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1998 Dodge 3/4 ton should I or shouldnt I

J

Judith

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 29, 2005
Messages
2,428
Location
BC
I have been offered a Dodge 4x4 for 2500.00

It has an oil pressure issue. SO I am assuming that it needs a new engine. That said it will cost me 1500.00 to have a new engine dropped in it. Is this still a good deal? The truck itself is in fantastic condition, extended cab, has a top of the line tow package and is set up for a camper. There is a really weird grinding noise when you put it into 4 wheel high as well. I only tried it from a dead stop and I may have needed to be coasting? Hard to say with these trucks. I didnt have the manual so ??? It drove really well and the engine was really clean. I saw no evidence of an oil leak. No smells when driving it.

What do you think?
 
Do you really " know" the people you'll be dealing with?


Can you find a 3rd opinion mechanic near abouts that you'd trust their judgement and let them look at the truck??. Don't mention any of your fears or ideas or questions.... UNTIL they tell you what they found first.
 
Mechanic is looking at it this afternoon :) I'm almost 100% positive that the oil pressure issue means new engine. it is down to 6% However it could also be that the filter thingy is clogged up. I'm more than willing to drop an engine in it. Just from me looking at it brakes, tires are new, tranny is new ( they had all the reciepts) Some doofer thingy on the 4 wheel drive is new. Really the only thing that is not brand new is the engine.
 
Your " gutz" will tell you if it's a good deal or not.

NEVER go against a ' gut' instinct is what I say!!!
 
Kola, my gut is screaming grab the truck and run!!!!! In the current condition that it is in they are going from 8500.00 to 10,000 in our area. And it has all the bells and whistles. Air, power seats, cruise, yada yada..... But I always like to get opinions before I do something like purchase a vehicle that i know needs work..
 
Sounds like you're on the ball with this deal! Good luck and you're right trucks are HIGH...EVERYWHERE!!!!
 
I'd be pretty careful Judith. I've been there done that. It always ends up twice what you think it will or more. It might be a bargain but .... I have an old grain truck I have way too much in because it just had a little engine trouble. It's a pretty good truck now after about 8G. Good news is I could get a quarter of my money back any time I wanted. :lol:
 
Too funny! The only thing I'm ever really afraid of with vehicles is electrical problems. I've had a heck of a time with my van, we just can't figure out what the heck is wrong with the old girl. I run screaming if it's not a part I can't put in. Glen (mechanic) will take a boo at her this afternoon. He's a really good guy and he lets me use his shop to do minor repairs and stuff. He is unfortunately very ill so he often needs help with little stuff like oil changes, tires etc. I'm happy to help him do the little stuff. I'm really lucky to have an honest mechanic!
 
Whats the shop rate for garages in your area?
Those where great trucks. Your getting a Dana 70 solid axle up front "super massive"with a Dana 80 in the rear. A good mod on the 70 is a cable locker.
Whats the tranny? NV4500?
You know for $2500 thats a cheap project vehicle. Or I should say it would be for me because I can pull my own wrenches.
You guys have to get smog tested out in BC ? Right?
Like in Alberta we dont have any stupid laws to worry about. If it was me I would put a Mopar off road performance engine in it. Heck with that truck I would be priceing a new or from a wrecking yard a second hand Cummings diesel. It wouldnt be that big of a job on that truck. Well compared to what a new diesel is going to cost you.
If the transfer case is shot thats a great chance to put a real Atlas twin stick transfer case into it from advance adapters. hOWEVER this noise in 4 wheel drive sounds more like a problem in the dana 70. Those big Danas are not cheap to rebuild. You know the vacumn engagement for the front axle was always problematic. Most replace it with a cable.
Like you could build that truck way better than what it ever was new. Its a great foundation truck to start with. Just that I dont know what type of stupid laws you have over there and im thinking the labor might get pretty expensive in your province?

BTW I dont see how its possible for any shop to put a new engine in that truck for $1500. They are full of crap or the are cutting corners. They might be able to get you a cheap half a$$ rebuilt engine for $1500 but still your going to be looking at atleast a couple of thousand for labor and parts to get it installed. Actually I bet if you got that done at a reputable shop your going to be looking at atleast $4000 just for the engine by the time you are done. Maybe a lot more depending on what the charge for labour. But still, even if it costs you $4000 for a new engine thats still a cheap truck.
One thing I like about rebuilding an old truck that you buy for cheap is that atleast this way you know what you have. You can go out and pay $15000 for a used truck and it could end up needing a lot of work.
I would consult a mechanic if I was you. Make sure the truck wasnt smashed, make sure it wasnt a rental truck or a leased truck that was driven without the odometer connected etc.
But if you do buy that truck, be prepared to put some serious money into it. Stuff can really add up fast :wink: especially when you are paying somebody else to fix it.
 
Judith; Add it up, a new engine (probably at least double your estimate), a rebuilt transfer case ($ 2000 installed plus whatever your drive shafts need, u-joints at mininum, new front drive shaft quite possible-$600) and you probably will find other stuff that needs doing. If you know the seller and how the truck was looked after it might be OK.............if you don't drop the deal and run.................fast!!! :roll: :roll:
 
Hey Roper,
1500.00 is the price of the engine. ( I get parts wholesale through Tidewater. I buy quite a few parts for Glenn as he can't get them as cheap as I can through the regular mechanic channels.) I priced it out myself so it is the correct price. (Tsk Tsk, boys assuming a mere girly couldnt do one :shock: )I'd be doing the engine work and then Glenn the trusty mechanic would go over it. I've done engines before so that's not an issue. I don't like the sound of the 4 wheel drive thingy though( note I am calling it a thingy that is how much I know about it!) and I have never worked on one so I have absolutely no idea what I am looking at. U joints etc are in fantastic shape. I was crawling around under there and everything is perfect. You have got to love lifts :) I can see that the truck was hit in the front as it is not straight. I pulled up the ICBC records and there is no record of it so, maybe they repaired it instead of claiming insurance? After talking with Glenn he said I would be a tool not to buy it. He actually figures I can drive it for another 4-6 months as it is. Basically I'd be driving a brand new truck for just under 6,000. I'm going to hit the mechanic forums and see if I can find anything out about the 4 wheel drive. There has got to be a reason it keeps spinning like that and wont let you slid it into high. I got it into high eventually but it sounded like I backed over a cat!
 
Hey Judith I have been thinking it over.
Let me put it to you this way. What does Greg charge per hour? Labor can really kill you. I will give you an example of this friend of mine who has a 96 Dodge truck. The brass bushings on his drivers side door were a little worn and the idiot light on the dash that tells you when your in 4 wheel drive didnt work.
He took it to a Dodge dealer in Lethbridge. They charged him almost $600 to fix it!!!! I could have fixed this out in my driveway in a couple of hours or a half day at the most for about $10.
Does this truck have push button 4 wheel drive or does it have a shifting lever on the floor?
What exactly does the truck do or sound like when you put it into 4 wheel drive?
Is the frame straight on this truck? Was this truck imported to BC from another province? Is it currently registered in BC.
How many miles per year do you plan on driveing this truck? This is really important because if your going to be running a lot of miles per year im thinking your going to be better off with a new truck.
Dont rush into anything. A couple of months ago I saw an 1986 GMC one ton 4 wheel drive with something like 70,000 km on it in the Antique Auto Trader. This truck was in mint condition, needed nothing and they only wanted something like $6000 for it. BTW This is a much more desirable truck than a 90s Dodge. It was located in the lower mainland to.
Here is something else to think about. Even though you can apparently get a new engine for $1500 will they give you warraty if Greg installs it? Is this a long block or a short block engine? Are you going to have to install new radiator, new belts, new fuel pump, etc, etc. to have warranty? I have to run
 
Roper the lever is on the floor. It sounds like the transmission keeps running and you are trying to cram the lever into position while something is still moving. (Does that make sense?) It is a heavy duty grind. But I know some 4 wheel drives you have to be coasting at 10KMH or more. I didnt have the manual so I could have been doing it all wrong :shock:
 
A judith convinced against her will is of the same opinion still.

Let us know how it works out. Some deals like that are real good.

Have you put a pressure gage on the oil line to see that it's only 6# or are you going by the gauge on the dash?
 
Hey Red Robin, Nope it's 6# with the oil Gauge. I have found alot of different "reasons" that this could be happening on the net. There seemed to be some issues with that model and year. I still can only find the air care information to 2004....Wait I just had an ephifany. I betcha it's classified as a farm vehicle. The only thing that concerns me is that dang 4 wheel drive! I'd be alot more comfortable if I new what was going on. It's not a deal yet. I may be stubborn, but I have taken all the info I got from you guys and thrown it at Glenn. He just keeps yelling at me to get off his damn computer. It's his fault I'm on it. Its taking him sooooo long to look the truck over :) Back seat mechanics (especially girls) must be sooo annoying, right Glenn. :) 8)
 
Just to give you a visual image, after another 3000.00 worth of paint and tires I'll only have about 14,000 or 15,000 in her. I'm quite sure then it'd be worth about 5,000 :lol: Everything will be new but .... man that hurts to look at. :oops:

thetruckthatbrokethebank.jpg
 
Judith; The transfer case should shift easily into 4H with no gear clash anywhere from a standstill to highway speed......... I replaced mine at 350,000 kliks.......cracked case and was starting to shift hard. While they can be repaired a rebuilt is usually the fastest and cheapest fix. Something to keep in mind also is that if you do decide to move to Sask. all vehicles have to pass a safety check, anything not up to safety specs. including frame damage will condemn the vehicle!
 
:oops: :oops: Apparently I am mentally challenged! The 4 wheel drive has to be engaged when the vehicle is going 3-5 KMH. Trying to put it in high when in neutral is going to cause a problem.......... It works just fine when you do it right :oops: :oops:
 
Judith said:
Roper the lever is on the floor. It sounds like the transmission keeps running and you are trying to cram the lever into position while something is still moving. (Does that make sense?) It is a heavy duty grind. But I know some 4 wheel drives you have to be coasting at 10KMH or more. I didnt have the manual so I could have been doing it all wrong :shock:
Click to expand...

Im just guessing because I dont know if the truck has a chain drive shift on the fly transfer case or if its all gear driven. I dont know if you had your transmission in neatral when you shifted your transfer case. I dont know if you were going from 4low to 4 or 2 wheel high. I dont know if your truck was moving. I dont know if you where going from 2high to 4 wheel high when it made the sound. However im guessing that there is probable nothing wrong with the transfer case.
My advice would be if you trust this Greg guys oppinion then listen to him. He has seen the truck, I havnt.
Also why not put a Cummings diesel in it? Your hauling horses right? Try to get one of the older less complicated cummings. At the very least price a new cummings diesel crate engine. Im thinking this will be pricey. Your best bet is the wrecking yards. Find a new truck that was totaled. If you can put a cummings in it for under $8000 thats the way I would go if I was you. Its your best bet for power since im pretty sure you have to get smog checked in your province.
Dont worry about putting money in an old truck. The year of the truck means nothing. Its the condition of the truck. My truck is 25 years old and its better than most of the trucks on the road around here.
Actually I know lots of guys around here still running Dodge Fargos from the 50s and 60s. Actually my truck is considered new by a lot of people around here who are running pre 79 Fords or pre 73 GMC trucks.

Red Robin
How much would it cost you to go out and buy a new tandem truck then go out and buy a new PTO, hydralics and dump box and get everything installed? Plus then you would have to insure it. Then how much would that truck depreciate as soon as you drove it off the lot? How much is the loan interest going to cost you?
Man if you only have $15,000 in that truck, I dont understand your point. How much do you use that truck? $100,000 is a lot of money to have tied up into something that your not useing everyday.
 
Roper,
I've never been afraid to put money into an old truck :) I have been driving a 1986 Chevy for about 10 years. SHe has always been good to me. However this last betrayal of her's has put her out to pasture :) I was having to change the starter every 2 months due to shot ring gear. Yes I know replace the ring gear, however that means taking the engine out. I may as well get the other truck (which is like new) and put and engine in it rather than fix the old beast, who is a rusted ole retiree. I bought the truck, Glenn was going to if I didnt so I'm picking it up tonight, The transmission fellow next door came over and did a bunch of tests and its in great shape :)
 

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