My Dodge Truck Project (Cummins Inside)

[joesregalproject]

Other transmission line and a new brake booster came in the mail last week.

Yesterday I took it for a ride to the junkyard, about a 40 minute ride that is almost all highway and backroads. They had plenty of second gen Dodges but none with the Cummins in them. I mostly went just to see what was there, so all I got was a couple of the correct battery hold downs and the bolts for them along with an ambient temperature sensor, but they do have a truck with a good steering wheel and nice dash so I may try to go back and grab those at some point.

The transmission was starting to act up toward the end of the ride. When I got home I checked the fluid and it was about a half quart low. I got underneath and it looks like it was undercoating itself with transmission fluid on the highway. The drivers side looked more wet, hard to say the source but I still have one cooler line to replace and I should probably check to see that the line I already replaced isn't loose.

After that I started pulling out the old brake booster. This thing was definitely leaking all over. Access was tight but it wasn't hard to replace. The power steering pump is much quieter now and the brake pedal is a little less stiff. I plan on drain and filling the power steering reservoir a few times until the fluid looks clean.

I was gonna install the other transmission line today but I'm gonna sleep and watch football instead.

 

[Supercharged111]

Funny I just did a hydrobooster on my dually today. They sure are proud of those things.

 

[joesregalproject]

Funny I just did a hydrobooster on my dually today. They sure are proud of those things.

Hydroboost and a Saginaw pump sounds good on paper and thus far I've liked it. Even with a leaking booster this thing stops pretty well.

From what I've read not a lot of 12 valves came with hydroboost. It was 97+ only and vacuum boosters were still used intermittently until the 24 valves came out.

 

[Supercharged111]

Hydroboost and a Saginaw pump sounds good on paper and thus far I've liked it. Even with a leaking booster this thing stops pretty well.

From what I've read not a lot of 12 valves came with hydroboost. It was 97+ only and vacuum boosters were still used intermittently until the 24 valves came out.

Hydroboost is where it's at. I swapped my 1500 over and it's night and day better. I was lamenting the cost in my previous post, $400 here in Commiefornia for a reman booster!

 

[joesregalproject]

It's been 60° but pouring rain all day, so I pulled the truck into the garage and let it dry off for a few hours, it fits under the door by maybe an 1/8". Still sticks out about 3' lengthwise but I can't do much about that.

Later I got underneath and pulled the front driveshaft to make a bit more working room next to the transmission. I removed the trans cooler line I previously installed because I think it's leaking at the fitting and I removed the other leaking line as well.

I'm gonna let it drip out overnight then I'll install the lines tomorrow with some thread sealant on them and top off the trans.

Here's the oil to water trans cooler mounted on the passenger side of the engine block.

The frame and body look great from underneath.

Check out this big money custom exhaust work-

 

[Supercharged111]

You sure that's a rust belt truck?

 

[olds307 and 403]

Yeah minor rust. Hopefully this fixes the trans leak. I have the same issue, a real truck won't fit in my garage.

 

[joesregalproject]

You sure that's a rust belt truck?

The title says it was previously titled in California, but doesn't say when. It had the California-only EGR system so I suspect that is accurate. A Carfax report might be worth it to satisfy my own curiosity.

It's got some small bubbles here and there on the outside, but underneath is nice. That red stuff on the frame looks like some kind of rusty metal primer that someone brushed on. It's not rust, just paint. It's so nice starting with something that isn't rotted all over.

 

[81cutlass]

It's crazy that it's in such nice body condition considering all the little things that have needed updates throughout.

Should be able to double your money when it's all fixed (if you are into that)....

 

[Supercharged111]

The title says it was previously titled in California, but doesn't say when. It had the California-only EGR system so I suspect that is accurate. A Carfax report might be worth it to satisfy my own curiosity.

It's got some small bubbles here and there on the outside, but underneath is nice. That red stuff on the frame looks like some kind of rusty metal primer that someone brushed on. It's not rust, just paint. It's so nice starting with something that isn't rotted all over.

So it had a late start then, that definitely explains it. You bringing up the EGR again rings a bell.