Found a new project. Ram D250

[threewood]

The motor turns over great, resistance on compression stroke. So I finished swapping the 360 injectors into my 318 manifold, the fuel rail was different so I kept my old one.

And I installed the Hughes plenum plate, gasket, and bolts. Torque everything to spec.

Valley looked good. Some carbon on the parts but everything looked good, pushrods all had tension so I buttoned it back up with new gaskets and thread seal on the through intake bolts.

Finished off with new valve covers gaskets. Rockers and springs looked good, too.

Left to do....
1. Pull balancer
2. Pull water pump housing
3. Replace timing gear
4. Reinstall housing/pump with new gaskets.
5. New oil pan gasket.
6. Install flywheel, torque converter
7. Attach transmission to engine.

 

[GTXDAN]

Have you given any thought to a rear main seal. Just an idea.

 

[threewood]

It had crossed my mind but it doesn't look as though it has been leaking.

 

[threewood]

Getting nickel and dimed to death. Harmonic balancer outer ring was pushed into the timing cover. Cover is getting Devcon epoxy and a new balancer is ordered.

New timing set installed. The old set had some slack but wasn't terrible.

 

[threewood]

Engine is re-assembled. New sensors, plugs, wires, cap, rotor. I should be able to attach flywheel, TC and attach transmission tomorrow.

So When I put the timing chain in, I wasn't sure if dot to dot was #6tdc or #1 tdc. So after I installed the new balancer, I spun it a few times and then tried to stick my finger in #1 to feel compression.....the damned sleeve won't let me get a finger in there. I had to drop a dowel in the hole spin it until it came up and started to drop. Then I checked where the rotor was pointing. At #1 so I marked it on the balancer.

 

[Detective D]

Don't forget to put a rubber cap on that vacuum port on the passenger side of the intake. The driver side gets the brake booster vacuum, but 9/10 the passenger side is capped. It gets pretty hard to see it once everything is back in, alternator back on etc.
When you go to install, the little metal pipe with an oring that presses in and gets held by a bolt/bracket by the water pump is very common to leak after you pull it once. Either figure out the correct O-ring and replace if the pipe looks perfect, or just get a new one altogether. It can be difficult to see the leak right away as the coolant will get burned up/evaporate from engine heat and the only evidence will be dissapearing coolant over time and some faint green color by the pipe. It is kind of a silly design but it works if everything is clean and new.
Absolutely under no circumstand reuse that super short 90 degree hose that goes right on the top center. It gets totally buried by the front accessories. A new hose is under $10.

Couple things to look at before you drop it back in and everything is buried or harder to reach.

 

[threewood]

There are several vacuum ports on the intake. I need to look at the schematic to see where they go. A few of the hoses cracked when I removed them and were thrown away. This is kind of why I wanted to go to a carburetor. To get rid of all the extra bullshit. I'll figure it out.

 

[threewood]

Engine and transmission are mated up again. Wiring harness laid out and attached.

 

[threewood]

Great success! Did it by myself, took a little bit of wiggling around but she dropped in and lined up.

 

[GTXDAN]

You're going to be on the road in the next couple of days in a new old truck.

 

[MarPar]

Great success! Did it by myself, took a little bit of wiggling around but she dropped in and lined up.
View attachment 1979600View attachment 1979601View attachment 1979602

Congrats!!

 

[threewood]

Things to do..

Driveshaft
Radiator / radiator hoses / heater hoses
Transmission cooler lines
Exhaust
Alternator
AC compressor
Power steering pump
Hook rest of wiring up
Fluids
Battery
Vacuum hoses

If the fuel pump works, it should kick over with some new gas mixed into the tank.

 

[69Bee]

Just wanted to point out, if and when the crankcase fills with coolant, remove the intake, remove the cork end rails which should never be used, and use RTV on the end rails only.

Other than that, great job on the engine.

 

[threewood]

Just wanted to point out, if and when the crankcase fills with coolant, remove the intake, remove the cork end rails which should never be used, and use RTV on the end rails only.

Other than that, great job on the engine.

What's wrong with the cork end pieces?

 

[69Bee]

What's wrong with the cork end pieces?

Holds the intake up as the bolts do not usually tighten up the intake enough to compress the cork, so the intake water passage is held open and the coolant drains into the crankcase. Every motor I build gets RTV on the valley rails which will seal and allow the intake to seat properly. I will guarantee you that the original intake had RTV from the factory. I had a customer call on the exact same issue with water going into the crankcase, and they used the cork ends.

 

[Detective D]

Holds the intake up as the bolts do not usually tighten up the intake enough to compress the cork, so the intake water passage is held open and the coolant drains into the crankcase. Every motor I build gets RTV on the valley rails which will seal and allow the intake to seat properly. I will guarantee you that the original intake had RTV from the factory. I had a customer call on the exact same issue with water going into the crankcase, and they used the cork ends.

FELPRO makes a kit with pre-molded silicone end rails. They fit perfect. Pretty easy to line them all up as well.

 

[threewood]

These corks had a slight smear of rtv and they squished down. Got the intake bolts to torque to spec. It was a huge gap under the intake ends.

 

[threewood]

A little progress. I have the accessories mounted, no belt yet. A/C will get replaced at some point to a r134 compressor, but it's on there to locate the belt. I have to find what I did with the trans throttle cable, can't find it in my mess lol. I reinstalled the driveshaft and reattached the side brackets for the trans cross member.

 

[threewood]

Got some done today after work. It's going to get cold so I don't know when I'll get to it next.

Left to install...
Radiator hoses (expected tomorrow)
Coolant
Transmission cooler lines
Exhaust Y Pipe
Vacuum hoses
Oil/Transmission fluid.
Trans shift linkage - I can't find the one I took off so I am using the one from the 1999 transmission. It needs 1-1/2" added to the length.

 

[Detective D]

Got some done today after work. It's going to get cold so I don't know when I'll get to it next.

Left to install...
Radiator hoses (expected tomorrow)
Coolant
Transmission cooler lines
Exhaust Y Pipe
Vacuum hoses
Oil/Transmission fluid.
Trans shift linkage - I can't find the one I took off so I am using the one from the 1999 transmission. It needs 1-1/2" added to the length.

Did you order a factory Y pipe or are you re-using one? The factory pipe on my dakota I could touch my thumb and index finger together when I wrapped them around the bend areas lol. Slightly restrictive.