Dad's Dodge

[makman1297]

Hello everyone. Well it has been a few years since I worked on a truck, but my son and I have started a new project. My last project (http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=463296) was a success, however, due to orders and children I ended up selling it a year after I finished it. Well I have moved twice since then and ended up with my fathers 1981 Dodge D-150.

My father passed away in 2013 and my brother last year, so while I was up in MN I picked the truck up. My uncle has had it since 2006, up until that point it was garage kept, but my uncle used it as a farm beater so its condition went down hill pretty fast.

This truck was affectionately known in our family as the gutless wonder. It is a 2wd with a 225 slant 6 with a 727 auto. No frills, only power steering and power brakes.

The goal is to restore to a basically stock condition and then my oldest can drive it when he gets his license. We are upgrading the engine and changing the color. Other than that it is pretty much stock, just lots of new parts.

[Clyde65]

Sorry for your losses! I know death is part of life but we are never prepared for it.

I worked for a guy in the late 70’s that had a 78/79 just like the one you have. It was transportation and that pretty much it.

Good luck with your project!

[makman1297]

We started on this project a year ago, so here are a few photos to get up to speed.

[makman1297]

Our replacement engine, 1988 318 and 904 from a gran fury squad car. frame stripped, cleaned, and painted. Brakes and axle cleaned up and rebuilt.

[makman1297]

Old rust cut out and new metal welded in.

[Clyde65]

That’s some nice progress! Congrats!

[67C10Step]

Good luck on your project. My dad had a 1980 or 81 D150 with the slant 6 and five speed manual. It was pretty gutless as well but was never used as a heavy hauler. What I remember most was it was a sort of burnt orange color and was nicknamed "The Pumpkin."

[makman1297]

Thanks all. Yeah the 81 and newer slant 6 had about 90 hp. My sportster puts out close to that.

I talked to the machine shop today, the block is cleaned up and ready for machining. This is moving along, but I have to have it don't in the spring as I will be moving again early summer.

[makman1297]

My son is pretty excited about this project. Unfortunately for Dodge many of the patch pieces are not made. This is where you have to get creative. I am glad I fixed a couple of Chevys first, as it gave me the skills to do something more difficult. It is also nice that my wife approves of this project as it has been in our family since 1981.

I was able to find a used passenger door in GA. My uncle ran a 4 wheeler into the door damaging it and the hinges.

[makman1297]

We pulled off the front clip and removed the original engine and transmission. Once I get the box cleaned up we will redo the front suspension and then start repairing the cab. The dr side is pretty rough.

[makman1297]

We have the box ready for bed liner. Pas side box is ready for body work. We put our first coat of body filler on.

[makman1297]

I had to order a new inline sander, mine died about 10 minutes into repair. Then again it has been sitting in my tool box for 5 years. I also purchased some fluid film to spray in all of the crevices, I would like this truck to stay on the road a few years.

We hope to have the box in primer this weekend and bed liner sprayed on the floor.

[makman1297]

Well I started tearing the front end apart. I also received a call from the machine shop, block is ready for boring and decking. Other than that it checks good. Pistons and engine parts are on order. I also received my mopar 904 deep pan with drain plug.

[gshibler]

I managed to sneak on and take a look at the progress with the link you gave me. Beats looking at the pictures on a flip screen phone. Coming along nicely!

[Jrainman]

Nice progress , not a lot of HP out of a 318 but wise choice very good motor , I have W250 318 manual 4spd that I bought new in 91 and have done only a few thing to it over the years It s primary use is plowing snow, The only thing I know that is a common problem with these Dodges are the off set plate that sits behind the steering gear box that is mounted to the frame tends to rot and get week then cracks ,Im not sure you have the off set plate on your specific truck but if you do check it real good for cracks . good luck Nice progress on your Dodge

[makman1297]

Thanks all. The engine should be out of the machine shop tomorrow or Monday. I dropped off the .30 over pistons today as well. I chose the stock style with the higher pin location which says they are 9.0 compression ratio. I also dropped the original police heads and ordered a set of 714's. They are supposed to have the 65cc combustion chamber the same as the 302 heads.

With the parts I have ordered I think it will be around 275-300hp. That is plenty for a 2wd truck. After all its only a 1/2 ton.

I pulled the front suspension apart today and some of the ball joints and bushings, what a pain in the butt. I also pulled the power steering box, the 2wd doesn't use the plate, but I will look over the mounts good after I clean it up.

I also got the lower inside part of the box sprayed with bed liner, one of the problems of working in a small shop is space so I need the bed to keep stuff in, lol.

[makman1297]

Well today I spent a few hours sanding and filling the passenger side. I was able to prime the front of the box and the pas side. Looks pretty good for the first coat.

[makman1297]

I was able to get a little bit of the front suspension cleaned up. I have all the parts for the front end so I want to get it back together and get the parts off of the shelf. Also had my heads come in, 302 castings from ebay. It says they are remanufactured. We shall see.

I also changed out the airlines and plumbing on my custom air system. Since the HVLP gun draws high cfm at a low pressure I plumed my 21 gallon compressor into my 6 gallon pancake compressor with the addition of an air tank. The new volume seems to do the job.

[makman1297]

Engine is back from the machine shop, time to slap it together.

[makman1297]

I received most of my parts for the engine and have the crank installed and the camshaft. Main bearings measure out .0015 to .002 oil clearance, right on. I was a little worried as I ordered a replacement crankshaft from rock auto, but it looks great and the machining seems to be spot on. I guess we will see if the rods are the same.

I looked into the heads some more and I am glad that I did. It appears that the rotator style exhaust springs will not work with the larger cam life. I calculate it only have about .030 clearance to coil bind, which is half of the recommended.

I am being more careful with this build than my previous chevys as dodge does not appear to be as easy as a plug and play. I have to check the parts a few time to ensure everything will work out. I ordered new valves, springs, retainers, and keeps to overhaul the heads.

At the same time it teaches my son some good skills to verify that parts will fit and interchange, at least I hope it does.

[Ziegelsteinfaust]

D100's have really grown on me in the last year, and eventually I have to get myself one. I am thinking I will get a Cummins, and make it a rcsb.

Did you know you can use Van A-arms for a 2.5 inch drop.

But it is good your saving it, and your kids are helping.

[makman1297]

Ziegel, I did not know that. I was looking for control arms as mine were pretty rusty and the van ones kept pulling up. I think mine are salvageable though, just have to finish cleaning them up.

Big delay on engine work today, the rings came out of their box and into the envelope when shipped, I had to figure out which compression ring went where. Of course the instructions are vague, like put them in the correct position. Mahle is closed on the weekend and their website isn't too helpful. I compared the rings to the original and found they are the same style of bevels and went with that, the UCR has an up angle bevel and the LCR has a smaller downward facing bevel.

Pistons are installed, all measurements checked good. Windage tray in, oil pump and pickup are installed. I cleaned up the oil pan and cam cover. I also got the newer style cam chain guide/thrust plate. I didn't even know they made those, lol.

My shipment of intake gaskets and intake valves was delay until Monday. I don't think I will finish up the heads tomorrow anyways.

[makman1297]

Well today was one of those days where it felt like everything fought me in assembly. It took me quite some time to get the timing chain on, granted I used one of those newer style chain guides which added to the complications.

I cleaned up everything, put the timing chain in, timing chain cover on and installed the oil pan.

While torqueing down the oil pan it blew the cork gaskets out in the corners, I checked three different references that all said 180 to 200" lbs., so it should of worked but it did not. Anyways I ordered a Mopar performance gasket (p4007572) instead of the cork one and will re-do it later. It is better now than once its in the truck.

I also painted the pan and timing cover and installed the harmonic balancer. I ended up with a couple of runs on the pan too, oh well.

For some odd reason this engine did not have an oil slinger on it, I ordered one and installed it as well. I also drilled out the top thrust plate bolt to aid on timing chain oiling.

Hopefully the rest of the week goes better.

[makman1297]

Well despite Hurricane Dora's uncertainty I was able to get some wrench time in Saturday. I finished up one cylinder head, tapped and plugged smog tubes (1/4-20), lapped the new valves, port matched the intake, installed the lifters, and installed one head.

[Palf70Step]

I like what you have ben doing with the ole Dodge. Looking forward to your progress with it.