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Junkyard rescue of an '87 Dodge Power Ram 50

I am familiar with this scenario. Sucks. Dad put rod and main bearings in a 302 in the carport, with engine still in. On a 2300 that seized due to lack of oil, replacing one cam bearing put it back on the road. Just because it quit running don't mean its completely toast. Maybe if you pulled the oil pan for some exploratory investigation, you'd get a better idea which direction to focus on.
 


idrivejunk said:
I am familiar with this scenario. Sucks. Dad put rod and main bearings in a 302 in the carport, with engine still in. On a 2300 that seized due to lack of oil, replacing one cam bearing put it back on the road. Just because it quit running don't mean its completely toast. Maybe if you pulled the oil pan for some exploratory investigation, you'd get a better idea which direction to focus on.
Click to expand...

It could very easily just need bearings and rings, but I'm still going through the entire engine and checking everything. I'm also going to do a few mods while it's blown apart... stuff like deleting the balance shaft, adding piston squirters, a high volume oil pump, adding an oil supply and oil drain for the turbo, and a few other things to keep the oil where it needs to be and eliminate potential failure points. I'm also planning on taking the block to a machine shop and having it (at least) hot-tanked, possibly machined if necessary.

ItHurtz said:
even god is saying NEXT
Click to expand...

Yes, next is turbo. :th_thumbsup-wink:
 
If you were expecting pictures of the carnage, today is only gonna be a tease, with some:

Floppy bits,

IMG_20191024_221745231 by Ben Stryker, on Flickr

Shiny sparkle bits,

IMG_20191024_222008943 by Ben Stryker, on Flickr

And one wayward bearing. lol

IMG_20191024_221933039 by Ben Stryker, on Flickr

I'm gonna say that the high failure rate balance shaft bearings gave up, one of them walked out of it's bore and jumped into the oil pump chain. The rest of the story is in the bottom of the oil pan.

To wrap up this small update, I give you a level of sketchy that should be much higher, in my opinion. :th_laugh-lol3:

IMG_20191024_214605588 by Ben Stryker, on Flickr
 
Just picked up an engine stand, and either later today or tomorrow morning I'll be renting an engine crane...

By the end of the weekend I'll have the engine fully torn apart and ready for cleaning.
 


BrandonHall10 said:
*cough* *LS* *cough*
Click to expand...

ahem455coff. Harrumph.

Stryker, I bet if that was a chainsaw chain you'd have fixed it by now, huh?

I have learned this lesson a couple times in hard ways... hoping an engine is "good" but not knowing. Building a stone castle on a sand foundation just never pays. If you can get that engine properly freshened up though, you may actually get to enjoy the truck as you've envisioned and strived toward. I'll root for that.
 
WarStryker13 said:
I'm definitely going to rebuild...
Click to expand...

Oh man... I'm not the type to tell others what to do, but I'd be remiss if I didn't throw in my 2 cents.

Before you fully commit to spending a lot of time and money rebuilding that engine, maybe take a look at what your other options are. I'm not necessarily talking about a big cubic inch V8 (although I wouldn't rule it out). Does Chrysler have a V6 that will bolt to that trans? Would you be better off shoving in a drop out motor and trans from something slightly newer? How hard is it to do a carbureted V8 swap on one of those? What's for sale on the local Craigslist?

Maybe you see something I don't. Let's have a discussion.
 


OK. So...

This is a Mitsubishi 2.6L G54B, backed by a Mitsubishi KM145 manual trans and transfer case. It shares a bellhousing bolt pattern with the 4 cyl Mitsubishi 2.3L 4D55T turbo diesel and the "famous" 4cyl Mitsubishi 2.0L 4G63T that powered the Galant, Evo, etc.

The G54B was also in the Mitsubishi Starion and Chrysler/Plymouth Conquest as a turbocharged 4 cyl.



I am wanting to keep this truck as a manual with 4WD.

My options are either rebuild this 2.6L, find another 2.6L, swap to the diesel, or find a complete engine/trans/transfer case swap.

The 4D55T is very difficult to find in the US, so I'm not getting my hopes up on that.

As for a different engine, I would need a complete powertrain that would work with my current axle setup, which is: Driver's side front transfer case output, and a centered rear transfer case output. One of the big reasons I chose this truck is because the transfer case has a physical lever that shifts it in and out of 4WD, instead of an electronic solenoid or vacuum diaphragm. I want to keep that aspect, so that narrows down my options even further.

I could pick up another G54B from a junkyard or wherever and either throw it into the truck or use it for parts and build one good engine out of two. That's slowly becoming more probable.

I could go all out on the rebuild of this G54B, build it for 8-10 psi and make a solid 250hp... but that is not likely to happen. Although it's secretly what I want to do the most, just because it would be ridiculous, I don't quite have that kind of money.

I did find one possibility... The Mitsubishi auto trans that came in these trucks are practically Mopar 904 auto trans made by Mitsubishi, so I could take the transfer case from an auto 4WD truck, bolt it to a 904 and put a small block Mopar in the truck, but that would require switching it over to an automatic, which takes out half of the fun factor for me.

I don't really want to do a modern fuel injected engine, because I don't want to deal with the wiring and fuel system and tuning...
 
did you ever see if that thing had oil pressure? cause those are about the worst ive seen in a long ass time. id be doing a upgraded swap for sure. that little 4 banger is gonna add up to rebuild it.
 
I forgot that was 4wd. Just spitballing...

Thought "A" - What T-case is in that thing? I wonder if there's an American manufactured engine and manual trans combo that bolts to that unit. Bolt pattern, spline count, shaft diameter etc.

Though "B" - I'm pretty sure all the 4wd "S" trucks were drivers side drops with manual t-cases. I'm wondering if you could't find a totaled or rotted manual 4wd S10 or Blazer and pull the full drivetrain like you said. That 4.3 isn't a real powerhouse, but it's dead reliable. Plus, parts are dirt cheap, being that's is essentially a SBC. *Edit - Can be carbureted also. (It hurts me to even type that word)

I'm just trying to think of ways to get you back rolling again for the least amount of money. Also, what's going to be cheap and easy to fix when it breaks. Doing a machine shop rebuild of an obscure engine is likely not going to be the cheapest option.
 
Truck probably sat so long everything rusted up and pitted. I drove my mazda 3 2,000miles on a spun bearing and it looked beautiful.
 
In response to your thoughts...

"A": It's some kind of Mitsu made t-case...IDK. lol There might be a Mopar manual trans that has the same design as a 904 auto trans in terms of what's inside the extension housing, but I haven't found it yet. That could work with a t-case from an auto truck, but for the manual trucks both shifters bolt to the top of the t-case.

"B": Not all... There are manual t-cases and push button vacuum operated t-cases, and both used vacuum switches to actuate the front axle. But anyways, I would rather get the full drivetrain from a full size truck, for the extra beef... Because eventually I want this truck to get one ton axles, and neither the S10 not the Mitsu drivetrain would last long with the abuse from one ton axles... Or I should say, the abuse I would put the truck through BECAUSE it has the one ton axles.



It actually didn't spin any of the bearings, it just ate them... and it wasn't from rust. The balance shaft snapped the chain that drives the oil pump, and oil starvation did the rest.
 


Thats not a oh I lost oil pressure, thats a cruising on the highway no cares I dont have oil pressure. Peddle to the metal and let it go.
 
You have a lot more faith in the previous owners of this truck than I have...

What makes you thing the bearings were fine before losing oil pressure? From what I can tell, the oil was never changed before I bought the truck, and last time I checked sludge doesn't lubricate very well.
 
oh hell, cut some leather to stick between the bearings and crank/rods, toss in a new chain and oil pump, and rlet r rip!:th_laugh-lol2:
personally id rebuild that one and drop it back in.
 
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