I purchased a '98 quad cab 2500 Cummins turbo 4x4 that has been sitting for four years. My brother said it was running strong when parked due to front end issues. I've always owned gas Dodges, so I'm somewhat new to diesels. I'd appreciate some guidance on how to go about reviving this beast!

 

The fuel may be gummed up by now if it had much in it. Make sure the lift and injection pumps are in good shape. Is it 12 or 24 valve? I'd make sure the turbo spins freely. Change the oil and filter (it holds a lot more than a gasser) fill the tank with fresh fuel once you've drained it as much as possible and replace the batteries. Give it a crank and see what happens. DO NOT race the engine. If it idles fine. Watch the oil pressure. Let it warm up and deal with any issues that may crop up. There may be other things to do or look for. I'm limited to PowerStroke engines and OLD Detroit engines. Usually, I deal with gassers.

 

Thank you for the words of wisdom! I figured the diesel would be bad, so will definitely do a full fuel system service first. Not sure if it's 12 or 24 valve. I'll follow your advice and report back when done.

 

I wouldn't worry to much its not to much of an extended storage but long enough, good chance the fuel is ok but fresh never hurts, if it is a 12v id disconnect the shutoff and try cranking it over until it builds oil pressure on the gauge and a few seconds after. Do your basic checks you do on any engine thats sat and fire it. 24v might be a little more finky for a first startup, great batteries and clean connections are your friend, on either probably crack a couple injector lines to help it bleed out

 

Thank you, sir!

 

So I put two new batteries in, cleaned the fuses, and battery connections, added five gallons of new diesel to an almost empty tank, and turned the key. No crank, no start. All the accessories worked, just no response from the starter. Verified all fuses were good, nogo. I crawled underneath to look at the starter connections and they were solid. So I jumped it at the starter and she fired right up! I let the engine idle for five minutes or so and drove a couple miles to check out the brakes, transmission and front end. There's a noticeable shake in the front end, especially in the higher gears. Brakes are OK, but not as responsive as they should be. A few other minor issues like the emergency brake cable is broken, and the passenger power window wont' go back up. Otherwise, for $2500, I pretty happy. Now I just need to figure out why the starter is not responding.

 

Manual, or automatic trans?

 

Manual.

 

Check the clutch switch. Not sure where it is on your truck, service manual will show you. If you don't have one, you can get one here.

 

Will do....thanks!