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Project: Hank - '93 W250 Daily/tow

6569 Views 153 Replies 13 Participants Last post by  cutoutcummins, 
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Well, i did a thing. With the prices of late model used trucks thru the roof in pandemic, and old solid trucks basically never going down, i "invested". not only did i get basically double for my '08 than i should have, but when a truck just makes you happy it's an investment in sanity! love this new things and started getting into some things that others might find helpful or interesting and thought i'd start a thread. some of you may have seen this truck on the forum before too, i'm like the 4th owner of this build from way back.

1993 Ram W250 Club Cab
Cummins / G360 / NP205
D60 / D80
6" / 4" lift
35's on 17" street-locks
Oldschool Compounds and fiddled with screws

i had been looking for a GM square body to 12V swap, until i found the club cab. i'm just too tall for a regular cab, and quad cab is too much wheelbase for a daily imho. spent a good long while looking for something clean enough to be worth the money and time to keep on the road, but used enough i didn't feel bad doing truck stuff. also wanted something stock to build myself, but obviously threw that to the wind!

I'm from PA and found this bucket of bolts in Mississippi, so decided to make an adventure of it. Flew down on a Thursday night late. My wife and i were dead when we got the hotel and i couldn't sleep like it was Christmas eve as a kid. He picked us up first thing in the AM and the truck was as-advertised, off we went to the bank and notary, then to drop him off. He sold this cuz he got a TRX! i demanded a ride before we left! 🤣

were so close to the coast, so we drove down for lunch on the beach. pan fried grouper taco 🤤 walked the beach for a few minutes, toes in the Gulf, and then headed north. 500miles the first day was basically uneventful and pleasant. though, the wife did use my noise canceling over-ear headphone the whole ride,😂 . stopped Friday night in Nashville, and spent Saturday looking around.

Day 2: breakfast on Broadway, live music, tchotchke shops, etc. even taco bell was bad ass! the tours of drunks at 11am were the best though, holy hell. tractor pulled hay rides, monster truck rides in the city, you name it. city ppl who came to the city to party like it's the country! toured the crazy opry hotel before going to the opry for the Saturday night show. best part was Billy Ray Cyrus singing Achy Breaky live! 🤘

Day 3: headed home, 575mi, again was uneventful for the truck. got a clicking in the steering when not moving, still not found it, and no heater. was at least just above freezing. left early and stopped into the Corvette Museum at opening. totally worth stopping, but can't say i'd have driven there just for that. everything was great until it got cold, rainy, and even snowed. as the sun set the cab stopped holding heat and the windows started to fog up on us. i kept running the defrost to wash the warmer moist air out so i could see, but this froze the wife. she had the DeWalt heated jacket on, hat n gloves, like 4 pairs of socks (one mine), then my spare jeans over her 3 yoga pants, all wrapped in a sweater, still wearing my noise canceling headphones over her hears. on a scale of 1-10, loving it to tuck n roll jumping out the window in front of traffic ... she was about a 9 for the last 3h. 😢

but we made! what an awesome adventure of a weekend!
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Wombat Ranger
6DoF said:
i started thinking more about this ... and i think I was thinkin too small. i think i'm getting on your bus here. my entire frame of reference for shifter movement vs the body is in Jeeps with full cages. 100% assume this truck will flex and twist a lot more!
Click to expand...
Look at how they do it from the factory. 1" all around will still be a smaller hole than that. I just want to be helpful, I've got a lot of experience swapping manuals around in all kinds of 4x4's (especially Dodges) along with more powerful engines than stock, just trying to share a little experience. I do not want to be argumentative or critical, so do it however you want. You're obviously capable of going back and making a change later on if necessary (y)
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by all means, suggestions and advice are always good! if i don't use it, someone else might. there's so much BS n haters on most places any more, everyone gets up in arms too quick. start a discussion, figure out someone else's perspective, try something new, find your own limits. comment, joke, give sh!t and enjoy. just don't give me sh!t if ya can't take it when it comes back :LOL:

i know I'm not the average user, i like to daily something more race leaning and with a lot more "character". i'd rather struggle thru having this truck as a tow-rig than buy some new vanilla truck for way more coin.
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Wombat Ranger
I think there are more of us out there than we like to admit to ourselves. I've been stewing for a long while about putting a 70's Dodge crew cab on my 4500 frame. With a very upgraded interior and meticulous rust prevention measures.
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eeeevery once in a while I'll get annoyed to be working on the truck and i get that look from the wife ... "still glad you didn't buy that new truck you picked out?!?" humble retreat "yes, yes ma'am, i love my truck" :LOL:

i also know better than to buy a pre-modified anything, but the bones/price were right. I'd have never lifted it this much, but I'm not going back now! I'll still be tinkering with basically everything suspension related though. i knew i wanted compounds, and probably would have picked these too, but now driving them I'd hedge my bets WAY more to spool-up than peak air movement.

the whole deal buying this truck was it had to be ready to tow my Jeep to the trail day-1, it couldn't be a project. the guys get on my case every time i tinker/change anything 'cuz #NotAProject ... the wife even made a HUGE 12" tall sticker to put on the shop wall above my truck '#NotAProject' and points at it from time to time. :LOL:

well #StockSux and #EverythingIsAProject
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1320Fastback
6DoF said:
still have everything, and everything must go! hopefully someone wants the g360 and all the fiddly bits for spare parts. i haven't actually posted it yet though, what should i ask? i am seeing $5-600 core charges, but i was thinking more like $3-400 with everything.
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I would think at $300-400 it would sell quite fast and if you were west coast CA I'd jump all over it. I am actually looking for the spring that sits underneath the shifter right now. They are of course not available and I'm not paying $1400 for a complete top cover just to get one.
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u2slow
1320Fastback said:
I am actually looking for the spring that sits underneath the shifter right now. They are of course not available and I'm not paying $1400 for a complete top cover just to get one.
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This one?
torqueking.com

QU50313 G360 Transmission Shift Lever Spring 1989-1993 Dodge Diesel

QU50313 Getrag G360 Top Cover Spring for Dodge 1989 to 1993 Ram 250 & Ram 350 trucks with Cummins 5.9 liter Turbocharged Diesel engine . In Stock, Quick Shipping
torqueking.com torqueking.com
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1320Fastback
That's it. Haven't been able to find one in stock anywhere.
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how about this kit sir!?!

**EDIT ... never mind ... added to my cart and then it said not available. nor is the single spring. maybe call Allstate Gear and see wat they say, they should know if it's never coming back or if there's an ETA.

www.allstategear.com

Dodge G360 Shift Top Rebuild Kit, SPG360-50YK - Getrag 5 Speed Dodge Shift Top Repair Part

Buy Dodge G360 Shift Top Rebuild Kit, SPG360-50YK - Dodge G360 Transmission Shift Top Parts at Wholesale Pricing.
www.allstategear.com

www.allstategear.com

Dodge G360 Top Cover Spring G360-105 - Getrag 5 Speed Dodge Repair Part

Buy Dodge G360 Getrag Transmission Top Cover Spring G360-105 - Dodge G360 Transmission Shifter Parts at Wholesale Pricing.
www.allstategear.com
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if i can still get enough coin out of parting this trans out vs selling a whole package, i'll gladly ship you the top cover. i sent you a PM.
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last night started out pretty satisfying, the shifters are all in and ready to drive!

the factory boot might not be the ideal, but i think it's going to work good. the square shifter of the 5600 doesn't fit as well in the round boot though. first thing was to cut out the inner boot since the shifter sticks up much further thru the floor. actually fixed most of my ripped boot issue. then since i got the short throw shifter it uses this 1" spacer for the longer stick below the pivot. to gain some clearance for shakin back n forth i had to round the corners more. 2 cut, 2 aren't in the pictures for demo, but i did all 4. shoved it on the tower, marked my hole locations, and made a template to mark out what i could cut and still seal. i actually forgot to grab a picture of the final clearance, but we should be ok.

might shorten or re-bend the shifter later after driving we'll see, but the twin sticks are just awesome to shift thru.



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after the shifters i started in on the exhaust. since it was apart i just can't leave well enough alone!

almost a complete re-do of the down pipe, then adding in a BD Diesel exhaust brake and FTE resonator before the t-case. still have some tweaks to make tonight before i burn it all home, but it's all guna fit!
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I'm driving it!! holy sh!t it's better!


got the exhaust welded, painted, and installed back to the t-case 2 nights ago and couldn't wait any longer, i had to test drive it, and it was worth it. even with it dumping right under the passenger seat up in the frame, it was quieter. that FTE muffler/resonator thing is crazy. last night i finished getting the exhaust out the back and actually drove the truck around a while.

new clutch feels 1000x better, i had to adjust my pedal down to make sure i don't over travel this thing. i might actually have to shorten the adjustable clutch rod i made. Chinese short throw shifter is a little sloppy but ok, i might take it apart some time to see if i can tighten it up.

but holy crap on a cracker, it's not even the same truck any more. i didn't even have time to notice the ride cuz i already had to shift again :LOL: seriously though, there is stuff i never expected to change that's just better. like it smokes way less daily driving it now, i just don't have to lug into turbo lag. i can even turn up the fuel more if i wanted.

less lag, sh!t is faster
more fuel for the smoke, sh!t is faster
better gear splits, sh!t is faster
smother faster shifting, sh!t is faster

no more front drive shaft rattle, t-case is quieter
new spline coupler on the 205 input, t-case is quieter
new twin sticks don't rattle, it's quieter
entire transmission is just quieter, there's basically no gear noise
FTE resonator made the exhaust HUGELY quieter inside, but still sounds great outside.

clutch mid-plate does make more noise when released ... i didn't get the quite one, should have paid the extra

new engine mounts with the new trans mount smoothed it out
new clutch that isn't coming apart smoothed it out
alignment in the rear DS apparently was needed to smooth it out
no more front shaft vibes

PLUS! i can get it into 2nd from a stop without putting it in 3rd first. i can put it into any gear i want without grinding. just don't miss 5th n hit reverse, that makes some noise.

it rev's smoother and better even while riding the governor, even more reason for less turbo lag, it's just smoother and quieter and more proper in every metric and every area. it's crazy, i still don't believe it, but i'm freakin thrilled. i don't even have carpet or floor insulation in there yet, it's still bare steel! i just bought 2 gal of lizard skin to spray it all down with and new carpet with the extra bat.

motivation is HIGH to knock out more of the list to really keep dialing this truck in.
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cutoutcummins
6DoF said:
I'm driving it!! holy sh!t it's better!


got the exhaust welded, painted, and installed back to the t-case 2 nights ago and couldn't wait any longer, i had to test drive it, and it was worth it. even with it dumping right under the passenger seat up in the frame, it was quieter. that FTE muffler/resonator thing is crazy. last night i finished getting the exhaust out the back and actually drove the truck around a while.

new clutch feels 1000x better, i had to adjust my pedal down to make sure i don't over travel this thing. i might actually have to shorten the adjustable clutch rod i made. Chinese short throw shifter is a little sloppy but ok, i might take it apart some time to see if i can tighten it up.

but holy crap on a cracker, it's not even the same truck any more. i didn't even have time to notice the ride cuz i already had to shift again
seriously though, there is stuff i never expected to change that's just better. like it smokes way less daily driving it now, i just don't have to lug into turbo lag. i can even turn up the fuel more if i wanted.

less lag, sh!t is faster
more fuel for the smoke, sh!t is faster
better gear splits, sh!t is faster
smother faster shifting, sh!t is faster

no more front drive shaft rattle, t-case is quieter
new spline coupler on the 205 input, t-case is quieter
new twin sticks don't rattle, it's quieter
entire transmission is just quieter, there's basically no gear noise
FTE resonator made the exhaust HUGELY quieter inside, but still sounds great outside.

clutch mid-plate does make more noise when released ... i didn't get the quite one, should have paid the extra

new engine mounts with the new trans mount smoothed it out
new clutch that isn't coming apart smoothed it out
alignment in the rear DS apparently was needed to smooth it out
no more front shaft vibes

PLUS! i can get it into 2nd from a stop without putting it in 3rd first. i can put it into any gear i want without grinding. just don't miss 5th n hit reverse, that makes some noise.

it rev's smoother and better even while riding the governor, even more reason for less turbo lag, it's just smoother and quieter and more proper in every metric and every area. it's crazy, i still don't believe it, but i'm freakin thrilled. i don't even have carpet or floor insulation in there yet, it's still bare steel! i just bought 2 gal of lizard skin to spray it all down with and new carpet with the extra bat.

motivation is HIGH to knock out more of the list to really keep dialing this truck in.
Click to expand...
Awesome. Glad you got it back on the road


1990 w250 12v Cummins
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1320Fastback
Awesome it's back on the road. Keep going!
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well :poop:

below picture was a clean dry floor, truck driven 1hour on the highway and parked there. we'll call it excessive ...

1) the hand-ground seal surface for the np205 coupler is 100% not functional. i think i got it a tad small, probably not perfectly round, and i know the striations were going the wrong direction so probably pumping fluid out. i thought maybe worst case it would be a slow enough leak that it would just keep the truck from rusting, but no ... i'm going to have to pull the seal and glue the t-case on like most suggest. i might have a machinist buddy machine the opposite end of the coupler, but i might not be patient enough for that.

2) Rear Main Seal ... nothing more fun than doing preventative maintenance and replacing a non-leaking seal with a bad leaker. turns out, most likely installation error! i hadn't seen the specific Cummins instructions before and just installed it like a normal seal by making sure everything was well oiled. turns out the seal has some Teflon transfer or break-in period and requires a 100% oil free crank to work. oiled, will never seal, time to pull the transmission ... AGAIN 🤦‍♂️

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driving the truck and ignoring the leaks til parts show up, and i love it. can't wait to finish out the interior and get the suspension dialed in.

i did however build a new WMO set up. hose is nice n secure on the barrel for wheeling it around, and the air-over pump is awesome. little meter on the handle to know how much i put in, and no more filling jugs! the pump and hose came from a local auction site too, so they were super cheap.

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sdeeter19555
6DoF said:
driving the truck and ignoring the leaks til parts show up, and i love it. can't wait to finish out the interior and get the suspension dialed in.

i did however build a new WMO set up. hose is nice n secure on the barrel for wheeling it around, and the air-over pump is awesome. little meter on the handle to know how much i put in, and no more filling jugs! the pump and hose came from a local auction site too, so they were super cheap.
Click to expand...
I've thought about the WMO, but that is as far as I've gotten. I'd need to start fresh, all my buckets are mixed crap (brake clean, brake fluid, atf, hydraulic fluid, etc.). I have a 12v pump and a Amsoil bypass filter (or a Frantz if I wanted), just need to get the ambition!
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all of that will run! as long as there's no water, dump it in the tank!. ATF and hydraulic fluid is even better than WMO in my research. hell, my barrel gets gear lube too.
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you'd think i might have done this once or twice recently ... 1h15m to get the trans back out from under the truck, 2h to get the rear main on the bench. lots of clean-up before i can seal everything with the np205 nicely, and the rear crank housing again.
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minor freak-out today ... i'm going nutz!

last night i got the 205 all glued up, even installed a housing drain plug for that void. new rear main installed DRY, but was a little bit notchy at the transition from the install tool to the crank surface and my automotive-ocd is pulling out my hair wondering if it is straight or has a folded under lip. clutch is all back on with the starter ... i just want to break it in before installing the transmission to find out 😰

my exhaust was also kind of coming apart when i got under there to start, so i need to redo a bit while the trans is out of the way. while in there i also got a picture i forgot to take, how i beat the pinch seam up against the floor for bell clearance.
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