Inherited 1995 Reg Cab Long Box 4X4 Cummins

[somethingnuw]

Hey guys help me out here i need a lot of advise...

 

where to start.... as the post says I inherited grandpa's cabin truck... 1995 cummins two tone beautiful truck full loaded except leather... 92700 km... don't know what that is in mile but she's low... 50k maybe?  

 

anyhow you get the point... 

 

problems... truck was in one accident front axle replaced... at dealer... the truck has been parked in a heated garage for 5 years without being started... i looked at it last week and the transfer case was leaking fluid and same with the diesel tank???? Not sure why but the housing for the diesel tank had dampness on it but i honestly couldn't tell if it was diesel... 

 

other then this i know nothing else... vehicle never winter driven, always stored inside and never towed more then a single axle utility trailer..

 

what does a guy need to do to get this vehicle running?  Should a guy just have it towed to the dealer?

 

 

on the advise not will this truck be hard to maintain in the future?  I have 3 boys and an 02 cummins with 310k on it... could a motor swap be done if i had to?  Not sure its worth it to keep this beauty but i'd sure like too... make it my hunting, fishing and dirt bike truck

[diesel4life]

My advice is don't touch a thing, I will be up promptly with a tilt trailer to load it up and get it out of your hair....free of charge of course.

 

In all seriousness youve got a real gem there from the sounds of it. If the truck has not been started in 5 years I'm afraid your going to have to drop the tank and get that old nasty fuel out of there. It could very well be crawling with algae, I would want to be able to physically look inside the tank once the fuel is drained to be sure it is clean. Your leak at the fuel tank could be from the sending unit on top of the tank which would require dropping anyway.  Going to have to blow the fuel lines clear and install a new fuel filter as well..Would also be wise to do an oil/filter change.

 

Where is the transfer case leaking oil? Could be as simple as a seal, which is very likely given the truck has been sitting so long.

 

Sounds like a beautiful truck, post up some more pics when you get a chance.

Edited February 17, 2014 by diesel4life

[dripley]

I would have to agree with diesel4life on that. A 95 with 50k miles in that condition is quite the find. Probably would not take much to have it up and running again. I have seen alot low mileage trucks like that sell for a

pretty penny. Me, I would have to keep it.

[Mopar1973Man]

Huge find...

 

Another thing you don't want to do is attempt to jump start the truck. If the batteries are weak or dead just replace them. So many nice gems turn into complete turds because turning to wake it from its slumber and pissing it off. I would do like Disel4life said bring a flatbed in and have it towed off and everything check and inspected properly.

 

Oh 92700km is 57601.11 miles. It's not even broke in yet.

[somethingnuw]

Diesel4life... i will take your advise and that's exactly how i will do it... yes guys i will have it flat decked to a dealership, new batteries, dump the diesel tank and change all the oils... Yes, I believe it is diesel leaking from the tank... this must have just started as last year there wasn't a spot of oil under it... now i have some redish fluid from the transfer case and the whole length of the diesel tank has a strip of wet fluid... kinda like its slowly soaking through that plastic liner that surrounds the tank... the wetness strip for lack of better term is about 5 inches wide and runs the full length of the tank... but no puddle under the truck yet... the oil pan has leakage around the seal but looks very easy to fix unlike my 02

 

my personal problems... by May I will have 3 boys under the age of 4... i have an 02 quad cab which needs some work... rust is taking over the rocker panels under each door and inside the door... 

we have a f150 super crew for the wife and will be moving back to the city for work really soon (yuk)

grandpa's cabin is still in the family so either diesel will still get plenty of wrk driving back and fourth... its very remote and needs lots of work as well so i will make a few trips every year with a diesel alone... but one truck has to go... trying to decide if it should be the 95 or 02 cummins...i will get the 95 running and take it from there... if i sell it i will pour some money into my 02 or sell both and look for a clean 2007 5.9 mega cab

 

so you see if i ever one take the kids dirt biking in 4 or 5 years the 95 just wont cut it..... 

 

is the 95 better on fuel then my 02... i drove it when it was new and i remember it feeling slow!  Sorry just saying... yes the truck was left bone stock... no upgrades of any kind

 

On anther note I thought all cummins were made in mexico this truck was built in the USA is that common?  

[Rick C in Oakville]

Unless you know the dealership service department, you might want to find an independent shop with diesel experience.   It maybe easier on your pocket book, and some shops will just charge the hours spent doing the work, not the flat rate hours.

If it's in KM's, are you in Canada by chance?   Regarding the choice of truck to keep:  Given you have a growing family, a regular cab is not going to cut it for sure.    Not like the 60/70's when my dad put us in the back (he had a cap on the box) and that was where we sat for 3 hours to the cottage.

Cheers

[somethingnuw]

Unless you know the dealership service department, you might want to find an independent shop with diesel experience.   It maybe easier on your pocket book, and some shops will just charge the hours spent doing the work, not the flat rate hours.

If it's in KM's, are you in Canada by chance?   Regarding the choice of truck to keep:  Given you have a growing family, a regular cab is not going to cut it for sure.    Not like the 60/70's when my dad put us in the back (he had a cap on the box) and that was where we sat for 3 hours to the cottage.

Cheers

ya im in Canada... right now i live in Northern Alberta the truck is down in Vancouver, BC... yup... same grandpa use to make me and my brother ride in the back under the canopy of his 79 gmc sierra 2500... funny that truck is still around somewhere... 

[somethingnuw]

Unless you know the dealership service department, you might want to find an independent shop with diesel experience.   It maybe easier on your pocket book, and some shops will just charge the hours spent doing the work, not the flat rate hours.

If it's in KM's, are you in Canada by chance?   Regarding the choice of truck to keep:  Given you have a growing family, a regular cab is not going to cut it for sure.    Not like the 60/70's when my dad put us in the back (he had a cap on the box) and that was where we sat for 3 hours to the cottage.

Cheers

hey would a diesel shop for performance like BD power be a good place?

[diesel4life]

BD Diesel has a good reputation, you would be "safe" taking it there. You may be a lot poorer in the end....

I'm not sure of your mechanical abilities but everything you need to do can be done with a basic set of tools and some spare time. The best part is it isn't a daily driver so you can walk away from it and come back whenever it is conveniant for you provided you have the place to work on it.

Just wanted to throw that out there, as I think my first post was taken the wrong way...I was "offering" to come up and take it off your hands, just kidding of course!

Good luck and let us know what you decide.

[dorkweed]

Buy it now!!!!

[Wild and Free]

Buy it now!!!!

I would if I knew the price he wants for it.

 

Who wants to start the bidding? The lad needs the money for a mega cab or to fix up his 02.

Edited February 19, 2014 by Wild and Free

[Rick C in Oakville]

hey would a diesel shop for performance like BD power be a good place?

You may want to ask some Cummins Forum members for shops in their area   http://www.cumminsforum.com/forum/british-columbia/

 

http://www.cumminsforum.com/forum/alberta-canada/

[dorkweed]

I would if I knew the price he wants for it.

 

Who wants to start the bidding? The lad needs the money for a mega cab or to fix up his 02.

19 year old vehicle…………….offer $3500.

[YabbaDoo]

BD Diesel has a good reputation, you would be "safe" taking it there. You may be a lot poorer in the end....

I'm not sure of your mechanical abilities but everything you need to do can be done with a basic set of tools and some spare time. The best part is it isn't a daily driver so you can walk away from it and come back whenever it is convenient for you provided you have the place to work on it.

 

Hey, even I as a Blonde girl I work on my own vehicles and you can too!!! I just got my 1997 3500 5.9 Cummins Diesel in October...I am used to working on my gassers but now learning the diesel!!  You never stop learning  Good Luck, and you will have a blast working on your new baby!! I would be so happy inheriting  a car from Grandpa and would be very proud driving it around!!  A keeper for sure!!

[dripley]

I guess by now you have figured out most of us would keep it. I wish you the best of luck, but you can do most of this your self, especially if you have a daily driver.

Edited February 19, 2014 by dripley

[Wild and Free]

I guess by now you have figured out most of us would keep it. I wish you the best of luck, but you can do most of this your self, especially if you have a daily driver.

I say nay nay...................he should sell it before it contaminates the ground water in Canada from all of the leaks it has. Having the capability to fix it myself I would take it off his hands...........................and then keep it myself.  

[somethingnuw]

I would if I knew the price he wants for it.

 

Who wants to start the bidding? The lad needs the money for a mega cab or to fix up his 02.

boys i started this on another site here in Canada... its a atv, sledding and dirtbike forum... i have offers to about 7500 bucks... that's not that point in know i can dump it... just want to find  a reason to keep it... this truck has a lot of centimentel value to me because i made many of the trips to the cabin in it... the back of  the truck has two custom welded boat motor holders i helped him build... 

 

i have gotten some advise in the past that includes just firing the truck up and that diesel doesnt go bad???? 

 

Im happy im on this site because i know your all diesel lovers like me... but im a mechanically scared to do things without someone watching over me... my cousin works for cummins but he wants the truck so i don't think it will be fair to ask him to help me... he offered to buy me a new trials bike in trade... but comparing this truck to a new dirt bike really put it into perspective... i'd be better off to get this truck running leave it parked in same garage... drive it once a month and give it to my boy in 12 years... then trade "up" for a dirt bike!!!! 

[somethingnuw]

I guess by now you have figured out most of us would keep it. I wish you the best of luck, but you can do most of this your self, especially if you have a daily driver.

thanks man... if there was a manual somewhere i'd try... 

fyi... pain your truck gray and we have  the exact same 02... so you can understand why i don't want to part with that either...lol... 

[somethingnuw]

Hey, even I as a Blonde girl I work on my own vehicles and you can too!!! I just got my 1997 3500 5.9 Cummins Diesel in October...I am used to working on my gassers but now learning the diesel!!  You never stop learning  Good Luck, and you will have a blast working on your new baby!! I would be so happy inheriting  a car from Grandpa and would be very proud driving it around!!  A keeper for sure!!

im sorry but i have to say a few points... one that hot!  lol sorry 2.  you embarrassed me and inspired me at the same time... lol so thanks... in the end i think everytime we step out of our comfort zones something can be learned and we will be rewarded so maybe ill try... maybe

[diesel4life]

In all honesty, minus a couple hundred dollars worth of parts to get that truck up and running I would be offended at an offer of $7500...

Yes in reality that may be what it is booked at but I guarantee you if you were to post that truck on a national forum where it had good exposure you would get much more than that. Shoot, I see trucks around here going for 10k with over 200k miles and rust in the body to boot.

Being family your cousin should at a minimum be willing to give you some free advice and maybe even a hand, but if not there are a lot of people on this site that would be willing to answer any question you might have no matter how silly you think it may be.

If you were in my area I would be more than happy to give you a hand, but I'm on the wrong side of the lake.

Whatever you decide, I would NOT even think about running that nasty old fuel through your engine. ULSD is much more susceptible to algae and water contamination. It might still be suitable for a heating oil furnace, provided its not all gunked up.