just purchased a 91 basket case ....5spd....good body and engine runs very well...but the rest...well...

drove it home yesterday....what a trip!!! lol...

question #1...i have a substantial oil leak from (it looks like) in behind the oil filter where it is mounted to the block???

question #2...i think the alternator overcharged and fried the battery...as i lost all electrical and eventually the engine died...lucky i was close to home by this point and i towed it the rest of the way....is the regulator the most likely culprit???

i have been a long time lurker on this forum knowing i would eventually get a truck and join...i am happy to be here...you guys are the greatest!!!

 

Make sure your leak isn't coming from the valve covers. Get the gray ones, they are reuseable. Also check the oil return from the turbo. Take some time and clean up every electrical connection you can find, to include headlight switch. Also, take the oil filter off (might as well change the oil and fuel filter), and make sure there is no double gasket. Sometimes the old gasket sticks on and isn't seen until the filter starts blowing oil.

 

What Redleg said on the leak, the turbo drain is most likely.

The brushes on the alt. are the most common problem. Check to see if there's still water in the battery, that will tell you if it overcharged and boiled out.

 

Welcome Vagabond, and prepare to be broke! lol. That bombin's addictive.

 

I would do the turbo return thing. I just bought a 94 runnin drivin truck
that was believed to be junk till I took a look-see. Now it's happy happy joy joy

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but once started, our engines don't need electricity to run. Something else must have caused it to die.
AJ

 

AR it was probably the shutoff solenoid closing when the power went out.

 

AHHHH, my shut off solenoid doesn't work, that would explain it. I guess I was thinking about my truck, and not they way they should work.
Thanks
AJ

 

thanks guys...i will look at the turbo return tomorrow....the truck ran for quite sometime after the battery blew...didnt know there WAS a shut off solenoid!! lmfao!!!

....you were correct wannadiesel...the battery acid boiled out...that indicates overcharged then???? what is the problem with the alt brushes that could cause this?? does this mean a new alt???? lol SmokinFive9 4X4...you hit it on the head....and it looks like it already started!!!!!!!!!

got to get it goin though....stock trailer full of cattle waiting for summer range!!! i will let you know the results...again...thank you for your prompt and informative replies...vs

 

the leak looks like it is coming from one of the bolts that holds the bracket that the oil filter is attached to...the bracket looks about 10" long and attaches to the block with several bolts...i guess it could be the gasket???

put on an alternator that i KNOW works and system shows 17.95 amp charge...i cant see any visible dead shorts...any suggestions or do i just have to start unwrapping the wiring???

these two things seem to be the only problems that have manifested themselves...the rest seems fine...i just hope the electrical thing is not the computer lol...vs

 

The filter attaches to the oil filter housing, gasket behind the filter housing, then oil cooler, then another gasket to the block.

 

It's not the brushes, sounds like it's charging great! I'd suggest throwing a new regulator at it, they're cheap. Some '91's have an external regualtor, some have it integrated into the PCM. You can bypass the regulator in the PCM if you want.

That "oil filter bracket" is the oil cooler. You could change the gasket on that. If it's the bolt pointing straight up in front of the filter, that's the pressure regulator and it needs a new o-ring.

 

it was indeed the voltage regulator....i searched the site and found a few strings regarding the existence of external voltage regulators on these trucks...i can definitively say mine has one....but get this...they are NOT cheap fixes any more....my local dealer wanted $ 62 can...i was able to locate one aftermarket for $41 but STILL!!!

not so good news is that the oil filter housing is cracked so its not just a gasket...try to find a housing without spending a million dollars at your local dodge dealer.....i found a wrecker that has a cummins in pieces and he will sell me the housing for $100 can...it was the ONLY one i could find after spending the morning on the phone....so there you go....vs