Hey Everyone!

I know it's be awhile since I've posted... My '83 longbed has been out of commission for a while, just using my dirt bike for transportation, And, Well, that is getting old. The weather is way to unprediticable in Colorado to ONLY have a motorcycle. I miss my truck! I am going to take out a small loan to overhaul the truck ($2000) in about a month.

Right now, this is wrong:
Blown Head Gasket
Pluggy heater core
blown shocks
sagging leaf springs
front left brake leaking fluid
steering damper leaking and all bushings rotted out
oil pan gasket leaking
diff fluid needs replaced
rust spot on corner of bed
carb needs rebuilt
needs a tune up
Exaust rusted out


The truck has about 200,000 miles, but ignoring the things listed, It is a decent to good condition truck that I absolutely adore. With this $2,000, I want to get the most important stuff done. I plan on doing all the reasonable labor myself. What would you folks fix?

This is what I am thinking:
1.Head Rebuild (paying the machine shop)
2.Old Man Emu full 2" lift kit (would replace shocks, leaf springs, all the suspension stuff)
3.Carb Rebuild kit ($60 Napa)
4. Oil Pan Gasket
5. Tune Up
6. Brake fix

My husband thinks:
1. Full Engine Rebuild
2. Carb Rebuild kit
and ignore the suspension

His logic, with out the engine, suspension is no good. I think my engine is in decent shape, I think the head rebuild would perk her right up and the suspension would really help for things like: 1.Gathering Firewood. I load this poor girl down with wood and go up and down narly roads. 2. Carrying the motorcycles. I think one more fall of firewood and I might have some broken leaf springs. Also, new suspension would make it feel like a new truck.

What would you do?

 

One more thing, Here is a Picture of the truck with ONE bike in the bike, now imagine the sag with 2.

 

where in co are you? i would help you guys out doing work instead of paying a shop

 

Thanks for the offer, that is really cool! I am down in Durango, so I think that I'm a little far. I think I got a few friends that have already volunteered to help, so I should be good.

 

My two cents; Make it dependable to drive from point A to point B first with safety in mind. Then go after the annoying engine oil leaks and sagging springs and so on.

 

I would rebuild the engine, you will already have the head off and you need to take the pan off anyway, also I have been told putting a rebuilt head back on an old engine just creates other problems, dont have any experience with it just what I have been told.

 

I agree with your husband.

:wabbit2:

 

Here is the order in which my problems happened, I got the truck and had to do the timing chain and guides etc. one week later my headgasket started leaking so i did that and threw a new head on along with a bigger cam. well about 150 miles later i started burning oil real bad it was getting past the rings fast So i did a full rebuild I have ad a couple gremlins here and there since but no big problems. do it all at once and save the headache .

 

Ome suspension would eat up a ton of your budget...get it realiable first.
Wabbit could tell you how much I have into my truck but it does me absolutely no good at this point because it won't pass emissions

 

Nothing wrong with putting a new head on a good bottom end..

 

Thanks everyone! It's really looking like my husband was right! I called a good machine shop, I can get everything I need for the rebuild and all the components machined for $1200 (everything but the labor to put it back together, gaskets, lifters, the works). Technically, I could borrow $2,500 and do both the whole engine and the suspension. That's what I'm thinking right now at least (with no money in hand!). At that point, my truck would be pure awesomeness.

 

Keep in mind that even with brand New OME springs your truck is still a straight axle front end and will still ride rough. Some folks lately have not been happy with the results with their OME install.

 

x2.. mines still running amazingly. mind you, my bottom end was in pretty good shape

 

Well thats what I meant by old, with 200,000 miles on the engine it would be a pain to replace the head and have the problems that black 1985 SR5 had and have to take it back off again, no sense in half assing it in my opinion, if you are already there, have the money, why not make sure it will last another 200K by doing things right.

 

too bad your not in colorado springs.. no emissions!

 

I'm not too concerned about the ride, function is most important. I just want something that is quality and will handle the bikes/firewood as well as 4x4 trails for many many years. Right now, the truck handles so bad with the weight in the back (I feel like the sinking bed lifts up the front of the truck) I think it is a little dangerous, especially because It should be a fairly common thing this summer.

Do you have a favorite suspension setup? I am not set on OME. It just seems like It has a good reputation. I will do some searches too, read up on previous posts.

 

I think that the problem people were having with OME is that they were expecting their trucks to suddenly ride like an IFS truck. From what I've read, OME is the closest you'll get to stock, and probably a bit of an improvement.

For an actual ride improvement, I think you've got to go with rears up front, then Chevys or something similar in the rear. As far as a direct bolt-in "improvement", which is mostly stock, I think OME's got the market cornered...

 

I think this is what I am looking for, a new/ better stock.

 

Rebuild the motor.
Use good parts. aisin where you can. get a built head and timing chain from engnbldr. i'd use a cometic head gasket and arp studs. Rest of the seals gets from engnbldr. aisin oil/water pump, new thermostat. Rebuild the carb.

Then do the OME suspension, it's great for a mild lift that needs hauling ability. You can do it for about $8-900 i believe (springs, shocks, shackles, u-bolts, steering damper)

 

Personally, I'm going OME as soon as I can afford it. Running 4" pro comp right now and frankly, it rides quite horribly.