Hello Guys, First of all Im not a mechanic, I will swap some external parts and attempt some MODS if I am reasonably sure of what I am doing. My situation, I recenty purchased (24 June) a one owner 92 x-cab 4x4 1 ton 5 spd w/78k miles completely stock. I would like a list of "top 10" low budget mods/prevent maint. that I can do to enhance handling/performance/mpg/
longevity. (Example) From reading post, I have learned that there is a potential problem with the 5 spd Getrag & that an extra qt. lube should be added? Also, I have noticed extra amount of play in steering wheel, is it possible to adjust this play out? This will not be a daily driver, i have a small farm (part-time) & i will pull livestock couple times month, but, it is my only truck so whatever I need one for i will use this. I will consider taking to a garage if Im confident of the outcome. Thanx in advance for you help.

 

On the steering shaft there is a coupler that attaches your shaft to the steering box. Most of the time these seem to go and end up giving some play in the wheel. To fix this you can either buy a new one OR buy a universal couple instead. The universal is a little stronger and is easier on the seals on the steering box. I've been meaning to grab one for my truck but haven't managed to do so yet.

 

#1 prevention is clean oil and fuel as with all engines, these beasts are tough. I run rotella oil and wix fuel and oil filters i'v had good success with them. A little sip of diesel fuel cleaner doesnt hurt either. The problem with the getrag is a internal nut if im not mistaken. it can be repaired before it gives you grief.

as fas as mods get gauges first, their simple to install and will let you monitor the engine,
( exhaust gas temp and boost) only one you really need is EGT the boost is just fun to look at. On the first gen trucks the injector pump can be modified to produce a lot more power and smoke,
"that mod is free"

next be exhaust and injectors, both are easy and not a total kill on your wallet. the list goes as far as your wallet will open, but these are easy fast and are minimal in cost.

 

The extra quart in the trans is to keep the input bearing lubed. I actually have 5 qts in mine and it seems to be staying in there.

Play in the steering can come from a lot of places. I assume you have checked all the steering linkage? If all the linkage is tight, you need to determine if the slop is in the box or in the column. The box can be adjusted on the truck, the shaft can be rebuilt for about $10 with parts from Dodge.

My top 10 mods/ performance tips-

1. Straight pipe it!
2. Replace the stock air filter with a BHAF.
3. Gauges (at least a pyrometer)
4. Get rid of the 21 cm turbine housing and replace it with a 16 cm unit.
5. 3200 RPM governor spring & ground AFC lever
6. Adjust the pump settings as needed
7. Advance the pump timing
8. Check the throttle linkage for full travel
9. Adjust the rear brakes manually
10. Put Redline MTL in the Getrag

A lot of this stuff is free, and no one item will cost more than $150.

 

For your steering issues, there is a plate that the steering box bolts to then this plate bolts to the frame. Check this plate for cracks near the front mounting hole. Mine broke completely off, this does not sound like your problem at the moment. Sounds like the joint on your steering shaft is just worn. They all do.

Mods,

1. Straight pipe
2. 16cm exhaust housing or 12w/g(requires more exhaust modification)
3. pyrometer
4. BHAF
5. Pump settings/timing

....what Wannadiesel said

 

wat wanna said i did exept mine is automatic and instead od bhaf i went with k&n was better for my application all of that costs under 500$ i didnt put 16cm turbo didnt find one yet

 

First off, congrats on the truck purchace--sounds like a beauty! Get some pics in your gallery for all to drool over asap! As you stated in your post, this will NOT be your daily driver, just a 2x's a month or so towing machine, correct? Assuming this is indeed the case, I would humbly suggest the following:

1)Upgrade the rear wheel cylinders to GM 1 ton cylinders. This makes a Dodge stop like, well, a Chevy Seriously, there's a significant increase in braking power over the stock Dodge cylinders which I see as a must for a truck that pulls a load.

2)Open up the exhaust and intake as much as your wallet will allow. The stock tailpipe is a train wreck going over the rear axle---replace it with at least 3.5'' mandrel bent stuff, or, if you wanna go on the cheap, dump the exhaust in front of the rear tire---both mods produce the same result of freeing up the exhaust. As for the intake, just get a BHAF. I finally just got mine and it's worlds better than stock or the stock size K&N the truck came with.

3)Get you a 16cm turbine housing. The 21 is just even for a truck that tows. The 16 is seen as the ''great compromise'' of housings and, unless you're grossing 33k all the time, it should provide ample air both loaded and empty.

4)3200 rpm governor spring. When you pull with a getrag, you'll find yourself in a hate/hate affair with it The gear spacing just sucks, period. The 3200 spring allows you to wind 'er up for that 2-3 shift. And the 3-4 shift. And that pesky 4-5 shift. And it's so chunky between 1 and 2...well, you get the idea.

5)Gauges. To this point, you're pretty safe without them, though some will argue this point to no end. I say (and who am I, I know...) with the mods above, as long as the revs stay over 2000 rpms under load, you're good to go. In any event, this is my post so it's time for gauges Pyro, tranny temp, tach and boost, in my personal order of necessity. Maybe this should be step one, but there it is

6)Fiddle with that pump! There's a ton of adjustment built into the VE and it's a neat mechanical journey to tune it just 'so' for you're driving style. Crank away and watch those gauges

7)Now that you've fiddled with the pump, you've retired your daily driver in order to more accurately 'tune' the Cummins for that next stock run Naturally, you're running a bit hot and it's time for a turbo upgrade. Many of the super vendors on this site can help you push more air to clear up all that pesky black smoke your pump 'tuning' has created. Shop around and talk to the vendors since they know a lot more about their products than I do

8)If you've gotten to this step, you probably get the idea that the fuel/air runaround is only limited by your wallet. The cool thing is that the first several hundred ft/lbs of torque are darn near free and make the truck so much fun that there oughta be some kind of law....nahhhh


Quality fluids and filters are a no brainer, but it bears repeating. Detailed records of your PM go a long way to detecting trends and spotting problems before they can bring you to a halt.

Again, congrats on the truck and welcome to DTR! Stop in often


greg

 

Thanx a bunch,,,,
Ive always like to go by the numbers,,,I will improve intake, exhaust & get gauges first (after correction on steering), If i understand correctly the BHAF is a huge open air filter? i like the stock look, can/should ( live on dirt road) I modify the stock air box with another filter & more air holes in box or do away with it altogether..?

i assume exhuast is 3" now, should i go as larger as my wallet will allow? should i order a kit or go to local shop? (or both) "straight pipe" is that straight after muffler?

Is redline mtl available most anywhere & how many qts? (5)

When its first "cranked" a noticeable amount of smoke comes out, is this normal, I thought a truck with 78k & in this good shape would not have any serious defects it, the owner swears she changed oil & filters every 3k...

and last (i leave yall alone for a while) can yall recommend literature to assist me?

"I'll be back!"

 

smoke when she first starts is normal especially when cold.

I built my own 4in exhaust but by the time I bought all the material I could have bought a kit, at the time I couldn't find a kit otherwise I would have.

This site, just do searches on anything you want to know and you'll find answers! good ones too not just BS

 

^ and listen to the seniors, wannadiesel, bushy, apwatson50, jim lane.... Good luck on the truck and welcome aboard!

Michael

P.S. my other thing is change the front brakes before you see what I did (see gallery)

 

Thats not as bad as one rotor i've seen, the pad was worn all the way through to the cooling fins!! The guy said his suburban was making a weird noise, I don't know how you could stand it that long!

 

Necred,
The simplest solution to your problems would be to sell your truck to me!

 

Greg, I'm with you on number 5. Air and RPM are safe, it's fuel that will get you in trouble.

Necred- The BHAF is the best setup for somebody on a dirt road.

The stock exhaust is OK with stock injectors as long as you get rid of the kink over the rear axle. "Straight pipe" means no muffler. If you think it might be too loud for you, it probably will be, get a good 4" diesel performance muffler at the very least.

You can get Redline MTL from Summit Racing or myoilshop.com - order 5 qts and dump 'em in. I used a street elbow in place of the fill plug and parked sideways on a hill to get it all in.

The black puff when you start the engine is normal. The pump gives full fuel when engine RPM is significantly lower than idle speed, which causes a puff of smoke on startup.

I don't know of any books on this subject, just page back through this forum and read the stuff that interests you.