Clean engine. clean oil, and trans fluid. mileage. no critters living under the hood..... if the truck LOOKS like it was taken care of. pull a valve cover. If it is packed with crap, move on to the next likely candidate.

 

+1 on heyyous suggestion, also if it has any front end damage, keep walking

 

Personally I wouldn't worry about the transmission in a junkyard Ram, since it's a known weak component that sends many Rams off to the wrecking yard. Otherwise, what HeyYou said, and:

Look at the spark plugs to see how the engine was running. Check out the serpentine belt, radiator hoses, air filter, distributor cap, rotor, and wires to see if it looks like the maintenance was done as needed. If the serpentine belt is still on check the wear indicator on the tensioner, and if it's past due for replacement pass on the engine because the owner let it and probably lots of other things go. Check for slop in the distributor shaft, which would have made the truck run lousy and should therefore have been fixed. Check the windshield for the presence of one of those "Next Maintenance Due" stickers that the quickie oil change places love to stick on things, and the date on it. Look for evidence of coolant leaks in all of the usual places. Take an oil drain pan with you, the sealable kind, and dump out the contents of the oil filter (if it's still in place) to get a better look than the dipstick can give you. Remove the thermostat housing, and hope to find a thermostat in there -- absence of a thermostat indicates hillbilly engineering and it's time to pass. If the radiator's on, look in the filler for calcification that would indicate someone used tap water. Look for rust in the overflow tank. Pop off the lower hose and see what the inside of it looks like. If you see evidence of stop-leak or excessive crud it's time to move along. With the strong flashlight you've surely brought with you, look around the outside edges of the heads and exhaust manifolds for signs of exhaust leaks. Look at the back of the block for evidence of a blown rear main seal.

Check for slack in the timing chain by turning the crank clockwise until the rotor moves a bit to take up the slack, then counterclockwise until the rotor just begins to move. If it's ten crankshaft degrees or more you'll be wanting to replace the chain and gears before installing the engine, but if it's more than 15 degrees you'll want to pass because the owner didn't care that his truck was running like crap.

Look at places where gaskets belong for signs of excessive goopy sealant. A guy who won't buy a new gasket is a guy who'll live with four flat lifters, too.

If all of that looks good, look at what remains of the truck. If it's got extensive modifications (lift kit, headers, etc.) keep in mind that the owner wasn't afraid to put wrenches to the vehicle and go looking for signs of things having been half-assed. If there's a lot of hillbilly engineering, pass on it. If the wheels are still on, check the wear on the tires -- if they're badly worn, consider passing because the owner was just limping the thing along on the cheap. If the driveline is on, yank on it to find evidence of failed u-joints (but if the truck's on blocks you should skip this step rather than risk being crushed). A guy who won't spring for a u-joint is not a guy you want to buy a used engine from.

What you're hoping to find is a vehicle whose owner didn't want to send it to the wrecking yard -- something happened, like a blown transmission or a bad rear-end collision, to make him part with his baby. A baby that he either maintained proficiently himself or paid someone else to maintain for him. Headlights that aren't yellowed is a very good sign. Oversized bolts jammed into stripped threads is a very bad sign. You get the idea.

Once you bring the engine home it's your headache for the rest of its life, so don't be afraid to travel a hundred miles to find a good one. Ten bucks worth of gas is worth it if it saves you hundreds of dollars worth of repairs later on.

 

wow, thank you soo much guys!
I will make an outline of this and take
it with me on my hunt.

 

UPdate:

So I got the heads welded and everything back together.
The first time I started the truck, everything seemed fine except for one thing;
it stalled as soon as I shift it to Reverse. It used to idle fine in N and D, but now
it idles rough. I changed the IAC and still no luck. Once it gets to normal
operating tempeture, it idles rough. Then, I tried accelarating it in
Reverse and it missfires and coughs real bad. Then I got a P1391 from it.

Can it be related to the stalling?
Will changing the CMP/CKP fix the stalling issues?

PS it idles around 700 rpms in P
I unplugged the TPS and started the truck and had the same results
So im guessing the TPS is fine

 

Check the wiring for the cam and crank sensors. Make sure the contacts are clean, and they are plugged in nice and tight. Make sure the wires didn't get pinched anywhere....

If that all looks good...... replacing them might fix it.... or, it might not.

 

IF that doesnt fix it wha else could it be?

 

If that doesn't make a difference.... I would be checking compression/leakdown again.

 

Checked the sensors, they are functional.

I also did this:

Removed each wire one by one to see if the cylinder was firing,., I didnt notice any
change in idle in neither of the cylinders

 

That shouldn't happen. If you start pulling plug wires, idle SHOULD change.... if the cylinder is working as it should.....

What does your tuneup parts look like? (might have been covered, but, this is a LONG thread.)