AlpineRAM

So, the starter is still messed up. I usually test them on the bench before installing.

diesel_rob

Yeah. I figured cleaning it up would get me going but unfortunately not.

Here are pics of the guts during the tear-down. I only took apart the solenoid side.

AlpineRAM

That looks dirty, I hope you cleaned it up.
The brushes look worn and the commutator could use some emory cloth on a lathe.
Do the bearings spin freely? The gears too?

diesel_rob

The bearing near the brushes is spinning nicely, the other end is getting just the slightest bit of hangup. I used a bit of 400 sandpaper to brush off the commutator, but will probably clean it up properly with some emory cloth.

I didn't open up the plunger side of the starter, i'm going to pull it again tomorrow and hit it with a rebuild kit from NAPA or OReilly's. I'll probably get the Larry B kit as well that comes with the plunger, but i'm concerned if mine is not a Denso, will it even be compatible. (im not sure one way or the other if it's a denso)

I'll also properly bench test it this time.

AlpineRAM

On your pic of the brushes it looks like they are quite worn.

Water in the gear section can lock the starters pretty good. Sometimes a good soak of the gear section in diesel or kerosene loses up the gunk, use good moly grease in the bushings before re-assembly.
I like the Denso stuff because you can rebuild it rather cheaply and it lasts a long time.

diesel_rob

Ill let the picture speak for itself.

diesel_rob

Now that I took the starter apart and cleaned it, while testing it out of the truck with jumpers to my battery, it clicks but does not spin, i can grab it and make it spin with my hand while the solenoid has the gear popped out, but it does not rotate under the power of the battery.

New starter I guess.

diesel_rob

Just kidding. I was grounding it out by accident! I put the neg wire on the body of it and voila it works. **** yeah. Step one complete. I wonder if that means we are looking at cranking it today.

diesel_rob

It runs! It runs! IT RUNS!

The Phoenix rises from the ashes.

All I did was clean the solenoid side of the of the starter, changed the oil and put a new filter in and she turned over and FIRED the **** UP!

Woooo!!!!

This truck is a beast. I’m gonna upload some videos of me flooring it tomorrow. This is such a built truck. Excelsior! Victory!

Fordzilla

Cool...We definitely need pics and videos now that it runs...I do love a flatbed now that I finally own one......Ben

diesel_rob

Here are the pics from rebuilding the starter. I didn't use the OReillys replacement kit because the pieces were so much wimpier looking than what was inside the starter. It probably needs the full LarryB rebuild kit but for now it runs well enough.

diesel_rob

diesel_rob

It's been just about exactly a month now since I first got the truck running. I've been putting a lot of energy into the truck to truly bring it back to life. Starting last thursday I did an almost complete rehabbing of the front end.

New upper and lower MOOG ball joints, new MOOG hubs, new front rotors. I bought all my U-joints as well but was stopped nearly dead in my tracks when I bent the yoke on my driver side inner axle shaft with the ball joint press! F*&K!F*&K!F*&K! I spent a whole day trying to stretch the ears back into place to no avail. Thankfully ebay has me covered and my replacement shaft is coming some time in the next 7 days.

Unfortunately, I think my calipers are seizing even after a rebuild as well. Also, my 4wd light is on. Not sure what that's about. Thinking that maybe I messed up putting the center axle disconnect back together after tearing the dana 60 completely apart to clean my axle tubes out.

Pics to follow in the next few days...

diesel_rob

Still too lazy to upload pics but I have some QUESTIONS if anyone wants to chime in.

Is 190F~ from the STOCK transmission temperature indicator (as displayed by EDGE Juice) still too high? This is my max observed temp after I replaced trans cooler yesterday because the lines were smashed and I finally realized it was a major issue when my Trans Temp dash indicator light displayed last weekend. I have a gauge pod but the trans temp gauge doesn't appear to be working, or perhaps it's not measuring a high enough temp, I have it hooked into one of the test ports. For detail, the transmission is a Jasper re-manufactured w/ a triple disc TC w/ low stall stator, not sure about valve body, assuming stock.

How the heck can I tell what my size lift is? I've noticed my front tires have terrible cupping and I want to replace the coils/shock absorbers so when I get new tires I don't destroy them instantaneously. Do I just measure from bump stop to frame to get lift measurement? Do I need to replace the shock absorber only? Or both the coil and the shock absorber?

If I have venting from my blowby tube, is this indicative of severe blowby in the engine? Is it possible this is related to vacuum system leaks?

More updates from the progress on the truck, I pulled the CAD again and reinstalled that properly and the 4x4 light went off.

I replaced the 90 degree elbow coming off of the vacuum pump but it seems like I still have a vacuum leak because my HVAC dampers don't move from the defrost position.

I replaced all the rear drive-shaft U-joints and I replaced the driver's side half axle with the ebay axle to replace the yoke ears I bent.

I reassembled the drivers side caliper with new seals and pistons, fixing my leaking issue.

Slowly getting closer to a reliable truck! Still planning to do: sway bar links, tie rod ends, new front tires, front and rear shock absorbers, sway bar bushings, track bar bushings, red head steering gear box, 4 inch MBRP turboback exhaust, front driveshaft u-joints, passenger axle u-joint, finish my interior restoration and repaint the truck cab and front end. The welded bed will probably come off the truck this summer so I can restore it.

jrs_dodge_diesel

It depends on where your transmission temperature probe is located. If it's in the hot line leaving the trans (sensing the hottest fluid) to go to the coolers, that could be normal if your doing a lot of stop and go driving. Especially if you are pulling a trailer. Once the torques converter locks, then the temps will stabilize nicely, this happens when your on the highway during steady cruise. Typical temperatures there are about 60º-80º F above the ambient outdoor temperature. So if it is 85º outside, I want to see my trans temp around 145º-165º.

Can't advise about the lift, not something I ever did to my truck.

For blowby, some venting is normal. A lot is not normal. Blowy can be a good indication on the health of your engine, namely the piston rings and valve guides. There is a catch with our Cummins however. To keep common components between the diesel engine Rams, and the gas engine Rams, there is a vacuum pump installed on the Cummins. This allows all Rams to share the vacuum operated cruise control and HVAC components, the brake booster on the older Rams, as well as the 4x4 equipment. The vacuum pump provides the suction force required to operate those accessories on the diesels, since the engine cannot provide vacuum. The problem here is when there is a vacuum leak. The vacuum pump becomes an air pump at this point, as the "exhaust" of the vacuum pump goes into the crankcase, which is then vented overboard via the blowby tube. If you suspect blowby problems, make sure you don't have a vacuum leak first, otherwise you'll end up chasing your tail. Here's a good video which illustrates this problem: