Want to fix up my 1985 D150 for my Daughter!

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KnuckleDuster

KnuckleDuster

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For some reason she wants an old truck over a brand new Hyundai, Kia, or somesuch shitbox.
I have until December, with limited funds.
Engine will be a 1968 318 with mid 80's heads, hardened exhaust seats, smog holes already tapped and plugged.
904 replacing the 998, have stock 85 convertor and an unknown stall convertor that came with the 904. Need to check the numbers on it.
Pistons are .040 in the hole with Mr. Gasket 1121a .028 gaskets.
268 Purple Shaft cam.
I have an Edelbrock 650 and a non- RPM Performer intake.

I would like to lower the truck,so I need more info on van LCA's and axle-flipping it.
I would like suggestions on headers and exhaust, as well as basic tips on how to tackle this without making mistakes or wasting cash.
Thanks y'all!
 
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I'd leave the 998 in,or rebuild it. Lower cruise rpm at lockup and steeper 1st gear than 904 with more clutches.


If anyone wants to junk a 998-999, let me know!
 
Remove the 360 weight from the converter if using it with a 318.

FYI a LRE used a 727.
 
KnuckleDuster said:
Was considering using it without the weight.

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Now what you want to do is have the converter rebuilt and then let them know it will be used with an internal balance/neutral engine. They balance converters when rebuilt.
You dont want to run a used convertor with bits in it with a new or rebuilt trans.
 
That is pretty cool. My daughter wanted a Dodge truck for her first ride. We went to a salvage auction and bought a 1983 D-150 short bed with a slant 6 /904. It was hit in the front and we rebuilt it when she was 14, this was 1995. She drove it all through high school and 4 years of college.
 
KnuckleDuster said:
I got the 904 free.
Is it really worth rebuilding the 998?
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Imo, yes the 998 is worth rebuilding. It is stouter stock than the 904 and will get better gas mileage.
Are you freshing up the motor and tranny? Are you going to paint it?

Got a picture of this ride?
 
Have you figured out how to lower the truck? Buddy of mine had a '74 short wide with a 318. We swapped in a junkyard 5.9 magnum. Re used his 727, headers, etc. Used a Dakota airbox, harness, pcm, and such. Was a pretty cool low buck truck.

He bought axle perches from a trailer parts store. We cut the old perches off and put the axle above the springs, used the new perches and u bolts, set the pinion angle and welded it up.

Pulled the lower control arms off of a van and cut the trick springs to find the correct height. We cut them until we found the height he liked and then measured the installed spring height. He called and ordered a set of heavier duty springs with the correct height. I think he got them from eibach.

The van uses a bigger control arm bolt compared to the truck if I remember correctly. We ended up drilling the bolt holes bigger on his truck and reused the van control arms and bolts. I also remember reading somewhere the 3/4 or 1 ton trucks might also use the van style control arms. The spring pockets are deeper in them.
 
Thanks guys.

The engine is a 1968 318 .030 over with pistons .040 in the holes. Mr Gasket 1121 .028 head gaskets.Purple shaft 268 cam.
Mid 80's heads with hardened seats.
Performer intake and 1406 carb.
All stuff I had laying around.
Not sure what exhaust manifolds I'm going to use. The stock ones have the crossover and smog pump tube. I'd like to ditch all that, but I need to check Georgia emissions laws on a 1985 trucks, right now she lives in the Atlanta city limits, but that could change.
In my county in TX the smog crap is supposed to be on it even though they don't use a sniffer.

20180826_190609.jpg
 
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1994redram said:
Have you figured out how to lower the truck? Buddy of mine had a '74 short wide with a 318. We swapped in a junkyard 5.9 magnum. Re used his 727, headers, etc. Used a Dakota airbox, harness, pcm, and such. Was a pretty cool low buck truck.

He bought axle perches from a trailer parts store. We cut the old perches off and put the axle above the springs, used the new perches and u bolts, set the pinion angle and welded it up.

Pulled the lower control arms off of a van and cut the trick springs to find the correct height. We cut them until we found the height he liked and then measured the installed spring height. He called and ordered a set of heavier duty springs with the correct height. I think he got them from eibach.

The van uses a bigger control arm bolt compared to the truck if I remember correctly. We ended up drilling the bolt holes bigger on his truck and reused the van control arms and bolts. I also remember reading somewhere the 3/4 or 1 ton trucks might also use the van style control arms. The spring pockets are deeper in them.
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Couple questions
1. Do you have a wiring diagram or a how to hook up the pcm?
2. On the rear axle isn't the spring on the top of rhe axle to start with and you moved it to the bottom to lower it?
 
My son had an 84 D100 regular cab.
I built up a 2.74 wide ratio trans, installed it and a spare 3.23SG chunk I had, for a starter gear of 8.85. And a 2800TC
The engine is stock 1973 low-c teener with a small-port CI 4bbl intake and TQ, No headers, but dual exhaust.Stock cam but extra spring pressure to pull 5400rpm.
She runs 275/60-15 tires (28s) and goes like stink,hitting 50 at the top of first gear. Second not so much. And cruises at 65~2500calculated no slip/2600 observed.
In our case, the wide ratio trans was worth it because we had no preconceived notion of trying to be quick in second gear, so the 2.74 x3.23= 8.85 starter gear is nearly the same as 2.45x3.55=8.70; but carries the ~12% less hiway rpms, And he traveled a lotta hiway. That 5% fuel savings over the course of time provides some rent-money, living in the big city.
One summer tho, he borrowed my 3.55s, which he spotted just sitting in a pail while my hotrod was running I think 4.30s. you shoulda heard the stories !!
This was my sons first vehicle and he drove it for close to 10 years . As you may think, the body is now shot,lol, with only the roof panel still being straight.
After he wore the body out, he traded it to me for a 95 Sunfire that was my winter-beater. IDK what to do with the D,now.
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With the 268 cam,and somewhere around 9.5 Scr, you are gonna need some TM,Torque Multiplication, or at least the 2800TC. The 2.74 low gear trans is ~12% better, or equal to better than one rear gear size advantage; or about 5% better fuel mileage, in steady state, if you opt for 3.23s instead of 3.55s.
Happy Hotrodding
 
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Those old trucks are pretty reliable in stock form.
For a first vehicle I would leave it just that stock.
Get it running and driving reliably and see if she actually likes it.

My youngest daughter I gave her a 2wd Dakota, that somebody gave to me, it had a burnt valve, a bad steering rack.
I fixed the valve, steering rack, and put a new set of tires on it.
I had $325 in the whole truck.
She drove it for around another 100K miles until the trans went out of it.
She sold it to someone for $900 because he wanted the body parts.
It was rust free, and the old motor still ran.
 
Not a bad looking truck from the picture. Why not put some fancy rims with some 55 or 60 series tires to lower it a little.
 
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