All is going well enough at the moment

[Patrick62]

Out choppin' some stuff up the other day, and created a "selfie" with the phone. Worked out pretty well...

Now, as things are going along on the wood cut, I have managed to create another problem... The pickup is complaining a bit. I already know what advice I gonna get on this one. Let me "have it".
The truck is a 1993 Dodge 250 with the cummins. The body is flimsy, but the axles are strong. The engine seems to be a well made workhorse. The transmission is a piece of S---. Automatics don't belong in the woods! Even a couple years ago I achieved a rather interesting dilema. Had a fair load on the truck and found myself with a tree in front of the truck. Needed to back up the hill a few feet... Truck almost could not do it! The other truck would have done it easily... I thought there was power in these things??

Anyway, I am getting the bad smell, and it is "jumping" going into reverse now. Should not be long now... Might as well run it until it blows now. And then? Hee hee.... I am already doing the research on putting a honest to gosh stick into this pile of junque. The T19 from a Ford sounds good, G360 bellhousing, and a few odd bits of jiggery. Might have to divorce mount the 205 transfer case. Fixing it up with a 5 or 6 speed really isn't in the budget. If there is anybody with parts or maybe some ideas... let me know.

I estimate that I am putting over 3000# of green pondo in there.

 

[Dogsout]

You could throw a couple more sticks on there if you was to lose that spare tire on the roof of the cab. Chances are with that load, even if you did have a flat you wouldn't be able to jack it up and change it anyway.

 

[griffonks]

I better come up and help you.... lol. Soon I hope.

Sent from my SCH-R530C using Tapatalk

 

[zogger]

Good luck on the conversion! I have never attempted anything like that.

Aren't the dodge 727s considered good? Or what do you have in it?

 

[nathon918]

Out choppin' some stuff up the other day, and created a "selfie" with the phone. Worked out pretty well...

Now, as things are going along on the wood cut, I have managed to create another problem... The pickup is complaining a bit. I already know what advice I gonna get on this one. Let me "have it".
The truck is a 1993 Dodge 250 with the cummins. The body is flimsy, but the axles are strong. The engine seems to be a well made workhorse. The transmission is a piece of S---. Automatics don't belong in the woods! Even a couple years ago I achieved a rather interesting dilema. Had a fair load on the truck and found myself with a tree in front of the truck. Needed to back up the hill a few feet... Truck almost could not do it! The other truck would have done it easily... I thought there was power in these things??

Anyway, I am getting the bad smell, and it is "jumping" going into reverse now. Should not be long now... Might as well run it until it blows now. And then? Hee hee.... I am already doing the research on putting a honest to gosh stick into this pile of junque. The T19 from a Ford sounds good, G360 bellhousing, and a few odd bits of jiggery. Might have to divorce mount the 205 transfer case. Fixing it up with a 5 or 6 speed really isn't in the budget. If there is anybody with parts or maybe some ideas... let me know.

I estimate that I am putting over 3000# of green pondo in there.

your in the right direction with the automatic comment... although it should read "Automatics dont belong in trucks" haha my last truck was my first and last automatic, didnt even want it when i bought it, but i needed something...
as for a trans for you... roadranger 10 speed??? ive got an 04 dodge 3500 SRW with a cummins and a 6 speed now, and im thinkin this will be my last "new truck" since all the garbage rolling off the line these days is well...garbage.
ill be looking to build probably a 70's or 80's Chevy crew cab dually flat bed, with a 6BT cummins and a 10 speed

 

[513yj]

6BT cummins and a 10 speed

I'll be 12 valving it until I can't swap it into something else any longer.

 

[nathon918]

I'll be 12 valving it until I can't swap it into something else any longer.

i want to build a 4BT Jeep too, but everyone wants the 4BT's so that wont happen for a good while...
ive got 200,000+ on my 24 valve, it runs good but i hate all the electronic garbage on it, id much rather a cable and a couple wires over the ECM/PCM ********

 

[mdavlee]

i want to build a 4BT Jeep too, but everyone wants the 4BT's so that wont happen for a good while...
ive got 200,000+ on my 24 valve, it runs good but i hate all the electronic garbage on it, id much rather a cable and a couple wires over the ECM/PCM ********

P pump the 24 valve.

The getrag or nv4500 that came in the 2nd gen dodges will fit easiest.

 

[chucker]

with a nice load like that your probably well over the 3K estimate! more likely in the neighbor hood of 4200 and squatting = HEAVY LOAD... nothing wrong with an auto as long as you don't try to shift the gears and do the break instead of the clutch peddle?? lol

 

[nathon918]

P pump the 24 valve.

The getrag or nv4500 that came in the 2nd gen dodges will fit easiest.

if i wanted to keep the truck i would, but it's a really clean truck, everythings stock except for the south bend clutch, i tow with it, and it gets loaded with firewood like the OP's tuck in the pic quite often (ive got full height sideboards too), i work it good but i keep it clean other than the tailgate (its beat to hell) and a few dents on the top of the bed sides. id like to build what i want, then sell this one...

 

[Patrick62]

Agreed on the comment "automatics don't belong in trucks!" A trailer queen that stays on the highway is probably fine with a auto.
The 727 is a fine tranny, and the 518 or 46RH that is in this bucket is a overdrive version of the same thing. Now... the 727 can stand up to a built 440... but the cummins will slip that torque converter mercilessly.

You are probably right, it is a tad over 3000#.... The problem is that it is uphill to get outta the cut to the road that I took the pic from. Not terribly steep, but it takes a steady throttle to get it done. This afternoon, the truck refused to move for several minutes.

I have been doing the research. There is a adapter that is available to bolt a 460 Ford bellhousing to the cummins. Then use a T18/19 4 speed, and I am hoping to be able to bolt my 205 to the end of that. Viola, we now have a tank. Top speed of about 60 redlined. Able to pull brick houses off the foundation. Going to cost a few $$, and take some time. but the result is worth it.

 

[3000 FPS]

My BIL has one of those dodges about the same year with the cummins. Except he bought his with the stick shift. The automatic transmissions in those years of dodge trucks were really bad. But anyways he has close to 300,000 miles on it now and is still going strong. I will say though the body rattles like crazy and it is noisey like you can't believe inside, but what a great engine.

 

[3fordasho]

Agreed on the comment "automatics don't belong in trucks!" A trailer queen that stays on the highway is probably fine with a auto.
.

I have to agree- out of the dozens of cars/trucks I've owned only one or two had autos and I usually ended up wishing they were sticks. (ok I guess my wifes 93 merc sable was ok as an auto - she drove it 99% of the time). Sticks have never let me down, Autos just seem like a ticking time bomb that I can't easily fix on my own.
Now the mazda 5 speed in my 92 F150 isn't ideal for the kind of work I submit it to- first isn't low enough, and OD is really too much with the torqueless 302 and any kind of load. My ideal truck to replace it would be a early 90's F2-350, 7.3idi, ZF-5 manual, 4x4, standard cab with 8-10' flat bed (perhaps with hoist & hinge set up) and an underbed toolbox on both sides. I do have a 2000 F450 7.3/6speed set up the same way but it's not 4WD and too big to be in the woods with it - great for delivering firewood or towing my bobcat trailer though.

My buddy just dumped his early 90's dodge with the cummings/5 speed. Dropped the rear drive shaft and it somehow took out the tranny too. Drove like a box of junk but the engine sure was nice.

 

[macattack_ga]

I am enjoying the "built" auto in my '97.
There are some folks (diesel performance shops) out there that have figured out how to overcome many of the weaknesses of the OEM build.
Goerend Transmission being one. I believe Goerend is now only supplying parts to shops around the country.
Might be cheaper than cobbling together a manual swap.

 

[GVS]

You folks are right about autos not belonging in hard working trucks.The problem is about 90% of P/U's onthe road now are bought by people who don't use them for trucks and want all the conviences of a luxo. car.Heated and cooled leather seating,plush carpets,all kinds of electronics AND auto X/MIS.As far as I know Dodge(Ram) is or was the last maker to offer a stick shift in a new P/U.
All my P/U's had a manual trans. in them including the mazda 5 spd.in a 90 F150 with a 302.That truck pulled and hauled everything I put in it or behind it without a problem.Still had the original clutch after nearly 200000 miles.But the best trans. ever put in a domestic P/U is the ZF6 spd,my opinion, With a 5.79 low gear,X/FER case in low range,4.10 or lower gears somthing is either moveing or breaking!It is a very strong and sweet shifting X/MIS.

 

[nathon918]

You folks are right about autos not belonging in hard working trucks.The problem is about 90% of P/U's onthe road now are bought by people who don't use them for trucks and want all the conviences of a luxo. car.Heated and cooled leather seating,plush carpets,all kinds of electronics AND auto X/MIS.As far as I know Dodge(Ram) is or was the last maker to offer a stick shift in a new P/U.
All my P/U's had a manual trans. in them including the mazda 5 spd.in a 90 F150 with a 302.That truck pulled and hauled everything I put in it or behind it without a problem.Still had the original clutch after nearly 200000 miles.But the best trans. ever put in a domestic P/U is the ZF6 spd,my opinion, With a 5.79 low gear,X/FER case in low range,4.10 or lower gears somthing is either moveing or breaking!It is a very strong and sweet shifting X/MIS.

Hey ive got heated leather in my cummins, hahah only because the truck happened to have them, they are nice though...mine also has the electric transfer case shift actuator, biggest pain in the balls, thats coming out when i do the clutch, sit there for 5 minutes sometimes trying to get it out of 4 Lo
i dont know about the ZF6 being the best ever, as far as strength and reliability goes id put the SM465 right at the top... you definetly wont win any race with it though haha
also everyone still makes a manual available, theyre just extreamly hard to find, you go to the dealer and tell them you want a manual and they look at you like you have 3 heads!!

 

[mdavlee]

Garmons diesel down in GA makes a good transmission. They make them hold all you can build the engine for. My 11 3500 has the auto in it. I couldn't bring myself to get a manual when the cruising rpms are so much lower with the auto. It's been trouble free for 67k so far. The heaviest load I've scaled with was 25.3k lbs with trailer and gravel. I do prefer manuals in the 3rd generation and back.

 

[GVS]

Hey ive got heated leather in my cummins, hahah only because the truck happened to have them, they are nice though...mine also has the electric transfer case shift actuator, biggest pain in the balls, thats coming out when i do the clutch, sit there for 5 minutes sometimes trying to get it out of 4 Lo
i dont know about the ZF6 being the best ever, as far as strength and reliability goes id put the SM465 right at the top... you definetly wont win any race with it though haha
also everyone still makes a manual available, theyre just extreamly hard to find, you go to the dealer and tell them you want a manual and they look at you like you have 3 heads!!

Actually the ZF6 can hold more torque than the 465 muncie.Still a tough unit though.

 

[3fordasho]

i dont know about the ZF6 being the best ever, as far as strength and reliability goes id put the SM465 right at the top... you definetly wont win any race with it though haha
also everyone still makes a manual available, theyre just extreamly hard to find, you go to the dealer and tell them you want a manual and they look at you like you have 3 heads!!

I thought Dodge was the only one offering a manual anymore- last manual I've seen in a Ford Super Duty had the 6.4 - maybe a 2008, have not seen any with the 6.7. I'd love to hear you can still get the manual from Ford.

 

[GVS]

I thought Dodge was the only one offering a manual anymore- last manual I've seen in a Ford Super Duty had the 6.4 - maybe a 2008, have not seen any with the 6.7. I'd love to hear you can still get the manual from Ford.

Nope,No stick shift can be goten in new F150,250 or 350 since about 2011.Same with GM.They could be had in Dodge until I think 2012.