Hello Dodge community, I have a 1985 Dodge Ram B250 Van that has been with the family for 30 years now, it has sat in the yard since 2007 but now I have plans to bring it back to life. I know the last issue we had on this Van was the transmission where it would not shift when reaching the appropriate RPM, as if there was a lag. Anyway, does anyone know where I can get started in terms of this restoration project? I am looking all over the web regarding a 1985 Dodge Van restoration and I supposed due to it's age, all I see are pictures of painted vans and barely any videos. I also called the Local Dodge Parts department and many OEM parts are no longer carried.


Any help would be great, I want to rebuilt or replace the Transmission but not sure if I should touch the Carb engine. The vehicle has about 100,000 miles.

 

Start will all new fluids since the existing ones are likely contaminated with moisture.

 

You would be surprised how many older, 70's and 80's Dodge Ram Vans are on the road. I see alot of them in the winter camping in Florida. Parts must be around.

 

The tranny not shifting at the appropriate RPM Might be caused by the throttle rod being out of adjustment.

Drop the pan, adjust the bands, change the filter, clean the magnet, refill with the proper fluid. An 85 is likely far more tolerant of transmission shops 'universal ATF', but newer OD transmissions require ATF+4.

Band adjustment requires an Inch pound torque wrench, the right specs for your TX, and the Van lifted high enough to read the torquewrench without the use of a U joint.

The throttle rod adjustment has a procedure that varies. I just drove around with a 1/2 inch wrench and moved it to fit my driving style, and desires, as I am the only driver. The 3-2 downshift shift is not always in the right range, but I can anticipate where a manual dropping or a longer holding of into 2nd will cause less stress on the drivetrain.

 

I have a 85 B350 an have been finding a lot of suspension parts on www.trucksprings.com & www.partstrain.com & www.summitracing.com as well as other parts. I found all the manuals for it on ebay.

 

How far have you taken 2nd gear to, at rpm that is? Got a new transmission last week and it shift around 4,000rpm now on flat surfaces. Uphill is still a battle and it would shift much earlier.