Ilikeoldfords

There are a couple of small punctures in the rear bumper and the paint is scuffed in a few places. Looks like they might have backed into something. I had a 1976 F250 camper special and a 1979 ford high boy step side at one point. I am in love with those older fords. Just can't justify having one of those right now. Someday though!!

Well I have had my eye on a certain dodge charger for a couple months. I finally pulled the trigger on it this week!! It has some light body damage on the back bumper and it has some miles on it for only being 3 years old. It is a one owner and was used as a long distance commuter. Here are the specs: 2013 Dodge Charger RT AWD 5.7 Hemi/5 speed auto 85k miles Black Leather interior Every power/extra option offered Every single option you could have spent money on from the factory. Has everything from all power options to full touch screen dash controls. Factory remote start. Sun roof. Heated and cooled seats and cup holders. ECO cruising feature. This car is missing nothing. I just have to say that I am thoroughly impressed with the car so far. Very nice riding suspension. Very powerful engine/transmission combo. Very high-end feeling interior. No road or wind noise to speak of. Again, I am just very impressed with the car overall. Because of the mileage and light body damage I got the car for a great price. After taxes and licensing it came out to $18,500. Most of these are still going for over $25k in my area. No, i didnt get rid of the cummins!!! I just wanted a nice car to cruise in when I am not hauling/towing. Pics coming soon!!

Just out of curiosity, if one were to just change the stock comp wheel to a wicked wheel, would there be a noticeable difference? I have been thinking about doing that with the fresh engine. Maybe upgrade the housing and wheel. I am not to sure yet.

Stock one it is then. Where is everyone getting the seal kit for the vacuum/ps pump? That's usually a problem spot isn't it?

That is a good question on the harmonic balancer. Are the fluidampers worth it? I am getting the new pilot bearing and throw out bearing coming. I also have the sealing washers for the back of the head.

Ok fellas. I finally got around to having a remaned Long block built. What odds and ends and extras should I get for doing the swap? Should I worry about the killer dowel pin? Water pump? Vacuum pump? I got all the normal stuff like hoses, belt, thermostat, etc. I did go with some new RV275's. I am having the factory HX35 rebuilt. I think I might get the pilot and throw out bearings. What say you guys?

Thanks for all the tips. This outta get me going in the right direction. I would like to run the alternator and AC compressor at some point so I will have to find some brackets to fit everything. Might check around the junk yards for stuff like that. The car still has the factory 3 speed auto in it. If it were you what would you do with that? Leave it alone? Shift kit? Torque converter? I would like to eventually find something with an OD to put in so I can cruise.

So I am getting a new project added to the rest of them. My old man is giving up a 1978 Olds Cutlass Supreme. Car is in pretty good shape apart from its been sitting for the last 20 years. I have a mild Chevy 350 small block to put in it. 1st gen block, corvette 2.02 heads, Edlebrock high-rise intake, mild cam, etc. I have a couple things I could use some help on if there is anyone with experience in the area. First off, the car still has the factory Olds small block V8 in it. Skipped a couple teeth on the timing chain and dont really want to mess with it. Is there a problem with taking the Olds out and putting the Chevy in? Will the motor mounts and accessories and stuff go back on easily? Will the transmission bolt up? Next, I would like to go with some kind of a performance ignition system including distributor, coil, module, etc. What brand would you guys go with? MSD? Mallory? And... When I do get the system, do I get it to match the car? Or the engine? On an engine set up like this, what size carb should I start with? 700CFM? I am not sure how much this thing is going to flow or how much fuel it will need. The car will just be a street car and daily driver type. I am sure I will have more questions but this will get me started. Thanks!!

You might want to get a fuel pressure gauge. The problem may be more than just low fuel pressure. Just to be sure anyway. Kind of strange that it is happening with both the old pump and the new. Maybe the VP44 return is worn out? Not holding enough pressure maybe?

I have actually had some great luck with the Hankook ATM's myself. I had almost 75k on the first set with about 20% tread left. They wear like iron. I purchased my current set right before my engine gave up . I am currently running a 315/70/17 in the ATM's. My last set was a 315/75/16 so they are pretty close in size apart from the wheel difference. I got the current set for right at $1000 mounted and balanced so not to bad either.

I have had that Genos garage cup holder in my 01 for years!! Bought one for my uncle and my brother just because I felt bad their lives hadnt been completed like mine. Glad to see others are catching on!! Cup holder works very well with my 6 speed. I do have the factory shift knob though...

Got another problem with the car. Maybe someone has some insight for me? Lately it has developed a problem with light throttle/acceleration. If I am in town and go to accelerate slowly from a light, there is a pretty big hesitation before she picks up and goes. After you get it rolling and accelerating then it runs fine again. Also, if I am sitting still (idling) and I blip the throttle a couple times, the engine will usually die. Just kind of putters out. Cruising and driving at highway speeds is all good. Still has good power on the highway. The problem just seems to be near or right above idle. Any ideas? I am thinking maybe O2 sensors, TPS, or maybe a fuel injector issue? This car does have over 260k on the clock and most every part is original.

Anyone ever hear of "Innovative Programmers"? I was just perusing the interwebs and came across this: http://www.amazon.com/Innovative-Performance-Power-Programmer-NPR-HD/dp/B00WFIJFEM Here is the actual product website: http://www.gainmpg.com/performance-chip-for-isuzu-npr For the price it might be worth a try in the old Isuzu.

Speaking of your 50hp injectors...... Being as that you have run the rv275's and now the 50hp's, which do you prefer? I am checking through DAP and they are the same price if I go either way. Even up to 75hp's. Are the 50hp's worth it? Do you lose any fuel mileage with those over the RV's? Just trying to figure out which route I am going go with this.

Those RV275's if in good working order should give you the best mileage as far as injectors goes. That is, if the truck isnt being raced around to much. Like Mike said, you might check and adjust the sub levels on the comp. You might try a main level of 5 and a sub level of 3 to start out with. That should help clean up the smoke. Also, if that filter is collapsing it needs to get out of there. Any kind of restriction will cause all kinds of smoke/EGT issues right from the get-go. As far as tires go, I am not sold on the weight thing yet. I run a 315/70/17 (34.5 inch) Hankook Dynapro all terrain tire and regularly average 23-25 mpgs cruising at 70mph. I have high marked at 26.8 mpgs. Yes, I double checked it with a GPS. The other thing is one tire size will not always weigh the same between brands. For instance, you may have different ply builds between the tires. An 8 ply tire will not weight the same as a 10 ply tire.

So at the moment I don't have any plans on going any more on the power side than the HX and RV275's will push. With the idea of saving money I will wait on the studs for now. That is a lot of money and I knew they were very over priced. If I have an issue down the road or decide to step up the power I will looks at doing studs then. Thanks for the input. $650 is a lot of money that I can put someplace else right now.

Update!!!! I am making a little headway on my engine build. Was talking to the builder the other day and I made a couple decisions. I am going to stick with the factory cam. I just can't justify the $6-700 for one right now. I also decided I am for sure going with new RV275's so as to keep my mileage and reliability in good standing. I also learned my builder offers reman'd HX35's for $450. For that price I think I will go ahead and grab one. Might as well go new turbo with new engine. They offer an option of installing ARP head studs for $650. I was wanting studs just for the peace of mind but I am not sure if I can justify that extra cost now. The problem is if I don't have them install studs during the build I have to wait until the warranty is up before I can put them in. What do you guys think?

All you really need is another set of spring saddles. Weld them on to the tube opposite of where the original ones are now. Then everything goes back together upside down from what it was.

If you are looking toward an older model it might not be so bad. The truck we had before this one was an older Isuzu diesel, probably about a 1998 or 1999. It had over 350k on it when it got totaled and little to no major engine work was ever needed. I think when they brought on all the emission control crap is when all the problems started. Just what I am thinking anyway.

The other thing to double check is make sure the camber in the axle tubes are going in the right direction. The bend should be up in the center of the tube. I have seen a lot of people camber the axles upside down when flipping them.

Hey guys. Just thought I would post an update about the truck that I use for day to day work. If you remember about a year ago, I posted this thread... First off, I have really not been impressed with it. I am up to 170k on the truck today. This is the service history over the last year: Replace head gasket and cylinder head (head was warped to badly to salvage) Replace EGR cooler Pull and bake DPF twice now and I am already getting a dash warning about it being plugged (Going to replace the element soon) Two injectors failed so we put in a full set I am putting a fair number of miles on at about 1000 per week most of the time. The mix comes out to 90% highway and 10% city miles so I know the little truck is probably being over worked. I havent put it on a scale yet but I am probably running upwards of 12k GVW at all times. Overall, seems like most of the problems have been emission control related. They narrowed the head gasket issue down to the exhaust temp running to hot for the head. Does anyone know of a source for delete kits on the Isuzu engines? I am getting pretty tired of the truck being in the shop. My company said they will take care of repairs and the deletes but they arent ready to replace the truck yet The next truck I get, I am really hoping it has a cummins or Cat or something else!!!

I have been debating installing some kind of a pressure release valve in the top of the factory fuel bowl. That way when I change filters I can just leave the valve open to bleed the air out of the system. I was thinking about using a bolt in valve stem for a truck tire but I dont think the stem grommet or the valve core would hold up to diesel.

I am sure it was just an option in the later 2nd gens. My uncle's 2000 has the storage bin whereas my 01 and brothers 02 both do not have the bin. Just however the truck was ordered I suppose. I wouldnt mind getting one figured out though. As Mike does, I usually go stocked up "just in case". It would be nice to have that actual storage space vs just using card board boxes and such.

Just a couple thoughts if you do end up buying a new hydro system. I bought the Valair hydro system about 3 years ago. It did come as one sealed unit. Not sure if it still does. I did however have to re use my old safety switch. That system didnt last all of maybe 50k miles before the master started leaking. I went right through a stop sign because I couldnt disengage the clutch. I would suggest not buying the valair system. As for your problem, did you replace the clutch and hydros at the same time? I am just wondering if the problem started just with the new clutch or not. If you can figure out when you started noticing the problem and what change to the truck you made at that time, it might help narrow it down. I. E. You replaced the clutch and now the pedal feels sticky. Probably a problem with the clutch and not the hydros.