My new daily driver. 1984 dodge rampage

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Narrowed 9" Ferd will fill the bill......
 
If you decide to do the head gasket , the MP one is a good one to get. Being that its got an aluminum head, it has a weird way they want the head bolts torqued. They give a torque figure, and a note for an additional 1/4 turn for the stretch type head bolts. I'd recommend new head bolts as well.

Typically when i was doing head gaskets on these i would start with a low number on my torque wrench maybe 20 ft lbs. Torque em all in pattern, then 40 ft lbs in pattern and so on up to final torque so as not to warp the head. Then do the additional 1/4 turn in pattern with a breaker bar.

A replacement 2.5L roller tappet cam from a dakota will help with a little more torque, and a quieter top end. Check your junkyard for 4 banger dakotas. You will need the roller tappets with the cam, but can reuse your lifters if they are good.

Additionally on the end of the head where you removed the air pump you can buy a "cam plug" shown below. this is a cover that replaces the seal on that end so you dont see the cam on that end. The camshaft caps are not interchangable, and the aluminum caps are the bearing surface. They should have arrows cast in for which direction faces forward, and be numbered 1 to 5. Check before removal, and mark em if needed.

An accel super stock coil or pertronix ignitor 3 will help too.

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Also check with John Spiva of polybushings.com up in oregon. He made some slick and trick soft polyurethane motor mounts and other cool stuff like the alternator mount isolators for fwd mopars. Even has polyloc mounts for A bodies. I have a full set of polybushings from John for my 88 shelby z. I'm not sure you mentioned if it was a stick or auto, but if its a stick, theres lots of improvements you can do there too.
 
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I put a brass adaptor, and a drain petcock in place of this plug too. When you crack open the coolant system on these your supposed to remove this plug when refilling the coolant to push out the air pockets when refilling. With the drain petcock, you just spin it open and fill the coolant until it bubbles out, then spin the petcock closed. The OEM ones were steel hex key plugs and would corrode to the aluminum making them almost impossible to remove.

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moparmat2000 said:
Also check with John Spiva of polybushings.com up in oregon. He made some slick and trick soft polyurethane motor mounts and other cool stuff like the alternator mount isolators for fwd mopars. Even has polyloc mounts for A bodies. I have a full set of polybushings from John for my 88 shelby z. I'm not sure you mentioned if it was a stick or auto, but if its a stick, theres lots of improvements you can do there too.
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Auto
 
I just ran across the '84 FSM's for front wheel drives. If you are interested in them make me an offer...
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Used the linkage off the old Holley. Moved the cruise to the open linkage seen in the photo.

Plan on replacing the valve cover gasket and driving it until something breaks.

Side note the fan runs while the keys is on no matter what.
 
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Side note the fan runs while the keys is on no matter what.[/QUOTE]

Check the fan relay on RH strut tower. It could be stuck closed, also check thermostatic fan switch mounted to the head near the thermostat. Should be a 2 wire switch this closes to turn on the cooling fan, and opens to shut it off. Easy check on the fan switch with an ohmmeter. When engine is cold and shut off unplug fan switch, and probe both pins. It should be open. When engine hits operating temp unplug the switch and probe both pins it should read full continuity.


FYI The single purple wire connected to the sending unit in the head that looks like a mopar V8 temp sender unit is for the temperature gage, and has nothing to do with the fan operation.

The fan relay is wired to close and open with engine temp changes, but also to operate in override if A/C switch is selected.
 
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So, you're gonna be towing the Dart to Mopars in the Park next year, and displaying both?
 
well the relay looks and sound like junk.
figured i would start there. I could test it if I new which prongs did what.
Also I'm having trouble finding a replacement relay. I could just take the connectors apart and use a new style relay?
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EDIT: I looked at your first picture of the one that came off and your connectors again, and I realize I misunderstood you. If I'm looking at it right (now) the RY79 is not the correct one that you need, but is the one you can find that it says you need. Sorry for the mixup. Good luck!
 
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More issues. Hooked up the air cleaner and planned on taking it for a quick test drive. Fast idle worked great. Tapped the gas it dropped the choke. Car would barely stay running. Fuel was dripping onto the intake. Thinking the float stuck.
 
Soak the connectors in CLR, then rinse with water and blow them dry. CLR will remove the tarnish
 
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Did some testing.
Bottom connector [--_--]

The bottom is 12v constant
Top left is ground
Top right does nothing
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Top connector l....l


Top terminal is ground all the time. Removing this wire is the only way to get the fan to shut off.

Both left and right do nothing

not sure how to test the temp switch. One side of the connector is grounded. When it reaches the correct temp it's suppose to complete the circuit and send ground out to though the other wire.
 
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Got the fan working. Over layed a wire from the temp switch to the relay. Somewhere in the harness it was grounded out.
 
not sure how to test the temp switch. One side of the connector is grounded. When it reaches the correct temp it's suppose to complete the circuit and send ground out to though the other wire.[/QUOTE]

Unplug the switch when engine is cold, not running. Probe the contacts with an ohmmeter. Should read open.

Start the car and get it fully warmed up then check the contacts, should read full continuity when the switch closes.

Its just a bimetal spring with contacts inside. When it gets hot enough they close.
 
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