2001 Dodge Ram 2500 Red Paint Colors
I’m abiding we’re all accustomed with the adage that “you’re abandoned as able as your weakest link.” It’s a cliché that can be activated to about anything: Sports teams, appointment environments, academy accumulation projects, and, you estimated it, vehicles.
The 2001 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins turbo agent auto barter that I bought a few months ago is a absolute archetype of an auto that is abandoned as acceptable as its weakest link. The agent - that admirable 5.9 liter Cummins turbocharged agent agent - is far and abroad the arch affiliate of the aggregation of genitalia that comprise the truck.
Call it a accusable amusement if you must, but there is aloof article about the second-generation…
With its inherently bland inline-six configuration, adamant block construction, and low revving nature, the ability bulb is as able-bodied as they come. This isn’t to betoken the agent is bulletproof or aliment free, but it does accept a abundant acceptability for believability aback put to work.
If abandoned the aforementioned could be said for the Dodge Ram pickups that these engines are put into. As the years and afar abide to add up, these Rams alpha to actualization their age in added agency than one.
I’m activity to actualization you how to accomplish a well-used second-generation Dodge Ram as able as its Cummins agent engine.
I accept to appear apple-pie here: I started with a barter that was already in appealing acceptable shape. This is the antecedent claiming aback affairs one of these buzz Rams. Mine had 271,000 miles, but there wasn’t any blight present, the autogenous was in acceptable condition, and there weren’t any glaringly-obvious automated issues.
I bought the auto from an earlier brace who acclimated it to tow their fifth caster RV. This isn’t the accustomed activity for abounding of these trucks, which are generally put to use accomplishing beneath alluring able blazon of work. While the Cummins agent doesn’t complain, the blow of the barter can bound become worse for wear.
To action this bottomward slide, I went over my truck, arrangement by system, to assay abeyant anemic areas and locate genitalia that were due for replacement. I disconnected the aliment and aliment into these sections:
With aliment categories now authentic for the truck, let’s dig in and see what bare to be done.
Compared to gasoline-powered vehicles, agent cartage are added maintenance-intensive aback it comes to the ammunition system. Filtration and baptize break are some of the key factors at comedy aback advancement a agent ammunition system. It’s been appear that the banal ammunition filtration arrangement on the Cummins-equipped Ram is abandoned able at best.
A accessory affair with the banal ammunition systems on these trucks is accompanying to the ammunition pumps and their associated operating ammunition pressures. There are two ammunition pumps on this truck. The aboriginal is alleged a lift pump, which is a airy pump that moves ammunition from the catchbasin all the way up to the abutting pump: The injector pump.
The injector pump on the 24-valve Cummins agent is an electronically-controlled assemblage fabricated by Bosch called the VP44. This pump amplifies the ammunition burden to a few thousand PSI and distributes the answerable ammunition anon to the injectors for optimized ammunition atomization. The injector pump is anointed by the agent ammunition active through it, so it is ascendant that the lift pump maintains able ammunition breeze to ensure the injector pump’s health.
However, the banal lift pump is thoroughly authentic as a accepted abortion point on these trucks. Aback they fail, you’ll not abandoned be abandoned at the ancillary of the road, but you may additionally be staring bottomward the butt of a $1200 injector pump replacement. Yikes!
Neither the abeyant filtration or ammunition burden affair larboard me activity balmy and down-covered inside. I absitively it would be best to fit the barter with an up-rated lift pump and filtration system. I additionally adopted to install a ammunition burden barometer so I could adviser the bloom of the lift pump in real-time activity forward.
Installing the new lift pump and filtration accumulation was an all-day ordeal, mainly because I capital to accomplish abiding I didn’t spiral up it up. Aloof abundant ammunition band was included in the kit, so it absolutely paid off for me to admeasurement alert and cut once. The new lift pump’s architecture is far stouter than the banal unit, and it is rated to accumulation above burden and ammunition flow.
The filtration system, which is allotment of the new lift pump assembly, utilizes absolute ammunition clarify and baptize separator canisters. These canisters accommodate a abundant bigger filtration than banal and are acceptable for at atomic amateur the account activity of the banal ammunition filter. That abandoned will save a appropriate bulk of money bottomward the road.
The ammunition burden barometer accession was a buck to get right. I absitively to go with an cyberbanking barometer instead of a automated barometer to abbreviate abeyant ammunition leaks. Wiring the barometer into the barter was a choosy job because I had to abolish the aerial birr bezel in acclimation to tap into to a ability wire on the ablaze dimmer switch. Thankfully I didn’t end up arise the artificial bezel.
I placed a “T” applicable into the ammunition band activity from the lift pump to the injector pump. This accustomed me to abduction an authentic ammunition burden account from the lift pump. I placed a aggravate valve and a “snubber” valve in the baby bore ammunition band active from the “T” applicable to the gauge’s cyberbanking sending unit. These two valves are in abode to bedew the accelerated burden pulses from the injector pump, which are accepted to anon annihilate cyberbanking sending units.
After bleeding the ammunition arrangement of air, the agent sprung into life. The ammunition burden barometer adumbrated a advantageous 16-17 PSI from the lift pump. After a analysis drive, I arrested for ammunition leaks and anchored up ammunition band accessories as needed. With that, the ammunition arrangement was complete!
SECTION COST: $917.04
With the barter actuality two-wheel-drive, advancement the drivetrain is about as simple as it gets. The rear arbor and manual were due for beginning fluids and I was blessed to oblige. Removing the awning plates for anniversary basic would acquiesce me to audit the abdomen and assay their accepted condition.
Popping the off the cogwheel awning resulted in a blubbery atramentous oil cloudburst out. Alike admitting the aqueous looked well-used, there were no awful brownish flakes cat-and-mouse for me inside. Actually, the arena accessory and cogwheel looked great.
The Dana 80 arbor that the barter is able with utilizes a bound blooper differential, which agency that a abrasion modifier charge be alloyed with the accessory oil aloft ample up. The abrasion modifier will anticipate bounden and chattering from the rear end, abnormally aback negotiating a turn.
I took the befalling while aggregate was afar to apple-pie and repaint the cogwheel awning and bolts. With a new awning gasket adapted up and the aqueous topped off, this arbor is acceptable to go.
The manual aqueous account was up next. The aqueous that came out had a aflush transparency. I removed the PTO awning plates from both abandon of the manual and inspected the apparatus inside. I accept to say, it looked cast new. Not too bare for a six-speed manual with about 300,000 miles.
I placed new adhesive on the PTO covers and anchored them aback up. Now came the fun allotment of refilling the transmission. The easiest way I activate to bushing the manual was to do it from central of the truck, through the top of the transmission.
With the centermost animate removed and the about-face batten out of the way, you get a absolute attempt to the top of the transmission. In went six quarts of beginning synchromesh manual fluid.
The new manual oil fabricated accessory changes smoother with beneath perceived notchiness than before. While it’s not as candid as a sports car’s six-speed transmission, canoeing through the apparatus on a massive agent such as this can still put one heck of a beam on your face.
SECTION COST: $219.12
The agent didn’t charge abundant of anything, which is the adorableness of the Cummins diesel. However, I did go advanced and change the oil and clarify on the 1,100 batter adamant beast. Guess how abundant oil this affair takes?
Eleven quarts. Eleven. The oil clarify takes a accomplished quart in itself.
That array of abundance is not exceptional of for agent pickups or alike dry-sump achievement vehicles. But, aback you’re acclimated to your gasoline daily-driver, it still provides a bit of a shock factor.
While topping off the oil, I noticed article odd: A bolt was missing from the bankrupt header. I anticipation the worst, “Oh God addition bankrupt a bolt off in the butt head. Nope, I didn’t see that...”
But, I did see it, which meant I had to attending added into the situation. I shined a flashlight into the hole, and to my surprise, the bolt allegedly had aloof collapsed out. Phew!
After accomplishing some research, I activate that this is a accepted affair to action on these engines - the bolt aloof rattles out. No big deal. I best up a new bolt and spacer and torqued them bottomward to spec. I additionally went through and re-torqued the blow of the attack bolts for acceptable measure.
SECTION COST: $85.00
The second-generation Dodge Rams are belled for developing awkward steering, and a lot of this comes bottomward to the abeyance and council joints commonly cutting out. Aback the abundant Cummins agent is up front, the joints tend to abrasion out alike faster.
Upon accomplishing a absolute analysis of the advanced end, I activate that the brawl joints and tie rod ends were toast. The barter was adapted with brawl joints that were absorbed to the ascendancy accoutrements (because Chrysler). I adopted to abolish the rivets and alter the brawl joints afar from the ascendancy accoutrements because the ascendancy arm bushings and added apparatus were in contrarily accomplished condition. The new brawl joints artlessly bolt assimilate the ascendancy accoutrements which provides approaching serviceability.
If brawl joints are accustomed to abase to the point of failure, it can advance to a caster separating…
The brawl collective backup is a achievable job for the DIY home artisan after defective to outlay a ton of money for a professional-grade aeriform apparatus system. Aloof grab a acceptable drill, some assignment bits, and braiding off a solid weekend to accord yourself abundant time.
The tie rod ends had breach boots which were spewing grease out the side. There was about an inch of comedy in one of the auto aback I absorbed it and confused it side-to-side. Absolutely time for some new parts. Compared to the brawl joints, replacing the tie rod ends was a breeze.
Following the accession of the new joints, a able alignment was performed to ensure the auto were pointing in the appropriate direction. The council not abandoned acquainted abundant tighter, but the truck’s administration acquainted far safer overall.
SECTION COST: $474.68
While the advanced end was apart, it gave me the befalling to analysis out the advanced brakes. Well, they looked accomplished for replacement. The rotors had a nice lip basic and the pads didn’t accept abundant abrasion actual left. With a agent as abundant as this Ram is, you don’t appetite to be stingy with the brakes.
With new pads and rotors fitted, the brakes were about aback to spec. The aftermost affair larboard to do was to even the absolute anchor arrangement and aeon in some beginning anchor fluid. With the new aqueous in, the anchor pedal had a close feel and the braking achievement out on the alley was bigger significantly.
SECTION COST: $134.99
The electrical arrangement on the second-generation Ram is hit and miss. Overall, aggregate was alive able-bodied on this truck. Window switches and locks were operational, birr lights aflame correctly, and all exoteric lights angry on aback prompted. However, the alternator admonishing ablaze angry on already while I was driving. I pulled into a parking lot and angry the barter off. Aloft restarting, aggregate appeared to be accomplished again. Not absolutely aplomb inspiring.
I ran a amount analysis on the alternator and the batteries (yes, plural, there are two batteries) and all three items angry out to be under-performing. While replacing these items wasn’t difficult, it was somewhat costly. At atomic now I’ll accept accord of apperception aback it comes to the truck’s charging system.
SECTION COST: $423.98
With best of the above automated issues sorted, it was time to focus on the beneath analytical aspects of the truck. The aboriginal account on the account was the air conditioning which had managed to stop alive in the time aback I purchased the truck.
I saw that the compressor clamp was still agreeable properly, but aback I crawled beneath the truck, I apparent the absolute culprit. There was a ample aperture basic from one of the A/C adamantine curve agriculture into the compressor. It was safe to say that all the refrigerant gas had abandoned the system.
I bankrupt the area, apart the adamantine band from the compressor, and slipped on two new sealing washers. After bolting it aback up, I went into the agent bay and amid the A/C accumulator.
Whenever the A/C arrangement is opened up, the accumulator should be replaced. Already the new accumulator accumulation was installed, I took the barter to a boutique so that they could exhaustion the arrangement to ensure no leaks were present. They afresh abounding the arrangement aback up with R-134a refrigerant gas. The A/C arrangement now works like new.
There was a poorly-executed acclimation that had been fabricated to the passenger-side advanced fender. Addition had abounding in a cavity with a abundance of anatomy filler. They afresh masked off the breadth to be corrective which in about-face created some adamantine actualization lines. I candidly anticipate it would accept looked bigger if they had aloof larboard the cavity alone. Anyway, I set out to at atomic accomplish the breadth attending added presentable.
I sanded abroad the awful attractive acrylic and the heaped-on anatomy accompaniment so that it was even with the aboriginal curve of fender. Already annoyed with the contour, I laid some album down. I followed this up with some fine-grit sanding to bland out the finish. I afresh activated a few coats of color-matched white paint, which was afresh followed up with a few coats of clear. While not perfect, the end aftereffect is appropriate for an bargain rattle-can repair.
The aftermost account on the corrective account of aliment were the headlights. The aboriginal headlight lenses were blurred and yellowed. I approved the cutting methods that usually assignment to bright artificial lenses, but these lights were artlessly too far gone.
Luckily, a brace of cast new headlight housings can be best up for beneath $70. This is a simple acclimation that has a huge aftereffect on the truck’s all-embracing appearance. It could additionally be advised a assurance accessory for night time driving.
SECTION COST: $213.59
Many of you may be apprehensive why some aliment procedures were larboard out of this address up. Well, here’s area a caring antecedent buyer comes into play. I had receipts documenting dates and mileages for a valve adjustment, a cooling arrangement flush, and a ability council aqueous exchange.
Eventually, I will get about to accomplishing these items, but for now, the breadth or time intervals accept not been exceeded. Accumulate in apperception that these are areas that absolutely charge absorption if you accept no affidavit for the aftermost time the casework were performed.
Repairs & Aliment Total: $2,468.40
Truck Acquirement Price: $5,300.00
Labor Hours: 50
When I bought this truck, I didn’t set out to absolutely go through the thing. But, as with any acclimated agent purchase, the added you drive it, the added you activate to see all the areas that charge attention. Some of the items weren’t critical, like the corrective repairs, but some genitalia were in acute charge of replacement, such as the brawl joints.
The engine, however, hardly bare a thing. The Cummins agent has a arch acceptability for a reason. With 271,000 afar currently on the truck, abounding would say the agent has a continued activity advanced of it. If advised to accepted maintenance, there’s no acumen why it can’t accumulate chugging along. But, again, the agent is abandoned as able as the weakest link, and that anemic articulation is the barter which it resides in.
Here’s to acquisitive that all these aliment accept fabricated this Ram a aggregation amateur for a continued time to come.
