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1st Gen. Ram - All TopicsDiscussion for all Dodge Rams prior to 1994. This includes engine, drivetrain and non-drivetrain discussions. Anything prior to 1994 should go in here.
Lately I’ve found myself chipping away at the old dodge more than I have since I bought it in August of 2015 so I’ve decided to start a build thread to get new ideas and help on some of my questions as well as hopefully help others! I’ll start with some pictures of recent work and a few questions I have for you guys. Also, I have a bad habit of not taking work in process pictures so I don’t have many but this will help me do better at that!
The truck as it sits as of today
Under the hood. Note the intake I made from two 45 degree elbows and a piece of 4 inch exhaust for my bhaf. The truck has also gotten the KDP addressed, new radiator + hoses, fan clutch, belt, brake booster, and probably some other forgotten items. Next is an AC compressor and an hx35 or wh1c turbo
Interior is looking nicer with fresh carpet, some additional lighting that runs off the dome lamp circuit, and Honda Accord power seats. I also upgraded the cluster lights with led Farthest forward position of the seats Routed power wire under carpet and up through old sealbeklthole and back underneath the tray to the two seats
Hvac cleanout access That little hole in the sheetmetal box on the bottom of the cab is full of dirt and wet grime and won’t wash out. Rust breeding ground for sure, anyone have a solution to this? Redhead steering box northwest fab crossover steering kit for 2.5” of front lift
For that body hole and brace the corners closest to the rockers should have a slight opening from where it was folded when manufactured....should not be a sealed unit. If you can clear those corners up you might be able to get more guff out of them. If not I would drill two holes...1/2" or 9/16" near the front two corners at the rockers so you can flush debris out with a garden hose, then once good and dry spray the inside of the box with fluid film or some used engine oil, I do this at least once a year.
My guess that wire hanging by the tank probably used to run to the RWAL valve.
If you have an air compressor, you can get wands at any auto store and just blow the crap out of there. At least break it up. I say plug it after a good spray of cosmoline wax. I like fluid film too but it seems to not stick for the long haul.
It is hard to tell in the pictures but that front lift seems pretty stout for a 2 1/2 inch lift.
Nice looking rig and good job on the mods and upkeep so far.
I agree, I would blast out the junk from the cab mounts with the air compressor, then with water. Once dry soak it down in oil and repeat process that once a year or so.
It will go a long ways to keep them solid.
If you have an air compressor, you can get wands at any auto store and just blow the crap out of there. At least break it up. I say plug it after a good spray of cosmoline wax. I like fluid film too but it seems to not stick for the long haul.
I disagree with plugging the hole....you are then holding more moisture in there longer once it gets in.....and it will get in. Good thought on using compressed air, but as Oliver stated if your driving these old trucks year round a yearly "oiling" is required to keep the old metal in good shape. Heck I just removed my mudflaps and added grease to the screws and holes and re-installed to help keep the corrosion down.
I disagree with plugging the hole....you are then holding more moisture in there longer once it gets in.....and it will get in. Good thought on using compressed air, but as Oliver stated if your driving these old trucks year round a yearly "oiling" is required to keep the old metal in good shape. Heck I just removed my mudflaps and added grease to the screws and holes and re-installed to help keep the corrosion down.
I just plug everything now on my DD's (or Tape holes), you can never get the body seams air tight. If I lived in Texas I would just give it the oil brush when I change the oil and not plug it. In NY the salt works its way into the rockers and cab and everything rots from the inside out. That's why I just don't drive the old dodges in the winter, they wouldn't last a month. A lot of guys around here that don't have a choice are plugging and burning toilet wax rings/linseed oil as it seems to keep the salt from touching the metal.
The only thing I've seen prevent it 100% is when my radiator blew apart on the old chevy and went everywhere. That combination and a leaking valve cover built this sludge up under the C10 truck and I never had issue with rust. I never washed the darn thing. Drove it for many winters until the entire thing fell apart(tranny) and when it did, I remember taking a screw driver and removing an inch of this crap... but wow... what I found under it was impressive.
That doesn't put enough pressure to really do the job, Blue Goose.
I'd buy a Schultz gun, or now Napa carries a Fluid Film gun set up for about $40 that you hook to your compressor after turning the pressure down to 40 PSI IIRC.
Make sure to wear something you don't care about.
I usually get several MT bike boxes from the local bike store and lay them out on the ground. Or stop by Sears and get several fridge / freezer cardboard boxes works too. I then wear some old clothes I don't care about. The safety googles and respirator go on and I roll around under the rig spraying it down. I usually do several trucks at the same time, then have a fire where I burn the dribble soaked cardboard and my old jeans and sweatshirt at the same time after. I then grab a beer and hit the shower.
a buddy and I have been using those for years...cut the old oil with some kerosene, and it works great.Give the underside a good powerwash in the spring and all is well.
I have used those before to, sure they dribble out a weak mist of oil and get the job done. Heck even rubbing it down with an oil soaked rag would be better than nothing.
Try a set up like I described and you will never go back to a hand pump sprayer. They are cheap now too.
I will be have oil undercoating day around here soon, myself.
Those are some great ideas, I plan on tackling this within the next week or so. Although I don’t drive my truck in the winter, I sure hate letting any wet junk sit on the sheetmetal. My favorite undercoat is some cosmolene (spelling?) after letting it thin out in front of a turbo heater for a while. You have to move pretty quick and spray it on before in thickens back up but man that stuff is great if you can find it laying around. Pretty harsh stuff though definitely wear the proper gear. Another product I’ve found to work well is the “Rusfree” brand. I’m not sure what it consists of, I typically cut it with some gear oil and heat it up as well before spraying. I haven’t bought any in a few years but if I recall right it was 20 bucks a gallon at carquest. It sprays on a lot like oil but after about a week or so you’re left with a thick bearing-grease type of coating. You’ll definitely get dirty working on the truck the next time but the stuff stays on great even with frequent pressure washes.
09-26-2018, 08:28 PM
Good thought on using compressed air, but as Oliver stated if your driving these old trucks year round a yearly "oiling" is required to keep the old metal in good shape. Heck I just removed my mudflaps and added grease to the screws and holes and re-installed to help keep the corrosion down.