Missouri Mule Posted March 4, 2022 Share Posted March 4, 2022 Well. As some of you may or may not know my mother passed away in December. I have been busy all winter trying to go through her belongings and work towards selling her place. In my spare time I feed cows. In my other remaining time I have been working on my latest little project. I like binder tractors and 5.9 cummins trucks. So I bought me a 97 12 valve dodge with a 5 speed. 180k. Been around this truck since it was a couple years old. My now BIL and I used to "borrow" this truck from his dad in high school while he was working out of town. we put most of them miles on it driving around aimlessly. Anyway I suppose it keeps me busy and keeps my mind off of other things so I bought it. Needs alot of work. Head gasket, heater core, brakes, engine front cover gasket, balancer, dash, radio, just to name a few things. When I'm all done I'll still have a crusty old dodge but I like them. Plans are to jerk the bed off and install flat bed. Paint the cab forward and fix rusty rockers and cab corners. I wanted a decent diesel truck to pull trailers around the farms that I can leave my nicer diesel in the shed. I keep denting or scratching up my better truck and sure cant afford a new one. My smooth looking helper posing for a picture. He could fit back in behind that dash to help me get that wretched heater box out. Anyway it's nothing special to most probably but I thought I'd share where I've been lately. 10 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iowaboy1965 Posted March 4, 2022 Share Posted March 4, 2022 Fine looking helper. 🙂 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yellowrosefarm Posted March 4, 2022 Share Posted March 4, 2022 You look up "run hard and put away wet" in the dictionary and you see a picture of this truck. I had the same one with a gas engine for 10 years until someone pulled out in front of me a couple of years ago. 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hardtail Posted March 4, 2022 Share Posted March 4, 2022 Is that your dirt daubers at work ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acem Posted March 4, 2022 Share Posted March 4, 2022 You need a dash pad, probably the most unreliable part on those trucks. Check the head for cracks if it got hot. Thx-Ace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missouri Mule Posted March 4, 2022 Author Share Posted March 4, 2022 27 minutes ago, hardtail said: Is that your dirt daubers at work ? Not sure what it was. I'm just glad I went the extra step to remove the whole heater box so I could change my evaporator. It was quite a bit of extra work to gain access. Glad I did. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missouri Mule Posted March 4, 2022 Author Share Posted March 4, 2022 2 minutes ago, acem said: You need a dash pad, probably the most unreliable part on those trucks. Check the head for cracks if it got hot. Thx-Ace Yes and yes. I bought a whole new dash pad from LMC. It actually fit very nice. It's all installed. Worst problem is the lower dash is just as brittle as the top. So I broke a couple places trying to roll the dash back in to get screws started. Theres no physical way to push anywhere on the thing without cracking plastic somewhere around the cluster or radio. I'm not quite ready to swap the whole dash out although I was probably only 30 minutes worth of work from being there. My head was cracked. I paid to have it magnafluxed. Good thing because this truck ran perfect. It had a very small coolant leak externally below thermostat housing. Gasket showed where it failed. It has been like this 15 years at least. They just topped off the coolant everyday. So it wasnt leaking much. Just a little trickle after shut off mainly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vtfireman85 Posted March 4, 2022 Share Posted March 4, 2022 1 hour ago, Missouri Mule said: Well. As some of you may or may not know my mother passed away in December. I have been busy all winter trying to go through her belongings and work towards selling her place. In my spare time I feed cows. In my other remaining time I have been working on my latest little project. I like binder tractors and 5.9 cummins trucks. So I bought me a 97 12 valve dodge with a 5 speed. 180k. Been around this truck since it was a couple years old. My now BIL and I used to "borrow" this truck from his dad in high school while he was working out of town. we put most of them miles on it driving around aimlessly. Anyway I suppose it keeps me busy and keeps my mind off of other things so I bought it. Needs alot of work. Head gasket, heater core, brakes, engine front cover gasket, balancer, dash, radio, just to name a few things. When I'm all done I'll still have a crusty old dodge but I like them. Plans are to jerk the bed off and install flat bed. Paint the cab forward and fix rusty rockers and cab corners. I wanted a decent diesel truck to pull trailers around the farms that I can leave my nicer diesel in the shed. I keep denting or scratching up my better truck and sure cant afford a new one. My smooth looking helper posing for a picture. He could fit back in behind that dash to help me get that wretched heater box out. Anyway it's nothing special to most probably but I thought I'd share where I've been lately. Some kids look all grown up long before their time 😂 look out ladies! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missouri Mule Posted March 4, 2022 Author Share Posted March 4, 2022 1 hour ago, vtfireman85 said: Some kids look all grown up long before their time 😂 look out ladies! Oh yah. My wife and I joke all the time. He dresses himself every single day and always has. He wears very nice clothes and button up shirts. Very picky about his outfits. I on the other hand wear whatever is in my closet, stained up, oil soaked, holes in Jean's. Could care a less what others think. He will get dirty with me no problem, but if we go to town he wants to change first. Lol 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
from H to 80 Posted March 4, 2022 Share Posted March 4, 2022 i had a 98 1/2 model quad cab with the inline injection pump i never had any issues with it for the 10 years i owned it. when i put it up for sale i had more calls than i could answer it ended up going to Indiana, the guy drove all night after i posted the add, guessing i sold it too cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missouri Mule Posted March 4, 2022 Author Share Posted March 4, 2022 9 minutes ago, from H to 80 said: i had a 98 1/2 model quad cab with the inline injection pump i never had any issues with it for the 10 years i owned it. when i put it up for sale i had more calls than i could answer it ended up going to Indiana, the guy drove all night after i posted the add, guessing i sold it too cheap. Probably so. P pump 5.9's are very sought after. They sure do what was intended for them to do. To a cummins guy this is the 400 series of IH. Hard to beat. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oleman Posted March 4, 2022 Share Posted March 4, 2022 The best part of this, is the fact that it is a Father Son project. Looking back over many years some of by best memories are about working with my Family. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobbyfarm Posted March 4, 2022 Share Posted March 4, 2022 I had a 96 club cab with the 5 speed. It looks like your rear doors open. Probably my favorite truck. I sold it for what I paid for it. I probably should have kept it but rust was taking over on the fenders rockers and wheel wells and at the time i thought it was now or never. I wouldn't mind finding a better one. I'm guessing less then 10% were 5 speeds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N S Posted March 4, 2022 Share Posted March 4, 2022 Oh man, you've taken on quite the project. I don't bend in the right places to do a lot of what that's going to require. And as you say, there isn't anywhere you can push on anything without cracking some plastic. My favorite truck of all time was a "48" 1 ton Dodge, flathead six and an unsynchroed 4 banger box. There was dang little you couldn't fix with ridiculous ease. And it still got you from point A to point B. At least once a month I wish I still had it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oleman Posted March 4, 2022 Share Posted March 4, 2022 4 hours ago, N S said: Oh man, you've taken on quite the project. I don't bend in the right places to do a lot of what that's going to require. And as you say, there isn't anywhere you can push on anything without cracking some plastic. My favorite truck of all time was a "48" 1 ton Dodge, flathead six and an unsynchroed 4 banger box. There was dang little you couldn't fix with ridiculous ease. And it still got you from point A to point B. At least once a month I wish I still had it. I really liked the 50 flathead dodge with the 4 speed, including the 7.50x16 tires BUT I want it in the same condition it was in in 59. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldscoutdiesel Posted March 5, 2022 Share Posted March 5, 2022 My '96 dually had the Cummins with 5 speed. Used it for 10 years and only did oil and fuel filter changes. Batteries lasted about all of that 10 years, finally put new ones in 3 years ago. I did correct the Killer Dowel Pin on it and never looked back. Body was straight with no rust at all, but the paint was badly faded. Still got good price for it when sold. Replaced it with a '15 Cummins 6 speed hand shaker. I still like to shift my own. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryangpayne Posted March 5, 2022 Share Posted March 5, 2022 Looks like a neat project and always good to have a helper to fit into tight spots. I recently bought a 95 dodge Cummins, 5 speed, 4x4 out of my neighbors junk pile. He used it for years to feed cows with. It had been sitting for 7 years. I put a battery in it, checked all the fluids and the air filter, primed the lift pump and bled the injector lines and it started up and drove. It has no bed and the cab, front end and frame are so cracked up they are about to fall apart but boy it fires right up and sounds good. They are good old motors. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missouri Mule Posted March 5, 2022 Author Share Posted March 5, 2022 2 hours ago, oldscoutdiesel said: My '96 dually had the Cummins with 5 speed. Used it for 10 years and only did oil and fuel filter changes. Batteries lasted about all of that 10 years, finally put new ones in 3 years ago. I did correct the Killer Dowel Pin on it and never looked back. Body was straight with no rust at all, but the paint was badly faded. Still got good price for it when sold. Replaced it with a '15 Cummins 6 speed hand shaker. I still like to shift my own. Yep. First thing I went after was the killer dowl pin. It had already left the building. Got lucky or at least he did. I drove it all of 2 miles home and tore it down. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wes806 Posted March 5, 2022 Share Posted March 5, 2022 I have the 95 3500 4x4 dually with 5.9 12 valve 5 speed. Prefer driving it more then my Ford f350 with the 7.3 powerstroke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diesel Doctor Posted March 5, 2022 Share Posted March 5, 2022 Those heater cores are a B???? to get at in all trucks. The problem is, will the new one leak? Quality is no more. A big project but well worth it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TN Hillbilly Posted March 5, 2022 Share Posted March 5, 2022 10 hours ago, Missouri Mule said: Yep. First thing I went after was the killer dowl pin. It had already left the building. Got lucky or at least he did. I drove it all of 2 miles home and tore it down. Not to derail, but what is this killer dowel pin? I've been around several of these engines but never owned one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldscoutdiesel Posted March 6, 2022 Share Posted March 6, 2022 The timing gears are in a separate aluminum housing bolted on to the front of the engine. The dowel pin is used as a locator for installing that housing. It's not a real tight, press fit on the pin and has been known to slide out of its bore hole and drop to the bottom of the housing. Sometimes it falls into the timing gears (no chain drive on this one) and makes a big mess breaking all kinds of parts. And sometimes it's just found in the bottom. One removes the crankshaft pulley, usually fan and radiator and cover of timing gear housing, and either bores a hole in the block to install a set screw against the dowel pin or attaches a tab over the pin that is held in place by a nearby bolt. It was quite common as a problem in all 12 valve engines '89-98 up to the 24 valve engines. Geno's Garage sells the kit for $65.00 and articles in the Turbo Diesel Register magazine documents the process. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
856 Custom Posted March 6, 2022 Share Posted March 6, 2022 Local farmer had that timing gear fiasco happen to his 1993 12 valve, probably around 1997. It was getting close to 100k miles on when his exploded. That was really something to look at all that damage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ihfan4life Posted March 6, 2022 Share Posted March 6, 2022 This is my helper. When he wants to help he’s a great little helper. When he doesn’t, forget about it 😩 4 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finney Posted March 6, 2022 Share Posted March 6, 2022 You cant beat those engines, I have 2 that are 24 valves with over 300,000 on them and they are like the energizer bunny. I have a 12 valve with a P pump waiting in the wings for a project. Right now around here a 12 valve or 24 valve in a decent body will bring crazy money. My diesel mechanic just sold a 97 3500 with a decent body and 200,00+ for $25,000. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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