1978 Dodge Diesel Truck
 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=330335608341
Anybody ever seen one of these before?

Not in the flesh, but they pop up on Ebay from time to time.

Run far far away from that.... Its a non turbo 6 cyl. Mitsubishi diesel. 2 year only .

I can't believe the engine still runs and if it does still run a riding lawnmower would blow that thing away [laugh] they can't get out their own way,

Don't poo on Mitsubishi in genral. I have a 6D16 in my boat and its pushing 13000 hours. I don't know what model those trucks had but like any manufacturer, some models are good and some are bad.

we have over 100 excavators at work with mitsubishi engines...they take a beating and keep on going....very dependable

I'm just saying the mitsu in that truck were known for problems and were so slow its not even funny. no wonder they aint on the road anymore, all in junkyards LOL

daaaaaaaaang........dodge with a jap engine? i thought was was only chevy (Izusu duramax) lol

Yup, the 1978 and 1979 Dodge trucks were available with the 6D05 Mitsubishi engine and they are pretty rare. A lot more gas trucks were sold in those years as yes people looking into buying them back then were not all that familar with diesels (the notion they were smoky, smelly, and slow engines) and opted for the 318/360 gassers. The Mitsubishi engine is a 4.0, so it's of a considerable size yet it lacks the most important thing a diesel should have and that's a turbocharger. Like a firm statement I always believe in is "the diesel engine and the turbocharger were born to work together." I also believe the engine was an indirect injection engine and is way off on design comparison to the Cummins 5.9 that came out a decade later. Even though it would be slow, I'd bet it still would be a good, reliable truck.

Sal

thats kinda cool actually lol. I wonder if you could rebuild that engine, even put a turbo on it. something like a H1C from a 89-91.5 cummins.

My dad said he test drove one of those when they first came out. He said it was way underpowered so he never bought it. Him and my grandpa ended up putting 190xt allis chalmers engines in both of there trucks. Talk about wild! They had the tractor hood incorporated on the hoods of there trucks. He said they were decent but nothin like his first gen!

i had one for over 300000 miles ,kind of gutless but a good motor but could whip my Scout diesel.

I think the slant six was a step UP in power. [laugh]

that scout diesel was a turbo wasn't it? 135hp Nissan I think? Sometimes the turbo don't do much!

I think Ford had some Mitsu engines also in the Tempo and the Ranger in the 80s. Chevy was playing with Isuzu engines then too. Grampa had an old S10 with a little 2.2 direct injection Isuzu. I hear that they could get great mileage, and there was a turbo version of the engine even if it was not in the S10, it was availiable in another application and could be swapped in.

I remember that truck, it was in the Maine craigslist for months...

Yea ford put a 2.2 mitsu in the old 80's rangers and then they stepped up to a bigger turbo 4 cyl. diesel. They get phenominal mileage and sound cool with a 5 speed but there wrapped in a ford ranger, a crap box IMO

These Dodges aren't all that either though.....I've never had so much crap go wrong inside the cab of a truck. Never had a cowl crack in a chevy or ford, never had water running inside the cab of a Chevy Or Ford....If it weren't for the cummins in these trucks, we wouldn't be here talking about them imo...
Or trying to keep them roadworthy....lol If mine wasn't in such good shape i would've gutted it by now and put the motor in a Chevy.