Faults:
A/C line leaked freon- inexpensive fix
Brake pads - rear brake labor cost above normal due to the fact Dodge used "wet" axle oil must be drained from axle before drum and brake can be removed.
Re-manufactured engine installed- solved problem of poor acceleration and low compression in a cylinder and pool of motor oil in the air cleaner. This improved gas mileage also.
Catalytic converter replaced- helped acceleration and gas mileage
Burst radiator hose- I waited too long my fault.
Salt air has seized the parking brake cables, but I live on flat land and don't need them.
Engine idle servo motor stopped working- this was not replaced with the new engine and it should have been, again my fault. Easy fix in the south- unplug computer wire, remove idle screw and grind down half of it. Replace idle screw and manually adjust idle speed.
General Comments:
I bought this truck used, it had fairly low mileage for its age, but had spent its life as a rural power company truck in my state. Hence it had probably done quite a bit of idling and slow and go. Spotlights had been replaced by the dealer with neat old fashine triangle vents; these are a plus.
Flashers had been removed by dealer, but electrical wiring had not been restored hence I had no cabin light, no radio wiring.
Utility company put really different, custom rear bumper on with a pintle hitch/ball hitch combination. The custom bumper has drag-line hooks and eyes.
It came with surge brake module and a plug on the rear bumper.
I bought this truck with the intention of buying basic rugged transportation. It was to have a gentle retirement pulling a small sailboat. Simplicity does lead to reliability as this truck has never abandoned me or let me down. It starts every darn time. Earlier Dodges were not know for this. Buy D250 instead of D150 to get the heavy componentry for reliability.
Older body style makes people think you are driving an antique, but are surprised when you start talking about the computer and are surprised at the acceleration.
I have the 4.01 rear axle ratio this leads to lower gas mileage, but very good off the line acceleration around town. Four speed automatic has override button on dashboard and this is great for on ramps and such, but give it 4th at 65mph.
16th Nov 2007, 19:46
Hi,
Original author here: It is November 2007 and I don't have much to report. The truck is a daily driver and I have 117,911 miles now. Since last entry I replaced the original tires with an off brand. Bronco LD 265-85-R16. Due to local construction a lot of people have roofing nails in their tires. These have resisted puncture. Tread pattern is simple heavy blocks. What amazes me is that the truck tracks straighter than our 1998 Dodge Caravan.
I put in one of those coil cell batteries quite a while ago and it is a good thing that holds up to harsh rides. I found a modern Dodge radio/CD player in the garbage from a Sebring convertible. That swapped out with the help of Best Buy's wiring harness guru. I've rescued other people in my truck, but so far have not had to be rescued myself.
I got the dome light to work one day. I picked up a wire dangling from somewhere and plugged it into something and now I can see stuff at night. Amazing. I should've done that 5 years ago.
Since I obtained this vehicle there has been very loud gear whine. My nature is to not fix something until I'm stranded. Have not fixed it yet. Since I bought this truck used for $3,000 it has always had a horrible vibration at about 65 miles per hour that seemed to come from the wheels. It smooths out around 75. One day I took her up to 85mph just to get to work urgently. The vibration was deafening, but I survived. Normally my drive to work is 3.5 miles on city streets not the Interstate as was this day. I am highly suspecting this is a wheel bearing after reading someone elses comments elsewhere.
These older trucks are amazing wastes of space. Looking under the hood you've got room for 2 more passengers on either side of the motor! In the wheel wells alone I keep a gallon of motor oil and a gallon of antifreeze, rags, funnel and there's room for more and that is just the passenger side!
This is a simple, but reliable truck. Yes, it gets poor gas mileage because it wasn't designed to be an economy car. About 13mpg is what I'm getting with the 5.2litre v8. BUT it is paid for and if I bought a newer model vehicle for $21,000 not including interest I would not only have to buy gasoline, but I'd be making monthly payments on it as well. For example @ 3.15/gal. which is what it is right now, with $21,000 I could buy 6,666 gallons of gasoline. That comes to 370 tankfuls or roughly 7 more years of gasoline. What is an economy truck I ask you!?