A common problem on these...
A common problem on these Dodges is that the front bumper starts to sag, creating a gap. The previous owner "fixed" this by putting a bolt through the bumper. Now the bumper sags and has a bolt through it.
Since then, life with the truck has been pretty trouble free. I have put about 8,000 miles on it since then, and the only problem is that the check-engine light has come on, which seems to be something to do with the EGR that came on '97 California trucks. Gas mileage is great, and it averages about 21 mpg on the highway at 70 mph. All this with a tow package and 3.54 gears! My only complaint so far has been that it pounds mercilessly over the big expansion joints on big-city freeways. It rides fine out in the middle of nowhere, but in the city it feels like you are driving sitting on the end of a diving board while someone is jumping on it. Since being hired at Diesel Power, the shipping company idea is no longer, which means I still have a 3-4 car hauler to sell, despite the guys at off-road magazines trying to convince me to haul all their crap out to Moab. I couldn't bring myself to part with the truck though because it's one of the only diesels that runs around here. Since I no longer needed it for towing, the plan has changed.
Now I see my truck as the older musclecar of diesels. No stinkin' electronics or fancy-shmancy injection, just 12 valves, a turbo, and a pump that can put out a bunch of fuel. As these trucks get older and older, I wouldn't be surprised to see a younger crowd owning these less-expensive older trucks. There seems to also be a big 12-valve following on the Internet, and a lot of the modifications are relatively the same. The great thing about these early trucks is that with a few cheap mechanical modifications, they can equal or surpass the horsepower and especially torque of newer trucks. The plan is to create a common recipe for 12-valve performance that works and people can use in years to come. I still have to finalize the list, but first will be a fuel plate, pump timing bumped to 15 degrees, 3K Governor Spring Kit (GSK), and gauges. I am shooting for 250- 300 rear-wheel horsepower at this level. Next will be 370 injectors, 191 or laser- cut Delivery Valves, exhaust and intake, and probably nitrous. I am shooting for 350-400 rear-wheel horsepower at this level and at least 500 rear-wheel horsepower on the jug. I know a lot of people don't like nitrous, but coming from a drag racing background, it's hard to argue with something that will drop 1-2 seconds off your elapsed time.
I'll also dyno the truck to see how much power it makes at each stage and also run it down the track a few times to see how fast it is. Since it is a daily driver, reliability will also be a main goal, which means the transmission will need help at any horsepower level above stock. The truck was also made in one of the years that has the "killer dowel pin," so that will need to be fixed. I'll probably tow with it a time or two for those with the same mods that need to tow and see if the EGTs get out of hand. Eventually, the engine and transmission will be headed into a 3,000-pound drag truck project to see just how fast a street strip diesel can be. But that is probably a year or two from now.
For now, that's the story on how I bought it, how it went from work truck to a "project" truck, and what kind of future awaits it. While nowhere near nice enough to be a feature truck, it will be popping into the magazine from time to time in articles about anything from biodiesel to drag racing. I hope to make some good power with it and have some fun-all the while keeping it reliable and driving it every day.
 These 1-ton Dodges came with...  These 1-ton Dodges came with a stout Dana 80 rear axle. Mine also got the limited-slip and rear sway bar. |  Buying an older vehicle usually...  Buying an older vehicle usually means it will have some scuffs and scrapes. Mine was no exception with this big bed scrape, but the rest of the body was in decent shape. |  I was taking a look at the...  I was taking a look at the P7100, arguably one of the best and most "tweakable" pumps out there. This would be a big key in trying to triple the horsepower of the stock engine. |