Internal engine pics. Everyone's favorite!

[emmett442]

My old Dodge always had a tendency to keep the choke closed too long on cold days. I eventually came to the conclusion that the exhaust crossover in the intake manifold that heats the choke coil was plugged. So, off the intake came.

The factory blue paint on the existing intake gaskets made it pretty evident that this is the first time this intake has been off since the engine was assembled in 1973. Nifty!

Also shown - I took apart and cleaned out the lifters, and also refreshed the distributor.

 

[StevieC]

I miss those simple trucks. Durable, reliable, and simple. Thanks for posting

 

[FlyNavyP3]

Hard to beat a 360 and a 4speed in a 3/4 ton Dodge. Great trucks, great drivetrain.

 

[ekpolk]

Thanks for posting, great pictures! It's astonishing that an engine of this vintage is so clean under the valve covers. Well done! My parents' 1973 Dodge Dart, with the 225 Slant-Six was the first engine I started doing menial maintenance on. Parents weren't exactly car care gurus, and it was carbureted in a cold climate. The view in the oil filler revealed copious shiny black sludge all over the place. My ignorant first impression was that it was some sort of grease that was supposed to be there!

{EDIT: Yes, you may -- no you SHOULD -- laugh at me for that...}

So, how have you kept this old engine so clean?!?

 

[ekpolk]

A side note: I'm neither "for" nor "against" pickups; I just haven't had any need for one, so I don't pay a whole lot of attention. That said, I always liked the look of the Dodge trucks of that era. To my eye, they have an understated, cleanly solid look about them. Dodge/Ram is certainly not alone in their "guilt," but now they seem build trucks that have to project a "look" of strength, rather than just delivering plain undecorated strength.

 

[emmett442]

Originally Posted by ekpolk
So, how have you kept this old engine so clean?!?

I have to give credit to the previous owner. I've only had this truck for 8k miles or so.

It spent most of it's life as a camper truck, with a slide-in unit in the bed. As such, I'm sure many of it's miles were cruising on the highway. Based on the limited maintenance records I have, the truck already had 25k miles on it in 1978, yet it only had 73k on it when I got it in 2017. So he racked the miles up pretty quick when it was young.

Either way, I'm not sure what it's routine maintenance was like.

 

[emmett442]

Originally Posted by ekpolk
That said, I always liked the look of the Dodge trucks of that era.


Me too!

 

[bbhero]

^^^^^^

Holy cow that is a gem right there

 

[PimTac]

Thanks for sharing. That truck and engine look great for being 45 years old.

 

[ekpolk]

Originally Posted by bbhero

Holy cow that is a gem right there

Yeah, amen to that! I'm thinking the previous owner must have had it stored in a nitrogen-pressurized deep freeze!

 

[emmett442]

It's in terrific shape for being all original, very presentable, but it's far from perfect. A few dings, lots of scratches, paint wore through on the frontal surfaces, bent bumpers, and holes on the doors from an old set of west coast mirrors that were changed out at some point.

Here's a pic of the hood. Notice the paint. This was a few months after I got it. I was trying with the idea of adding factory cab lights, so I laid them out and took a few pictures.

But, on the other hand, the "bones" are excellent. Frame still wears all of it's original black paint!

 

[das_peikko]

I love that style Dodge truck.

 

[emmett442]

Nice 1st Gen!

 

[bullwinkle]

Those old, basic trucks, with proper maintenance, would outlive us all. The new $40,000+ ones, not so much...

 

[JLTD]

Great truck, beautiful engine.

 

[gregk24]

Originally Posted by bullwinkle
Those old, basic trucks, with proper maintenance, would outlive us all. The new $40,000+ ones, not so much...


My uncle just purchased a 2019 GMC Sienna 3500...list price was $75,000! I'm SURE he got a deal on it knowing him, but goodness. It would not be worth that much to me.

 

[zrxkawboy]

Love those old Mopars! Thanks for sharing.

 

[daves87rs]

Look great!!!

 

[dave1251]

Originally Posted by bullwinkle
Those old, basic trucks, with proper maintenance, would outlive us all. The new $40,000+ ones, not so much...



Yes they will.

 

[cronk]

Nice truck! When I was growing up, our farm truck was an 85 Ram Prospector 2wd with a slant 6 and a 4 speed. One of the last years for the slant 6 and it was pretty choked down with emissions junk and was a real dog.
It was reliable as heck, we had it around 10 years and all I can remember going wrong with it were, u joints, a starter, and routine stuff like exhaust. The one thing I remember, couldnt keep e brake cables on it, it seems like it needed 1 every year or 2!