[Gtractor]

Got the 5 speed from my Dodge pickup all sealed up and ready to put back in. While this close, wish there was time to go ahead and pull the engine and totally detail the engine bay.

Been holding a steering wheel roughly 14 hours a day right now at work and hope to do that for another 2 months.

Wasn't very impressed with the new clutch plate, the reason for tranny removal. It looks like a cheap plastic toy and is not but a fraction of a MM thicker than the old worn out clutch. Flywheel and pressure plate were worn badly too adding to the slippage. Had the flywheel turned and a new pressure plate will make this one last longer.

I think the guy that put the new engine in didn't do any more than he just had to, causing my problems.

Clutch was slipping 2 and 1/2 years ago when I got this pickup. Babied it along for as long as I could. Now I'll be able to abuse the throttle some. This is the close ratio 5 speed which I don't care for but should help 0-60 times. :rocker2:

 

[chieffan]

You going to a drag strip with it or just basic transportation? oke: :dancingbanana: My idea of detailing an engine bay is a good pressure washing once in a while. You got a good little truck there Kris so better take care of it. With the different compounds they are using now for clutch, brake linings, etc. I don't think any of them are as thick as they used to be. Sounds like your keeping busy down there anyway. Same up here but going to slow down fast the middle of the week. Go in for that knee replacement Wednesday. A couple Cubs coming up on an auction next Sunday I want to look over good so I can leave a bid with a guy. The boys are not moving very fast to get the stuff moved up to Corning to the auction facility. Hope they get them here before Tuesday evening. Take care and catch you later.

 

[glgrumpy]

Should Lift steering wheel, roll truck out, roll Chevy under it, mount wheel, heeee

 

[MFDAC]

Well Kris, my memory stinks and i can't remember what year Dodge you have. That transmission and bell housing setup looks smaller than this 1970 NP205 transfer case I finished building a few weeks ago, and your tranny is probably a heck of a lot lighter too!

To go with GLG's theme he started, maybe you should jack up the radiator cap, and roll a GMC under it--LOL! My wife drives a Dodge as well as most of her side of the family so I have some appreciation for them too---- I don't blame you for wanting to detail the engine bay too, I like things all to look fresh but a lot of the time there just isn't time.

DAC

EDIT--- this is another pic where the camera date was a year off---it should say 2016!

 

[Gtractor]

,

1984 Dodge Rampage. It don't haul as much as my GMC, but gets twice the MPG's.

:angel:

 

[DH1]

I thought that was a front wheel drive trans in the pic in the original post. ??? But figured you were talking about a full size pickup.

 

[MFDAC]

Oh yeah thanks for the refresher! For some reason I had it in my head that you had already rebuilt everything in that little Rampage. Keep us posted on your progress Kris.

DAC

 

[Gtractor]

Thanks Dac.

I'd like to do a full rest-O on it but been too busy driving and enjoying it.

Until this clutch replacement there were only 2 very minor repairs and one major.

[1 minor] Bought it with the tranny "out". It was stuck in 1st gear and the shifter flopped all over the place. Once home I drove it in the shop, jacked it up and hooked the shift linkage back up. At that point the trans was no longer "out" as the previous owner said. :thumbs:

[2 minor] Alternator tension bolt broke one time coming home from a tractor show. With a bungee holding tension on the belt and a jump start from the jumper pack, we were back on the road.

[3 major] Floors were rusted out with lots of sheet metal repairs screwed in place with self-tapping screws performed by local preschoolers. NEVER have I seen such a poor piece of workmanship! [And I spent 10 years working for the city!!!]

I gutted the interior, cut out all the bad areas, welded up the exhaust where the preschoolers self tappers breached the exhaust pipe, and welded in all new 20 Ga. metal.

Trans is back in and just a few things to hook up before it comes down from jack stands. Should be driving it by Tuesday.

 

[Chris11]

That's in great shape. I worked for dodge in 85 till 2001 had a guy put in a turbo engine in one of those. 2.5 with inter cooler

 

[toomanytoys84]

I love that thing! I'd take one of those or a Subaru brat!

 

[MFDAC]

Thanks Dac.

I'd like to do a full rest-O on it but been too busy driving and enjoying it.

Until this clutch replacement there were only 2 very minor repairs and one major.

[1 minor] Bought it with the tranny "out". It was stuck in 1st gear and the shifter flopped all over the place. Once home I drove it in the shop, jacked it up and hooked the shift linkage back up. At that point the trans was no longer "out" as the previous owner said. :thumbs:

[2 minor] Alternator tension bolt broke one time coming home from a tractor show. With a bungee holding tension on the belt and a jump start from the jumper pack, we were back on the road.

[3 major] Floors were rusted out with lots of sheet metal repairs screwed in place with self-tapping screws performed by local preschoolers. NEVER have I seen such a poor piece of workmanship! [And I spent 10 years working for the city!!!]

I gutted the interior, cut out all the bad areas, welded up the exhaust where the preschoolers self tappers breached the exhaust pipe, and welded in all new 20 Ga. metal.

Trans is back in and just a few things to hook up before it comes down from jack stands. Should be driving it by Tuesday.

HA I've been with the city 12 years---LOL and can relate to that! since the management is too cheap to keep us stocked with parts or actually buy what fits, we have to be "creative" getting repairs done quite often!

Sounds like you bought it from someone that didn't want or know how to tinker with a vehicle at all. It must have reflected in your buying price, great score!

I'm guilty of the same thing on my trucks, driving them seems to be more important and the one I did tear into in 2005 is still not driveable. That's the one the transfer case is for.

Post a couple pics when the little truck is back in action!

DAC

 

[Gtractor]

I love that thing! I'd take one of those or a Subaru brat!

Thats not my Thing!

THIS is my THING :angel:

Kewell thing about the Subaru Brats is they were 4X4. I say vehicles like Rampage and Brat would sell nowdays. Maybe they were ahead of their time?

I was looking for a Vee Dub gasoline pickup when I stumbled upon my first Rampage nearly 15 years ago. VW has a 6 foot bed but the cab is smaller. I weight nearly 300 and over 6 foot so the Rampage is a much better fit even though it sacrifices 1 foot of bed space.

 

[Gtractor]

"Ramette" is back together and I started it just long enough to see that it moves under its own power. I forgot to get any Dextron II fluid [even though its a stick] for the transaxle so will get that tomorrow after work. Hopefully, the guy that put it back together knew what he was doing..... :smilewink:

When done I had 2 bolts left over. I thunked and thunked and couldn't 'cipher where they go'd. :wallbanging: Then it hit me that there are two holes into the bellhousing that do absolutely nothing but there were bolts in the holes when I started. :rolling:

 

[propane1]

I had a 78 Subaru brat. Great rig.

Noel

 

[Gtractor]

Update:

With the "Ramette" back together I drove it some and all was good except engine oil was rolling out the bellhousing. I hadn't changed out the rear main seal because it wasn't leaking and I figured to let sleeping dogs lie.

BIG MISTAKE!!!

The idiot mechanic got to re-pull the trans and install a new rear main seal. Took only 2 and 1/2 hours to pull the trans the second time. Been working lots of hours so it took virtually all week but its now back up and running with no leakage visable.

Once back behind the flywheel, I could see the old main seal wasn't touching the crank a full 1/4 of the way around. Was hoping to see a tear in the seal and there was none. This really made me nervous. I had visions of the crank not being centered in the hole or somehow out of round. No idea what happened to it but O, O, O, O'Wrongleys had a rear main seal in stock - which shocked me. That seal fits many years of 4 bangers and V6's as well.

Glad thats over with. Don't know how people work on cars for a living - or day in - day out. There were a couple of times I just had to walk away.

First tractor show of the year is 2 weeks from today. :smilewink:

 

[MFDAC]

Jeesh Kris, it sounds like you were about ready to "Ramette" up someone's------opps I don't want to get thrown off the forum!

O'Wrongley's---LOL! Glad you got it back together. Did you have to drop the oil pan? I assume so but know nothing about those engines. My wife had an '86 Plymouth Colt that was actually a Mitsubishi and that little car was a pain. I managed to keep it going for her for 8 or 9 years but never enjoyed it much.

DAC

 

[Gtractor]

Didn't have to drop the pan - although I kinda needed to. My drainplug is stripped and seeps all the time. I have a good pan on my parts truck but its sunk in the ground out back. Didn't have time to pull it - plus my jackstands were already being used. I'll probably just weld a nut on the outside of the pan and as long as I'm a good boiler-maker welder :wallbanging: it should work fine.

New guy at O'Wrongleys wanted to "help" me when I went in for the seal. I was hiding in the back waiting on one of 3 guys that work there that know me and can use the book if the durn 'putor screen refuses to show what I need.

SO, I reluctantly walk up to the counter......

"I need a rear main seal for a 1984 Dodge pickup with a 2.2 liter."

He punches it in..................................... and stares at the screen..................................

..................................................... its like that Joe Diffy song. "Prop me up, beside the jukebox when I die"

I was about ready to start CPR when he asks.......

"1500, 2500, or 3500?"

I say "Rampage"

he says HUH?

Repeat, "Rampage".

About that time one of my guys walks up, hands the new guy a box and says deliver this to such and such's shop. He glanced at the screen WITHOUT typing in anything and says "I have that in stock".

Then I needed CPR!!!!!! :thumbs:

 

[toomanytoys84]

Good parts people are hard to find....

 

[Gtractor]

Got to use the Ramette today.

I have to put hay bales around my foundation every winter because the older half of the house is so old the foundation is losely stacked rock [sandstone] gathered from this farm. My furnace just sucks "return" air from under the house and there is no return ducting of any kind. There is a grate in the floor for return air but look through it and you'll just see the ground. In other words I'm heating outside air each time it goes through the furnace if I don't seal off the perimeter somehow. Thats one of the reasons the rent is so cheap here. Been here 25+ years and LOVE it. When people give me grief about paying rent all those years and not building equity in a house I can call mine, I tell them what the rent is and they always say... "never mind, I'd rent there too". Plus I have a heated/air-co'd shop and several storage buildings for tractors. All of which are full.

ANYHOW...

Today I removed the bales and put them back in the barn so i can use them next winter if I'm still here. In the pic there are 15 bales on the Ramette. Thats all I use because 1/2 of the house has cement block foundation and is sealed good. If I could find more wire tied bales I would go all the way around but small square bales are kind of hard to find these days.

When I was growing up dad had a '72 Dodge 1/2 ton, 4 wheeler and we'd [me!] get 72 bales on a load. Any higher and it wouldn't be legal to go down the road. If we turned the top 'tie-in" row on edge we'd get 75 bales per load. We sold a lot of hay every winter at the local sale barn. Dad had Diamond Reo leaf springs under the back of his '72 and no matter what you put on that pickup, it NEVER squatted.

Once again I rambled into another direction.

On this side you can see the fender and quarter panel has been repainted - and it needs redone badly.

Tonight the plan is to go visit friends for dinner about 45 miles away and I plan on taking the Ramette.

 

[Gtractor]

150 miles on the new clutch now and no problems.