Saving a '91.0 W-250
10-15-2018, 07:11 PM
#181
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The starter has been working well since I had to tap it with the hammer to get it to work again.
Today Charlotte and I where driving along the backroads of Cabot when we came up to two dudes from NJ that where stuck off the road in their Subaru. They must have been on their cell phone driving as there where no skid marks and they where deep in a muddy ditch off the road.
We offered to hook up to them with Poncho as I had tow straps and clevis hooks on board. I pulled them out easily enough in 4L, hardly spinning a tire. They gave me the $30 bucks they had in their pocket which was nice of them, which bought some shop beers. They took my # so they can give me a call to take some snowboard turns on the hill this winter one thier next visit to VT.
Gotta love a solid old 1st gen. They where stuck badly enough there was little hope for them.
Today Charlotte and I where driving along the backroads of Cabot when we came up to two dudes from NJ that where stuck off the road in their Subaru. They must have been on their cell phone driving as there where no skid marks and they where deep in a muddy ditch off the road.
We offered to hook up to them with Poncho as I had tow straps and clevis hooks on board. I pulled them out easily enough in 4L, hardly spinning a tire. They gave me the $30 bucks they had in their pocket which was nice of them, which bought some shop beers. They took my # so they can give me a call to take some snowboard turns on the hill this winter one thier next visit to VT.
Gotta love a solid old 1st gen. They where stuck badly enough there was little hope for them.
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nonrev (10-15-2018)
10-17-2018, 07:14 PM
#182
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Thread Starter
I took Poncho out for what likely maybe the last ride of the year. It is currently just barely snowing and we might get 2 inches tonight.
If the snow plows head out with salt tonight, Poncho is getting pressure washed and parked in the heated shop for the winter.
The other 1st gens, the Vanilla Gorilla and the Gauntlet RC got pressured washed and are in the shop drying right now. I will hit them with a bit of Fluid Film in spots and tuck them in a corner of the shop with a list of things to fix over the winter on the dash.
If the snow plows head out with salt tonight, Poncho is getting pressure washed and parked in the heated shop for the winter.
The other 1st gens, the Vanilla Gorilla and the Gauntlet RC got pressured washed and are in the shop drying right now. I will hit them with a bit of Fluid Film in spots and tuck them in a corner of the shop with a list of things to fix over the winter on the dash.
10-19-2018, 06:42 AM
#183
Registered User
It's cool that you can put your 1st gens away for the winter, but what do you drive that you don't care about on those salt infested roads? I'm pretty sure the T-Man will post some good pics
10-19-2018, 07:00 AM
#184
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Thread Starter
It is my year around work truck and tow donkey. All summer it is hooked to my trailer, in the winter in also doubles as my daily driver.
I am oil undercoating it today with a mix of bar and chain oil thinned down with a little diesel fuel in a Shultz style spray gun hooked to my air compressor.
It is a bit of a messy job so... Yesterday I stopped by my the local bike shop and grabbed several Mt bike boxes to lay on the ground to catch the drips.
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nonrev (10-19-2018)
10-20-2018, 08:11 AM
#185
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Poncho got some love yesterday.
I pressure washed the under side throughly, then while I waited for it to dry I welded in the tailgate strap hangers that the PO had ground off to install a funky slide camper.
I used a hole saw without a pilot bit to drill out a 1 1/2 hole around the bumped out tailgate strap hanger off my old plow rig with a wasted bed. I then drilled out the same hole on Poncho. After cleaning up the area with a chainsaw file, I grabbed my welder and burn them on. A little primer and paint and I was ready to hang the mint tailgate I had stored for the past 4 years finally. It was nice to sit on the tailgate and have a beer finally. I had been just running a beater teal colored tailgate that rested on the bumper when you opened it till now.
I then oil undercoated Poncho and got it ready for its storage in the shop for the winter.
I pressure washed the under side throughly, then while I waited for it to dry I welded in the tailgate strap hangers that the PO had ground off to install a funky slide camper.
I used a hole saw without a pilot bit to drill out a 1 1/2 hole around the bumped out tailgate strap hanger off my old plow rig with a wasted bed. I then drilled out the same hole on Poncho. After cleaning up the area with a chainsaw file, I grabbed my welder and burn them on. A little primer and paint and I was ready to hang the mint tailgate I had stored for the past 4 years finally. It was nice to sit on the tailgate and have a beer finally. I had been just running a beater teal colored tailgate that rested on the bumper when you opened it till now.
I then oil undercoated Poncho and got it ready for its storage in the shop for the winter.
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nothingbutdarts (10-21-2018),
thrashingcows (10-20-2018)
04-23-2019, 11:20 AM
#186
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Thread Starter
After 6+ months of snow on the ground, it is almost all gone.
We have gone tons of rain recently and the road are washed clean. The backroads are still a total muddy mess, but the 35X13X18 and the new softer suspension will be perfect for them
I just dug Poncho out of storage and after checking some fluids and hooking up the battery again, it fired right up. I will be taking it out to the car wash and hosing it down this afternoon.
We have gone tons of rain recently and the road are washed clean. The backroads are still a total muddy mess, but the 35X13X18 and the new softer suspension will be perfect for them
I just dug Poncho out of storage and after checking some fluids and hooking up the battery again, it fired right up. I will be taking it out to the car wash and hosing it down this afternoon.
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thrashingcows (04-24-2019)
04-24-2019, 12:15 AM
#187
Registered User
We have not got much rain, but lots of warm weather....most of our snow is gone except on the north sides of the hills and in the deep woods, AND the huge pile of snow I push into the raveen. 
06-08-2019, 09:58 AM
#188
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Thread Starter
Well after two afternoon drives in late April, the starter that has been acting up for a bit, gave up the ghost...luckily in my driveway.
Yesterday my neighbor Walter was over for a Friday evening cold beer, so while I had an extra driver here, we pop started it by dragging it down the driveway with the black crew cab.
It is now sitting in the shop under the lift.
T-man rebuilt a OEM starter for me and sent it back up to me a week or so ago. I am hoping to get some time this weekend to swap that in. That would get all the first gen 12Vs I plan on having ready for the road this summer, up and running other than the Vanilla Gorilla [lifted white '85 crew cab] that still needs to be dug out of the shop.
Yesterday my neighbor Walter was over for a Friday evening cold beer, so while I had an extra driver here, we pop started it by dragging it down the driveway with the black crew cab.
It is now sitting in the shop under the lift.
T-man rebuilt a OEM starter for me and sent it back up to me a week or so ago. I am hoping to get some time this weekend to swap that in. That would get all the first gen 12Vs I plan on having ready for the road this summer, up and running other than the Vanilla Gorilla [lifted white '85 crew cab] that still needs to be dug out of the shop.
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NJTman (06-08-2019)
06-08-2019, 06:46 PM
#190
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Join Date: Dec 2010
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Well after two afternoon drives in late April, the starter that has been acting up for a bit, gave up the ghost...luckily in my driveway.
Yesterday my neighbor Walter was over for a Friday evening cold beer, so while I had an extra driver here, we pop started it by dragging it down the driveway with the black crew cab.
It is now sitting in the shop under the lift.
T-man rebuilt a OEM starter for me and sent it back up to me a week or so ago. I am hoping to get some time this weekend to swap that in. That would get all the first gen 12Vs I plan on having ready for the road this summer, up and running other than the Vanilla Gorilla [lifted white '85 crew cab] that still needs to be dug out of the shop.
Yesterday my neighbor Walter was over for a Friday evening cold beer, so while I had an extra driver here, we pop started it by dragging it down the driveway with the black crew cab.
It is now sitting in the shop under the lift.
T-man rebuilt a OEM starter for me and sent it back up to me a week or so ago. I am hoping to get some time this weekend to swap that in. That would get all the first gen 12Vs I plan on having ready for the road this summer, up and running other than the Vanilla Gorilla [lifted white '85 crew cab] that still needs to be dug out of the shop.
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oliver foster (06-09-2019)
06-10-2019, 09:13 PM
#191
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Thread Starter
Just got back for a fun night of wrenching on Poncho.
The rebuilt starter that T-man dialed in for me is installed now. While it was in the air on the lift, I checked all the fluids underneath it. The Dana 60 and 70 along with the Getrag where all full to the top. The NP-205 needed almost a 1/2 Qt to top it off. Even with a full rebuild and re-seal 4 years ago the NP-205 has some small leaks.
I greased all the front axle fittings, along with the driveshafts with just standard grease and then took out the special lube for the poly bushing in my grease able shackle and leaf spring bolts.
The exhaust had a little wear mark where it was contacting the NP-205 at times, so I loosened up the band clamps and moved it a little bit for better clearance....Have I mentioned that those band clamps are the way to go for exhaust work?
Over last weekend I threw a "shelf-it" in the cab of Poncho. I got with my '89 RC in all the boxes of parts that came with it. The shelf it is built by Jungle over at RCC [Ram Charger Central]. It is for the inside of the cab for a little more space to store stuff. It is basically a shelf that runs along the inside windshield that adds a small storage shelf. The sun visors bolt to it.
Looking forward to getting Poncho out on the road here shortly.
The rebuilt starter that T-man dialed in for me is installed now. While it was in the air on the lift, I checked all the fluids underneath it. The Dana 60 and 70 along with the Getrag where all full to the top. The NP-205 needed almost a 1/2 Qt to top it off. Even with a full rebuild and re-seal 4 years ago the NP-205 has some small leaks.
I greased all the front axle fittings, along with the driveshafts with just standard grease and then took out the special lube for the poly bushing in my grease able shackle and leaf spring bolts.
The exhaust had a little wear mark where it was contacting the NP-205 at times, so I loosened up the band clamps and moved it a little bit for better clearance....Have I mentioned that those band clamps are the way to go for exhaust work?
Over last weekend I threw a "shelf-it" in the cab of Poncho. I got with my '89 RC in all the boxes of parts that came with it. The shelf it is built by Jungle over at RCC [Ram Charger Central]. It is for the inside of the cab for a little more space to store stuff. It is basically a shelf that runs along the inside windshield that adds a small storage shelf. The sun visors bolt to it.
Looking forward to getting Poncho out on the road here shortly.
06-28-2019, 07:38 PM
#192
Registered User
Thread Starter
Well last week I got some good shop time in working on my first gens.
Poncho had the drivers side door panel removed, so I could weld in the 1/2 square stock to stiffen the inner door panel. While the door panel was off, I swapped in the red armrest Blue Goose sent me...Thanks man!!
The next big upgrade was I added one leaf spring to the drivers side to fix the drivers side lean that too many 1st gens have... The lifted ones have the lean issue even worse.
The drivers side rear was a full inch lower in the rear and the front was 3/4s lower. After adding just one stock rear spring in the rear spring pack I gained, at least 1 full inch on the rear AND the front drivers side. The passenger side rear went down a 1/8 inch as well with the weight transfer. It now sits level side to side and about an inch higher in the rear...PERFECT!
I figured the extra 400#-500#s of fuel tank, driver, battery, steering system ETC that the drivers side has to deal with is the culprit and this extra spring worked great to fix the problem.
After doing those successful upgrades I celebrated with a beer and decided I would swap out the headlights for the Truck Lite LEDs I had ordered. It was an easy swap to do and a great upgrade. I am loving the look and the much brighter light it makes. It is a totally plug and play swap, that can be done in about 30 minutes, even with a beer in hand.
Poncho had the drivers side door panel removed, so I could weld in the 1/2 square stock to stiffen the inner door panel. While the door panel was off, I swapped in the red armrest Blue Goose sent me...Thanks man!!
The next big upgrade was I added one leaf spring to the drivers side to fix the drivers side lean that too many 1st gens have... The lifted ones have the lean issue even worse.
The drivers side rear was a full inch lower in the rear and the front was 3/4s lower. After adding just one stock rear spring in the rear spring pack I gained, at least 1 full inch on the rear AND the front drivers side. The passenger side rear went down a 1/8 inch as well with the weight transfer. It now sits level side to side and about an inch higher in the rear...PERFECT!
I figured the extra 400#-500#s of fuel tank, driver, battery, steering system ETC that the drivers side has to deal with is the culprit and this extra spring worked great to fix the problem.
After doing those successful upgrades I celebrated with a beer and decided I would swap out the headlights for the Truck Lite LEDs I had ordered. It was an easy swap to do and a great upgrade. I am loving the look and the much brighter light it makes. It is a totally plug and play swap, that can be done in about 30 minutes, even with a beer in hand.
06-28-2019, 07:44 PM
#193
Registered User
only took two tries to send Oliver the correct side.......
06-28-2019, 07:51 PM
#194
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Thread Starter
06-29-2019, 04:37 AM
#195
Registered User
I thought that red was almost more ubiquitous than the grey, no?
Never liked that Dodge put all that stuff on the side where the drivers 150-250lbs would always be too. Understand the steering box has to be there and fuel tank if the door is to be on driver's side but why didn't they try to compensate by moving the battery at least? I'd appreciate the extra exercise of walking around the truck to fill the fuel tank but I guess that would interfere with the exhaust...
I guess you don't have anymore bags huh, otherwise you'd have used them?
Never liked that Dodge put all that stuff on the side where the drivers 150-250lbs would always be too. Understand the steering box has to be there and fuel tank if the door is to be on driver's side but why didn't they try to compensate by moving the battery at least? I'd appreciate the extra exercise of walking around the truck to fill the fuel tank but I guess that would interfere with the exhaust...
I guess you don't have anymore bags huh, otherwise you'd have used them?