I'm the happiest camper in the woods right now! Tomorrow I'm going to pick up my new to me '94 2500. Been looking forever for the "right" truck and when I least expect it it falls right into my lap. Anyhow it's completely stock from top to bottom at only 123k easy miles. Its a automatic(yes not the greatest but shifting gears gets old and I'm willing to spend $$ to put a bulletproof trans in )

This is the very first 2nd gen truck in general I've ever owned but it's the third Cummins(but I never tweaked with the other CTD trucks I owned) but this will be different. This truck is coming home to stay,ain't selling this bad boy(I hope LOL) I wanted to go ahead and get a jump on things to do. First of all I want to get me a radio installed(factory one is dead) Cause I have to have my music

I'd like to look deeper into what to do preventeive(sp?) wise.

1)To ease my mind I'd like to fix the KDP. Links to a how-to,pictures or anything else would be great because I know zero about that other than if it falls out it just REALLY messes up your day LOL

2)Tranny wise,it shifts real nice and does good but I know when power is pushed it'll crap out on me. But in the meantime other than a trans temp gauge what can I do to the trans to help prolong its life.

3)Still has stock exhaust,thought of cutting the exhaust off right in front of the muffler and putting a turndown on it for now(will be running stacks later) but would that be ok for now other than being loud?

4)Stock air intake stuff to,seeing how I've heard bad things about K&N plus the high high price of a FIPK what would be my best bet to do for a bigger/better air filter? Also the silencer ring I want gone,is it easy to yank out,if so what tools needed LOL

I know I'm asking very odd and newb questions but I'm doing my best to look and learn about these motors because I fell in love years ago and the bug will never end so I want to be as smart on these motors as I am with most gassers in other Dodges so help the young 19 yr old out

 

Good job on finding the right truck, you'll like your "new" second gen dodge. I'm on my second 2nd Gen but its my first diesel and i like mine alot. To answer a few questions of yours for an air filter, the concenous of the board is to stay awya from K&N just do a search on it. Instead alot of people run BHAF's or Scotty intakes, I am gonna end up putting a BHAF on my 02. Now your exhaust question, on my gasser dodge i had the exhaust i ran wasa 40 series flowmaster with a hollowed out cat cut off right under the bed and it rattled everything in the truck and i'd think a straight piped cummins cut out under the bed would prolly do that same. well thats my $0.02. have fun with your new truck.
matt

 

Congrats on the truck.
I moved your post to the performance and accessories section as most of your questions are a bette fit here.

Rich.

 

Thanks for moving it for me man! Also thanks for the congrats I just picked it up today and just have walked in the door and I've got a huge grin on my face Help on the above questions are great but I now have one more.

On the way to Cowboys to get fuel I was sitting in the turning lane and noticed the oil pressure gauge was down past 0,like it wasnt even working and my stomach turned a flip. It was sitting idling in gear with foot on the brake,just touched the peddle a little and the gauge eased back up to 40. Motor never missed a lick or sounded like anything was wrong. Watched it and noticed when I let off the fuel the gauge fell on its face but just touch the fuel and it jumped back up. In park or neutral it stays at 40. Put it in neutral and it'll jump to 40,then pull it back down in drive and it holds 30-40psi. Seems like the gauge just works when it feels like it honestly. I looked the motor over and everything is on the up and up and it never misses a lick so I know its not the motor its got to be the sending unit,wiring,gauge or something. Has anybody had a problem like this? It don't bother me much now cause I know its not the motor but would like to just know for certain. Thanks

 

I would plumb a mechanical oil pressure gauge in there somewhere temporarily , and see if the oil pressure is in fact dropping. I hear it is somewhat common to have a loose or bad connection on the sending unit , so check that too.

As far as your exhaust question , i ran a turndown right infront of where the muffler used to be for a week while i waited for some exhaust parts to come in, it wasn't much louder IMO , and i didn't have any apparent drone, but it sure was fun to melt any snow or ice you happened to park and idle above . does your truck have a catalytic converter on it, the early 94's (built in 93) did not , the rest do. If your plagued with one like me , it might be helpfull to "uncork" it.