1957 Chevy 3100, meet 1994 Dodge Ram 1500

[Purcell69]

Originally Posted by gigamanx

Sounds a lot like vapor lock. Is the fuel tank vent clogged? Does it start once the truck has cooled down?

I'll double check the tank vent, but I would expect that vapor lock wouldn't be an issue within 2-5 minutes after cold starting. Also, the vent in the filler cap seems to be working, no sucking sound or rapid expansion of the tank upon opening.

This could be something as simple as a loose wire under the dashboard, as I had ziptied the rat's nest of wire that I haven't thinned down yet up and out of the way before the car show back on the 18th.

When I bought the fuel pump module for this one, I didn't cheap out and just get one that would fit. As I recall, it is either Airtex or Carter guts, but I could be wrong. I know it wasn't a "budget priced" part. It could also be something tripping the ASD (Auto Shut-Down) mode. As I recall on Chrysler, if the ASD trips, it kills the fuel pump, not ignition.

Right now, I don't have the Check Engine Light wired up because I don't have the computer controlled transmission installed yet. Scanning for codes is possible, but it would be a matter of sorting through the systems that have been deleted vs. the systems present and then figuring out which of them would affect the fuel system.

What I will likely do, at least for now, is check for power to the pump module. If there is power to the pump module, run it again until it stops. Then, check for power again. If it still has power, the pump module is bad, which is an easy-ish fix involving removing the bed for access.

If there is no power, either the ASD is active or my under dash wiring has become problematic. Either way, I need to clean up the under dash mess. While I am working on that, I can run an on/off switch for the pump module and a dedicated circuit that will bypass the PCM (which could also be the problem). The on/off could also serve as anti-theft, so I may just go that route anyway.

At this point, my money is on the wiring, since it's the Dodge wire harness, not something that was purpose built for this truck.

-Joe

[gigamanx]

Originally Posted by Purcell69

I'll double check the tank vent, but I would expect that vapor lock wouldn't be an issue within 2-5 minutes after cold starting. Also, the vent in the filler cap seems to be working, no sucking sound or rapid expansion of the tank upon opening.

This could be something as simple as a loose wire under the dashboard, as I had ziptied the rat's nest of wire that I haven't thinned down yet up and out of the way before the car show back on the 18th.

When I bought the fuel pump module for this one, I didn't cheap out and just get one that would fit. As I recall, it is either Airtex or Carter guts, but I could be wrong. I know it wasn't a "budget priced" part. It could also be something tripping the ASD (Auto Shut-Down) mode. As I recall on Chrysler, if the ASD trips, it kills the fuel pump, not ignition.

Right now, I don't have the Check Engine Light wired up because I don't have the computer controlled transmission installed yet. Scanning for codes is possible, but it would be a matter of sorting through the systems that have been deleted vs. the systems present and then figuring out which of them would affect the fuel system.

What I will likely do, at least for now, is check for power to the pump module. If there is power to the pump module, run it again until it stops. Then, check for power again. If it still has power, the pump module is bad, which is an easy-ish fix involving removing the bed for access.

If there is no power, either the ASD is active or my under dash wiring has become problematic. Either way, I need to clean up the under dash mess. While I am working on that, I can run an on/off switch for the pump module and a dedicated circuit that will bypass the PCM (which could also be the problem). The on/off could also serve as anti-theft, so I may just go that route anyway.

At this point, my money is on the wiring, since it's the Dodge wire harness, not something that was purpose built for this truck.

-Joe

Sounds familiar...the part where not everything is done properly because driving the truck is way more fun than staring at it in the garage

[Purcell69]

Originally Posted by gigamanx

Sounds familiar...the part where not everything is done properly because driving the truck is way more fun than staring at it in the garage

Oh, completely guilty as charged.

I was hoping to start making progress on the paint and bodywork, but when it doesn't move under its own power, those issues take priority.

In a perfect world, I'd have a dedicated aftermarket harness for this, but since the Magnum drivetrain is the forgotten stepchild, I'm pretty much on my own to make things fit and work.

This is part of why I have been driving her though, to find out what's working right and what needs to be fixed, because I don't want to be stuck on the side of the road.

-Joe

[Purcell69]

I'm having second thoughts about condemning my fuel system. I went out this evening and the truck started right up. It idled flawlessly for a solid minute+ and then stumbled and died with no attempt to fire off afterword.

I let the truck sit for an hour or so and went back out to restart it. Again, she fired right off and settled in to idle. After 20 seconds of idling, the engine died again without any sign of restart. This time, I caught a whiff of raw fuel.

I'm starting to lean toward an ignition coil that is failing.

-Joe

[Purcell69]

After chasing my tail for a bit, I finally figured it out.

https://youtu.be/Ts2AbmOWTks

-Joe

[joedoh]

wwowwoowooooop! congrats!

[Purcell69]

Originally Posted by joedoh

wwowwoowooooop! congrats!

Thanks Joe. I sure am glad it was something simple. There was so much potential for drama and hours of troubleshooting.

Now I can go back to focusing on the bodywork.

-Joe

[Purcell69]

Another update...As you know, and have heard if you've watched any of the videos of Ethyl running, she has an annoying belt chirp that has been an issue since I got her engine running. Last week, i set about to correct this and after some tail chasing and snake oil remedies, it's finally fixed. I put together a few videos going through the process of getting it resolved.

The internet, as always, can be a helpful tool if you can read between the lines. Sometimes it is easy to forget, however, that source and context have a big impact on the end result.

When I first looked at this issue a few years back, folks experiencing a similar problem suggested different brands of serpentine belt, as chirping or squeaking tends to be a common complaint with the Dodge Magnum V6 and V8 engines. Continental and Goodyear brands were supposed to fix this issue. Others had suggested belt dressing or tire shine as a means of resolution, though I am reluctant to use anything to lubricate a serpentine belt, as by design, no additional product should be needed.

My local shop, that works on the city equipment and occasionally my personal stuff, when I don't have the time or special tools, suggested Comet Cleanser. I have to admit, I did give that one a whirl. It was cheap and effective for a short term, but in all, it was no better than the baby powder I tried two years ago.

Then a fellow interwebber pointed me in the right direction on another forum. The clue had been obvious all the way back to the summer of 2018, but I had forgotten. There has to be a physical cause for the belt to chirp on a serpentine system. One that is correct, won't, period.

I replaced a few "questionable" parts that would soon need to be replaced, if not were already in need, but there was no change. Back to 2018.

In 2018, I had an issue with the serpentine belt climbing out of the pulleys toward the radiator and found that the Power Steering pulley was not fully seated on the pump shaft. I compared the assembly on my motor with one i had as a spare on the shelf and found there was a huge difference. The one on the engine had a 3/8" gap between the rear of the pulley and the bracket, where the one on my shelf had a 0.787 mm gap between the back of the pulley and the bracket. I rented an install tool and moved the pulley further onto the shaft by about half, leaving a 3/16" gap.

After my friend reminded me that the only adjustment in the Dodge serpentine system was the P/S pulley, I looked up the spec and found the face of the pulley hub is supposed to be FLUSH with the end of the pump shaft. Paraphrased from the book, "if chirping is present, move the pulley out 0.5 mm on the pump shaft. If the chirping worsens, push the pulley back onto the pump shaft 1.0 mm". So the tolerance is 0.5 mm+/- from the end of the shaft. The pump on my engine had the end of the shaft recessed 1/8" and would not budge. In the end, I swapped over to my spare assembly and fixed the problem for good.

https://youtu.be/xUzEsHshDJo

https://youtu.be/rvNDHTFuYbA

https://youtu.be/7-5EYChHkEw

https://youtu.be/T0oophUPHC8

Enjoy the videos. I apologize for the wobble. I was working with my phone, but I'm plotting on a GoPro or similar for future videos.

-Joe

[gigamanx]

What a pain that looks like. Glad you found your problem. Reminds me of when I spent two weeks chasing every wire of my truck only to find out the brand new turn signal housing I bought had a short in it. Ugh, makes me wish I checked that first

[Purcell69]

Originally Posted by gigamanx

What a pain that looks like. Glad you found your problem. Reminds me of when I spent two weeks chasing every wire of my truck only to find out the brand new turn signal housing I bought had a short in it. Ugh, makes me wish I checked that first

It really wasn't as bad as it seemed. If I had realized from the beginning that my issue was the depth of the pulley on the P/S pump shaft, the problem would have been resolved in under a day.

Truthfully, I didn't expect the Comet cleanser to be a lasting fix, since baby powder was a temporary fix previously. Clearly, I was not anything on the belt or pulleys that was causing the chirp, and looking back, I should have realized it was something mechanical.

The tensioner was a used part that came with the $400 complete engine that is in Ethyl. It was frozen in place and probably hadn't moved in years. I had hoped by feeding ATF into the housing and working the spring back and forth, it would free up and become serviceable again. It did to some extent, but tension wasn't the best and at full travel, it would lock in place, so it was due to be replaced, even if it wasn't the cause of the chirp.

Likewise, the idler pulley was serviceable, but it too came with the 90k mile $400 complete engine that replaced the corroded block that came in the donor truck. The sealed bearing still had lube and for the most part, it turned smoothly, but there were occasional spots that were inconsistent, not really rough, but not smooth and uniform. The bearing would fail sooner rather than later, so replacing it was inevitable even if it wasn't the cause of the chirp, too.

I took Ethyl out for a drive yesterday and can say with 100% confidence that the problem is resolved with the spare pump assembly. The pump and the A/C compressor both came with the junk motor that was in the donor Dodge, so neither of those parts cost me anything, other than time for the swap.

It's a little win, but it's also one less thing to check off.

-Joe

[G&R's57GMC]

I think your coil would benefit if it had a heat shield between it and the exhaust manifold and maybe one between the radiator hose also.

[Purcell69]

Originally Posted by G&R's57GMC

I think your coil would benefit if it had a heat shield between it and the exhaust manifold and maybe one between the radiator hose also.

I agree. Chrysler never used one, but it definitely couldn't hurt. I'll see what I can concoct.

-Joe

[joedoh]

great news joe, nice to fix all the little things!

[Purcell69]

Yes it is Joe. My goal now is to address all the minor issues that I can until we get the shop built. Once that happens and I can keep Ethyl indoors, out of the weather, I'll begin removing and painting panels. That way I don't have to worry about the engine sitting in the open, or animals having access to the interior.

She did earn her keep the other day. We got soaked with about 5.25" of rain over 8 hours Tuesday morning. Of course, we were also expecting a 40' shipping container to be delivered, across a newly established rock roadway that skirts the swamp in the yard. The driver did a great job of backing down the driveway and then through a 90* turn onto the new roadway. He got the container about 15' onto the pad we had built before his right side wheels got off the road and into soft mud, rendering him stuck.

I hooked up Ethyl and had him start to drop the container where it was, allowing us to move it later when things dry out. 22k pounds of Dodge Dually, a tandem axle deckover gooseneck trailer and the bulk of the shipping container and Ethyl never skipped a beat and never spun a tire. Just good traction and lots of grunt.

Also, the calibration box for my fuel gauge arrived today. No more guessing by way of the odometer.

-Joe

[Purcell69]

Okay, some things got put on the back burner, then winter came. Then Siberia showed up in Oklahoma. I've been slacking a bit with getting much done on Ethyl, but when Siberia hit, she never disappointed. Even when it was stupid-cold (-14*F), she'd start up without assistance.

I did shoot a few cell phone videos playing with her in the pasture. I'm sure come spring time, if Google Earth takes a current photo, you'll still be able to see where we were playing.

https://youtu.be/qWeEPjwIPKs

https://youtu.be/0f8lGEViQJs

https://youtu.be/eENGM_vHq9M

The snow is all but gone now. Power is working as it should and the plumbing is no longer frozen. The temperature is back to the 50s and 60s and it's a melted, muddy mess, but spring is on the way!

-Joe

[Rickysnickers]

Glad you are ok Joe!!!

[Purcell69]

Originally Posted by Rickysnickers

Glad you are ok Joe!!!

Thanks Ricky! I felt like we were sent off to Siberia last week, but other than some inconveniences, we fared far better than many. I got this really cool pen and ink drawing of Ethyl in the mail today from a very talented friend. I’m thinking this is t-shirt material.

-Joe

[Purcell69]

This was the inspiration for the pen and ink drawing.

-Joe

[bosco]

Looks like a lot of fun playing in the snow with Ethyl. Stay warm.

[Purcell69]

Originally Posted by bosco

Looks like a lot of fun playing in the snow with Ethyl. Stay warm.

Thanks Bosco. It was a hoot. I'm going to hazard a guess that we are done with the winter weather here in Oklahoma for the rest of the year (fingers crossed). Tuesday it was 75* and felt like -14* never happened. We're back to the season 50s and 60s, so I should be able to start getting more work done on Ethyl again soon.

-Joe