whats going on people?!

don't let my join date fool you, i've been stalking this forum for quite some time. I have a 96 Ram 1500 5.2L, single cab with a short bed. I'm the 3rd owner, with the 2nd owner being my neighbor and owning it for about 10 years. I picked this up in May 2012 for $1700. its got 127K miles on it, with a rebuilt transmission done by AAMCO (I think).

this isn't my daily driver, its mostly used for Home depot runs/landfill/carrying stuff and helping friends move. but now thats gonna change... my wife is due with our first baby in 3 weeks. I've decided that for now, my car (2012 VW CC) will be hers primarily, and i'll use the truck to drive to work (10 miles round trip).

Driving it more and more, I realize the extent of things that need to be done to it, which is why i'm here:

1. Plenum gasket repair and valve cover gaskets(this baby is devouring oil, and it idles worse and worse)
2. steering wheel has play in it, and when i make turns i hear knocks and I feel some clunks in it.
3. between 55 mph and 60 mph, car gets very shaky, feels like cupped tires but they are not.
4. need to adjust accelerator pedal... cable is loose and when I floor it, it won't go past 3K RPM.
5. replace all fluids, diffs, transfer case and tranny (no idea when that was last done)
6. take out carpet and replace with something better. its filthy and beyond repair.
7. headliner is sagging pretty bad, its resting on my head as I drive.
8. Because of the plenum going bad, the cat is probably clogged with oil, so ill need to replace that too.
9. paint on roof and hood is so bad.... but thats not important now.

i ordered the hughes plenum repair kit and it will be here on Tuesday, but after that I want to fix all that steering play. i probably will have to replace the track bar, and tie rods, joints etc, but idk where i can purchase some of them from. ebay has some track bar sets that include a bunch of things that sell for about $200, are those worth it/good quality?. I plan on using this truck for the next 3 years at least, which is why im also debating whether or not I should get a redhead steering box or try to adjust the one I have now (have yet to check if its leaking or not).

here are some pics, for your time:

How she looked when I bought her (i sold rims+tires as they were cupped, and ride was horrible. anything after 45+ felt like you were driving on stone roads)


local junkyard had a truck that had an uncracked dash... i bought it and replaced it. now that one cracked and is worse than it was originally...



the other sad thing about it is that the whole underframe of the car looks like the strut and frame in this pic below. is there a way I can clean up all that rust and stop it from getting worse?



anyways.. sorry for the long intro!

 

1. Looks like you already know about the plenum. You can buy an aluminum plate from an eBay seller named Trisha34 (or something like that). That person is actually the wife of a member here named 1999blkdakrt (I think that's his handle). Anyway, he makes very nice plates for $54, they include the pan bolts. I personally have one as many other members do. You can then source the gasket sets locally or from Rockauto.

2. Sounds like tierods and possibly hubs as well as a bad steering box. Make sure your hubs and rods are good. After that, you're likely looking at the steering box. If that's the case, don't go with a rebuilt box. They're crap. Go with a Redhead Steering gear or a Borgeson box. They're much better and will last MUCH longer. (likely the life of the truck)

3. Does it feel like the entire truck is trying to destroy itself? Or does it feel more like a bumping? If it's the former, it's a track bar gone bad. If it's the latter, it's a misfire in overdrive. Easily taken care of with a tune up.

4. Pedal adjustment, if you feel like it's really loose, and have confirmed it in the cab and on the throttle body, you can tie small zipties to the accelerator cable on cab side to take out some slack. But you don't want to put too many ties on it as it puts a bit too much leverage on the little clip thing.

5. Diffs and t-case are no problem, transmission might be good, might not be. Check the fluid/level when warm and in neutral, see what it looks like. T-case uses ATF+4.

7. You could take the headliner out and just strip the fabric and foam off it for the time being. Might redneck it, but I think it would be better than having it flapping in the wind all the time. lol

8. Yep, clogging/clogged cat. You'll want to replace at least the front O2 sensor when you do the cat as well. If you've got the cash, go ahead and do the rear too. NTK/NGK O2 sensors only please!

As for suspension parts, most on here like MOOG. Some use XRF, but MOOG is more commonly used.


Seems like you've been lurking long enough to know what's going on.
Oh yeah, when you're doing your plenum, do the timing set (double roller chain) and the distributor cap and rotor while the intake is out.

Welcome to DF (officially)!

 

As far as rust on the frame, try soaking it with some penetrating oil or solvent, then scraping it off, you might be surprised to find paint underneath it! That was what happened for me.

 

Then paint it with POR15-type stuff.

 

Thanks for the welcome guys!

I already replaced the plugs on it, so I would only need to get the wires and distributor. I'll get them from Autozone for time sake, any specific brand I should get?

what about the timing set? Is there a DIY as well? Im really scared ill screw things up, so i usually read a DIY about 5 times before I tackle it. btw, what parts should I get from Autozone in regards to the timing set?

 

That's a start.
I personally have Bosch wires and a Duralast cap and rotor. I won't buy from Autozone again, personally, but that's your call.

Get any cap/rotor with brass contacts. They last longer.

Timing set isn't bad, just a matter of paying attention and not touching the engine once the set is off. In the FAQ/DIY section in this forum there is a selection of Factory Service manuals (FSMs). One of them is a 96 manual. It will have all procedures in it. The only thing you won't be using is the whole "lining up" thing. Just pull the set off, line up the new set the way the old one was, bolt it down. Anything with a double roller chain should be good. Several members use Cloyes sets. You're going to also need a gasket set for the timing cover once you pull it off.

While you're doing your plenum you might change your t-stat just for good measure. Just remember to test it before you put it in......

 

clean the throttle body and idle air controller(iac) with throttle body cleaner while you are fixing the intake. it will probably help with idle problems.

 

Cloyes double rollers are highly liked by those who use them, they are cheap off of rockauto.com too.

 

alright so I took your guy's advice and decided to do the chain as well. i started doing some work now, so i can DD the truck and not worry about it breaking down.

im currently working on replacing the plenum gasket and pan, and i will be doing the valve cover gaskets as well, along with the timing chain and the distributor and wires.

after i finish this, ill be doing all the joints and bushings, along with the track bar, and adjusting the steering box.

here is what the truck looks like now:



i got underneath to drain the coolant, and found this. frame has a gash in it, wonder from what.
knowing my neighbor and how creative he is, i can guarantee that he tried to pull out a tree stump and hooked the chain to the hole that was already there. i guess the stomp won?



i removed the fan and the fan shroud, to make more room. it was worth the extra 40 mins it took me to get it out, you have so much more room for activities!


the good news is that looking at that water pump, and the coolant hoses, it looks like they have been replaced already, and still look pretty good. I bought a new water pump, but I think i will return it, since this one is just fine.



tomorrow i go back at it, hoping to remove that intake manifold. with so much room in that engine bay now, I can just stand there and take it out.

 

If you havent already, start soaking all the bolts with some penetrating oil such as pb blaster. Alot of people have broken 1 or 2 manifold bolts. I was lucky and didnt break a single one without any penetrating oil, but I didnt have any rust or corrosion.