Seems disc brakes on front, drum in rear. Will replace soon. On top of the list now. Any suggestions on these? Not very familiar with the drum might take some research on my part before i operate
The more pictures I see of this not really a collectable vehicle the more I think the big plans need to be scaled back. I would if I had it would just get it back to drivable condition and presentable appearance and enjoy it. Especially forget the lifting idea and the manual transmission conversion because they will be costly and not really add to the value.
Iāve always just checked the u joints by seeing if thereās play. Grab the driveshaft and try to rotate it or wiggle it up and down and side to side. There should be no movement of the driveshaft independent of the yoke on the trans or rear differential. You can also rock the vehicle back and forth in park (it wonāt move much) and watch for play between the driveshaft and yokes. If theyāre badly worn, itās pretty evident. I wouldnāt replace them if thereās no slack. Some of the older trucks had greasable u joints. If they have a zerk on the joint, Iād grease them.
The leak on the underside could be the rear main seal or the trans pan gasket leaking. Actually, I suppose it could be leaking anywhere from up above. I would bet the trans pan gasket (at least) seeps some fluid, though. But you can address that when you change fluid and filter, which I believe you had planned to do anyway.
I think youāve got a fun project there. Iād probably keep it close to stock if it were mine. Although an intake and carb swap might wake the 318 up some. I like the idea of the stock old truck look, with updated maintenance and maybe a couple of performance mods along the way.
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Drum brakes arenāt that hard. Iām sure the guys here can guide you through that when the time comes.
Two things come to mind on drum brakes if youāve never dealt with them.
-Do one side at a time. That way you can reference the other side to see where all the springs and what not are oriented.
-Go ahead and get a spring removal tool. Iāve done drum brakes several times without the tools, but trying to get the springs on and off with pliers, screw drivers, and whatever other tool you find laying around can be a pain, and a little bit dangerous.
But, one thing at a time. We need to figure out the belt. How tight are you getting it when you originally install it?
Thatās a reasonable point. If the OP knows this and that he will never get back the cost of work done to fix up the Dodge yet still decides to proceed, itās OK. Not all decisions are monetary.
It can be a two step process. Get the car back to good running condition, then decide what else to do. Seems like weāre still early in step one.
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Its all about family. Costs isnt something im looking at. The memories in this truck that were and will be are worth more to me than anything. Everyone is my family has known this old truck and rode in it for 34 years. Its been a teacher to me and my cousins on driving, was driven to the hospital when lots of us were born. We would ride in the back when we were kids during summer. This was the last vehicle my grandmother rode in, and many evening spent with the men huddled around the hood. Not really fixing or working but simply talking about ife and socializing. It was the loaner if a family memeber was out a ride, and was always up to give a lift to church. Used to help move family once they got a new home, and to tow boats or campers. Theres more meaning to this truck than any dollar could buy. Im not interested in anything more than thinking about the good memories made and to be made by this old truck. Spend the weekend with my sons just tinkering around, showing them things and answering questions. Telling them all the times about the truck Ive experienced. Its part of my family history. Running or not I love this truck beyond material means.
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I understand the attraction to this vehicle . That is why I would bring it back to as close to new looking as possible because that way it will be an authentic reminder of all the things it represents.
Side note : We had an old Chevrolet 1955 Pickup that was in the family . It keeps getting passed to other family members and it is kept as close to the way the original owner bought it.
This might be a diagram of your belt layout. āA/pā is an air pump, part of the pollution control system.
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Consider keeping a log of your time and $$ - if youāre happy with the end result it will become a useful and welcome part of the trucks documentation, but it also may convince you when to stop.
Thatās a pretty good looking truck. Itās worth a go at getting it back on the road and reliable imo. Another idea, the water pump is a possible culprit for the belt problem too. It wouldnāt be surprising that it isnāt isnāt turning freely and making noises and stressing the belt given the truck has sat unused for quite a while. Coolant loses its anti-corrosive ability over time, not miles driven. Recommendations here are to replace coolant every two years, independent of miles driven.
For the clunk when shifting from P to D, my truck is older than yours and exhibits this problem at times. It has always been caused by one or more of these
- engine is idling too fast
- thereās a little play in one of the driveshaftās u-joints
- if the driveshaft is a two-piece design, splined midway, that spline joint has to be well lubed. otherwise it binds up and makes a clunking noise on the P to D shift. Iāve had better luck using a synthetic rather than conventional grease for that joint.
Since you need to grease everything that needs to be greased in the suspension, steering, and drivelines anyway, might as well start there.