Alright guys,

First off, lets start out by saying I am new and I would like to introduce myself to all.

Umk, here's the questions..

I'm going for my first diesel. I am 17 years old. The truck I'm going for is a 1991 Dodge w/ the 5.9L Cummins Turbo Diesel.

Question #1

What should I look for? Any certain places to look the truck over and look for problems?

Question #2

What are some other little things you guys like to check for?

Question #3

What are some good modifications for this diesel?

Question #4

What are some other tips 'n' tricks to keeping this diesel as reliable as possible?


I'm extremely new to diesels in pickups but was raised around machinery (Backhoes, dozers, tractors, etc..) I know, there isn't a comparison between the two. So, here is where I ask you guys for help!

Thanks for everything and I hope that my entry to this forum is welcomed!

Ryan

 

welcome to DF... I think this is a great post for Drew... he's the long time expert here.

as far as mods go, I'm not 100% sure what works well on your truck being that old, i'd expect though a cold air intake kit and freer flowing exhaust would be a starting point.

check these sites for a starting point...

http://www.tstproducts.com/
http://www.bullydog.com/
http://www.atsdiesel.com/
http://www.bd-power.com/

these will get you going for sure on the mods.

 

welcome Ryan, well you made a good choice for your first diesel "I think", as I own one with 185K on it and not one ounce of trouble, however I got a little disturbed last week when I had to renew my alternator for the first time, ha ha, just make sure all of your fluids look clean, ie: oil clear no milkyness to it and cooland should be bright and clean, no brownish color, if you look at the top of the dipstick no white milkey color bottom oil could be clean from recent oil change but milky on top of dipstick and or rocker arms.
corrosion around terminals, oil leaks, tire wear evenly, check every bolt around fenders, core support for tampering. other than that fill it up and enjoy.
one other thing that is passed up a lot is pull your throttle linkage apart and grease the little ball joints, my pet peeve!

 

Thanks guys as your responses were helpful and appreciated.. I look forward to more, so keep 'em coming.

Once again, thanks!

Also, do you think it's worth giving up a 4x4 AUTO Chevrolet 1984 pickup for a 1991 Cummins w/ Auto Tranny?

 

Those old chevy's are a dime a dozen, you could always get another one real cheap but after you get hooked on the smoke, you won't want to go back

 

Yea, JakeBrake, I figure the same too bud! That black smoke is pretty slick. If I get this thing, I want it to smoke like a freight train. And yes, the old chevy's are a dime a dozen. So, I'm gonna see if we can trade 'er off.

Thank you JakeBrake for the reply. This whole "dodge" thing is extremely tempting. I've owned nothing but Chevrolets.. Its time for something new. I want the Cummins...

 

wow. . .a 91, lemme think here, 160hp, 440tq, Bosche VE pump that takes a good bit of tinkering to turn up, but is capeable of produceing some solid power. it cannot dump the fuel like the P7100 pump, but you can get it to smoke on demand, you just have to play with the fueling advance and the AFC.

again as CPT Darel said, look for leaks, these engines have the capability of ratteling themselves apart. not long ago I saw one where the valve covers had vibrated loose and the owner thought it had a blown head gasket and sold the truck. the guy that bought it knew better(no it wasnt me but I wish it was)

also check the tranny fluid, it should not smell burned and should be a nice red color.

even if there are a few leaks here and there they can usualy be fixed with very little time and money. next thing you know is you have a real pavement pounder that gets over 20mpg while passing corvettes on the strip

 

Drew,


Reply is well appreciated? Is it hard to tinker with the fuel on these things to get a little smoke rollin'? I love that look. So, all in all, my chevy for one of these is a good trade? Around how much does it cost to overhaul one? Thanks alot guys! Great help.. I want to thank everyone for being so accepting and donating the time to help a noob out here!


Thanks,
Ryan

 

Ive seen one of these engines that was broken down after the head gasket went out and 750K on the odo. main cap bearings were still in spec, you could even see the cross hatching in the cylinder walls.