next gear without a feel if you know how to get it to go, it just won't shift straight in like it should.

I purchased the truck with 203k on it. I have no previous knowledge of the clutch or transmission on it other than what i can see by looking at it.