so i bought a Dodge 2500... | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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so i bought a Dodge 2500...

Well, i got a "new" truck last week. 04 Ram 2500 4x4, hemi/whatever the 5spd. auto is, all stock, 150k miles.

It was a ranch truck and is beat all to hell. There isnt a body panel on it that doesnt have a ding or scratch. Mechanically it's perfect other than needing tie rod ends and shocks. Tranny rebuilt 20k miles ago by a good local shop, engine has never had any work other than a couple of sensors.

IIRC blue book was around $14k, meaning in this market it would be a $11-12k truck if not for the body and high mileage. I got it for $7k. Figuring everything up i can do all the work and have it like new for about $1500 so i still come out way ahead.

I did some towing with it today helping my old man haul some hay and im pretty damn happy with it.
 

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It takes a good photo! Nice score too! :cool:
 






Welcome to the Hemi club. I love my ram. Just towed a 3,000 lb car on Monday. Got 15 MPG. Not bad for towing it 200 miles going 55 MPH on the interstate. they are great trucks.
 






Ive put 400 miles on it, checked the 1st tank and averaged 12.5mpg- not bad for alot of in town, some towing, and alot of romping on it. :D

I really dont care about fuel milage, i ride a motorcycle 80% of the time. It tows alot better than what i had... thats not saying alot considering one was a TBI 350 and the other was a 6.5 TD. It'll haul ass with alot of weight behind it you just have to spin the motor up in the powerband. Not quite as much off idle torque as the 6.0 GM's i was looking at but no doubt there's more in the mid-range and upper end.

TRE's should be here tomorrow. I need to order shocks but im torn between Bilsteins and KYB's.
 






Nice truck. I hope yours treats you as well as ours has for us.
 






Ive put 400 miles on it, checked the 1st tank and averaged 12.5mpg- not bad for alot of in town, some towing, and alot of romping on it. :D

I really dont care about fuel milage, i ride a motorcycle 80% of the time. It tows alot better than what i had... thats not saying alot considering one was a TBI 350 and the other was a 6.5 TD. It'll haul ass with alot of weight behind it you just have to spin the motor up in the powerband. Not quite as much off idle torque as the 6.0 GM's i was looking at but no doubt there's more in the mid-range and upper end.

TRE's should be here tomorrow. I need to order shocks but im torn between Bilsteins and KYB's.

Nice looking truck, I was on pirate and think you posted the exact same thing you just posted there nice copy and paste skills.:p:
 






Nice looking truck, I was on pirate and think you posted the exact same thing you just posted there nice copy and paste skills.:p:
Yea, you can get decent tow rig advice there if you can wade through the BS.
:D
 






Well, it seems i got a kick in the nuts. Right now the intake and passenger side head are both laying on my workbench. :(

Two days ago, i got a hard knock on startup and codes P0300 and P0306. The knock sounded serious enough to make me sick at my stomach.

Through alot of BS and troubleshooting, it seems as though i have a stuck lifter on the #4 exhaust valve and a mushroomed pushrod. Also found the passenger side exhaust manifold was nearly cracked in half (unrelated).

The good news is everything else is in great shape especially for a high milage engine, i bore scoped all cylinders and ran a compression test them before teardown and the motor is tighter than i thought it would be. I just need a lifter, pushrod, head/intake gaskets and an exhaust manifold and ill be back in business.
 






Well, i got the motor back together last night and all is well.

For the record, if anyone is reading this and finds themselves tearing down a hemi one of these days, remember what im about to tell you- leave the exhaust manifold on the head when you remove and install it. It makes the job soooo much easier. They are very easy motor to work on but getting to the EM bolts is a PITA.

Also, torque to yeild headbolts are nice when you have a buddy with a $900 snapon torque wrench that also does degrees. :p:

Also pt. II- when you finally get it back together dont be in a hurry and forget to put the oil drain plug back in. Ive got 7 quarts of Mobil 1 on the driveway right now.
 






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